World Series of Poker Europe Event 2 -- Day 2Five Players Remain in Event No. 2 After Tension-Fuelled Day at Felt |
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Day 2 of event No. 2, the World Series of Poker Europe’s £2,500 pot-limit hold’em/pot-limit Omaha tournament, saw the field struggle to find a winner with so many big names and skilled professionals still remaining.
The general consensus was that play would continue until a champion was crowned instead of having a final table today, in order for those who wished to play event No. 3 to make it in time. However, the attempt fell short of the finish line, and five of the final-table players will return today at 2 p.m. (GMT + 1) to complete what they started.
The first player to go from the 22 who started the day was John Kabbaj [pictured right]. In an early round of Omaha, on a board of J
10
2, Erik Cajelais bet 9,000. Kabbaj raised it up to 36,000, and Cajelais moved all in. Kabbaj made the call and flipped over Q
9 8 6, while Cajelais revealed A
J 10 9. The turn fell the Q, and the river the K, and although both players had straights, Cajelais had the nut straight and the rail got its first visitor. Cajelais was on just under 150,000 in chips after the hand.
Not long after this, Jared Bleznick followed Kabbaj out in 21st place, and Dario Alioto left in 20th. Only 18 players would get paid, therefore players were now anticipating the relief of that good old bubble pop.
At this point, Mats Gavatin [pictured left] chipped up when his set of eights beat Allie Prescott’s set of threes, and just as he was stacking his chips, he got involved in the very next hand, which turned out to be crucial. Gavatin raised from the cutoff, and Karelas Konstantinos moved all in from the button. It was folded back to Gavatin, who then moved all in also and showed J 9. Konstantinos had pocket fives, which held up all the way down to the river, which, unfortunately for him, was the J.
Sampo Lopponen was the first elimination in the money, and he left at the hands of Ian Frazer. All in preflop, Frazer held pocket eights and Lopponen was just a little behind, but behind all the same, with pocket sevens. Frazer won with a house, eights full, and Lopponen left the tournament in 18th place with £5,660.
Vitaly Lunkin followed Lopponen to the rail in 17th place for £5,660, and Men “The Master” Nguyen ensured that Brian Johnson was next. All in preflop, Johnson held Q J, and Nguyen, pocket nines. The board fell Q 10 10, putting Johnson out in front. The turn was the 6, also giving Johnson a flush draw, but the nasty 9 came down on the river and put Johnson out of the tournament in 16th place for £5,660.
Harri Suni was the next elimination. He left during a hold’em round in 15th place, and received £6,521 for his efforts. The short-stacked Frenchman Tristan Clemencon was then put out of his misery by Ian Frazer, and he hit the rail in 14th place for £6,521.
All of a sudden there was an explosion of poker on one of the tables during a round of Omaha when Allie Prescott raised from the cutoff, and got two callers — Michel Abecassis on the button and Mats Gavatin in the small blind. The flop was dealt K J 8, and each player moved all in. Gavatin showed A 4 Q 3 for the nut-flush draw; Prescott turned over K 10 Q 8 for two pair and an inside-straight draw; and Abecassis had a pair of jacks but was also drawing with Q J 10 9. The turn was the 9, giving Gavatin his flush, and the river bricked out, the 4. With that, Gavatin knocked out two players, but since Abecassis had more chips than Prescott going into the pot, Prescott finished in 13th place for £6,521, and Abecassis got £7,643 for 12th.
Dino Brivati was next to leave in 11th place (£7,643), and Nikolay Evdakov followed suit in 10th place (£7,643).
Howard Lederer Eliminated in Ninth Place (£9,117)
Gavatin then got going again in a round of hold’em. He raised the pot from the cutoff and Howard Lederer [pictured right] repotted it from the small blind. Gavatin then rereraised enough to put Lederer all in, and Lederer made the call. Gavatin showed A K, while Lederer held pocket threes and they were off to the races: A 6 6 A A. Gavatin chipped on up to over 400,000 while Lederer hit the rail in ninth place, £9,117 richer.
Ian Frazer Eliminated in Eighth Place (£11,732)
Another big name was then put out of the event at the hands of Richard Gryko. In hold’em, Gryko raised the blinds to 17,500 from the button, and Ian Frazer reraised the pot. Gryko reraised enough to put Frazer all in and Frazer called. Gryko revealed A 6 and Frazer held K Q.
J 10 6 were the first cards to fall, pairing Gryko’s 6 but giving Frazer an open-ended straight draw. The turn was the 4 and the river was the 7, meaning a pair of sixes was enough for Gryko to take it down and put Frazer out. He hit the rail in eighth place for £11,732.
Hoyt Corkins Eliminated in Seventh Place (£15,302)
Hoyt Corkins was another victim of Gryko. In hold’em once again, Gryko opened with a raise to 13,500 from early position, and it was only Corkins in the big blind who made the call, with just 4,500 left behind. The flop was dealt A 5 3, and Corkins checked to Gryko who then bet 4,000. Corkins threw all his chips in and Gryko called the extra 500. Corkins showed J 6 and Gryko showed K J. The turn fell the J, and the river, the 10, and it was all over for “The Alabama Cowboy”. Corkins received £15,302 for his seventh-place finish.
Chris Bjorin Eliminated in Sixth Place (£20,106)
With a raised pot preflop, everyone apart from Robin Keston saw a flop of K 9 2. Chris Bjorin [pictured left] in the big blind then bet the pot which was at this stage 52,000. It was folded to Richard Gryko who raised it up and Bjorin then called all in for his remaining 15,000.
Gryko flipped over Q Q K 2 for two pair, kings and deuces, while Bjorin held J 10 9 7 for the inside straight draw and the flush draw. The turn was the 6 and the river was the K giving Gryko a full house, deuces full of kings. Bjorin left the tournament in sixth place and saw a payday of £20,106.
With Bjorin’s departure, the players and tournament staff decided to play out the rest of the event the following day – which is today – at 2 p.m. (GMT + 1).
The five remaining players of the final table and their chip counts are:
Men Nguyen — 268,000
Mats Gavatin — 448,000
Robin Keston — 63,000
Richard Gryko — 329,000
Erik Cajelais — 81,000
The highly anticipated three-day £5,000 pot-limit Omaha event (WSOPE event No.3) will also be kicking off today, and recaps of this will follow.
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