Volodymyr Yastreb opened to 500 from the button and Gerald Karlic three-bet to 1,500 from the small blind, which Yastreb called. On the flop , Karlic led for 1,700 and called a raise to 5,100 by his sole opponent. On the turn, Karlic checked and called a bet worth 10,500 before the completed the board.
Karlic checked and Yastreb moved all in for 22,225, which was more than what Karlic had left behind. The Austrian eventually called and tried to muck his cards when Yastreb showed for trips queens. The dealer obliged and revealed Karlic's while the Austrian immediately rushed out of the tournament area.
Speaking of perennial bridesmaids, Team PokerStars Pro Luca Pagano has never been a bride.
In fact, he's made an outstanding seven EPT final table appearances without ever having won one.
Don't feel too bad for Pagano, however. He has parlayed all that success and notoriety into loads more, with a career as an entrepreneur, investor, TV commentator and reality show personality in Italy.
It's his company, Pagano Events, that partners with PokerStars to run the the EPT Malta festival and by all accounts it has been a rousing success.
It appears things are going great for the always affable Team Pro and with a raise and take it moments ago here early in the High Roller, they could be on the way getting even better.
On the river of a board, Raoul Refos checked into a pot of around 5,000 chips and his opponent Justin Bonomo checked behind. Refos flipped over for trips jacks and claimed the pot. Both players are among the latest list of entrants that also includes the likes of Charlie Carrel, Thomas Muehloecker, Dominik Nitsche and Elliot Smith.
Arriving on the river of a rather innocent board and around 5,000 in the pot, Ezequiel Kleinman checked out of the big blind. Byron Kaverman bet 3,800 and Kleinman then check-raised big to 15,000. Kaverman didn't snap-call but did make the call to get shown for a bluff.
Kaverman's for a straight won the pot and he bumped up his stack.
Well, almost everybody. On the turn, Michael Wang checked in the small blind and Anthony Zinno made it 2,000 to go. Wang check-raised to 5,250 and Zinno called before Wang fired 9,300 on the river. Zinno snap-called with the and Wang showed for an equally strong straight.
Team PokerStars Pro Theo Jorgensen is another of the late registrants here in the High Roller to just take his seat.
As soon as he did, fellow Team PokerStars Pro Johnny Lodden came over on a break from the Main Event. Johnny's making yet a little short over on the other side of the room and the needling began straight away.
"How can somebody come so close, so many times and always disappoint," Theo said. "We all want him to win it so badly, but he just never does."
Lodden truly is the league leader in heartbreak here on the EPT.
While he's cashed 21 times in 10 straight seasons on the tour for €1,267,562, he's made an astonishing 10 top 20 finishes, and three final tables without ever winning one.
David "MissOracle" Yan has a double stack. According to the Online grinder, there was an open raise to 600 and two callers before Yan three-bet to 2,900 from the small blind. All three opponents called and the flop brought . Yan fired 5,200 and got called by one opponent before making it 11,050 on the turn. Again the opponent called and a blank river resulted in the all in of "MissOracle" with pocket kings.
His opponent called with pocket eights for the inferior stack and shipped over the chips to Yan.
After her bustout in level one, Lily Kiletto has bought in again and the field size since shows 77 entrants. The 100 mark will most likely be cracked today and registration and single re-entry option remains available until 12:15 tomorrow.