This is the sharp end, crunch time. You can use whatever well worn phrase you like to describe today as long as it expresses that critical sense of urgency as the money begins to increase and the number of survivors does the opposite in the EPT Budapest.
Today we play down to a final eight players. No time frame, no schedule, just poker for as long as it takes and few have any doubts that we’re in for a long day.
Last night 42 players left the Las Vegas Casino ballroom with different sized reasons to return today. For Albert Iversen that meant the chip lead and a stack of 442,500, whilst Irishman George McKeever experienced almost the exact opposite, fully aware that his stack of just 23,500 needs some serious building work if his day four appearance is to last until the witching hour.
Yes it’s Halloween on the EPT but we’ll try to keep the ghoulish references under control. But we’d be remiss if we didn’t admit that there are some nightmare table draws for some today.
On table one the chip leader Albert Iversen will tower over his table mates, outnumbering their total chips combined, whilst in contrast on table two the big stacks have been drawn together. Spare a thought also for the Hungarian contingent. Of the four locals left, three of them face each other on table five and have Russian Team PokerStars Pro Alex Kravchenko to contend with.
Here’s how the day will start…
Table 1
Albert Iversen, Denmark, 442,500
Dave Hardy, UK, PokerStars qualifier, 101,500
Pantelis Pavlis, Greece, 59,000
Dwayne Stacey, UK, PokerStars qualifier, 86,500
Menno Antonius Bussinik, Netherlands, 79,000
Brice Cournut, France, 63,000
George Mckeever, UK, 23,500
Table 2
Casey Castle, USA, 264,500
William Fry, UK, PokerStars player, 257,000
Ciprian Hrisca, Romania, 280,000
Lukas Benkovic, Slovakia, PokerStars qualifier, 224,000
Rikard Englund, Sweden, 75,500
Christophe Wemelbeke, France, 80,000
Robin Keston, UK, 137,000
Table 3
Gino Alacqua, Italy, 89,500
Ivo Donev, Austria, 67,500
Severin Walser, Switzerland, 33,000
Martin Jacobson, Sweden, PokerStars qualifier, 365,000
Jari Pekka Juhola, Finland, 92,500
Janek Schleicher, Germany, PokerStars qualifier, 161,500
Simeon Tsonev, Bulgaria, 64,000
Table 4
Denis Volkov, Russia, 106,500
Ofer Golko, Israel, 39,500
Tibor Tolnai, Hungary, 50,000
Nicholas Maieritsch, USA, PokerStars qualifier, 49,000
Ofir Abramovivi, Israel, PokerStars qualifier, 163,000
Tommi Etelapera, Finland, PokerStars qualifier, 130,500
Christophe Haller, Germany, 142,000
Table 5
Zoltan Toth, Hungary, 175,000
Alexander Kravchenko, Russia, Team PokerStars Pro, 114,500
Korotkov Oleg, Russia, PokerStars qualifier, 45,000
Micha Hoedemaker, Holland, PokerStars player, 142,000
Milan Andrejkovics, Hungary, 75,500
Jecek Ladny, Poland, 33,000
Szabolcs Attila Saskoy, Hungary, 98,500
Table 6
Mauro Corsetti, Italy, 116,000
Pasquale Braco, Italy, 208,500
Marino Serenelli, Italy, 195,500
Robert Firestone, USA, PokerStars qualifier, 67,500
Nicolo Calia, Italy, 132,000
Sebastian Saffari, UK, PokerStars qualifier, 53,000
Johnny Lodden, Norway, Sponsored, 131,500
And here’s how the video blog team see it as we approach the penultimate day:
Watch EPT Budapest 08: Introduction into Day 3 on PokerStars.tv
