Right before, of actually most of it in, the break. Aliaksei Boika and Sergey Sergeev got involved in a huge hand. There was already a huge amount of chips in the middle when Boika slid out an 180,000-bet on the river.
The board was very draw heavy and Sergeev reckoned that when he was thinking about his river decision.
"Eight, nine, ten, jack. Do you have a straight or a flush?", asked Sergeev to his neighbor on the right.
Boika wasn't replying and Sergeev looked like he didn't knew what to do. He tanked for another couple of minutes before asking the floor staff over.
The Russian wanted to ask a question but he wanted to do that in private. So he and the floor man stepped away from the table chatted for a few seconds and then came back.
Sergeev thought about it for another four minutes or so before he folded.
The players wrapped up level 19 and are now on a 20-minute break. We lost five players in this first 90-minute level of the day. Today's play will finish after level 23 or when there are only 16 players remaining. There will be a redraw after the next bust out.
Update: the break will be a bit longer, as a massive pot is brewing over at table 4. To give all the players a long enough break, the clock has been paused while the hand plays out.
Frederik Jensen opened from the small blind to 33,000. Sarah Herzali three-bet to 97,000 from the big blind. Jensen, a former EPT winner, four-bet shoved for 544,000. It was for nearly Herzali's entire stack, who had 557,000 total.
Herzali seized up her opponent, but Jensen sat stoically in his seat. If Herzali called, it would be the biggest pot of the tournament so far. After spending two minutes in the tank, she decided to go for it, but was aghast when the hands were flipped open.
Frederik Jensen:
Sarah Herzali:
"What a cooler," remarked Jensen, whose ace-king held up on a board. The massive double launched Jensen to the chiplead and left Herzali with just one big blind behind.
Sergey Sergeev and Dominik Panka got it all in on a board. It was Sergeev who was at risked with his last 265,000 in the middle. Panka did cover him but only slightly.
Sergeev tabled for trip three's and he crushed Panka's . The Russian needed to dodge an ace on the river to score a huge double up.
The river was the and while Sergeev was stacking his chips, Panka was left with only a few big blinds.
"I raise without the nuts", said Panka. "That was not the best idea, my mom told me, I can fold", he continued. Not following his mothers advice can be costly as he is now serverely short-stacked.
Preflop, Davidi Kitai raised to 25,000. On his immediate left, Dmitry Yurasov made it 75,000 to go. It was folded back to Kitai and the Belgian triple crown winner made the call.
The flop came down and Kitai check-called an 80,000-bet from Yurasov. The turn was the and both players checked.
The fell on the river and this time, the EPT8 Berlin champion was the one to bet. Kitai slid out a bet of 80,000 and Yurasov tanked about two minutes before making the call.
Kitai tabled for a missed gut shot draw and Yurasov made a big call with for third pair.
At the feature table, Tomas Macnamara and Benjamin Pollak got involved in a raising war. Macnamara opened from the cutoff, Pollak three-bet to 67,000 from the big blind and Macnamara four-bet to 137,000.
Pollak spent minutes thinking, then cut out a five-bet to 212,000. That was too much for Macnamara, and he folded.
Peter Ockenden kept riding the wave and just eliminated another player from the tournament. It was Usman Siddique who fell to Ockenden, bringing the field down to 25 players.
Ockenden had opened from late position and Usman Siddique defended his big blind. Both players checked the on the flop. On the turn, Siddique led out 28,000. Ockenden simply moved all in, putting the Brit to a decision for his remaining stack of 72,000.
Siddique spent nearly three minutes thinking, then put the rest of his stack in the middle.
Peter Ockenden:
Usman Siddique:
Siddique had turned top two pair, but was left drawing to just four outs against Ockenden's jack-high straight. The river didn't help Siddique and he was eliminated.
After being involved in Armin Mette's triple up moments ago, Guillaume Valle was left short-stacked. A couple of hands later, he shoved his stack to the middle after Peter Ockenden opened to 24,000. Valle's all in was for around 150,000 and Ockenden called immediately.
Peter Ockenden:
Guillaume Valle:
"I'm not very good with these", said Ockenden. Referring to the previous hand where he got it in good but fell short to bust Mette.
He was ahead again. The flop didn't change anything. However, the on the turn provided some chop outs.
"Would you like to split", Ockenden asked and Valle slightly smiled as a reply.
The river wasn't any good for the Frenchman with the and his EPT Malta Main Event ended here.
board was very draw heavy and Sergeev reckoned that when he was thinking about his river decision. 
board. It was Sergeev who was at risked with his last 265,000 in the middle. Panka did cover him but only slightly. 
and while Sergeev was stacking his chips, Panka was left with only a few big blinds.
and Kitai check-called an 80,000-bet from Yurasov. The turn was the 
and both players checked. 
for a missed gut shot draw and Yurasov made a big call with 
for third pair.
on the flop. On the 
didn't help Siddique and he was eliminated.
flop didn't change anything. However, the 
on the turn provided some chop outs. 
and his EPT Malta Main Event ended here.