3.06pm: Break time
It’s about time we all took a breather for 15 minutes.

3.05pm: Get thee behind me Ainsworth
“Six on the river again,” said Jude Ainsworth, who’d just seen his pocket sixes out do the pocket nines 8♣ 8♠ of Ignat Liviu. It’s the second time, leading some people to make the obvious connection to the number of the beast. Has Ainsworth sold his soul to the devil? Surely if he had Satan himself would have made it easier for him.

This latest escapade was started by a Liviu bet of 40,000 which was called by Andreas Wiese on the button. Ainsworth then moved all in for 380,000 in the small blind. The action was back on Liviu who looked first at Wiese and then asked how much the all-in was for. That answered, he called.

Wiese recoiled in his seat, sitting back, all the time Ainsworth waited. After looking one last time Wiese passed leaving Ainsworth to show 6♦ 6♥ while Liviu turned over 8♣ 8♠ which made him and his supporters a few feet behind him on the rail, very happy.
Then the board: Q♠ 2♦ A♣ 9♦ 6♠ .

Liviu banged the table. He was almost catatonic yesterday but this was the first show of bluster from the Romanian who was suddenly down to 130,000.

“I would have called you too,” said Wiese, admitting to folding pocket tens.

One more six on the river to come? – SB

3.02pm: Liviu doubles through Ainsworth
Ignat Liviu three-bet jammed for his last 92,000 over a Jude Ainsworth open raise knowing full well he’d get a call with his A♥ 8♣ . Ainsworth flicked in the chips and showed Q♠ J♥ . Liviu flopped an ace and turned a flush to double to 200,000. Ainsworth battling on with 800,000. — RD

2.55pm: Moorman rally continues
Chris Moorman’s late charge continues as he chips up to 1,470,000. Yann Brosolo opened from the hijack to 50,000 and was called by Danyel Boyaciyan on the button. Moorman squeezed to 150,00 0 from the big blind and found a caller in Boyaciyan.

The low 3♥ 2♠ 5♥ flop was c-bet by Moorman for 155,000 which was enough to take the pot. We estimated yesterday that Moorman probably needed to finish eighth to get in the black for EPT main events, having not cashed in the 13 or 14 he’d previously entered. He’s looking dangerously likely to make that final table now with an above average stack. — RD

2.45pm: King-queen never loses
There’s a running joke within the internet community that king-queen never loses on PokerStars. Chris “Moorman1” Moorman has won more than most on the site so he should be ‘in’ on that one.

Mads Wissing opened to 40,000 from under-the-gun and faced a Moorman three-bet to 85,000 from the button. The Dane shoved on him and after a couple of minute’s thought, Moorman made the call all-in for 614,000.

Wissing: A♥ 10♠
Moorman: K♣ Q♥

The board ran J♣ 7♦ 9♣ 10♣ 6♣ to make the Brit phenom a straight on the turn, followed by a flush on the river.

“Jesus f###ing Christ,” shouted the Dane and stormed away from the table.

When he came back he asked Moorman, “That’s how you run, huh?”

“King-queen never loses,” was Moorman’s quick response. Wissing is down to 1,250,000 chips and angry. — MC

2.35pm: Engel takes million from Finger
Martin Finger can afford to lose a million chips, although he obviously wasn’t happy to. Ari Engel was happy to take them, the beneficiary of a big post and a pair of kings.

Engel opened for 35,000 in early position which was called by the button. Vojtech Ruzicka then raised to 130,000 from the small blind before Finger stirred it all up by moving all-in. Engle paused, then called all in for his 900,000. Finger would take him on, turning over 9♣ 9♦ but sighing when Engel showed K♠ K♥ .

The board ran 4♥ A♦ 8♠ 2♦ J♦ . Finger tapped the table. Engel said nothing but was now up to 2,000,000. – SB

2.30pm: Finger knocks out Gray, now rivaling for chip lead
Martin Finger has just knocked out Jason Gray to chip up to 3,500,000 putting himself alongside Patrick Renkers in the chip lead. Finger opened the button and was shoved on by Gray in the small blind for 375,000. Call. Finger’s jacks flopped a set leaving Gray’s A♥ Q♠ dangling on a 9♣ J♣ Q♥ flop. No miracle running cards, Gray out. — RD

Martin Finger

2.26pm: Finger on the pulse
Two giant stacks just took each other on with the resulting fireworks taking Martin Finger beyond the 3,000,000 mark and leaving Vojtech Ruzicka with 750,000.

Ruzicka opened for 51,000 on the button which Finger raised to 100,000 from the small blind. Ruzicka four bet to 227,000 which Finger called for a flop of 9♦ J♥ Q♠ . Both checked that for a 7♠ turn. Again both checked for a 9♠ river.

Now Finger went to his stack, assembling a bet of 425,000. Ruzicka thought, and then called. Finger flipped up 10♠ J♠ for the flush. Ruzicka, who looked winded, didn’t show. – SB

2.20pm: Not so great for this Dane
Rasmus Vogt has fallen in 20th for €20,000 after he made a badly timed three-bet into Danyel Boyaciyan’s raise. The Dutchman was first to act and raised to 52,000. All the table folded to Vogt in the big blind who quickly moved all-in for 374,000. Boyaciyan asked for a count and then called.

Vogt: Q♦ 3♦
Boyaciyan: A♥ Q♣

When the Dane saw the hands he reacted by saying, “Oh”, very quietly. The board ran 2♥ 5♥ 10♥ 6♠ J♥ to hand the pot and the scalp to Boyaciyan. — MC

2.14pm: Baburin busts, Wissing large
Sergey Baburin three-bet jammed from the big blind for 450,000 with A♥ 3♥ into a 50,000 button raise from Mads Wissing who made the call with 7♦ 7♠ . The board ran 4♣ 5♦ J♠ 10♦ 10♠ despite the repeated and somewhat irritating calls from a freakishly tall Russian railer for an ace. Twenty players remain with Wissing now sat with 1,950,000. — RD

2.10pm: Nudin eliminated by Engel in 22nd (€20,000)
We missed the action but Ari Engel kindly informed us that he took care of Alexander Nudin. The Russian was under the gun with pocket eights and ran into the pocket queens of the American in the big blind. — MC

2.05pm: Down to 22
Garry Tevosov is out in 23rd place. It was Mauri Dorbek who sent him to the rail, his jack in the hole joined by two more on the board. – SB

2.01pm: Leikos left short by Moorman, busts in 24th
Vesa Leikos raised from the small blind to 38,000 into Chris Moorman’s big blind who summarily moved all-in for 325,000. Leikos made a grudging call and quickly looked pained.

Leikos: A♥ 9♣
Moorman: A♣ Q♦

The board rivered a queen to double Moorman to 660,000 and leave Leikos with just 20,000. Leikos passé the next hand but called all-in with J♥ 4♥ the hand after that. Denys Drobyna rivered the idiot end of the straight in a checked down pot with Mads Wissing the hand after that. Leikos sent to the rail to collect €20,000. — RD

Chris Moorman (when Mike McDonald was still in)

LEVEL UP: BLINDS 10,000-20,000, ANTE 3,000

1.50pm: Huge flip goes Levi’s way
Nicolas Levi is up to around 2,000,000 chips after winning a huge and vital flip against Garry Tevosov, who dropped to 90,000 chips in the process.

The Russian raised to 32,000 from the hijack before Levi three-bet to 75,000 from the button. Tevosov didn’t waste much time before announcing a raise to 170,000. That put the pressure right back on Levi and he dealt with it by announcing he was all-in. Tevosov exhaled a large amount of air and said, “Okay, I call.”

Levi: Q♦ Q♠
Tevosov: A♠ K♥

The board ran 5♣ 7♣ 5♦ 7♥ 2♠ . Levi looked at his opponent and said, “Stupid game.” — MC

1.40pm: The final three tables
Here are how the final three tables line up. Big stacks Patrick Renkers and Mads Wissing have been drawn on the same table again, Wissing holding position this time around.

4 | 1 | Daniel Boyaciyan
4 | 2 | Sergey Baburin
4 | 3 | Vesa Leikos
4 | 4 | Chris Moorman
4 | 5 | Patrick Renkers
4 | 6 | Denys Drobyna
4 | 7 | Rasmus Vogt
4 | 8 | Mads Wissing

5 | 1 | Martin Finger
5 | 2 | Jason Gray
5 | 3 | Yann Brosolo
5 | 4 | Ari Engel
5 | 5 | Alexander Nudin
5 | 6 | Guillem Cavaller
5 | 7 | Kimon Lehmann
5 | 8 | Vojtech Ruzicka

6 | 1 | Nicolas Levi
6 | 2 | Mauri Dorbek
6 | 3 | Ignat Liviu
6 | 4 | Michaela Smrckova
6 | 5 | Pontus Khosravi
6 | 6 | Andreas Wiese
6 | 7 | Garry Tevosov
6 | 8 | Jude Ainsworth

Michaela Smrckova is the short stack with little over 100,000. — RD

1.20pm: Break and redraw
We’ve gone on an early break – ten minutes early – as we compress down to the final three tables and 24 players. The top three stacks seem to be Patrick Renkers (3,100,000), Martin Finger (2,200,000) and Mads Wissing (1,700,000). The average stack is currently 902,500. Play resumes in 15 minutes. — RD

1.20pm: Down to 24
Mohammed Barkatul goes out in 25th place to leave three tables.

1.18pm: Czech cheer
Michaela Smrckova has been forced to bide her time for much of the latter stages of this event. She just found K♦ K♣ and shoved for her last 125,000. Patrick Renkers called with A♦ 4♥ but was unable to find an ace on the board. Smrckova plays on, much to her delight and that of the local media. Renkers’ 3,100,000 stack still towers over Smrckova’s small village of 250,000. – SB

1.15pm: Boyazitov has gone Wissing
Ramil Boyazitov has fallen in 26th place. He open jammed for about 200,000 from first position and was called by Kimon Lehmann on the button before Mads Wissing shoved over the top from the small blind. Lehman tank-folded and was very happy he did so.

Boyazitov: K♣ Q♣
Wissing: A♣ A♦

The board ran 4♦ K♥ 8♦ A♥ 5♦ to safely these aces hold up. — MC

1.12pm: The luck of the Irish, to be sure
Team PokerStars Pro Jude Ainsworth hates being taken off a pot and loves getting in the last raise. That ploy just saw him get it in really bad but he still managed to find a way out to double-up to an above average stack.

The action folded to him in the small blind and he raised to 32,000 only to face a three-bet to 74,000 from Pontus Khosravi in the big blind. Ainsworth sat stoically and then four-bet jammed for 475,000. Snap call.

Ainworth: Q♥ 7♥
Khosravi: A♠ A♦

The board ran 8♥ 5♦ 4♣ 5♥ 6♦ to make the Irishman a straight. He said it would be nice for a six to come and he got what he asked for. — MC

1.08pm: Cavaller doubles through Leikos
Vesa Leikos opened with Q♦ J♦ , Guillem Cavaller shoved for 172,000 from the big blind. Leikos made the call and lost to the short stack’s pocket fives. Leikos now the short stack with 160,000. — RD

1.05pm: Moorman under the cosh, Finger forging ahead
Chris Moorman is looking somewhat exasperated. This is not how his day was meant to go. Having started the day with 557,000 Moorman would have wanted his vast online experience help him stack up and contest for the final table. As it is he is down to 275,000 and sigh-folding to three-bets from 2,000,000 man Martin Finger.

Moorman opened to 36,000 from under-the-gun and Finger popped it up to 81,000 from the big blind. Moorman considered the shove, thought better of it and passed. — RD

12.50pm: McDonald departure has Finger’s print all over it
Once more we throw away the idea of a double winner as Mike McDonald departs the main event. One minute you’re in, the next you’re on the way to the pay-out desk.

Martin Finger opened for 35,000 which McDonald raised to 81,000 from the hijack. Finger then four-bet to 152,000 which McDonald called for a flop of 10♦ 8♦ 8♥ . Finger bet another 130,000 which again McDonald called.

On the 7♦ turn Finger announced he was all-in. McDonald looked at his cards again and after a few beats announced “call.” A♦ 10♣ for the former champion, A♣ A♠ for Finger. The 4♣ river sealed McDonald’s fate.

He stood, leaned across the dealer to shake Finger’s hand and was gone. Finger meanwhile moves up beyond 2,000,000 chips. – SB

Mike ‘Timex’ McDonald

12.47pm: Cool Levi
Nicolas Levi is a cool character, all stubble and laidback French confidence. Now he’s got chips too having just broken the million mark beating Denys Drobyna in the following pot.

Levi opened to 34,000 from under-the-gun and was three-bet by Drobyna to 68,000 from the small blind. Call. Drobyna c-bet 75,000 into the A♥ 9♦ 7♦ flop. Call. Both players checked the 4♦ turn before the river paired with the 9♣ . Levi’s 175,000 river bet was left unanswered. Levi up to 1,035,000 – a very real threat. — RD

Nicolas Levi

12.44pm: Hrdlicka luck, David
David Hrdlicka is the latest player to fold. He three-bet all-in from the button for 316,000 after fellow PokerStars qualifier Andreas Wiese raised from under the gun. The move might’ve got through but Pontus Khosravi wanted in on the action and shoved from the big blind. Wiese folded to leave it heads-up.

Hrdlicka: 7♥ 7♦
Khosravi: A♣ K♠

The board ran K♥ 3♥ 9♦ 5♥ K♣ to make trip kings for the Swede. As the hand was behind dealt out Garri Tevosov felt the need to point out that he folded a king and that the case kings had come. That’s a great way to make Hrdlicka feel better about his exit! Khosravi is up to around 1,100,000 now. — MC

12.35pm: Vidal gored by Tevosov
Haykel Cherif Vidal has just been knocked out by Garry Tevosov. Jude Ainsworth – whose stack is going in the wrong direction at the moment – opened for 35,000 and was shoved on by Vidal for 290,000 from the button. Tevosov moved in over the top from the small blind for around 350,000. Ainsworth passed.

Vidal: Q♦ J♦
Tevosov: A♣ J♥

The board ran out K♣ 9♥ 9♠ 7♠ K♦ to send Vidal to the rail. — RD

12.33pm: Ainsworth avoids fatal shot to the head
The remainingTeam PokerStars Pro, Jude Ainsworth, has also got off to a bad start, but it could have a been a disastrous start.

Vojtech Ruzicka opened to 36,000 from mid position and called when the Irishman three-bet to 75,000 from the cut-off. The flop came 5♦ 8♣ 5♠ and Ruzicka check-called a 100,000 c-bet from Ainsworth. The turn came 5♥ and Ainsworth bet 175,000 when his Czech opponent checked to him again. Call.

The final card fell 6♠ and Ruzicka checked for a third time. Ainsworth checked behind and that caused Ruzicka to wince in disappointment as he had rivered a full house with 6♥ 6♦ . Ainswoth opened K♥ 4♣ and said he was close to jamming the river. — MC

12.30pm: So long Juan Manuel Pastor
It was chip leader Patrick Renkers who delivered the coup de grace to Juan Manuel Pastor, who could be forgiven for feeling a little shell shocked at his sudden departure less than half an hour into the day. The scrappy Spaniard had started with nearly 750,000 but in the space of two hands had been left with loose change.

He threw it in behind a raise from Renkers, moving 50,000 worth of red chips forward. Renkers made the routine call showing J♥ 8♣ to Pastor’s K♥ 8♥ . To Pastor’s amusement he had Renkers dominated, although not for long.

The board ran 7♣ A♣ Q♥ 10♣ 6♣ , the flush for Renkers proving the final straw for Pastor who managed a smile on his way to the rail. – SB

Bad flippin’ luck for Juan Manual Pastor

12.22pm: Lucky number four for Ainsworth?
This is Jude Ainsworth’s fourth EPT Day 4 and he’s yet to get to chalk up a Day 5.

Fourth time’s the charm, Jude? “It better be,” said Ainsworth who swigged from a can of sugary energy drink

Ainsworth has Andreas Weise two sets to his left, a solid anvil to the aggressive Ainsworth hammer, which could provide some very interesting button on big blind dogfights. Ainsworth, aka j.thaddeus, has had some major success online. Can he do it live this time around? — RD

12.20pm: Strike two for Pastor
More woe for Juan Manuel Pastor who is down to 58,000 chips. Jason Gray opened for 38,000 which was called by the button player before Pastor moved all-in for the second hand in a row. Gray also shoved for 294,000 prompting the button to fold.

Pastor showed 10♠ 10♥ to Gray’s A♥ K♥ . The board then ran 5♣ K♣ 5♦ 5♥ A♠ giving Gray two pairs and leaving Pastor on the critical list. – SB

12.15pm: Strike one for Pastor
Juan Manuel Pastor just lost a big chunk of his stack to Kimon Lehmann.
Lehmann opened in middle position for 5,400 which Ramil Boyazitov called in the small blind. Pastor then shoved from the big blind which was called by Lehmann for 380,000, who turned over A♣ Q♦ . Pastor showed J♠ J♦ .

The board ran 10♦ Q♠ J♥ K♥ 3♠ . Broadway for Lehmann, the East River for Pastor. – SB

12.10pm: All done in less than two minutes
Sharon Volfer’s Day 4 has lasted less than two minutes. Volfer shoved with K♦ 8♠ in early position which was called by Ignat Liviu next to him who turned over K♣ Q♠ . The board ran 9♦ 2♥ J♥ K♠ 4♠ to send Volfer out in 31st. – SB

12.05pm: Play starts
Cards are in the air.

11.50am: Day 4 seat draw
The final 31 players have been seated as such: click on the EPT Prague Day 4 seat draw here. — RD

11.40am: Working 31 to 8
Day 4 is set to start in 20 minutes and will see our remaining 31 players shove their way down to just eight players. A full seat draw will appear shortly with no-one wanting the 2,423,000 monster stack of Patrick Renkers on their left. — RD

The players have been up since the crack of the dawn (perhaps)

PokerStars Blog reporting team in Prague (in order of their openness to social media): Marc Convey (would rather poke someone than speak to them), Rick Dacey (a fan of the fact that you give abuse out of arm’s reach) and Stephen Bartley (Do. Not. Tag. Me.). Photos by Neil Stoddart.

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