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EPT Malta champion Niall Farrell is in second place right now
After 14 levels of 75 minutes each, the tournament is down to 218 players from the 1,044 that entered. In half an hour time those 218 players will recommence their tournament, looking to take the bubble hurdle first. A total of 151 players will take home a minimum of €8,910. That means only 67 unfortunate souls will leave this tournament empty handed today.
Russian high roller Mikhail Rudoy only has 23,600 and his country man Chinese Poker expert Maxim Panyak even has less with 23,400. The absolute short stack is Frenchman Mounim Kaddouri who brings 22,500 today. Those are the shortest stacks, on the other end of the spectrum we find Master Classics of Poker side event champion Gleb Tremzin (610,500) and EPT Malta champion Niall Farrell (541,000). Simon Persson from Sweden won a huge hand against Chris Moneymaker late last night with ace-five in a five bet pot. He's in third spot with 468,300 in chips.
Moneymaker lost a huge chunk of chips, but he won the last two hands of the night and is still in with 93,700. His colleagues from the PokerStars Team Pro roster still in are Matthias De Meulder (185,500), Ivan Demidov (151,800) and Johnny Lodden (148,500). Defending PokerStars Team Online's honors is Mickey Petersen (76,700).
The first level to be played is 1,500/3,000 with a 400 ante. Levels will be 90 minutes long and there will be 5 of them played, with a 20 minute break after each level. Play is done around 8:45 tonight as there won't be a dinner break.
Team PokerStars Pro and World Series of Poker Main Event champion Chris Moneymaker just called a raise from Christian Jeppsson, who was seated on his direct right, to 7,000. The action then folded to David Vamplew, and he called as well to create three-way action on the flop.
The flop brought out and Vamplew checked to Jeppsson who bet 9,500 and Moneymaker raised it up to 20,000. Vamplew folded and Jeppsson shoved for about 54,000, and Moneymaker made the call right away.
Jeppsson:
Moneymaker :
The turn brought the , and Moneymaker hit a straight to send Jeppsson to the rail. On the river the hit and Moneymaker stacked up quite a few new chips after having had a rough last level yesterday on Day 2. Moneymaker's last EPT Main Event cash dates back to EPT San Remo Season 9, when he finished in 116th place.
Gavin O'Rourke started the day with well above the 143,000-chip average, but he just doubled through Mustafa Biz to become one of the chip leaders of the tournament.
O'Rourke raised from middle position to 7,000 and from his direct left it was Biz who three-bet to 18,000. The action folded back around to O'Rourke, and he four-bet to 47,000 and Biz called.
The flop brought out and O'Rourke lead out for 40,000, after which Biz moved all in right away.
O'Rourke, who looked a bit stunned with Biz's big shove, leaned back in his chair and almost reluctantly tossed forward some chips to make the call.
A massive pot worth 536,000 chips was upon us, and O'Rourke tabled against Biz's .
On the turn the hit and the river was the , giving O'Rourke a big double up, leaving Biz with a little less than average.
We missed the elimination of Team Online's Mickey Petersen, but Mike "Timex" McDonald was kind enough to fill us in on some details. According to him, action folded to Petersen in the small blind and he shoved all in for "10 or 15 bigs" holding and was called by the of Vlado Banicevic. The board ran out clean and that was all she wrote for Petersen.
Meanwhile, Team PokerStars Pro Chris Moneymaker was eliminated in the first level of the day. We missed his bustout hand, but we do know he was crippled down to just 20,000 after losing to on an flop.
Ilkin Amirov made it 8,500 to go from first position and Johnny Lodden right next to him made the call. American big stack Kenneth Smaron called on the button before Ruben Visser made it 33,500 from the small blind with 17,000 behind. Joao Vieira in the big blind folded right away and Amirov tanked. He asked how much it exactly was, how much he had behind, and he looked at the stacks of Lodden and Smaron behind him. He eventually laid it down.
Lodden raised to 48,500 and Smaron instantly folded. Visser smiled and said "We're gonna play a flop. I just call."
Even before the flop came Ruben Visser bet his last 2,000 in the dark. Johnny Lodden called right away but the cards were only opened after the on the flop.
Johnny Lodden:
Ruben Visser:
The on the turn and on the river were blanks and Visser doubled.
Iaron Lightbourne raised under the gun to 9,000 and Rainer Kempe called on the button. The flop came and Lightbourne continued for 11,500. Kempe called.
Both players checked the on the turn and the completed the board. Lightbourne checked for the second time and Kempe bet 32,000 with about 70,000 behind. Lightbourne pushed all in and Kempe folded after tanking for quite some time.
Kempe not only won the €25,000 Single-Day High Roller earlier this week for €539,000 and final tabled the WPT Montreal Main Event (3rd for $147,599), but also final tabled both EPT Main Events this season. He finished 5th in both Barcelona (€320,400) and Malta (€161,340). In his live poker tournament career he amassed $1,590,753.
Andrea Cortellazzi opened before the flop and called Jean Montury's 80,000 shove.
Andrea Cortellazzi:
Jean Montury:
The flop came and Montury was getting nervous. The on the turn was a blank but the on the river sure wasn't. Andrea Cortellazzi went full berserk again and fist pumped like he had just won the Super Bowl.
"You happy?" asked table mate Foeke Deinum sarcastically. "Very happy!" Cortellazzi said with a serious voice. "If you bust me, just don't do that" Mitch Johnson added, but it was lost on the Italian who was still cheerfully stacking his chips.
Up at the feature table, Spain's Jesus Muriel Gracia was automatically all in from the big blind for his last 5,000. Ukraine's Anton Sulymka called under the gun, and one by one the rest of the players got out of the way.
Gracia:
Sulymka:
Gracia was behind but drawing to two live cards. The flop was disaster for Gracia as Sulymka made a pair of tens. The turn sealed Gracia's fate, and he left empty handed in 152nd place, thus ensuring the remaining field at least €8,910 in prize money.
Rainer Kempe made both the final table in this European Poker Tour season's Barcelona stop (5th for €320,400) and Malta stop (5th for €160,340) but won't be making it back to back to back here in Prague.
He was severely crippled on the bubble and commited his last chips from the hijack over an under the gun raise by Vyacheslav Stoyanov. Made the call and put Rainer at risk.
Rainer Kempe:
Vyacheslav Stoyanov:
The board ran out and Kempe made his exit. After winning the €25,500 Single-Day High Roller for €539,000 earlier this week, Kempe has to settle for a min cash in the Main Event.
![[user20283]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
and Vamplew checked to Jeppsson who bet 9,500 and Moneymaker raised it up to 20,000. Vamplew folded and Jeppsson shoved for about 54,000, and Moneymaker made the call right away.
, and Moneymaker hit a straight to send Jeppsson to the rail. On the river the 
hit and Moneymaker stacked up quite a few new chips after having had a rough last level yesterday on Day 2. Moneymaker's last EPT Main Event cash dates back to EPT San Remo Season 9, when he finished in 116th place.
and O'Rourke lead out for 40,000, after which Biz moved all in right away.
against Biz's 
.
hit and the river was the 
and Pletitcha knocked out the WSOP bracelet winner from France.
and was called by the 
of Vlado Banicevic. The board ran out clean and that was all she wrote for Petersen.
on the turn and 
and Lightbourne continued for 11,500. Kempe called.
on the turn and the 
completed the board. Lightbourne checked for the second time and Kempe bet 32,000 with about 70,000 behind. Lightbourne pushed all in and Kempe folded after tanking for quite some time.
and Montury was getting nervous. The 
on the river sure wasn't. Andrea Cortellazzi went full berserk again and fist pumped like he had just won the Super Bowl. 
and Kempe made his exit. After winning the €25,500 Single-Day High Roller for €539,000 earlier this week, Kempe has to settle for a min cash in the Main Event.
