Day 13 at the 38th
World Series of Poker saw three final tables and two Europeans in contention for one bracelet.
Young Danish pretender Lars Bonding entered the final table of the $2,500 no-limit hold'em tournament (event 19) as chip leader on $882,000 in chips and serial
Series casher Bertrand Grospellier was still in with a fighting chance on $416,000 in chips.
However, before the players had barely settled into their seats, Grospellier was eliminated in ninth place for $29,124.
It was the fifth French cash of the series so far - more than the entire number of French cashes in last year's
Series, which indicates both the appetite and the strength of the Gallic game.
Bonding's quest for a shiny
WSOP bracelet was irrevocably tarnished with a sixth-place finish when his push with K
Q
couldn't advance from a flopped flush draw and he hit the cage to pick up his $74,554 winnings.
There was no European interest at the final tables of events 20 and 21, the $2,000 seven-card stud eight-or-better and the $1,500 no-limit hold'em tournaments.
The opposite was the case in the highly anticipated $5,000 no-limit hold'em game (event 22), for which a large turnout of 640, up slightly from last year, included a strong European field.
Among others, Ben Roberts, Chris Bjorin, David "Devilfish" Ulliott, Katja Thater, Erik Van Der Burg, Ross Boatman, Noah Boeken, Harry Demetriou, Thomas Wahlroos, Roland De Wolfe, David Benyamine, Max Pescatori, Jan Von Halle , Patrik Antonius, and Jeff Lisandro anted up for a tilt at the $730,740 first prize.
By the end of the day, 85 had fallen, including a swath of Europe's best, but those remaining were putting on great shows - from the brave to the lucky to the masterly.
Gracz led the charge, up among the top 10 chip leaders. Boatman, Benyamine, and Roberts were well positioned to play their natural game on day two, and Pescatori and Demetriou had plenty of room to wriggle.
Several other Euro players are struggling, but day two is sure to see plenty of explosive action and don't bet against a European or two at the final table.
Three events take place on Thursday, June14. As well as the $5,000 no-limit hold'em, which will play down to a likely mouth-watering final table, the $1,500 pot-limit Omaha will certainly see a healthy European challenge and the $3,000 seven-card stud eight-or-better may just throw up some surprises.
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