Welcome back to the PokerStars.net European Poker Tour Prague where the remaining 22 players will play down to the final six today.
Yesterday began with 61 players and after five 90-mminute levels it was Fabio Sperling who finished with the lead, one of four Germans who remain in the hunt.
Team PokerStars Pro Vanessa Selbst played a fearless and aggressive game yesterday to return as the fifth place player. Expect similar fireworks today as she seeks to dominate her table and go for the win. David Kitai is on the same table as Selbst however, with a similar stack size and position. If these two clash it could be spectacular.
There will be a table re-draw once six players have been eliminated and they are down to 16, and there will be a final re-draw when they reach the unofficial final table of nine.
The remaining players are all guaranteed a pay-day of €32,270 from a €5,535,000 prize pool generated by the 1,107 entrants, a record for a Prague EPT. The eventual winner will walk away will a cool €969,000.
Play resumes at 12:00 CET at Level 25 (15,000/30,000/4,000) with an average stack of fifty big blinds. The PokerNews Live Reporting Team will bring you all the drama from the felt in what is sure to be a thrilling day of poker. You can also watch live play on the feature table by tuning into PokerStars TV.
Davidi Kitai opened and Nandor Solyom shoved his last 182,000 over the top. Kitai made the call and the cards were on their backs with Solyom in bad shape.
Kitai:
Solyom:
The cards ran out with Solyom hitting the flop but the turn put Kitai back in front.
Pascal Pflock moved all in from the hijack for his last 376,000 and was called by Stephen Graner on the button. The of the German was in need of some help against the of Graner, but Pflock couldn't improve on a board of to settle for 20th place and €37,650.
The 2014 Eureka Prague Main Event champion Balazs Botond three-bet out of the big blind against the raise of Jakub Slemr from under the gun and then called all in for 1.2 million in chips after Slemr had moved all in via four-bet shove.
Slemr:
Botond:
The flop was good for the Hungarian and the turn now gave Slemr some further outs for a straight. The dealer then burned and turned the and that gave Slemr a full house, sending Botond to the rail in 19th place for €37,650.
In the first significant pot between Vanessa Selbst and Davidi Kitai it was Selbst who opened on the button for 65,000 and Kitai called from the small blind.
The flop was and when Kitai checked Selbst bet 67,000 to see Kitai make the call.
The turn card was the which was checked around and the river card came the . Kitai led out for 48,000.
Selbst took some time to come to a decision and raised to 240,000. It was Kitai’s turn to take his time as he tried to work out what was going on. Several minutes passed before Kitai again checked his hole cards.
"There’s no way you’re bluffing. I should raise but it’s too late now. Will you show if I fold?” Kitai said eventually before another player called the clock. Kitai folded with ten seconds left on the clock.
PokerStars Blog asked yesterday whether you thought the Team PokerStars Pro was bluffing or value betting in a big pot at EPT Prague. Time to find out if you were right…
Artem Metalidi four-bet shoved from the cutoff seat for 850,000. Anton Bertilsson, who had three-bet from the button, made the call and they flipped over their cards.
Metalidi:
Bertilsson:
The board ran out and that was it for Metalidi, who receives €37,650 for his efforts.
Simon Mattsson made it 80,000 from the small blind and Sergey Lebedev defended.
The flop was and a check from Mattsson saw Lebedev bet 85,000. Mattsson made the call to see the turn card come the .
Mattsson checked again and this time the bet from Lebedev was 205,000. Mattsson moved all in and Lebedev made the quick call.
Mattsson:
Lebedev:
They had both made the flush on the turn but Lebedev was at risk and had the lower flush. A river card saw them shaking hands and Lebedev was out just before the final two table.
In a battle of the blinds, Andras Nemeth bet 230,000 on the turn and was check-called by Remi Castaignon in the small blind. The Frenchman also check-called another 425,000 after some consideration once the river had completed the board and then mucked when Nemeth showed the .
Soon after, Castaignon raised to 75,000 and Nemeth clicked it to 140,000. Thomas Butzhammer moved all in for 650,000 and Castaignon got out of the way, Nemeth called.
Butzhammer:
Nemeth:
The board ran out and Butzhammer was sent to the rail in 16th place for €43,010 in the exact moment when the clock was stopped to do the redraw of the last two tables.
with Solyom hitting the flop but the turn put Kitai back in front.
and Pavliuk was sent to the rail in 21st place for a payday of €32,270.
of the German was in need of some help against the 
of Graner, but Pflock couldn't improve on a board of 
to settle for 20th place and €37,650.
turn now gave Slemr some further outs for a straight. The dealer then burned and turned the 
