Friday, 29th March 2024 09:42
Home / Uncategorized / EPT Tallinn Final Table: Level 27, 28 & 29 updates (50,000-100,000)
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7.35pm: Congratulations to Kevin Stani, EPT Tallinn champion (€400,000)
Kevin Stani has defeated Konstantin Bilyauer to become the inaugural winner of EPT Tallinn. He opened the pot with a raise to 250,000 and was called to go to a 392 flop where both players checked. The turn came 4 and Bilyauer led for 375,000 only to face a raise to 875,000 from the Norwegian. Call. The river came 8 and Bilyauer led again, this time for 1.2 million and committed half his remaining stack in the process. Stani tanked for two minutes then quietly announced “All-in”.

Bilyauer stood out of his seat and looked resigned. He took off his sunglasses and made the call but mucked upon seeing Stani’s 65 for the turned nut straight.

For a full list of the payouts please go to our prizewinners page. A full wrap of the day’s play will be up shortly for your entertainment. But for now, that’s a wrap from Tallinn. –MC

7.30pm: Kostanin Bilyauer eliminated in second place (€250,000)
Details to come but that means Kevin Stani has won. — RD

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Konstantin Bilyauer exits EPT Tallinn in second place for €250,000

7.25pm: Bilyauer rivers it
Bilyauer opened from the button to 250,000 and was called by Stani in the big blind. The Norwegian check-called 300,000 on the A710 flop before both checked the 9 turn. The board paired on the river with the 7 and Stani checked leaving Bilyauer to bet 500,000. It was a big decision for Stani who eventually made the call. — RD

7.15pm: Anti-climax
A multi-million chip pot took place that was building to what might have been the last hand but it ended in a split pot. Kevin Stani called from the button and then called a 300,000 raise from Konstantin Bilyauer. Stani then called 450,000 on the flop and 700,000 on the turn. The board read 8AK62 and it looked like Bilyauer was going to move all-in but he checked, as did Stani. They both tabled ace-five and took their chips back. –MC

7.10pm: Bilyauer shoves the river
Kevin Stani limped the small blind and Bilyauer made it 300,000 from the big blind. Stani called so that both players could see the JA6 flop. Bilyauer led out for 450,000 and was called by Stani before both players checked the 4 turn. Bilyauer then shoved the remainder of his stack – somewhere in the region of 2,000,000 – into the middle. Stani thought long and hard before he eventually passed. — RD

7pm: Stani starts to grind away again
Kevin Stani has taken two small pots of Konstantin Bilyauer to chip away at his stack again. The first hand Stani raised pre-flop to 250,000 and was called before both checked the 274 flop. A 225,000 Stani bet on the 4 river was enough to take it down.

In the next hand Stani called a 250,000 raise before both players checked it down. The final board read 498J4. Stani reavled A4 for trip fours and the pot as Bilyauer folded. –MC

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Can Kevin Stani convert his chip lead into the EPT Tallinn title?

6.50pm: ALL-IN!!!
It’s a pre-flop shove and call. Bilyauer gets it all-in from the small blind and is called by Stani. Bilyauer shows QK to Stani’s pocket sevens. The board runs out 1054K2 and Bilayuer survives to double up. Stani still has the chip lead. Keep an eye on how the chip swings develop by clicking here. — RD

6.40pm: PLAY RESUMES

6.35pm: Players are on a five minute break

6.35pm: Two more pots for Stani
Right at the end of Level 28 Kevin Stani took two more pots off Konstantin Bilyauer to open up an 11.07 million to 1.59 million chip lead.

In the first hand Bilyauer raised from the button and was called to go to a 4K10 flop where both players checked. Stani check-called a 275,000 bet on the J river before both players checked the 3 river. Stani tabled Q7 for a flush and the pot as his opponent folded.

The next hand got to the river without betting on any previous streets. The board read 98K4J and it was here that Stani bet 325,000 and was called. He tabled KJ for two-pair and the pot as Bilyauer folded. –MC

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Heads up at the EPT Tallinn: who will be champion?

6.25pm: Three-bet Bilyauer
Bilyauer wins another small pot with a three-bet from big blind. Stani had made his usual 200,000 open and was raised by Bilyauer to 505,000. Stani passed. — RD

6.20pm: Bilyauer takes a small one
Stani raised from the small blind and was called by Bilyauer. Both players checked through to the 10396 turn before Bilyauer bet 300,000, which was enough to win the pot. — RD

6.15pm: Stani takes more then gives some back
Kevin Stani looked lie he was taking complete control of this heads-up battle but Konstantin Bilyauer showed he still has fight in him.

Bilyauer raised to 200,000 from the button and was called by Stani to go to a Q58 flop. Stani checked raised his opponent’s 275,000 c-bet up to 600,000 and that did the trick.

Two hands later Bilyauer raised to 200,000 from the button and was called to go to the 97A flop. Both players checked to see the 4 where Stani led for 250,000 only to fold to a shove from his opponent. –MC

6.05pm: Big pot, small value bet
We’re a little way into heads up now and on a board of 576A2 with close to one million in the pot Kevin Stani bet 150,000 on the river. His young Russian opponent, Bilyauer, called but mucked upon being shown pocket tens. Stani had opened the action from the button. Stani has quite some chip lead now. — RD

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Kevin Stani: The inaugural EPT Tallinn winner?

5.55pm: Team PokerStars Pro Arnaud Mattern eliminated in 3rd place (€160,000)
Arnaud Mattern has been eliminated so there will be no EPT double champion crowned here in Tallinn. Not long after bluffing him, Kevi Stani took the rest of his chips by hitting a two-outer. Stani raised to 200,000 from the SB to face a three-bet to 550,000 from the Frenchman. Stani quickly moved all-in and Mattern snap-called his 2.4 million stack off.

Stani: 33
Mattern: QQ

The 2K5 flop was very safe for Mattern but he fell behind on the 3 turn. The third heart opened up the chance of a re-draw for Mattern but the flush card or queen failed to come on the 9 river. Stani now has twice as many chips as Konstantin Bilyauer going into heads-up play. –MC

5.48pm: Arnaud Mattern is all-in
The Team PokerStars Pro Arnaud Mattern is all-in against Kevin Stani with his tournament at risk. Details to come shortly. — RD

5.40pm: Massive pot, monster bluff
Bluffing with the 78 hold cards may soon have to be called ‘pulling a Stani’ because the Norwegian has just pulled his second huge bluff of the final table with them. He earlier five-bet shoved with them into Bilyauer but this time it was against Arnaud Mattern. The Team PokerStars Pro had three-bet Stani’s 180,000 button raise to 560,000 total. Stani made the call.

At this point the atmosphere got very tense as the air thickened at the final table. A huge pot was brewing with only Bilyauer looked relaxed as the storm set in. The flop of QK4 was enough for Mattern to lead another 650,000 into the middle and as everyone held their breath Stani lined up three large stacks of 25,000 chips and made a large raise to 1,500,000. It was too much for Mattern who passed his hand. Stani flipped 78 face up onto the table to show a huge naked bluff. — RD

5.35pm: Back and forth
Arnaud Mattern and Konstantin Bilyauer played out two hands with each winning one. The first hand saw Mattern raise from the button and Bilyauer call from the SB to see a K94 flop. The Russian check-raised Mattern’s 210,000 c-bet up to 530,000 to force a fold. The very next hand Bilyauer raised to 180,000 then fold to a 560,000 three-bet from Mattern in the BB. –MC

5.30pm: A few hands from the final table
Hand 1: Mattern raised the button to 180,000 and was called by Bilyaver in the small blind and both players checked the flop down to the 263A2 river. Bilyauer turned over KQ for a king-high winning hand.

Hand 2: Stani limped the small blind and Mattern checked behind. Stani led the A22 flop and the Team PokerStars Pro passed.

Hand 3: Mattern button raised to 180,000 and scooped the blinds to take an easy little pot. — RD

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There were eight, now there are just three left

5.20pm: First hand back
Arnaud Mattern limped from the SB and then called a raise to 185,000 from Konstantin Bilyauer in the BB. No betting took place through the 368JJ board and Konstantin took the pot with his A7. –MC

5.15pm: Back from break
The final three are back in their seats and the first hand is being dealt… right… about… now!

5pm: BREAK TIME
Level 27 done and dusted. See you in 15 minutes for level 28.

4.57pm: Slow play
The title of this individual post may be more than a little misleading. There hasn’t been a slow played pair of aces or a trappy set but play itself has slowed down. The three final combatants (Mattern, Stani and Bilyauer) have slowed down in these final pay jumps. — RD

4.55pm: Kremser the clown as play slows
It’s been a quiet ten-minute phase of the final table, with no pots or action of note. But tournament boss Thomas Kremser livened it up with a little humour. He was standing in front of a tall screen, behind which a photographer reached up and poked his camera over the top to get a nice overhead picture of the table. The hapless snapper poked his camera up once more, and this time Kremser put his hand in front of it. Only when the photographer reviewed his work a few moments later did he realise his snap was of a huge Austrian hand and not of our final table. — SY

4.50pm: Showdown
Not many pots are getting through all the streets but this one did. Stani limped the small blind into Arnaud Mattern who checked behind (again). Both players checked through to the 5J43 turn which Stani bet 80,000 into. Mattern raised to 250,000 and Stani called. The Norwegian check-called around 200,000 on the 9 river and showed KJ to take the pot. — RD

4.45pm: Konstantin three-bets…
…Arnaud Mattern’s raise from the small blind. Mattern passed without too much thought. — RD

4.40pm: Cagey, but it’ll do
Another pot goes Arnaud Mattern’s way. He raised to 150,000 from the button and only Konstantin Bilyauer called from the small blind. Both checked the J2A flop, and they didn’t seem to like the 6 turn either. But on the 6 river Mattern bet 160,000 and got a reluctant call from the Russian. J3 for Mattern, and that was good enough to take the pot. — SY

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Mattern back in the groove

4.30pm: Limped action
Stani limped the small blind to Mattern’s big blind and the Frenchman checked to see a 3K4 flop. Stani led for 75,000 and was called by Mattern. Stani gave up with a check-fold on the 3 turn when Mattern bet 320,000. Still plenty of play left in this three-handed final. — RD

4.25pm: Mattern motors on
Konstantin Bilyauer made it 140,000 from the button and only Arnaud Mattern called from the big blind. The Frenchman check-called Bilyauer’s 225,000 bet on the 4710 flop and both then checked down the Q turn and 8 river. 67 for the Russian, but he was behind Mattern’s K10 all the way.

Here’s the current state of play

Kevin Stani, 5.2million
Arnaud Mattern, 4.2million
Konstantin Blyauer, 3.55million — SY

4.15pm:’Oh, you’re kidding’
Konstantin Bilyauer opened to 135,000 from the button and Kevin Stani made the call from the small blind. On the 699 flop, Stani check-called the Russian’s 170,000. Then, on the A turn, Stani check-called again, this time for 240,000. Both then slowed down to a check on the 10 river. K8 for Bilyauer, Q10 for Stani, which was good enough for the pot. “Oh, you’re kidding,” bemoaned Bilyauer. –SY

4.10pm: Major mistake by Stani
Kevin Stani has so far appeared very calm and collected but that image has just been tarnished thanks to the Norwegian misreading his hand and checking down a full house. Bilyauer had bet 250,000 on the turn of a 9466 board which Stani has called in position. Both players then checked on the A river with Stani showing A6 for a boat. “I thought I had ace-eight,” said a slightly embarrassed Stani who asked Bilyauer: “You calling the river?” All he got was a nod from the Russian. “It was a very conservative check,” joked Stani desperately trying to see the funny side of checking behind such a monster hand. — RD

4pm: What about the monkey business?
The monkey on the back of every former EPT champion, which to date has ensured none of them have won a second EPT title, is still in danger of being shot strangled humanely put to sleep. Team PokerStars Pro and EPT Prague Season 4 champion Arnaud Mattern is one of our three remaining players, and a win here would make EPT history… and make chimp-lovers very sad indeed. — SY

3.55pm: Just the three left
We’re down to three-handed play after PokerStars qualifier Kevin Stani busted Dimitry Vitkind in fourth. Konstantin Bilyauer started it with a button raise to 140,000, which both Stani called from the small blind and Vitkind from the big blind.The flop came 753, Stani checked, Vitkind bet 300,000, Bilyauer folded – then Stani moved all in, covering Vitkind easily.The Russian thought only for a second or two before making the call.

Stani: 88
Vitkind: 56

Vitkind was in need of help to save his tournament life, but none arrived on the K turn or 7 river. Vitkind leaves with €120,000. — SY

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4th place finisher Dmitry Vitkind

3.52pm: Dimtry Vitkind eliminated in 4th place for €120,000
Details coming right up.

3.50pm: Mattern keeps firing
Team PokerStars Pro Arnaud Mattern opened the button for 140,000 and was called by Kevin Stani in the big blind. Mattern shot out a c-bet of 175,000 on the 3K10 flop, which was called, and another 220,000 on the 7 turn. The second bullet did the job as Stani relinquished his hand. — RD

3.45pm: Four-handed action
We are very much at the business end of this tournament here in Estonia with some big pay jumps over the final four spots.

1. €400,000
2. €250,000
3. €160,000
4. €120,000
(Full payouts can be found here)

There’s a lot to play for and the pressure the players are putting each under is immense. Dmitry Vitkind opened to 130,000 from the cut-off and Arnaud Mattern three-bet from the button to 320,000. Konstanin Bilyauer four-bet from the big blind to 1,000,000 forcing both players out of the pot. Nice pick up for Bilyauer. — RD

3.35pm: Play resumes
The players are back for Level 27. Here’s how the players stack up right now:

Konstantin Bilyauer — 4,300,000
Kevin Stani — 3,555,000
Arnaud Mattern — 3,420,000
Dmitry Vitkind — 1,305,000

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Bilyauer happy with his position at the top

PokerStars Blog reporting team (with hair styles): Nick Wright (curly), Simon Young (shaggy), Marc Convey (floppy) and Rick Dacey (short and thick – I thought we were talking about hairstyles? Ed).

All photos (c) Neil Stoddart

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