That's all she wrote from Day 5 of the 2014 PokerStars.com EPT Season 11 London £4,250 Main Event. Just 16 players returned to the felt today with the goal of making the official final table of eight. After a dominant day, Sebastian Pauli holds a significant chip lead heading into the final table with 6.13 million.
While Pauli holds the biggest stack and is the player closest to becoming the next EPT champion, the buzz in the tournament room is all about the potential of a repeat champion. Two previous EPT champions are seated at the official final table and there's a strong chance that either of them may join Victoria Coren Mitchell as a two-time EPT winner. Team PokerStars Pro Jake Cody headlines the final table, bagging up 2.156 million which is good for sixth in chips. Cody won his EPT title back in Season 6 when he overcame the field in Deauville. Cody's fellow champion at the table is American Kevin MacPhee, who also won his title during the EPT's sixth season. MacPhee dominated EPT Berlin that season to pocket a cool €1,000,000. MacPhee will come into the final table with 2.43 million which is good for third overall in chips.
The day began when Simon Deadman clashed with eventual chip lead Pauli. Deadman was followed out the door by Yann Pineau who lost a race with against Raffaele Sorrentino's .
It was a bit of a stretch until the next elimination occurred as the field remained remarkably deep in terms of stacks to blinds. Ultimately, Gino Gabriel was the next player eliminated when his pocket jacks ran into MacPhee's pocket queens. The ladies held and Gabriel was sent packing in 14th place. Joao Vieira was left crippled after an all in confrontation with Jakub Mroczek and was eliminated from play shortly thereafter.
The next players to fall includedJonas Lauck (12th), Ognyan Dimov (11th), and Sorrentino (10th). Sorrentino's elimination prompted a total re-draw to the unofficial final table of nine.
It looked as if three past EPT champions may make the final table, but by the time the final hand of the evening was dealt that proved not to be the case. In the end, it was past EPT London champion Benny Spindler who became the official final table bubble boy. On Spindler's final hand, he four-bet shoved from the big blind with only to be called by Kevin Killeen's . Spindler could not improve through a run out and he was eliminated in 9th place.
Play resumes at 1 p.m. local time tomorrow where the final eight will return to play to a champion. It should be noted that the final table will be broadcast cards up on a one hour delay, meaning our coverage will begin at 2 p.m. local time. PokerNews will be in attendance doing hand-for-hand coverage of the final table, be sure to keep your browsers locked here!
Artur Koren raised to 80,000 from the cutoff and Kevin Killeen three-bet to 190,000 from the button. It folded to Benny Spindler who moved all in for 530,000 from the big blind. Koren folded and Killeen instantly called.
Killeen:
Spindler:
The flop came down , keeping Killeen's kings out in front. Spindler found no help on fourth street, either, as the hit the felt. He needed an ace on the river in order to stay alive, but could not find it as the finished off the community cards. Spindler was eliminated as the final table bubble boy and the final table of eight was set!
Jakub Mroczek moved all in for 620,000 under the gun plus three and Team PokerStars Pro Jake Cody made the call from the cutoff.
Mroczek:
Cody:
The flop brought out and Mroczek took the lead, and the turn was the . Cody needed a nine or a jack to knock the Polish player out, but the river was the giving Mroczek a double up.
Raffaele Sorrentino and Sebastian Pauli were engaged in a hand with a flop that read . After a series of bets and raises, all of the money went in with Sorrentino's tournament life on the line.
Sorrentino:
Pauli:
Sorrentino was in the lead with top set of queens, but Pauli was drawing live to score the elimination with four to a spade flush and a backdoor straight draw. The hit the turn, pairing Pauli's ace but keeping Sorrentino's set in the lead.
Pauli heaved a sigh of relief, however, as the completed the community cards and gave him a winning spade flush. Sorrentino was left to simply shake his head as he was eliminated from play in 10th place. Sorrentino's elimination prompted the field to stop and re-draw to the unofficial final table of nine. A seating chart and chip counts will be posted when that information is made available.
Pablo Gordillo opened with a raise and it folded around to Artur Koren in the small blind. The German put out a three-bet to 145,000, prompting action to fold back to the original raiser. Gordillo responded by four-bet shipping for 589,000 and Koren instantly called.
Koren:
Gordillo:
Koren was in a dominating position with his ace-queen and he stayed in the lead through the flop. Everything changed in a flash, however, as the drilled fourth street and paired Gordillo.
The dealer completed the board with the , ensuring that Gordillo would find renewed life. Gordillo's stack now sits around 1.228 million while Koren's has dropped to 2.492 million.
Ognyan Dimov open-shipped all in for 542,000 from under the gun and it folded around to Artur Koren who called from the hijack. The rest of the table folded and the hands were turned on their backs.
Dimov:
Koren:
The flop came down , keeping Koren's ace-queen high in the lead. The hit the turn, giving Dimov inside straight draw outs as well to stay alive. Alas, it was not meant to be for Dimov as the completed the board on the river. Koren scored the elimination and brought his stack up to 3.1 million.
From the button Pablo Gordillo raised to 60,000 and Sebastian Pauli three-bet from the small blind to 170,000. Gordillo made the call and the flop brought out .
Pauli checked on the flop and Gordillo took over the betting lead by throwing out 155,000. Pauli made the call and on the turn the hit and both players checked.
On the river the hit and Pauli checked again after which Gordillo bet 505,000. Pauli snap-called and Gordillo showed , which was not enough against Pauli's for two pair.
Pauli's now closing in on the five-million chip mark while Gordillo gets a lot shorter.
On the outer table Jonas Lauck just ended up all in from the button against Benny Spindler in the small blind. Spindler had Lauck covered by just a few chips and the showdown went as following.
Lauck:
Spindler:
The board ran out and the river gave Spindler a winning flush to knock his fellow countryman out.
A short-stacked Joao Vieira shoved all in for 120,000 and [Removed:119] called out of the big blind.
Vieira:
Bensadoun:
The flop came down , giving Bensadoun trip aces and a strong grip on victory in this hand. The hit the turn, filling up Bensadoun and ending Vieira's tournament. The finished off the board and Vieira became the 13th place finisher.
Vieira will collect £27,750 for his run. Bensadoun, on the other hand, is now sitting on 2.567 million in chips.
The action started on Jonas Lauck who raised under the gun to 50,000 and three players called the raise for some good old four-way action on the flop.
The flop came down and both Ognyan Dimov in the small blind and Lauck checked to Team PokerStars Pro Jake Cody who was seated under the gun plus one. Cody bet 135,000 and Sebastian Pauli folded from the button. Dimov folded as well and Lauck made the call.
The turn was the and Lauck check-called another 247,000 chips before the fell on the river.
Lauck checked and Cody tanked for a few minutes before betting 380,000. Lauck went into the tank for several minutes before ultimately making the call. Cody quickly showed and he took down this huge pot with a rivered flush.
against Raffaele Sorrentino's 
.
only to be called by Kevin Killeen's 
. Spindler could not improve through a 
run out and he was eliminated in 9th place.
![[user20283]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
and Mroczek took the lead, and the turn was the 
. Cody needed a nine or a jack to knock the Polish player out, but the river was the 
giving Mroczek a double up.
hit the turn, pairing Pauli's ace but keeping Sorrentino's set in the lead.
completed the community cards and gave him a winning spade flush. Sorrentino was left to simply shake his head as he was eliminated from play in 10th place. Sorrentino's elimination prompted the field to stop and re-draw to the unofficial final table of nine. A seating chart and chip counts will be posted when that information is made available.
flop. Everything changed in a flash, however, as the 
drilled fourth street and paired Gordillo.
, ensuring that Gordillo would find renewed life. Gordillo's stack now sits around 1.228 million while Koren's has dropped to 2.492 million.
hit the turn, giving Dimov inside straight draw outs as well to stay alive. Alas, it was not meant to be for Dimov as the 
completed the board on the river. Koren scored the elimination and brought his stack up to 3.1 million.
for two pair.
hit the turn, filling up Bensadoun and ending Vieira's tournament. The 
