Alex Sampirisi opened from early position, but Ivan Kuziv on the button three-bet to 525,000. Pablo De Heredia in the small blind four-bet all-in to 1,865,000. Sampirisi snap-folded, but Kuziv called.
Pablo De Heredia: A♠A♦
Ivan Kuziv: A♣K♠
The dealer fanned a board of 4♠6♠7♥8♥6♣ and De Heredia doubled up.
Moments after he Valerio Chionsini doubled up through him, Alex Sampirisi in the cutoff found himself at risk for 400,000 against Jean-Marc Chiba in the hijack.
Alex Sampirisi: 3♥3♠
Jean-Marc Chiba: A♣5♣
Sampirisi was on the edge of elimination after Chiba hit a better pair on 6♥9♠4♠5♦. But the 2♦ river gave a straight to Sampirisi and he doubled up.
Raffaele Caldarelli opened from the hijack, Francesco Di Domenico three-bet to 505,000 from the button, then Caldarelli jammed for 2,060,000. Di Domenico snap-called.
Raffaele Caldarelli: Q♠Q♣
Francesco Di Domenico: A♠K♣
A king on the J♣7♣K♦ flop gave the lead to Di Domenico, who sent Caldarelli to the rail after the 4♥8♣ runout.
Four-way on a flop of Q♥9♣J♣, everybody checked to find the 6♦ turn where Matteo Sbrana in the big blind bet 210,000.
Raffaele Caldarelli in the cutoff raised to 775,000 and made Andrea Dal Bo on the button and Francesco Di Domenico in the small blind fold. However Sbrana made the call.
On the 3♠ river, Sbrana quickly checked. Caldarelli checked back, but didn't seem happy when he saw Sbrana's pair with 10♠9♥.
Ivan Kuziv opened from under the gun. He was called by Pablo De Heredia to his left and by Alex Sampirisi in the cutoff, but Francesco Delfoco in the big blind three-bet to 300,000. Kuziv called, then De Heredia eventually four-bet to 2 ,425,000.
Sampirisi folded, but Delfoco jammed for 1,040,000 and made Kuziv fold.
Francesco Delfoco: A♣A♦
Pablo De Heredia: A♠K♣
The dealer fanned a board of 2♣4♠9♣6♦3♠ and Delfoco doubled up.
Life Outside Poker is a new podcast for PokerNews hosted by Connor Richards that seeks to pull back the curtain on poker players and allow viewers and listeners to get to know them on a personal level.
In the 19th episode, Connor speaks with former poker pro Eugene Katchalov, one of Ukraine's all-time money leaders who fled the country in 2022 after Russia's invasion and has since returned to the war-torn region with his family.
Katchalov, a former PokerStars ambassador, talked about growing up in New York City, his poker glory days and 2007 Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic victory for $2.5 million, returning to Ukraine and misconceptions about the longstanding conflict with Russia. He also discussed his venture into esports and new plans to get back into poker with a project aimed at leveling the playing field between pros and recreationals.
