Thursday, 28th March 2024 23:04
Home / Uncategorized / EPT London: Day 4, level 18 & 19 updates (4,000-8,000, 1,000 ante)
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3.01pm: Break time
That’s it for the second level of the day. We’ve lost 22 players so far today and have 40 players remaining. We play down to the final 24 so we’ll be waving goodbye to another 16 before the day is done. — RD

3pm: The Millionaires Boys club
There are a few players over the million mark now and while we’re waiting for full chip counts I can guesstimate that following are all in the club. James Mitchell’s stack was on the TV table and is obviously still a prime candidate to be so too.

Martins Adeniya, UK, 1,450,000
Sam Macdonald, UK, 1,200,000
Andre Klebanov, Germany, 1,200,000
Basile Yaiche, France, 1,100,000
Kevin Iacofano, USA, 1,000,000

It’s gearing up for a hot couple of levels. A few very short stacks out there now. — RD

2.55pm: Someone just shot Marvin in the face
It was Frenchman Basile Yaiche who did the damage and it took two bullets to finish off Marvin Rettenmaier.

The German opened for 17,000 before Yaiche three-bet to 42,000 from the button. The German four-bet to 98,000 only for Yaiche to five-bet to 160,000. Rettenmaier six-bet jammed for around 450,000 and was snap called.

Before the cards were revealed Rettenmaier said, “Always against the French”. He knew what he was up against.

Rettenmaier: A♣ K♣
Yaiche: A♥ A♠

The board ran K♥ 3♦ 9♥ 8♠ 2♠ .

No puppy feet or enough kings came to the entertaining German’s rescue. Yaiche up to nearly 1,100,000. — MC

2.45pm: Ana’s cards Marquez
Ana Marquez’s long short-stack battle has come to an end with her exit. She moved all-in for around 150,000 and was called by Hugo Loureiro.

Marquez: A♥ 8♥
Loureiro: 10♦ 10♠

The board ran 7♣ 6♣ 4♣ 2♠ 3♦ .

There are no more ladies left in the main event. — MC

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Marvin Rettenmaier

2.36pm: Macdonald takes the showdown value
Sam Macdonald sat with his head resting on his left arm, while his right arm twiddled a red 1,000 chip on the baize. In front of his sat his 890,000 stack, his two hole cards and a 4♥ 10♠ 10♥ K♦ 5♥ board.

Macdonald had bet the turn for 106,000 and Adria Balaguer had made the call before checking the river. Macdonald span the chip a few times before letting out a small huff and turning 7♦ 5♦ on his back.

“Five,” said Macdonald taking the showdown value of his pair.

Balaguer tabled Aâ™  K♣ and took the pot with two-pair. — RD

2.25pm: Jenkins backs down
I’ve twice seen Ben Jenkins pass three-bet to further aggression today but he never seems to move much away from a stack of 595,000* (above average). Jenkins had put in a late three-bet before Basile Yaiche, an active and thinking French player, had cold four-bet out of the small blind to 96,000.

Jenkins leant down and looked to his left. Yaiche’s stack was similar to his own. Jenkins passed but it’s I’d be surprised if these two don’t clash in a big pot soon. — RD

*Scratch that, he’s up to 750,000 now.

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Ben Jenkins

2.20pm: Miracle comeback for Foltyn?
Paul Foltyn was left with just 4,000 chips after a pre-flop all-in showdown. It happened on the feature table so the details are very vague. We do know that he held A♥ J♦ to an opponent’s K♥ K♣ and the board ran 7â™  4♦ 7♣ 5♦ 10♥ .

The next hand he moved all-in with 7♣ 2♣ for his last few chips and James Mitchell called with A♦ K♠ . The board ran 2♠ 6♣ 8♦ J♠ 8♠ to hand the 22,500 pot to Foltyn.

These all went in the middle the very next hand and it was Mitchell who made the call again. Foltyn tabled 10♥ 9♣ and Mitchell K♦ J♥ . The board ran 3♦ K♣ 2♦ 9♥ 10♦ to finally finish off the man they call “Pab”. — MC

2.10pm: Rettenmaier doubles to 480,000
Marvin Rettenmaier is up to 480,000 after calling a four-bet shove from Andries Swart in a battle of the blinds. Swart opened for 18,000 from the small blind and Rettenmaier three-bet from the big for 58,000. Swart, who covered his German opponent, came back over the top all-in. Rettenamier made the call.

Rettenmaier: A♠ 9♦
Swart: A♥ 2♠

The board ran out A♣ 6â™  3♣ 9♥ 2♦ allowing Rettenmaier a smile as Swart made a smaller two-pair on the river. Swart left with 260,000. — RD

2pm: All about Adeniya
Martins Adeniya is up to around 900,000 chips after a bit of a shaky start. Despite that he’s maintained a high pressure style of play. We witnessed him winning two pots in-a-row without showdown.

In the first hand, Mattias Bergstrom raised to 17,000 from the button and called when Adeniya three-bet to 42,000 from the small blind. The flop came 3♥ A♦ 4♠ and an Adeniya lead for 45,000 was good to make Bergstrom fold.

The very next hand Adeniya was on the button and flatted a 17,000 raise from Hui Chen-Kuo in the hijack. Adeniya called 22,000 on the flop and 56,000 on the turn, before receiving a check on the river. The final board read A♣ 3â™  K♣ 4♦ 10♣ and Adeniya announced a 100,000 bet. Chen-Kuo quickly folded. — MC

1.40pm: Level 19 begins
We’ve started again and almost instantly Salvatore Bonavena doubles through Laurence Houghton after rivering a set after getting it all-in pre-flop. The Italian Team PokerStars Pro is still short. Full chip counts from the break are on their way.– RD

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I never win these, I’ll get my coat

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Seven! How do you like those apples!

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I am SalBon, I cannot be defeated

1.38pm: How not to make a cuppa
World Champ Jonathan Duhamel is given the challenge of a lifetime… to make a decent cup of tea. Will the French Canadian succeed? What do you think…

1.21pm: Break
As the first break of the day arrives we can see from the board that 51 players remain the main event. All players are guaranteed at least £11,000. The 500 chips are getting coloured out of the tournament this break. — RD

1.20pm: Tzerefos at a loss
Spiro Con Tzerefos made one of the longest trips to play here in London. The PokerStars qualifier hails from Australia and now has a long trip home as he’s out.

He three-bet all-in over the top of a Jamie Rosen raise and was called.

Tzerefos: K♦ J♦
Rosen: A♦ K♠

The board came 6♣ 7♣ 7â™  8â™  2♣ to safely see Rosen’s hand home. — MC

1.18pm: Dietary fail
Marvin Rettenmaier has obviously never read anything about good poker diet. He was sat at his table eating an enormous plate of pasta which he then polished off with some kind of wrap or burrito. Unless perhaps he’s trying to give himself a post carb loading lethargy with which to steer his 200,000 stack thorugh a couple of blind levels. I think not. Laurence Houghton is on Rettenmaier’s left and has a little more, maybe 270,000 while Ben Jenkins is packing around 595,000. — RD

1.16pm: Shark attack
Yes, that’s right. It’s Humberto Brenes…

1.10pm: Isildur1.1 doubles
Viktor Blom is sitting in today’s EPT London High Roller. On the neighbouring table is his younger brother Sebastian, who is still going strong in the main event. In fact, he’s just doubled.

The flop was 2♥ 5♣ 6♦ and Andreas Munoz had bet 23,000. Blom re-raised to 55,000 and Munoz quickly moved all-in. Blom was covered, but he called quicker than his brother tends to do in high stakes PokerStars cash games. And no wonder – Blom had top set with 6♣ 6♥ , while Munoz was drawing thin with A♥ 4â™  .

Blom avoided any unfortunate mishaps as the turn came 7â™  and river 9♦ . He was all-in for 161,000 and now sits with 333,000. Munoz slips to 90,000. — SY

1.05pm: All-in, all-in, all-in
Yes, you read that right. Three players were all-in pre-flop.

First there was PokerStars qualifier Ivan Tan Zhong Wei with Q♠ Q♥ , then Tobias Revenas with 5♣ 5♠ , and finally Raffaele Gerbi came along for the ride with K♠ J♠ . He had both other players covered, while Revenas was the short stack.

Time for the dealer to do his work, and the board ran A♥ 8♥ 7♦ 3♦ 8♣ to send all the chips to Wei who now sits with 480,000. Revenas departed and Gerbi was left with around 75,000. — SY

12.59pm: Shelley busts out
Scott Shelley has just busted out after calling all-in (we believe) with ace-high. There is a chance that he may shoved but his opponent’s chips, those of Andre Klebano, were certainly across the line first.

The board read 3♣ 6♣ Qâ™  5♦ 8â™  . Shelley had bêt 46,000 on the turn, which Klebanov had check-called. Shelley was down to his last 140,000 or so and seemed to make the resigned hero call. Klebanov showed a rivered top two pair. — RD

12.43pm: Rowlands doubles
Daniel Rowlands has doubled up to 280,000 after getting all-in with A♦ K♦ on a 4♦ K♣ 3â™  flop against Jonathan Layani’s K♥ 9♥ . Rowlands was chuffed to see the A♣ on the turn, while the 9♦ river just rubbed Layani’s nose in it. He’s down to 360,000. — SY

12.40pm: Hui’s sorry now
Hui Chen-Kuo from China is out after Mattias Bergstrom hit one of his outs to beat her on the river. The flop was Q♦ 2♣ 3♣ and, after some betting from Bergstrom, Chen-Kuo had moved all-in with the nice-looking Q♣ J♣ for top pair and flush draw. Bergstrom, however, was going nowhere with his 4♣ 5♣ for open-ended straight-flush draw.

Chen-Kuo needed to dodge some scatter-gun bullets, and managed to do so on the 9♦ turn. But the river was A♣ , filling up Bergstrom’s hefty straight flush. He moves up to 550,000 as a result. — SY

12.36pm: Thankful Gale doubles
From the feature table, John Gale has doubled-up through chip leader James Mitchell. The “old school” player moved all-in for about 75,000 and the “new school” player called from the big blind.

Gale: K♥ J♦
Mitchell: K♣ 10♣

The board ran 3♦ 4â™  9â™  Aâ™  Jâ™  and Gale was very polite and thanked the dealer as the chips were passed to him. Well done Mr Gale, manners cost nothing. — MC

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EPT presenter Gaelle Garcia Diaz, a little easier on the eye than Gale

12.29pm: Early action
Ana Marquez makes a small late position and gets it through. She’s been negotiating a smallish stack through the last couple of days.

A vital double up for Miroslav Benes who spikes with A♠ Q♦ against the pocket fives of Aleksi Savela after getting it all-in pre-flop. That puts him up to 300,000 and almost at average. The Czech player celebrates with a slow motion fist pump. And who could blame him.

Scott Shelly passes his button three-bet to a cut-off four-bet from Andre Klebanov of Germany who chips up to 650,000. — RD

12.25pm: Early action on the feature table
Early action on the stacked feature table saw the UK’s Paul Foltyn take a nice pot. Roberto Romanello, one of the few previous EPT winners remaining in the field, opened it up with a raise to 13,500, getting calls from Foltyn and Justas Semaska.

On the 8♠ 8♦ 3♥ flop, both checked to Romanello who tried his luck with a bet of 17,000. Foltyn called but Semeska bumped it up to 56,000. Romanello folded by Foltyn made the call.

The turn was A♥ and Foltyn check-called the Lithunanian’s 64,000. Both then slowed to a respectful check on the 10♥ river, and Foltyn’s J♣ Jâ™  were good. — SY

12.20pm: Pastor defeats Wilson
Juan Manuel Pastor is up to 650,000 after eliminating Brit James Wilson. The Team PokerStars Pro raised from the button and called when Wilson three-bet all-in for 150,000 from the big blind.

Pastor: A♥ K♦
Wilson: 10♦ 8♣

There was a pause as the cameras were moved into position and then the board ran A♦ J♣ 2♣ A♣ 4â™  to give the Spaniard trips. — MC

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Team PokerStars Pro Juan Manuel Pastor

12.06pm: Play begins
And we’re off…

12pm: Play about to start
The TV table platers are getting miked up and some final interviews are taking place by the tables. If you take a look at the Day 4 seat draw you can see there is a great field left including Team PokerStars Pros Salvatora Bonavena, Juan Manuel Pastor and Ana Marquez and Humberto Brenes, young Brit hopefuls Martins Adeniya, Ben Jenkins, Sam Macdonald and James Mitchell, as well as mean US players such as Stephen O’Dwyer, Jamie Rosen and Steven Kelly.

Of all those a special mention must go out to Jenkins who has been playing here at the Hilton Metropole everyday dressed in a suit. Good man, very dashing. Give him a bonus ‘one-time chip’. — RD

11.48am: Quick recap from last night

11.20am: A message from a kangaroo
“What’s that you say, Skip?”
“Tchst, tcshhht, tcchht.”
“What’s that again, Skip? This could be a very short day at EPT London?”
“Tsst.” *

It seems EPT London has been hopping and bounding over the Hilton Metropole landscape at such a rate that today could be super quick. Barring an unexpected slow down in play, it shouldn’t take us too long to get down from the current 62 players to the required 24.

With so much money at stake, however (see prize payouts), no-one could blame a sizeable portion of the field for taking their foot off the gas and trying to cruise into the higher money spots.

James Mitchell won’t be one of those. The Brit is clear chip leader right now with more than a million chips, and he’ll be aggressive from the get go, trying to press home his stack advantage. He starts on the main feature stage today, and you can see the rest of the seat draw here.

While the event is not due to kick-off again until noon, here’s a little poker hand to keep you amused. Your writer was playing a little cash at the Vic Casino last night – a friendly £1-£1 no limit affair. Now, no-one like hearing bad beats, but I’m going to land this one on you anyway (not that it’s a real bad beat, but it’s my blog and I’ll write what I like).

Villain makes it £6 and your hero re-raises to £22 with K♠ K♥ . Villain and one other call to see a 5♠ 8♠ 2♠ flop. Your hero heroically makes it £70, which evil villain re-raises all-in to £150. The other player scarpers. Your hero has to call heroically with overpair and second nut flush draw. The turn and river blank and villain turns over Q♠ 10♠ for the outrageous flopped flush, leaving hero nursing a depleted stack of £85.

Booooooooooo!

Despite that little set back, your hero finished the fun session up a little overall, while another member of Team PokerStars Blog finished up by three figures. GG him. One more nameless member of the Team did his proverbials and scuttled home early. Not GG him.

* Skippy the Kangaroo is not a sponsored poker commentator. Other brands of kangaroo are available.

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Chip leader James Mitchell

PokerStars Blog reporting team in London (in order of favourite kids TV animal programmes): Marc Convey (Black Beauty – he’s a dark horse), Stephen Bartley (Flipper – he’s playful), Rick Dacey (Lassie – he’s got a long nose) and Simon Young (Skippy the Kangaroo – he’s got short arms)

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