2025 PokerStars EPT Barcelona
Ran Shahar had opened from the button and then called the shove of Alessandro Pichierri, who moved all in from the small blind for around 45,000.
Alessandro Pichierri: A♦J♠
Ran Shahar: 6♠6♣
Pichierri had to win a flip to stay alive, but found no help on the 4♥Q♠8♣ flop. A 6♦ on the turn sealed Pichierri's fate as he was drawing dead, with the meaningless K♠ filling out the board on the river.
Simeon Naydenov got his stack of around 80,000 into the middle from the button, with Juan Vecino trying to bust him out of the hijack.
Simeon Naydenov: A♣A♠
Juan Vecino: 6♣6♦
Vecino needed to come from way behind to crack the aces of Naydenov and send him home earlier than he would have liked.
The J♠5♦7♦K♣5♣ runout was produced by the dealer, providing no sweat for Naydenov's bullets and he earned the double-up at the expense of Vecino.
Igor Pihela Jr., on the button, was all in and at risk for a bit more than 200,000 against Tim van de Riet, who had a bigger stack in the big blind.
Igor Pihela Jr.: A♥K♦
Tim van de Riet: K♥K♠
Van de Riet, with kings, kept the lead all the way through the board of 3♦9♠9♥6♥7♦ to eliminate Pihela and reach 455,000.
With 45,000 in the middle on a completed board of Q♥5♣5♥6♦J♠, Julien Sitbon was deep in the tank facing a shove for 50,000 from Vidur Sethi.
Sitbon, who was seated in middle position, began staring at his neighbor in the hijack, trying to get a read. After thinking for a long time, Sitbon put in the call.
Sethi turned over the nut full house with Q♣Q♠, and Sitbon was forced to reveal that he had hero-called with 6♠4♠ for just a pair of sixes.
The action was picked up on a board of J♦A♦9♣K♦A♣ after Dominik Panka in middle position bet 22,000 and was raised to 65,000 by Nolan Madene in the big blind.
It took a few seconds for Panka to calmly call with A♠J♠ for a full house. Madene had A♥7♣ and seemed to replay the hand in his mind while Panka was scooping the pot.
Gonzalo Mencia opened to 6,000 in the cutoff, and Xiao Cheng three-bet to 10,500 in the big blind. Mencia called.
Cheng sized down to 3,500 on the 10♦9♠2♠ flop and Mencia called. Cheng then bet 7,000 on the 7♦ turn, and Mencia again called.
Cheng checked on the 6♥ river, and Mencia checked back. Cheng could only show king-high with K♥5♥ as Mencia showed Q♣9♣ to win the pot with a pair of nines.
A huge pot was brewing between Tero Laurila and Chongxian Yang.
The action was picked up with Yang having 48,000 laid out in front of him from the cutoff. It was back on Laurila, who had moved all in for 184,500 from middle position, and after rechecking his cards, Yang called.
Tero Laurila: A♥K♥
Chongxian Yang: K♠K♦
Yang had a chance to become one of the chip leaders, and would be if the board ran clean. Instead of moving up the counts, it seemed likely that Yang would plummet as the 4♠5♥A♣ flop gave Laurila a pair of aces.
A 2♣ on the turn did bring around some chop outs as any three would put a straight on board, but the 5♦ river changed nothing, and Laurila scored the big double-up.
Heads-up on a flop of 2♥10♣Q♣, Kalidou Sow in middle position bet 6,000 and was called by Aleksejs Ponakovs in the big blind.
Both players checked the 3♦ turn, leading to the J♦ river, where Ponakovs took the lead.
Sow raised to 24,500 and Ponakovs snap-called, only to discover that Sow hit a straight on the river with A♦K♥.