Johnny Lodden opened to 65,000 under the gun and Jose Carlos Garcia made the call from middle position. Ole Schemion on the button tossed in 65,000 as well, Koichi Nozaki called from the big blind.
Four-way to the flop: . Nozaki checked, and initial raiser Lodden checked as well. Garcia bet 135,000 into 311,000 and Schemion instantly folded, Nozaki folded as well. Lodden made the call, growing the pot to 581,000.
The popped up and Lodden checked, Garcia checked behind rather quickly.
The on the river saw Lodden bet out 330,000. Gacia, with 1.3 million behind at this time, tanked for some time, but folded in the end.
From early position Muhyedine Fares raised and got a call from Hady El Asmar. Both players saw a flop of , and Fares continued for 85,000 and got called from El Asmar.
The turn was , and both players checked and saw the on the river. Muhyedine Fares thought for a short while before betting 127,000 into a pot of 371,000.
El Asmar counted out a number of yellow chips worth 25,000 each, and raised to 350,000 which forced a fold from Fares. With that hand El Asmar moved up into the chip lead with a stack of 3.1 million.
Dmitry Ivanov made it 62,000 from the button and received a three-bet to 158,000 from Jose Carlos Garcia out of the small blind. Ivanov didn't waste much time four-betting to 348,000. Garcia, with 1.2 million behind, tanked for some time, and shoved all in. Ivanov called.
Dmitry Ivanov:
Jose Carlos Garcia:
The flop came and Ivanov was still in the lead. The on the turn just about necked him though. The on the river was a blank and Ivanov was left the shortest stack of them all (12 big blinds).
Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior has been announced as the newest addition to Team PokerStars. We received the following press release from PokerStars.
FOOTBALL SUPERSTAR NEYMAR JR BECOMES POKERSTARS BRAND AMBASSADOR Brazil’s star striker and team captain will promote poker and represent PokerStars
MONTREAL – May 7, 2015 – Brazil’s football icon Neymar Jr has taken his love of poker to the next level by becoming an ambassador for the world’s most popular poker company PokerStars, Amaya Inc. (TSX: AYA) announced today.
Neymar Jr, who is as much a phenomenon in social media as he is on the football pitch, will promote PokerStars in advertising, charitable events and special appearances, including participating in major live and online poker tournaments. The young Brazilian has a massive social following worldwide with more than 18 million Twitter followers and 51.2 million Facebook fans.
“Neymar Jr is one of the brightest stars in the sporting world and PokerStars is proud to be associated with him. Together we will grow the popularity of poker and show new audiences the competitive, fun and strategic game of poker,” said Michael Hazel, interim CEO of PokerStars. “Working with Neymar Jr continues PokerStars’ history of investing in mainstream athletes who want to leverage their success in competitive sports to become successful poker players.”
Amaya Chairman and CEO David Baazov said the signing is an investment in the growth of poker globally. “Neymar Jr is a young and extremely charismatic megastar who loves interacting with fans on social media, is comfortable on camera and loves the game of poker," Baazov said. "And as a superstar with one of the world’s most famous football clubs and football nations, his appeal is global. This partnership is a great opportunity to market the game of poker across the globe and attract new fans."
An avid and passionate poker player, Neymar Jr regularly posts photos and videos on his Instagram about his poker exploits, including home games with his friends, as well as photos with his dog, aptly named ‘Poker’, sharing his love of the game with a following of 14.5 million.
“Growing up and playing football everyday has made me a competitive person. When I’m not playing football, playing poker and competing against my teammates on the road or in home games with friends is one of my favourite things to do,” said Neymar Jr.
“To be a successful poker player, you require many of the same skills needed to be a successful footballer – mental strength is important; resilience, patience, composure and focus. I love the challenge, whether it’s on the football pitch or at the poker table,” he continued.
Over the years, numerous athletes have taken their determination, focus, and strategic thinking to the green baize of the poker table. The many parallels drawn between competitive sports make Neymar Jr a natural fit for PokerStars.
As the newest member of Team PokerStars, Neymar Jr joins a winning team of some of the best poker players in the world, as well as other celebrated athletes such as Brazilian football legend Ronaldo ‘el Fenómeno’ Nazário de Lima, 14-time Grand Slam tennis champion Rafa Nadal, and Holland’s Beijing Olympic gold winning field hockey captain Fatima Moreira de Melo.
The signing of Neymar Jr is part of PokerStars’ commitment to bringing the excitement of playing poker to new audiences. PokerStars will also be working with the Neymar Jr Project Institute via its corporate giving programme, Helping Hands.
The 12th season of the PokerStars European Poker Tour kicks off in Barcelona this August. The action-packed festival always attracts huge numbers but is certain to be even more popular this year with Neymar Jr demonstrating his poker skills in a series of “Celebrity Duels”. Poker players and football fans will also be given the chance to meet Neymar Jr face-to-face, and even have a chance to play against him in this special poker game.
Neymar Jr will play on PokerStars under the User ID ‘neymar-jr’.
Markus Ross opened the button and Hady El Asmar made the call from the big blind. Ross fired 63,000 on and El Asmar raised it up to 150,000. Markus Ross called.
El Asmar bet 150,000 on the turn and again Ross called. The completed the board and Asmar once again bet 150,000. The odds were good, but Ross folded after some thinking.
Dmitry Ivanov moved all-in under the gun for 335,000. Action was folded around to Adrian Mateos who asked for a count before calling from mid-position. Hady El Asmar thought about calling from the small blind before electing to fold. Schemion got out of the way and left the two players up against eachother.
Ivanov:
Mateos:
Ivanov was behind and at risk, and needed a five to remain in the competition. The flop was , and it looked like Ivanov was set to bubble the official final table. The was no good for Ivanov, and the on the river sealed his fate.
The remaining eight players have made the official final table, and are guaranteed a 6-figure pay day. Eight place pays €120,700.
. Nozaki checked, and initial raiser Lodden checked as well. Garcia bet 135,000 into 311,000 and Schemion instantly folded, Nozaki folded as well. Lodden made the call, growing the pot to 581,000.
popped up and Lodden checked, Garcia checked behind rather quickly.
on the river saw Lodden bet out 330,000. Gacia, with 1.3 million behind at this time, tanked for some time, but folded in the end.
, and Fares continued for 85,000 and got called from El Asmar.
, and both players checked and saw the 
on the river. Muhyedine Fares thought for a short while before betting 127,000 into a pot of 371,000.
and Ivanov was still in the lead. The 
on the turn just about necked him though. The 
turn and again Ross called. The 
completed the board and Asmar once again bet 150,000. The odds were good, but Ross folded after some thinking.
