Play on the final is underway. We're in level 23 with blinds at 10,000-20,000 (2,000 ante).
This post contains the latest action from the level, and will also include approximate chip counts throughout play. The official counts, taken at the end of each level, are on the chip count page.
Latest update 9.39pm 9.39pm: A quick all-in
A bet of 50,000 by Behling pre-flop, raised by Barbosa to 140,000. Behling then announced he was all-in. Barbosa got out of the way.
9.32pm: Another swing to Barbosa
In a change from the advertised programme, Behling bets 60K pre-flop rather than the expected 44,000. What’s more it’s called by Barbosa. We have a hand to report. On the flop of Kd-7s-8h Behling checks to Barbosa who makes it 75,000 to go. Behling then raises, two tall towers of yellow chips worth 200,000. Barbosa counters that by moving all-in, forcing a fold from the German.
Barbosa – 1,670,000
Behling – 500,000
9.30pm: Copenhagen anyone?
This heads up is shaping up to be one of those long ones -- two in Copenhagen always spring to mind in these moments, when Tim Vance played Soren Jensen on season four and Mads Andersen played Edgar Skjervold in season two. So while we wait for action, here's a video. It's Kara Scott's top five final table tips:
Play on the final is underway. We're in level 22 with blinds at 8,000-16,000 (2,000 ante).
This post contains the latest action from the level, and will also include approximate chip counts throughout play. The official counts, taken at the end of each level, are on the chip count page.
9.10pm: Barbosa the bully
Joao Barbosa takes a small pot, raising pre-flop to 44,000, which is called by Behling.The flop is 7h-5s-7h and both players check. The turn is 10h and Behling bets 45,000. Barbosa thinks a while but then raises, making it 190,000. Behling folds.
9.06pm: Coming back
Behling has begun to claw some chips back, from 600K to 730K to 790K. He now has roughly 830K after some smallish pots. That puts Barbosa on around 1,470,000.
9pm: Behling takes one down
Nico Behling just took down a small pot, betting all the way, including pre-flop, on a flushing (hearts) ace-high board. Barbosa got out the way at the turn.
8.50pm: No major moves
A lot of pre-flop betting and folding. This hand is slightly different. Barbosa bets 44,000 in the standard way pre-flop before Behling raises to 120,000. The second Barbosa announces all-in Behling folds.
8.35pm: Dario Minieri, Italy, Team PokerStars Pro eliminated in third place, earning €123,162
That's the end of the road for Dario Minieri. One hand after he gets a walk in the big blind but looks at pocket jacks, flipped in anguish, Joao Barbosa gives him the action he craved. Barbosa raises from the button, Minieri moves in over the top, his last 180,000 and Barbosa calls. The Portuguese has two black nines, Minieri has two black sevens and the flop helps neither. "Nice hand," says Dario as he shakes Barbosa's hand. "Nice to play with you, Dario," says Nico Behling and he offers his paw. Minieri departs, but it's a airly safe assumption that he'll be back.
8.30pm: Nothing drastic
Nico Behling wins a pot by virtue of re-raising Dario Minieri, making the Italian think for a while before folding. Another 80,000 to the German.
8.20pm: You win some, you lose some
Dario Minieri picks up the first two pots, first open raising from the button to take the blinds, then re-raising from the big blind after Nico Behling opens for 42,000. Minieri then gives Behling a walk in his big blind, before open raising again from the button. This time Jaoa Barbosa announces that he's all in and Minieri goes into his talking mode. Barbosa keeps schtum, refusing to confirm or deny that he'll show if Minieri folds. Then Minieri says, "OK, I have one more question. If I fold and show, will you show as well?" Barbosa nods his head and that's what they do: Minieri has A-3o and Barbosa pocket sixes.
Then we actually see two flops in a row, both between Minieri and Behling. Minieri calls Behling's pre-flop bet of 44,000 and they see 7h-3s-Qh. Behling takes this one with an 80,000 bet. Then the two players, in an unraised pot, see 5d-Ah-7s and Miniri bets 16,000, which is called. The 10d turns and Minieri this time shakes off Behling with a bet of 38,000.
8.15pm: Under way
Play finally restarts after an extra long dinner break.
8.10pm: Empty seats
Still no sign of the players. No, wait. They're here. We should be playing again within a few minutes.
7.55pm: Long dinner
Players were spotted in the bufet room about an hour ago, but are yet to return to the tournament area. We're expecting them imminently for the resumption in play.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
EPT Warsaw: Level 21 updates
Play on the final is underway. We're in level 21 with blinds at 6,000-12,000 (1,000 ante).
This post contains the latest action from the level, and will also include approximate chip counts throughout play. The official counts, taken at the end of each level, are on the chip count page.
6.40pm: Chip counts at the dinner break
Joao Barbosa -- 1,140,000
Dario Minieri -- 267,000
Nico Behling -- 707,000
6.38pm: End of the level
We've reached the dinner break. Play will resume in one hour.
6.30pm: Battle of the blinds
In a battle of the blinds between Joao Barbosa and Dario Minieri for a flop of 6h-5d-8c. Barbosa makes it 21,000 which Minieri raises to 78,000. Barbosa announces “all-in” and gets a pretty quick fold from Minieri as the dinner break approaches.
6.15pm: Behling bouncing back
In an unraised battle of the blinds, Dario Minieri and Nico Behling see a scary flop of Ah-10s-As. They both check it, then Minieri bets 14,000 on the 2c turn, which Behling calls. The river is the 7s and after Minieri checks, Behling bets 40,000 and Minieri calls. "Flush," says Behling and shows 9-4s. "Super good," says Minieri.
6.12pm: Behling all-in.
Barbosa made it 34,000 from the button pre-flop which was called by Behling for a flop of 8h-Ac-2c. Behling then led the betting, making it 45,000 which Barbosa called. Another bet, 60,000 this time from Behling on the 2d turn. Again Barbosa called, taking it to the river, a 6d. Now Behling moved all in, another 151,000. Barbosa was not long in calling, but was only able to show Js-8s to Behling’s Ad-9c, good to double him up.
5.55pm: I think the word is "sick" Atanas Gueorguiev, PokerStars qualifier from Bulgaria, eliminated in fourth place earning €87,973
Joao Barbosa is on a hot streak and when you're hot, you're hot. Atanas Gueorguiev raises from one off the button and Barbosa flat calls. The flop comes 3c-4s-Kd and Barbosa tickles 35,000 at it. Gueorguiev doesn't hang around before announcing that he's all in and Barbosa is equally sharp in calling. Gueorguiev's A-K is miles ahead of Barbosa's K-Q and the 9h on the turn doesn't change that. But there are two outs left in the deck and one of the queens - hearts, for the record - rivers to send the final PokerStars qualifier in the field back to Sofia. He'll take €87,973 - and one shocking bad-beat story with him.
5.52pm: Arnaud Mattern of France, eliminated in fifth place for €72,724.
It started with a 36K Arnaud Mattern bet from the small blind but the hand finished with his elimination, ending hopes of a first double-winner. Barbosa then raised, 92K total and it wasn’t long before the chip were in the middle. Eights for Barbosa, tens for Mattern. The flop missed both but Barbosa caught an eight on the turn, doing well to suppress a huge cry of relief. Mattern had his coat though and was soon on the rail.
5.40pm: Chip counts at the start of level 21
Arnaud Mattern – 340,000
Joao Barbosa – 755,000
Dario Minieri – 495,000
Nico Behling – 300,000
Atanas Gueorguiev – 265,000
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
EPT Warsaw: Level 20 updates
Play on the final is underway. We're in level 20 with blinds at 5,000-10,000 (1,000 ante).
This post contains the latest action from the level, and will also include approximate chip counts throughout play. The official counts, taken at the end of each level, are on the chip count page.
5.38pm: The Bulgarian battle plan
Atanas Gueorgeuiev moves all-in with A-8 on the last hand of the level, a total of 130,000 which Arnaud Mattern called with A-K. It looked to be the last hand for the Bulgarian until the turn brought a rescue eight which doubled him up.
5.30pm: Mineri on the charge, Barbosa slows him down
Dario Minieri raises five hands on the spin and only gets one big-blind defender, Arnaud Mattern. But Mattern checks to the turn and then folds to Minieri's bet. The board reads 10s-Ac-6c-10d. Joao Barbosa, who seems to be the only player who enjoys tangling with Minieri, then has the audacity to raise the Italian's blind, making it 33,000 from the small blind. Minieri defends. The flop comes As-10c-Kc and Barbosa bets 39,000. Minieri calls. But both check the turn (7h) and the river (5d) before Barbosa shows pocket fours, which are good.
5.15pm: Behling taking hits
Joao Barbosa and Nico Behling both check the flop of Ad-Ts-8d. The turn brings a 5s which Barbosa checks, allowing Behling to bet 40,000. Joao immediately check-raises, a raise of 300,000. Behling folds another hand, taking another hit while Barbosa shows Js-9s.
5.05pm: Dario doubles up again
It's the rarest of beasts - an unraised pot pre-flop - with Dario Minieri making up Nico Behling's big blind. The flop comes 8s-2s-6h and both players check. The turn is 9s and then it goes crazy: Minieribets 15,000, Behling makes it 60,000, Minieri maes it 143,000 and Behling moves all in, covering Minieri. The Italian is committed and insta-calls, asking Behling: "You got the flush?" Behling shakes his head and shows pocket sixes for a set, Minieri shows T-7 for a straight, but the German still has loads of outs. One of his sixes is a spade, so he's got the flush draw and the full house draw, but the Ad is a brick. And Minieri is right back in this.
5.01pm: Barbosa building
Minieri was first to bet pre-flop, followed by a raise from Nico Behling, using blue chips to make it 80,000, before Joao Barbosa re-raised all-in to bring the hand to a sudden halt. Barbosa adds 100,000 to his stack.
4.50pm: Quiet period
With five left, things have slowed somewhat. The table short-stack Atanas Gueorguiev just made the only move he really can - all in - after Nico Behling had raised from the button pre-flop. Behling folded. There's some good table banter, with Joao Barbosa and Dario Minieri reminiscing about that huge hand at the end of day two when Minieri made a hero call with a pair of jacks (second pair, no kicker) to snap off Barbosa's huge bluff. Other than that, it's raise and take pre-flop.
4.42pm: Sergey Shcherbatskiy, a PokerStars qualifier from Russia, eliminated in sixth place for €57,475.
Five minutes ago Sergey Shcherbatskiy was in the buffet having dinner at the break, five minutes later he’s out. He moved in with Ad-5h only to be called by Joao Barbosa holding pocket queens. Shcherbatskiy stood as the flop came Js-7h-Tc. The turn card Kc switched what each player was hoping for but the river was a blank. Handshakes and Shcherbatskiy was gone, with a €57,469 improvement on his $7.50 Steps buy-in.
Sergey Shcherbatskiy
4.35pm: The players have just returned from the break and their full, official counts have been added to the chip counts page.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
EPT Warsaw: Level 19 updates
Play on the final is underway. We're in level 19 with blinds at 4,000-8,000 (1,000 ante).
This post contains the latest action from the level, and will also include approximate chip counts throughout play. The official counts, taken at the end of each level, are on the chip count page.
4.25pm: Last hand thriller
Excitement on the last hand before the break. Arnaud Mattern made it the standard 21,000 pre-flop with Minieri next to act. He announced all-in, a second before Nico Behling asked for a count. As officials started counting Minieri got up to stand by the rail. He has 119,000 left.
“I wanna gamble” said Minieri, and then added “I’m not sure it’s a gamble...” Then, “how much money for sixth?”
Behling now asks Mattern how much he has, about 460,000. We’re five minutes into the break and Behling is still thinking. Shcherbatskiy left when he folded his cards and has no idea his payday may be about to improve.
Behling says all-in, Mattern folds and Minieri says “aces.” He’s up against Behling’s pocket tens.
Minieri started texting right away. “Good timing” says Behling as they watched a flop of blanks miss both hands. Minieri gets a welcome boost to his stack.
4.20pm: Break on its way
With the break about to be taken any minute, a full official chip count will be on its way soon.
4.17pm: Mattern puts jacket on, takes jacket off
Nico Behling makes it 22,000 from mid-position and Sergiy Shcherbatskiy calls. Arnaud Mattern, in the big blind, squeezes all-in, and after Behling gets out the way, Shcherbatskiy asks for a count. It's 225,000 in total. He doesn't think too long before calling and shows A-Ko. Mattern has pocket tens and puts his jacket on. The board comes Qc-5c-Jc (no one has any clubs) meaning Mattern's 10 would now make Shcherbatskiy a straight. But the Russian misses everything on turn and river and Mattern doubles up.
4.12pm: Another hit for Dario
It's a spell of a 22K raise followed by folding. That was until a pot developed between Sergey Shcherbatskiy in the small blind and Dario Minieri in the cut off. It got to turn card with the board reading 3h-6d-Qh-Ac. The Russian checked to Minieri who bet 39,000 before Shcherbatskiy check-rasied him, forcing the Team PokerStars Pro out of the hand. Minieri is now down to 120,000.
4.10pm: Minieri talks
Things haven't been going precisely according to plan or Dario Minieri at this final table. But getting here was another remarkable achievement for the Team PokerStars Pro, a process he described to the video blog team last night:
4pm: Joao Barbosa doubles up through Dario Minieri
A big suited ace was god for Minieri against Andrea Benelli, but it's just cost him all those chips and more against Joao Barbosa. The Portuguese makes it 22,000 pre-flop from the cut off, Minieri says 66,000 and Barbosa pushes for another 170,000. Minieri runs through a few calculations and calls, tabling A-Jd. Barbosa has jacks. Minieri checks around the table, asking if anyone folded an ace, and they they didn't, so he has three live outs, plus flush possibilities. But there's only one diamond on the board, and none on either turn or river. The ace stays away too. Barbosa is now a threat with close to 400,000. Minieri is down to less than hal that.
3.56pm: Chip leader
The current chip leader is Nico Behling who has 850,000 in front of him.
3.49pm: Andrea Benelli of Italy, eliminated in seventh place for €45,746.
Andrea Benelli moved all-in pre-flop and Dario Minieri called from the button, turning over Ah-Qh to Benelli’s pocket jacks. The hearts would prove crucial for Minieri with the flop coming 4h-8c-5h. The 3h turn made him a flush and sent Benelli to the rail. Minieri up to 320,000.
3.40pm: Behling bossing
Having taken such a big lead, Nico Behling is throwing his weight around, most recently at the expense of Andrea Benelli. The Italian has been quiet so far, but raised to 22,500 from early position and it was folded to Behling on the button. He asked for a count and was told that Benelli had another 130,000 behind. Behling called. The flop cam 6h-8-9d and after Benelli checked Behling bet 40,000, which was enough to chase the Italian out.
3.25pm: Behling assumes chip lead
After the bust out of Lacay, Nico Behling has taken over a convincing chip lead. The German has more than 600,000, after hoovering up Lacay's stack. The counts are something like this:
Play on the final table begins in level 18 with blinds at 3,000-6,000 (500 ante).
This post contains the latest action from the level, and will also include approximate chip counts throughout play. The official counts, taken at the end of each level, are on the chip count page.
3.18pm: Ludovic Lacay of France, eliminated in eighth place for €32,843.
A few hands later Nico Behling made it 17,000 pre-flop from late position. The action was folded to Ludovic Lacay who re-raised from the big blind, making it 56,000 in total. “300 more?” asked Behling. Lacay replied he had closer to 220,000 left behind and Behling called. Lacay re-checked his cards again, like he was tightening the straps of his parachute, before jumping onto the flop of 5d-8h-7s.
First to act, Lacay bet 75,000 before Behling re-raised, 160,000 in total. Back to Lacay he looked again before announcing all-in. Behling agreed for a showdown, Lacay’s pocket aces to Behling’s pocket eights which put him ahead. Lacay needed help. It didn’t come, and he was gone from the tournament room before the polite applause had stopped.
3.13pm: Lacay pushed around
Ludovic Lacay made it 16,000 from early position pre-flop and the action was folded to Dario Minieri who, face half covered with his scarf, calmly re-raised, forcing out Lacay.
3.05pm: Minor skirmishes
Sergey Shcherbatskiy finds pocket fives again and calls Benelli's bets all the way to a checked river, finding the small pair surprisingly good on the 4d-9h-7d-9s-6h board. He's forced to muck the next hand though, when Ludovic Lacay, who re-raised from the button pre-flop, bets at a jack high board. On the hand after that, Lacay is forced into a fold. The Frenchman raises pre-flop to 16,000 and both blinds come along - Joao Barbosa and Dario Minieri. The fop is Jh-2d-Kc and Barbosa leads 30,000 at it. Minieri folds in silence but Lacay angrily flips A-Q as he lets it go. Barbosa shows a king.
2.55pm: Andrea Benelli doubles up
The Italian finds himself all in with K-9 and is racing against Sergey Shcherbatskiy's pocket fives. It's looking bleak for Benelli and sunny for Shcherbatskiy all the way through a blank flop and turn. But a nine falls on the river and the always-vocal Italian contingent give the first major whoop of the day.
2.50pm: Barbosa doubles up through Minieri
The Portuguese player Joao Barbosa open shoved from the button and Dario Minieri called from the small blind. Barbosa was at it and tabled Q-2; Minieri had A-9. But a queen flopped and stayed good through turn and river and Barbosa doubles up.
2.45pm: Michael Muheim, Switzerland, eliminated in ninth place, earning €21,114
Sergey Shcherbatskiy limps from early position but Michael Muheim doesn't see anything suspicious and shoves his short stack all in from the big blind. Shcherbatskiy insta-calls and has two black aces. Muheim has A-9 and although there's a nine on the flop, he gets no more help and is our ninth place finisher.
Muheim spoke to the video bloggers about his progress to the final table:
2.43pm: Gueorguiev asks the question
Joao Barbosa makes it 17,000 pre-flop. It’s folded round to Atanas Gueorguiev who announces all-in. Barbosa thinks about it for a few moments before wincing and then folding.
2.40pm: All France
Here's how it's gone for the past four hands: Arnaud Mattern raises pre-flop, picks up blinds and antes. Ludovic Lacay raises pre-flop, gets re-raised by Nico Behling in the small blind, folds. Arnaud Mattern raises pre-flop, picks up blinds and antes. Ludovic Lacay raises pre-flop, called by Arnaud Mattern. The board is checked all the way to the river -- 2h-2s-9h-Kc-Js -- and then Lacay fires. Mattern folds. The standard pre-flop raise is 16,000, by the way.
2.30pm: Minieri begins his day
Team PokerStars Pro Dario Minieri fires his first shots in anger, re-raising a pre-flop bet by Arnaud Mattern to force the Frenchman to fold.
2.25pm: We're off, and it's Nico Behling firing first. He makes it 16,000 to go from mid-position and then calls Arnaud Mattern's button re-raise. The flop is ten high and Behling fires at it. Mattern folds. First pot to Germany.
2.15pm: The tournament director is introducing the players and action will begin imminently. As we wait for the action to begin, here are Kara Scott's tips for final table play:
Last night in the PokerStars lounge, as reporters, staff and players celebrated an early halt to tournament proceedings, a small sit and go broke out for that most costly of buy-ins: pride and bragging rights. Several hands in, and with the tension at its peak, Dario Minieri popped his head around the door to see what the commotion was all about, prompting one of the players to pipe up: "How are you getting on in the side event?" Minieri looked quizzical. "You know, because this is the main event. How are you getting on in the side event downstairs?"
Eventually Minieri cottoned on and laughed. By that point, of course, the Team PokerStars Pro had bagged up 359,000 chips in that "side event" and was the chip leader going into the final table. Yet again the young Italian had blazed a trail to the summit of a tournament leaderboard and today has his sights fixed firmly on claiming his maiden EPT victory, a matter of months after claiming the first World Series bracelet of his career. It might only be a "side event" but it's worth €367,141 to its winner.
In order to get there, the champion will have to outlast one of the toughest EPT final tables in recent memory, and one that ticks all the right boxes. We have a previous champion in the form of Arnaud Mattern; we have two PokerStars qualifiers -- Sergey Shcherbatskiy and Atanas Gueorguiev -- hoping to turn minute online satellite fees into monstrous bricks-and-mortar payouts. We have players from all across Europe from the Urals to the Algarve.
Putting it another way, we have these nine:
Seat 1: Arnaud Mattern, 29, Paris, France – 328,000 chips
Before taking up poker in 2004, Mattern's main game was backgammon. In his own words, he ''crushed the tournament circuit and cash-games all around the world''. The switch to poker has been very successful, both live and online. He is known for his mathematical approach to the game and has been described as "disciplined, cold and calculating". He first came to international attention when he took down the inaugural EPT Prague event last season for €708,400. Now playing in his 14th EPT, he is hoping to make history as the first player to win two EPT titles.
Seat 2: Ludovic Lacay, 23, Toulouse, France – 296,500 chips
Lacay has played 13 EPTs to date, and has cashed twice before – his best result being 11th place at EPT Dublin last season. Like many other players, the 23-year-old got into online poker after enjoying success in the video game world where he played for one of the best French "Counter Strike" teams. Lacay now finds himself on a final table with his great friend and fellow Frenchman Arnaud Mattern. His best result to date was second place at the WPT Spanish Championship in October last year for €295,200.
Seat 3: Andrea Benelli, 27, Prato, Italy – 100,000 chips
A former computer sales rep, Benelli has been a professional poker player for more than a year. He has competed in several EPTs – in Warsaw, San Remo and the Monte Carlo Grand Final last season – and cashed at EPT London in October, making 36th for £11,419. He is being supported here in Warsaw by his girlfriend Astrika but is also being cheered on by his great friend Dario Minieri, who is also on the final table. Minieri said: "He's a very good player and one of my best friends. It's great we are both on the final table."
Currently studying medicine in Zurich, Michael won his seat to EPT Warsaw on PokerStars. It's his first major live event as he normally plays heads-up online cash games at $1-$2 limit – plus the odd online multi-table tournament. He believes he has been playing well, making good decisions, and is enjoying the tournament. Although the short stack at the start of the final table, the guaranteed €21,114 payday makes EPT Warsaw his best result so far.
Seat 5: Joao Barbosa, Porto, Portugal – 123,000 chips
Only two weeks ago, Gino Alacqua celebrated his 47th birthday with an appearance on the EPT Budapest final table. Now it's Joao Barbosa's turn. The Portuguese professional turns 26 tomorrow. The former computer engineering student is enjoying great success on the EPTs – he has played four so far and cashed in three of them including here, 48th place in Barcelona and 26th place in London. Barbosa mainly plays cash games online but loves tournaments for the competitive element. Back home in Portugal, he divides his time between his family home in Porto and his girlfriend in Lisbon.
Seat 6: Dario Minieri, 23, Rome, Italy – Team PokerStars Pro – 359,500 chips
Dario Minieri is one of Italy's best known poker players following a lightning-quick rise to the top. Aged 16, he started playing the card game Magic: The Gathering and swiftly discovered a talent for online gaming, before turning to poker. He started with low-stakes heads-up games at PokerStars but before long had become an online legend – the first player to earn a Porsche with his PokerStars Frequent Player Points. His online success has also translated to live tournaments. In 2006, Minieri came 3rd at EPT Baden and made the top 100 at the 2007 World Series. He joined Team PokerStars Pro soon after and things got even better in 2008 when he came 3rd in EPT San Remo and won his first WSOP bracelet in the $2,500 No-Limit Hold'em Six-Handed event in the summer.
Behling is one of the most successful German "Young Guns" and a good friend of PokerStars.de's ShootingStars player Sebastian Ruthenberg, who won EPT Barcelona in September. Behling has a lot of live poker experience and cashed for more than $130.000 in January, when he finished eighth in the Aussie Millions. EPT Warsaw is his ninth EPT but his first cash. He also played LAPT Rio de Janeiro and APPT Macau. Online, Behling is grinding the short-handed cash games but he also sometimes plays multi-table tournaments on PokerStars. His biggest online cash was $43,000 as runner-up in the PokerStars Super Tuesday tourney in July. The only important thing for Behling on tomorrow's final table is "to play my best poker. Then everything is fine."
All the way from the city of Ufa in the Ural Mountains of Russia, Sergey Shcherbatskiy will carry 349,000 chips to the final table, a mere 10,000 fewer than the chip-leader Dario Minieri. "I don't believe it," he said. "I'm surrounded by all these professional players!" It's already a remarkable story for Shcherbatskiy: he qualified via the PokerStars "steps" tournaments, buying in at level one for only $7.50, and is playing in his first major live tournament having taken up the game a little less than two years ago. Married to Antonina, who is hearing his progress in regular phone-calls home, Shcherbatskiy will also find some support from the punters in the two sports bars he owns in his hometown.
Seat 9: Atanas Gueorguiev, 38, Sofia, Bulgaria – PokerStars qualifier - 186,500 chips A former taxi driver, Gueorguiev has been playing poker professionally for more than three years and has qualified for several EPTs. He came 42nd in the EPT Season 3 Monte Carlo Grand Final for €19,000 and came 17th in the EPT Prague £2,000 side event last season for €4,500. His best result to date – aside from reaching the final table here in Warsaw -- was last May when he final tabled at the WPT Spanish Championship, coming eighth for €37,897. Married with an 18-month-old son, Gueorguiev says he has been gambling all his adult life and, like many players, came into poker via backgammon. He said: "I prefer playing live cash games but I have to admit I'm a better tournament player than cash player."
You can take your pick of the stories on day three at the EPT Warsaw. A Team PokerStars Pro makes the final table? A former champion on course to win an historic double? A PokerStars "steps" qualifier looking to turn $7.50 into a fortune? All that and more on a third day that is now washed, chopped and dished up; 24 players down to nine, in a little less than five hours.
In terms of excitement there was little to rival the diminutive Dario Minieri, perhaps the most incendiary player in the game today, who within minutes of the start had begun a unprejudiced campaign of carnage towards anyone in his way, sending three players to the rail within the first half an hour.
Dario Minieri: all sweetness and all-out aggression
Yesterday Minieri had done the same, a brash and cheek-filled waltz where he triumphed while others fell. Tomorrow he’ll be armed with 359,000 for what is his third EPT final table. He is chip-leader and an EPT crown would go nicely with the WSOP bracelet earned last summer.
Catch his typically laid back interview with the video blog team before the start of play:
The day started full of expectation, featuring both Minieri and his Team PokerStars Pro team-mate Isabelle Mercier, who was in good form having recently cashed in the £1 Million Showdown event in London. The two were drawn at the same table from the start and, with such colossal momentum on his side, Mercier did well to keep out of the Minieri storm before exiting in 16th place for €10,557.
Isabelle Mercier: 16th place
Two players arrived today with a potential second EPT title still a possibility. Ultimately only one would survive the day, knocking out the other along the way. Yesterday Roland de Wolfe looked most likely to capture a second crown, but as the day progressed the Frenchman Arnaud Mattern slowly overtook the Englishman, eventually busting De Wolfe in 13th place with nines over fives.
In the running for two-time champion: Arnaud Mattern
That completed a spectacular comeback for Mattern, who had been on the ropes earlier in the day and down to just 70,000 at one point. But he will start tomorrow as not only a crowd favourite (everyone loves a record breaker) and perhaps the most notable foe to Minieri.
Not that the final result is a foregone conclusion. Far from it. Also returning is another Frenchman Ludovic Lacay, himself a noted pro with two EPT cashes and the runner-up of the WPT Spanish Championship last year. Joao Barbosa, who is in only his first EPT season, has already cashed three times from four, showing dynamite form.
And once again PokerStars qualifiers have shown that a seat won online is still the easiest way to turn a few dollars into thousands. Both Sergey Shcherbatskiy and Atanas Gueorguiev made it here via the PokerStars route, with Shcherbatskiy in particular on a huge spin up. He entered a steps tournament at level one, costing just $7.50 and is guaranteed at least €21,114 on their way out tomorrow.
That’s for ninth place. Someone will leave Casinos Poland with €367,141 and you can follow the story start to finish here on the PokerStars blog.
Let’s not forget our foreign speaking friends, with excellent adaptations of all the events of the day in Hungarian, Swedish, German and Polish. Last but not least, the video blog team have interviews with those that matter, all available on PokerStars.tv.
One of those many clips features Sergey Shcherbatskiy and fellow Russian Team PokerStars Pro Alex Kravchenko:
5.34pm: Final table set.
In one of the first hands of level 18 a quick-fire all-in finds Uffe Holm and Michael Muheim, two of the short stacks, with their chips in the middle. Muheim shows Ah-9d to Holm's Ts-7s. Despite Holm's pleading for "at least a seven" nothing comes to help the Dane and he exits in tenth place, the last elimination of the day.
5.30pm: Swiss on the ascent
Michael Muheim doubles up with nut flush, up to 70,000.
5.25pm: Down to ten
It’s the end of the road for Eduard Kapitonov and it came on a river card that gave Frenchman Ludovic Lacay a straight. Kapitonov had been ahead when all in holding Ad-9d to Lacay’s Js-4s. But the board 6s-3d-5s-5h-2h saw him off. Just ten players remain.
5.20pm: 150,000+ pot for the Russian
Big pot for the overnight chip leader Sergey Shcherbatskiy and possibly enough to get him back to the top of the leaderboard. Michael Muheim, the PokerStars qualifier from Switzerland, raises from the button and Shcherbatskiy calls in the big blind. The flop comes Ks-4c-2s and Shcherbatskiy checks, which prompts a bet of 20,500 from Muheim. Shcherbatskiy calls. The turn is the Jd and Shcherbatskiy now comes out firing, 25,000 to be precise. Muheim calls. Shcherbatskiy repeats the bet on the 2d river and once again Muheim calls. Shcherbatskiy flips K-10 for flopped top pair and Muheim knocks the table and mucks.
5.10pm: The all important numbers
The latest chip counts are now availabe. You can also find the results so far on our prizes page.
5.05pm: Down to 11
A bet of 15,000 by Brian Jensen called by Arnaud Mattern in the big blind. On the flop Qs-Qd-4h Both checked for a turn card Jd which prompted Mattern to bet 20,000 which Jensen, who was bashed around a little by another Frenchman Ludovic Lacay in the hand earlier, called. The river came 7h and Mattern moved all-in, easily covering Jensen who after a short pause for reflection called, showing aces. Mattern showed Kc-Qc - Jensen leaves in 12th place.
4.51pm: De Wolfe out
There's only one former champion remaining, eliminating the other. Roland de Wolfe is now on the rail thanks to Arnaud Mattern, a straight forward nines against fives, leaving 12 players.
4.50pm: Things change
In the space of two hands Bulgarian Atanas Gueorguiev did his tournament hopes no end of good, first doubling up against Brian Jensen when he caught an ace onthe river to beat Jensen's pocket fives. Then he jetted up to 200,000 from 50,000 by eliminating Moises Parilla, aces over A-T. Down to 13.
4.45pm: Minieri moves
Dario Minieri has been moved and now fills the seat left empty by Martenssen's departure.
4.40pm: Martensson reaches the end
Patric Martensson's day just ended, puching all of his tiny stack in behind A-6 and getting a call from Roland de Wolfe. De Wolfe had A-8 and although the flop gave Martensson some split possibilities with three high cards, the turn and river were both low and De Wolfe's eight played. Down to 14.
4.35pm: Champions clash
On a flop of Ad-Th-5d the two former EPT winners contended a hand. Arnaud Mattern bet 19,000 from the button which Roland de Wolfe called for a turn card 6c. De Wolfe checked to the Frenchman who bet again, this time all-in. Roland passed, Mattern now has around 100,000.
4.25pm: Play is due to resume in level 17 at around 4.30pm local time. A full chip count will be available then, but the two chip leaders, by a comfortable distance, are Dario Minieri and Sergey Shcherbatskiy.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
EPT Warsaw: Level 16 updates
In order to better capture the fast and furious action here, we're reverting to time-stamped, level-by-level commentary.
This post contains the lates action from level 16, with blinds at 2,000-4,000 (400 ante). Latest chip counts are on the chip count page.
4.15pm: Martesson moving in the right direction
Patric Martensson just doubled up through Atanas Gueorguiev, getting it in with the massive 7-3 and hitting a seven to oust the Bulgarian's Q-J. That's the way to play them. That's also the break, and a new level starts in 15 minutes.
4.10pm: Isabelle Mercier busts
One of two Team PokerStars Pros making the money has just bust. Isabelle Mercier had A-2 and flopped a deuce, but Brian Jensen flopped a pair of kings. That was that for Mercier, who takes just more than €10,000 and leaves Dario Minieri flying the flag.
4.02pm: Potential double winner doubles up
Arnaud Matterm just doubled up from Team PokerStars Pro Isabelle Mercier, keeping his slim hopes of the double alive. Even with the added chips the Frenchman still has just 50,000.
3.50pm: The redraw.
Table 17
1. Sergey Shcherbatskiy
2. Eduard Kapitanov
3. Dario Minieri
4. Andrea Benelli
5. Joao Barbosa
6. Uffe Holm
7. Michael Muheim
8. Nico Behling
Table 18
1. Isabelle Mercier
2. Brian Jensen
3. Atanas Gueorguiev
4. Patric Martenssen
5. Moises Parilla
6. Arnaud Mattern
7. Ludovic Lacay
8. Roland de Wolfe
3.40pm: Down to two tables
PokerStars sponsored player Juan Manuel Pastor is the next to go in 17th place. His departure leaves just 16 players who are now redrawing for seats at the remaining two tables.
3.38pm: Puro purged
Mika Puro's day just ended. The PokerStars sponsored player pushed in with Ks-Js and was called by Michael Mulheim with pocket tens. No help on the board for the Finn who departs in 18th.
Ahead of the day, Puro talked to the video blog team and described his realistic expectations for day three:
3.32pm: Behling building And another double up. This time Nico Behling got it in with 7-7 against Mika Puro's A-K. No help this time for the big slick and Behling doubles up to about 100,000.
3.30pm: Stand up for Denmark Uffe Holm just doubled up through Juan Manuel Pastor, flopping an ace and seeing his A-K outdraw the Spaniard's queens. Cue vocal celebrations from Holm, standing on his chair.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
EPT Warsaw: The fate of former champions
A raising war of sorts between Sergey Shcherbatskiy and Frenchman Arnaud Mattern had everyone’s attention for the full ten minutes it took to play. The wait came on a board already dealt and showing 8c-6s-Kc-2-s-Ts. Shcherbatskiy bet 25,000 on the river, a move that sent Mattern into the tank for several painful minutes.
Mattern had the call counted, a tower of reds topped with a single yellow chip, he just couldn’t bring himself to pull the trigger. He checked the clock for the tournament average (115,000) and then asked if Shcherbatskiy would show if he folded. The Russian, a sporting type, agreed and with great difficulty Mattern laid down his hand. Shcherbatskiy showed his pocket queens, meriting a pat on the table from the Frenchman, now down to 70,000.
It’s been a good few minutes for Russian players and bad for former champions. A few moments ago Eduard Kapitonov doubled up through Roland de Wolfe to the tune of about 50,000.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
EPT Warsaw: The Minieri show
Stefan Rotach just became the latest player to be Minieri’d, moving all-in after first Christoffer Egemo raised and Minieri re-raised, making it 21,000 more for the Italian to call. Whilst Egemo folded Minieri thought for a while, expressed the opinion that he couldn’t fold and called instead, showing Qs-4h. Rotach tuned over A-J but must have feared the worst, a nightmare come true when a four hit the flop. Just 20 players remaining.
Team PokerStars Pro Dario Minieri
No wait, 19 - and it’s Dario Minieri again. Christoffer Egemo felt the force this time, all in with A-Q against Minieri’s pocket fours. An ace on the flop. A four as well. Another player gone.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
EPT Warsaw: Big pots, not necessarily big hands
Two big pots on adjacent tables, one going all the way to showdown, the other stopping short. The first featured the notably aggressive Roland de Wolfe being handed a spoonful of his own medicine by Michael Muheim, the PokerStars qualifier from Switzerland.
Muheim raised pre-flop from the cut-off -- a standard three-times the big blind of 3,000 -- and De Wolfe re-raised from the button, making it about 22,000 with a formidable pile of red chips. Muheim moved all in, about 60,000 more. De Wolfe tanked for a long, long time before folding.
All this was playing out as Ludovic Lacay and Uffe Holm were looking at a board of 8c-7d-6d-3c-10h and significant piles of chips were in front of them. Lacay had moved in, Holm was pondering, but ceased pondering and announced a call. Lacay showed K-9c for a straight and Holm mucked.
More bust-outs are coming, and then a chip count. It's speedy stuff so far.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
EPT Warsaw: First of the fallers
Talking of Dario Minieri he’s responsible for the first elimination, seeing off Josh Gould. Minieir had made a typical stealing move on the hand prior and now raised on the button with Gould moving all-in behind him. The Englishman showed pocket fives to Minieri’s K-Q, the king dutifully arrived on the turn.
Following Gould was Irishman Marty Smyth, under calling an all-in from Atanas Gueorguiev and showing A-K to the Bulgarian’s pocket queens. Nothing changed on the flop, turn or river and we were down to 22 - soon to be 21, however, when PokerStars sponsored player Julien Lang Van departed in 22nd place.
Josh Gould
Elsewhere Kevin Macphee is an early all-in pusher, getting no takers. He was keen though, raising on the next hand to 8,500 before Michael Mulheim moved all-in for 25,000 more. Macphee counted and called, turning over his Th-9h to Mulheim’s A-K. Nothing but blanks on the river left Macphee with less than 20,000.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
EPT Warsaw: No such thing as the nuts
Ouch. Ludovic Lacay has just put a huge dampener on Juan Manuel Pastor's afternoon, moving all in pre-flop in what seemed to be a battle of the blinds and was called by Pastor, who had conveniently woken up with aces.
It was looking bleak for Lacay, who meekly tabled 8-2o, and he was massively odds on to be our 24th placed finisher. But a two on the flop and another on the turn had the Frenchman chuckling and the Spaniard cursing and Lacay doubling up to the 150,000-odd mark.
Play on the final is underway. We're in level 23 with blinds at 10,000-20,000 (2,000 ante). 
