Poker tournament seat draws often throw up interesting little quirks. For example, yesterday the 2019 WSOP Main Event winner and runner-up — Hossein Ensan and Dario Sammartino — were seated at the same table.
Today it's the turn of the reigning WSOP Main Event champion Espen Jorstad, and his Tag Team bracelet-winning partner Patrick Leonard to be sat at the same table. PokerNews sat in on an orbit to see if the two would tangle or leave each other alone.
Hand #1: On the very first hand, Espen Jorstad raised from the cutoff to 1,200 and it folded to Patrick Leonard in the big blind who folded.
Hand #2: It folded around to Leonard in the small blind who limped blind on blind against Timo Kamphues who raised to 1,800. Leonard called and the pair checked the flop and turn.
Leonard bet 1,000 on the river and Kamphues folded.
Hand #3: Both Jorstad and Leonard folded.
Hand #4: Jorstad and Leonard both folded.
Patrick Leonard
Hand #5: Jorstad folded from under the gun and Leonard folded the hijack.
Hand #6: Rehman Kassam raised to 1,000 and Patrick Leonard three-bet to 3,200. Kassam called.
Kassam check-called 4,200 on the flop and the pair checked the turn. The river was the and Kassam bet 16,000. Leonard folded.
Hand #7: Leonard folded and Jorstad didn't defend his small blind.
Hand #8: Leonard folded from under the gun, with Espen Jorstad raising to 1,100 from the button. Kassam defended his big blind. The pair checked the flop and Kassam check-folded to a bet of 1,000 on the turn.
Peter Jaksland opened to 1,300 from under the gun and Sylvain Loosli three-bet to 3,500 from the next seat over. Jeremy Routier then cold four-bet jammed from the cutoff, leading Jaksland to fold.
Loosli gave an unhappy shrug and called off with his stack of around 19,000.
Sylvain Loosli:
Jeremy Routier:
Loosli had run into aces and received no help as the board ran out to mark the Frenchman's elimination.
There was a rollercoaster runout for the ages at Table 32 after Mats Ullereng got his stack of 40,900 in from the small blind against Wayne Heung on the button, who had him covered.
Mats Ullereng:
Wayne Heung:
The preflop cooler became a real sweat when the flop landed to give Heung a flush draw. Ullereng let out a sigh as the peeled off on the turn to give his opponent the lead with a flush but also leaving him hope with a set.
The whole table was left silent when the dealer then peeled off the on the river to give Ullereng a full house to double up. Heung, who looked defeated after likely experiencing a variety of motions throughout the hand, was left short and was eliminated a few hands later.
The PokerStars European Poker Tour London at the fantastic Hilton Park Lane has been a roaring success so far. Several players have picked up some huge scores, such as Henrik Hecklen, who took down the £50,000 Super High Roller earlier today for £652,700.
While that event wrapped up earlier on, the £5,300 EPT London Main Event is still in full swing, with Day 1b currently playing out.
Parker Talbot was loudly celebrating a double-up, and explained to PokerNews that he'd hit a one-outer.
After Lawrence Bayley raised to 2,400 from the small blind, Talbot had three-bet all in for 17,500 from the big blind. Bayley called with against the of Talbot.
A queen on the flop gave Bayley a pair, but a on the river saw Talbot stay alive. According to tablemate Ambreen Mirza, she had folded the last two meaning that Talbot had hit a one-outer to stay alive.
"Make sure you put it in that the play was terrible," said Bayley light-heartedly.
Another player at the table was Dominik Nitsche.
"Make sure you also include that I agree with Parker [Talbot] that the play was terrible," added Nitsche, and the table laughed.
Jeffrey Reardon raised to 2,200 and got calls from Orpen Kisacikoglu and Alejandro Lococo.
Lococo checked out of the blinds as the flop came and the other two players also both checked. The turn was the and Lococo check-called 2,600 from Reardon, with Kisacikoglu folding.
The river was the and Lococo immediately shoved for around 6,000. Reardon snap-called.
Lococo showed for trip kings, but was outkicked by Reardon's and was eliminated.
The Day 3 finale of the £50,000 EPT London Super High Roller at the PokerStars European Poker Tour London has come to an end, with Henrik Hecklen walking away with the EPT trophy and the £652,700 first-place prize.
Parker Talbot was in position in a heads-up pot against Ambreen Mirza on a flop of .
Mirza checked on the flop and Talbot bet 1,700. Mirza check-raised to 6,500 and Talbot called. Mirza sized up to 11,000 on the turn and Talbot again called.
The river brought the and Mirza checked. Talbot bet out most of his stack to leave himself with just 400 and Mirza called. Talbot tabled for missed clubs and Mirza showed to win the pot with two pair.
"A chip and a chair, right? How about four chips and a chair?" said Talbot, who had been saved from elimination in the previous level by hitting a one-outer.
Talbot managed to triple up the next hand after getting it in with pocket tens and then got it in in a heads-up pot against Dominik Nitsche.
Parker Talbot:
Dominik Nitsche:
Talbot couldn't be saved as the board ran out to mark the Team PokerStars Pro's elimination late in the day.
Hossein Ensan told PokerNews how he had been eliminated from the EPT London Main Event despite having flopped a set.
Florian Duta raised and called a shove from Ensan for his last 28,000.
Hossein Ensan:
Florian Duta:
The flop gave Ensan a set, but the turn improved his opponent to a straight. Ensan needed the board to pair but the river bricked and he was eliminated.