Hand #46: On the button, Elie Saad open-shoved 950,000 with . Aliaksei Boika immediately called with from the small blind to put Saad at risk.
The Lebanese amateur took a huge lead in the hand on the flop. The on the turn was safe for Saad, meaning he needed to just fade the two remaining tens to double up.
The dealer quickly dealt the river to not keep the players in tension for too long. It was the , one of the remaining tens, which gave Boika a rivered set to knock out Saad.
Elie Saad saw the run of his poker life come to a halt in fourth place, The Lebanese businessman banked a massive €141,780 for his accomplishment.
Hand #41: From the button, Dmitry Yurasov raised to 130,000 with and won the blinds and antes.
Hand #42: Aliaksei Boika completed the small blind with and Mats Karlsson checked his option, holding . The flop was and Boika checked to Karlsson. The Swede overbet the pot, sliding out 225,000 in chips. Boika thought about it for a moment but eventually folded.
Hand #43: When folded to him in the small blind, Mats Karlsson completed with after checking how much Dmitry Yurasov was playing. The Russian checked, holding and both hit a part of the flop.
Yurasov checked-called a 125,000-bet by Karlsson. The fell on the turn and Yurasov checked again. Chipleader Karlsson made it 400,000 to go. Yurasov thought about it for a minute and made the call.
Karlsson improved to two pair with the on the river. When checked to him he bet 600,000 and got paid by Yurasov who made the hero call and was wrong.
Hand #44: Aliaksei Boika picked up the blinds and antes with a raise to 130,000 while holding in first position.
Hand #45: Elie Saad shoved all in for 860,000 from the small blind with . Big blind Aliaksei Boika thought about it for a moment with but elected to fold.
Hand #40: From the cutoff, Mats Karlsson raised to 130,000 with and Peter Ockenden called with on the button.
The flop promised fireworks and Karlsson continued with 200,000. Ockenden raised to 550,000, Karlsson thought for the better part of a minute before moving all in. Ockenden removed his sunglasses, sighed, and called it off.
With 48% equity, Ockenden was racing for his tournament life in a 3 million chip pot.
The on the turn gave Karlsson a better top pair, and Ockenden needed an ace or nine on the river to stay alive. The river was neither, ending Ockenden's deep run in 5th place.
The PokerStars qualifier, who won his seat for the EPT Main Event for just €27, turned his small investment into €104,340, by far the biggest score of his poker career.
Hand #36: It was folded to Dmitry Yurasov on the button and he raised to 130,000 with . Aliaksei Boika defended his big blind with but folded when Yurasov continued for 110,000 on the flop.
Hand #37: From the button, Elie Saad raised to 125,000 with and Mats Karlsson defended his big blind with . The board was checked down completely and Saad took it down.
Hand #38: Elie Saad opened with . From the cutoff, he made it 125,000 to go. It was folded to Peter Ockenden in the big blind and he called with .
The flop came down and Ockenden checked to Saad, who checked behind. The fell on the turn. Ockenden bet 220,000 and that was enough to take it down.
Hand #39: From the cutoff, Aliaksei Boika raised to 150,000 while holding . In the big blind, Dmitry Yurasov called with . The flop was and it was checked to the on the turn.
Yurasov checked again and Boika bet 200,000. Yurasov stuck around to see the river. It was checked down and Yurasov's ace-high was good.
Hand #30: Dmitry Yurasov raised to 150,000 with from the small blind. Elie Saad defended in the big blind.
The flop missed both players. Yurasov bet 90,000 and took it down.
Hand #31: In the cutoff, Peter Ockenden found and made it 140,000 to go. Elie Saad moved it with from the small blind, totaling 980,000. Ockenden quickly let it go.
Hand #32: Aliaskei Boika raised to 175,000 with in the small blind. Mats Karlsson held and defended his big blind.
The flop came and both players checked. The on the turn left Karlsson drawing dead. Boika bet 255,000 and Karlsson folded.
Hand #33: Aliaksei Boika raised to 130,000 with on the button. Peter Ockenden picked up in the big blind and moved all in. Boika considered it briefly but ended up folding.
Hand #34: Peter Ockenden completed in the small blind and Dmitry Yurasov checked his option with . Ockenden hit bottom pair on and checked. Yurasov bet 70,000 and Ockenden called.
The on the turn gave Yurasov suddenly 30% equity to win the hand. Ockenden checked, Yurasov bet 175,000, and Ockenden folded.
Hand #35: Aliaksei Boika raised to 130,000 with from under the gun. Mats Karlsson called with from the cutoff, Dmitry Yurasov called with out of the small blind and Elie Saad defended his big blind with .
Four players saw a flop of , which kept Karlsson in the lead. It was checked to the Swede, who bet 300,000. All the other players folded their hands.
Hand #25: Back from the break, Aliaksei Boika came in raising from first position. He made it 130,000 with and won the bigger blinds and antes.
Hand #26: From first position, Mats Karlsson raised it up to 130,000 with . Aliaksei Boika defended his big blind with a slightly bigger ace, .
The flop was checked through. Boika did pair his kicker on the turn. Boika checked to Karlsson and the Swede bet 250,000 and Boika laid down the best hand.
Hand #27: It was folded to Aliaksei Boika in the small blind and he completed with . From the big blind, Mats Karlsson raised to 225,000 with and took it down.
Hand #28: Dmitry Yurasov raised with and to his left, Elie Saad moved all in with for 890,000. It was folded back around to Yurasov and he folded as well. This was the first hand Elie Saad won today.
Hand #29: It was folded to Peter Ockenden in the small blind and he made it 145,000 to go with . Dmitry Yurasov defended his big blind with .
The flop was which gave Ockenden a pair of fours and Yurasov a gutshot straight draw. Both checked and saw the turn. That gave Yurasov a straight and when checked to him, he bet 175,000 and Ockenden called.
The came down on the river and Ockenden check-folded to a 425,000-bet.
The remaining 80 minutes of level 26 are in the books. The players now have a 20-minute break.
They played for almost a full level and it resulted in exit of Tomas Macnamara in sixth place. Meanwhile, chipleader Mats Karlsson gained a lot more chips as he won a big pot against Dmitry Yurasov.
Short stack Aliaksei Boika doubled up early in the day and won some more in the remainder of the level he now sits in second place.
Hand #21: Mats Karlsson picked up under the gun and opened up the action with a raise to 110,000. Elie Saad called with out of the small blind.
The flop gave Karlsson two pair and he took down the pot with a bet of 175,000.
Hand #22: Aliaksei Boika opened to 150,000 with from the small blind. Mats Karlsson three-bet to 500,000 with from the big blind. Boika folded his hand and Karlsson dragged another pot.
Hand #23: Aliaksei Boika opened to 110,000 with on the button and Peter Ockenden defended the big blind with . Boika flopped middle pair on a flop and both players checked.
On the turn, Ockenden led out with a small bet of 80,000 and Boika quickly called. Ockenden tried to buy it again on the river, this time with a potsized bet of 425,000. That price was too steep for Boika, who folded the best hand.
Hand #24: Elie Saad folded from under the gun. Aliaksei Boika raised to 125,000 with from the cutoff. Peter Ockenden called from the small blind with and Dmitry Yurasov called from the big blind with .
The flop improved Boika, who continued with 135,000. Both blinds quickly folded their hands.
Hand #18: From first position, Dmitry Yurasov raised to 110,000 with . On the button, Aliaksei Boika picked up and he made a three-bet to 310,000.
Mats Karlsson and Peter Ockenden folded their blinds and it was back to Yurasov and he made the call. The flop was and the ace did slow down the action as both players checked. The hit the turn and Yurasov checked again and so did Boika.
The river completed the board and it was checked to showdown and Yurasov took another small hit as Boika won the hand with his kings.
Hand #19: Elie Saad picked up in first position and raised to 110,000. From the button, Mats Karlsson called with and Peter Ockenden came along from the small blind with . Big blind Dmitry Yurasov was priced in and called with .
The gave Ockenden top pair and he out flopped Saad's queens. It was checked around to Karlsson who took a stab at it with . Ockenden made the call and Yurasov and Saad folded.
The fell on the turn and Ockenden checked and so did Karlsson. The river was the . Ockenden moved all in for 845,000 in total and Karlsson folded.
Hand #20: Aliaksei Boika picked up and raised to 110,000. In the small blind, Dmitry Yurasov had him dominated holding and he made the call.
Boika paired his kicker on the flop and Yurasov checked to him. Boika bet 140,000 and Yurasov let it go.
. Aliaksei Boika immediately called with 
from the small blind to put Saad at risk.
flop. The 
on the turn was safe for Saad, meaning he needed to just fade the two remaining tens to double up.
, one of the remaining tens, which gave Boika a rivered set to knock out Saad.
![[user13328]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
and won the blinds and antes.
and Mats Karlsson checked his option, holding 
. The flop was 
and Boika checked to Karlsson. The Swede overbet the pot, sliding out 225,000 in chips. Boika thought about it for a moment but eventually folded. 
after checking how much Dmitry Yurasov was playing. The Russian checked, holding 
and both hit a part of the 
flop. 
on the river. When checked to him he bet 600,000 and got paid by Yurasov who made the hero call and was wrong. 
on the button.
promised fireworks and Karlsson continued with 200,000. Ockenden raised to 550,000, Karlsson thought for the better part of a minute before moving all in. Ockenden removed his sunglasses, sighed, and called it off.
flop. 
. 
and Ockenden checked to Saad, who checked behind. The 
and it was checked to the 
and made it 140,000 to go. Elie Saad moved it with 
in the small blind. Mats Karlsson held 
in the big blind and moved all in. Boika considered it briefly but ended up folding.
. Ockenden hit bottom pair on 
and checked. Yurasov bet 70,000 and Ockenden called.
.
on the button and Peter Ockenden defended the big blind with 
.