Jose Gonzalez Sanchez opened to 125,000 from the hijack and was called by Nathan Tetart from the cutoff. Victor Yugay also called from the big blind.
Sanchez continued for 200,000 on the J♣9♦3♥ flop before Tetart raised to 525,000. Yugay folded after a few moments, Sanchez ripped in his 2,125,000 stack. Tetart, who covered, immediately grimaced, and there was a tremble in his hands. He ended up making the call.
Jose Gonzalez Sanchez: K♠K♦
Nathan Tetart: Q♣Q♣
The Kings would hold out on the 3♣2♠ runout, and the big double went Sanchez's way.
Timur Vardanian opened to 100,000 from early position before Bjorn Kozenkai three-bet to 300,000 from the hijack. Vardanian clicked it to 525,000 and called off his last 710,000 when Kozenkai jammed as the bigger stack.
Timur Vardanian: Q♠Q♦
Bjorn Kozenkai: K♥K♣
The J♦3♦4♣ flop kept Kozenkai in the lead, as did the 4♠ turn. There was no saving grace for Vardanian on the 6♣ river, and he was eliminated in 15th place.
Action folded around to Nikita Kuznetsov in the cutoff who moved all in for 680,000. Jose Gonzalez Sanchez in the small blind flicked in a single green chip, not realizing that Kuznetsov was already all in. The dealer announced call and Kuznetsov flipped over A♥Q♣.
Jose Gonzalez Sanchez
Sanchez, who had his headphones on up until this point, said that he did not see Kuznetsov's shove or hear the dealer announce all in, and had only meant to call the big blind. The floor was then called.
Jose Gonzalez Sanchez
Ultimately the floor ruled that because Sanchez did not verbalize the call and that his intention was only to call the big blind, Sanchez would have the option to forfeit the 50,000 he had already committed and muck his hand without having to call off Kuznetsov's full 680,000. Sanchez chose to do so and Kuznetsov took down a small pot.
Kenny Hallaert completed in the small blind and called as Victor Yugay raised to 175,000 in the big blind.
Hallaert checked on the flop of 8♠5♦2♣ and Yugay continued for 105,000. Hallaert called. Hallaert checked again on the K♣ turn and Yugay sized up to 330,000. Hallaert again called. Hallaert checked once more on the Q♦ river and Yugay bet 910,000. Hallaert quickly folded.
The next hand, Priit Parmasto opened to 100,000 in middle position and Hallaert three-bet to 330,000 on the button. Parmasto called.
Parmasto checked on the flop of 7♦7♠J♦ and Hallaert continued for 180,000. Parmasto check-raised to 480,000 and Hallaert laid it down.
Aleksandr Faterin put in a single black 100,000 chip and announced raise from under the gun, but was forced to limp in as he threw in the chip before verbalizing the action. Kenny Hallaert limped behind in early position and Jose Gonzalez Sanchez raised to 275,000 from the button. Faterin folded while Hallaert made the call.
Both players checked the 10♦5♣4♠ flop leading to the 4♥ turn. Hallaert bet 250,000 and Sanchez made the call.
On the 2♥ river Hallaert checked and Sanchez bet 275,000. Hallaert called.
Andrea Dato opened to 100,000 from the cutoff and was called by Gilles Simon from the button. Alessandro Minasi then jammed for 375,000 from the small blind.
Dato asked for a count before folding his K♥3♥ while Simon called.
Alessandro Minasi: A♥J♦
Gilles Simon: 7♠7♦
It was a flip for Minasi's tournament life, and it was one he would lose as the board ran out with the 8♥6♦2♥Q♣9♠.
Victor Yugay opened to 85,000 from under the gun and Jose Gonzalez Sanchez called in the hijack. Priit Parmasto then used three time banks in the cutoff before realizing action was on him and folding to get things heads-up.
Yugay continued for 85,000 on the flop of 5♣6♦3♦ and Sanchez called. Yugay then checked on the 10♣ turn and Sanchez checked back.
Yugay bet 215,000 on the 9♠ river and Sanchez called. Yugay showed K♦Q♥ for just king-high and Sanchez proudly revealed A♠K♣ before letting out a whistle and throwing a dab in celebration.
Kenny Hallaert opened to 80,000 from under the gun and Aleksandr Faterin defended in the big blind.
Faterin checked on the flop of A♥Q♥5♥ and Hallaert continued 80,000. Faterin checked again on the 6♠ turn and Hallaert sized up to 250,000. Faterin again called.
The K♦ river completed the board and Faterin led out for 600,000. Hallaert called before showing Q♦Q♣ for a set of queens to beat out the ten-high bluff of Faterin with 10♥7♣.
The PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) Cyprus is nearing a conclusion, with only two days remaining in the $5,300 EPT Main Event. The field has been reduced from 1,320 total entrants to the final 16 players, who will compete starting at 12 p.m. local time with the shared goal of reaching the final table today and claiming the top prize of $1,042,000 during tomorrow's finale at Merit Royal Diamond Hotel and Spa.
Italy's Andrea Dato leads the pack going into Day 5, having bagged 6,155,000 during the previous evening, worth 154 big blinds. Dato already has a wealth of experience in main event fields with $1,811,780 in career tournament earnings including a fourth place finish in the 2014 EPT Barcelona main event for a career-best score of €362,000 ($481,299). Dato will need a 2nd place finish or better in this event to surpass that score.
Gilles Simon
Dato is most closely followed by Gilles Simon who bagged 4,430,000. Simon currently has $202,648 in total career tournament earnings, a number that will at least be doubled should he finish in sixth place or better in today's event.
Victor Yugay
Rounding out the top 3 is Uzbekistan's Victor Yugay who begins today with 3,870,000 in chips. Yugay's career-best tournament score before this event is $8,770, a number he has already greatly surpassed in today's event, with all 16 remaining players being guaranteed at least $43,275.
Kenny Hallaert
Among the most experienced players remaining in the field is Kenny Hallaert who comes into today with 2,965,000. Hallaert has a plethora of six-figure scores and boasts $5,344,310 in career-tournament earnings across his illustrious career. Hallaert hasn't tasted a final table score in an EPT main event in twelve years when he earned a 6th place finish in the 2011 EPT Deauville main event for €155,000 ($210,962) and will undoubtedly be a force to be reckoned with today as he gets another shot at EPT glory.
EPT Cyprus Main Event Chip Counts
Rank
Player
Country
Chip Count
Big Blinds
1
Andrea Dato
Italy
6,155,000
154
2
Gilles Simon
Netherlands
4,430,000
111
3
Victor Yugay
Uzbekistan
3,870,000
97
4
Kenny Hallaert
Belgium
2,965,000
74
5
Nathan Tetart
France
2,725,000
68
6
Halil Tasyurek
Turkey
2,580,000
65
7
Marc Foggin
United Kingdom
2,570,000
64
8
Priit Parmasto
Estonia
2,385,000
60
9
Bjorn Kozenkai
Hungary
2,290,000
57
10
Aleksandr Faterin
Russia
2,090,000
52
11
Timur Vardanian
Russia
1,745,000
44
12
Nikita Kuznetsov
Russia
1,455,000
36
13
Yannick Schumacher
Germany
1,390,000
35
14
Jose Gonzalez Sanchez
Spain
1,155,000
29
15
Gerard Carbo
Spain
1,130,000
28
16
Alessandro Minasi
Italy
635,000
16
Trophy EPT Cyprus
Action will commence at noon local time today with 37 minutes and 12 seconds left on Level 25 with blinds of 20,000/40,000 and a 40,000 big blind ante. The plan is to play down to the final six players who will make up Sunday's streamed final table.
Stay tuned as the PokerNews live reporting team is here on-site in northern Cyprus and will continue providing updates ahead of the next EPT Main Event champion being crowned.
