Players continue to hit the rail here in the EPT Malta €25,000 High Roller. Two of them — Thomas Muehloecker and Bryn Kenney — have opted to reenter, while Jean-Noel Thorel has busted for a second time, meaning he is out of reentries (remember, it's max one reentry in this tournament).
In the tournament room downstairs two worlds have collided. On one side of the rail the high rollers, all relaxed and enjoying themselves. On the other, the tense, suspicious world of the satellite, where survival is key and only a few will survive. But is there a way to convince your opponents that one of them will be you? The PokerStars Blog reports.
Ami Barer opened for a standard raise from the cutoff and was met by a three-bet to 6,100 from Ole Schemion on the button. The blinds both folded, and then Barer four-bet ripped for roughly 30,000. Schemion made the call and it was off to the races.
Schemion:
Barer:
The flop contained nothing for Barer, and neither did the turn. Barer needed either an ace or king on the river to double, but instead the blanked.
Barer was eliminated in the hand, while Schemion went on to lose 18,000 or so to Mustapha Kanit in the very next one.
Oleksii Khoroshenin has surged clear at the top of the counts after he got almost full value out of a full house in a hand versus Ihar Soika.
The latter raised to 2,700 from under the gun and called after the EPT Vienna champion three-bet to 7,200 from the cutoff. The flop fanned and Soika check-called a 9,000 c-bet. He did the same when Khoroshenin bet 17,000 on the turn and then faced a big 53,000 bet on the river when he checked again.
Soika made the call and then stared at the board for 30 seconds after Khoroshenin opened . Eventually he released his hand and paid off the clear chip leader.
Action folded to Agshin Rasulov in the small blind and he raised to 3,500. Jeff Rossiter then three-bet to 9,500 from the big, Rasulov called, and the two took a flop of . Rasulov checked, Rossiter bet 9,000, and the man from Azerbaijan released his hand.
It wasn't much of a hand, but as you can see Rossiter has been on an upward trajectory here late on Day 1.
Igor Kurganov recently busted his second bullet, which means his EPT Malta €25,000 High Roller has officially come to an end.
His final hand came when he got the last of his chips all in on a flop against fellow German Andreas Eiler.
Eiler:
Kurganov:
Kurganov went with his gutshot straight draw, which he needed to hit to overcome Eiler's queens. The turn paired Kurganov, but it wasn't quite enough. The river was of no consequences, and Kurganov failed to make it to Day 2.
"Enjoy everyone," Kurganov offered before heading to the exit.
David Peters has a six-figure stack after busting Mikita Badziakouski.
The latter raised to 4,200 from under the gun and was called in one spot before David Peters raised to 10,000 from the big blind. Badziakouski tanked for while before shoving for around 35,000. The third party folded but Peters made the call.
Dan Smith made an animated uncertain tank-fold on the river in a hand versus Andreas Eiler and then immediately spilt a whole glass of red win over his side table that contained his phone and extra battery charger. What's worse?
Smith had check-called 7,000 on a flop before both players checked the turn. Smith led for 5,000 on the river and faced a raise up to 45,000.
"Really don't believe you!" said Smith in the middle of a very agitated tank. He believed enough to fold though.
![[user153638]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
flop contained nothing for Barer, and neither did the 
turn. Barer needed either an ace or king on the river to double, but instead the 
blanked.
and Soika check-called a 9,000 c-bet. He did the same when Khoroshenin bet 17,000 on the 
turn and then faced a big 53,000 bet on the 
. Eventually he released his hand and paid off the clear chip leader.
. Rasulov checked, Rossiter bet 9,000, and the man from Azerbaijan released his hand.
turn paired Kurganov, but it wasn't quite enough. The 
river was of no consequences, and Kurganov failed to make it to Day 2.
flop before both players checked the 
turn. Smith led for 5,000 on the 
river and faced a raise up to 45,000.
