The third and final day of the EPT Prague High Roller kicks off in about two hours at 12:30 p.m. local time. During the first two days of play, the field was trimmed from its record-break EPT Prague 407 entrants to just 22, with Polish live satellite winner Grzegorz Wyraz holding a substantial chip lead with 3,137,000.
Other players in the top five heading into the day include Ukraine's Glib Kovtunov (1,878,000), Denmark's Tue Ullerup Hansen (1,546,000), Finland's Jussi Nevanlinna (1,417,000) and Lithuania's Matas Cimbolas (1,156,000).
Another player who will be part of the action is the infamously talkative Brit William Kassouf. However, Kassouf will be starting off with one of the shorter stacks today with 336,000 or 14 big blinds with the action set to begin on Level 22 with blinds at 12,000/24,000 and an ante of 4,000. Regardless of how the day turns out for Kassouf and all of the 22 remaining players, each is guaranteed to walk away with a payout of €35,140.
Play will continue until one player claims the final EPT HIgh Roller title along with the top prize of €765,900. Who will it be? Stay tuned at PokerNews to find out as we bring you the action from the first flop to the final river.
From the button, Alexandru Papazian opened to 56,000 and Patrick Serda three-bet all in for 622,000 in the small blind. Papazian called and put his opponent at risk.
Patrick Serda:
Alexandru Papazian:
The board came and the river card saved Serda.
One hand later, Viacheslav Goryachev open-shoved and Papazian called all in from the cutoff for around 150,000.
Goryachev tabled the and Papazian had two overcards in . The board ran out and neither player had a spade to see Papazian depart in 22nd place for €35,140.
Adrian Mateos opened to 60,000 from the cutoff and Viliyan Petleshkov moved all in for 430,000 from the button. The action folded to Vlado Banicevic in the big blind and he called all in for around 355,000, Mateos folded.
Vlado Banicevic:
Viliyan Petleshkov:
The flop of improved Banicevic to a set, but Petleshkov had picked up a flush draw. On the turn nothing changed, but the river completed the flush for Petleshkov and Banicevic was eliminated in 19th place for €39,090
From the hijack, short stack Viacheslav Goryachev moved all in and Patrick Serda in the small blind asked for a count. The shove of Goryachev was for 235,000 and Serda called, the big blind folded.
Viacheslav Goryachev:
Patrick Serda:
The board ran out and Goryachev was eliminated in 17th place, missing the gutshot and flush draw. The remaining 16 players will now redraw to the last two tables.
Patrick Serda opened to 90,000 from early position and Glib Kovtunov called on the button. Serda continued for 100,000 on the flop and Kovtunov called before doing so again for 275,000 on the turn. After the river, Serda moved all in and Kovtunov called.
Serda turned over for a set and Kovtunov only had the to join the rail in 16th place for €43,040.
Germany's Jens Lakemeier has been wearing a "Let's Make America Great Again" hat, and recently just made his stack greater again in a hand that eliminated fellow countrymate Martin Finger.
Lakemeier opened up from the late position preflop and got calls from Matas Cimbolas and Finger before the flop came .
Finger shoved all-in for 450,000 before Finger reshoved for an amount that either covered Cimbolas' stack or came close in doing so. Cimbolas went into the tank, and shared after he folded he had a jack in his hand.
Finger discovered that his hand of needed help after Lakemeier turned over . Finger was unable to get any help when the board completed with on the turn and on the river and was eliminated in 15th place for €47,800.
Jens Lakemeier opened to 90,000 and Adrian Mateos called in the big blind. The flop came and Mateos checked. Lakemeier, who had asked his opponent for the stack size before the flop fell, continued for 70,000 and Mateos then check-raised all in for around 450,000. Lakemeier snap-called and was on the verge of eliminating yet another opponent.
Adrian Mateos:
Jens Lakemeier:
The on the turn saw Lakemeier take the lead, and the river failed to improve Mateos. The Spaniard has been eliminated in 14th place and takes home €47,800 for his efforts.
Tue Ullerup Hansen raised to 100,000 from early position and Samy Ouellani flat-called on the cutoff. "How much do you play?" Ullerup Hansen asked and Ouellani said "around 500,000" before the duo headed to the flop. Ullerup Hansen bet 105,000 and Ouellani moved all in, the Dane quickly tossed in a single chip for the call.
Samy Ouellani:
Tue Ullerup Hansen:
Neither the turn nor the river improved the Frenchman and he has been knocked out in 13th place for €54,080.
Josip Simunic opened to 110,000 and William Kassouf called on the button. In the small blind, Patrick Serda asked for a count on Simunic's stack and the Austrian counted out 970,000. Serda then moved all in and Simunic called by putting his stacks with a loud bang on the table, one after the other.
"Is that a call? That is a very loud call," Kassouf added and folded.
Josip Simunic:
Patrick Serda:
The board came and Simunic failed to improve, bowing out in 12th place for €54,080.
Ihar Soika open-shoved from the small blind and Jussi Nevanlinna called all in from the big blind for his last 760,000. Once the second table was finished, the cards were turned over.
Jussi Nevanlinna:
Ihar Soika:
The flop of didn't change much, but Soika picked up a gutshot with the turn. After the river, Soika improved to sixes and fours, which eliminated Nevanlinna in 10th place and set up the unofficial final table. There will now be a short five minute break to move everyone over to one table.
and the river card saved Serda.
and Papazian had two overcards in 
. The board ran out 
and neither player had a spade to see Papazian depart in 22nd place for €35,140.
turn nothing changed, but the 
river completed the flush for Petleshkov and Banicevic was eliminated in 19th place for €39,090
and Goryachev was eliminated in 17th place, missing the gutshot and flush draw. The remaining 16 players will now redraw to the last two tables.
flop and Kovtunov called before doing so again for 275,000 on the 
river, Serda moved all in and Kovtunov called.
.
and Mateos checked. Lakemeier, who had asked his opponent for the stack size before the flop fell, continued for 70,000 and Mateos then check-raised all in for around 450,000. Lakemeier snap-called and was on the verge of eliminating yet another opponent.
river failed to improve Mateos. The Spaniard has been eliminated in 14th place and takes home €47,800 for his efforts.
