LIVE FROM GOLDEN SANDS

Short stacked now the blinds are 5k/10k, Marko Harjak was the latest to bust.  Preflop was quite dramatic, with Bakens raising, Dan Murariu just pushing forward a stack of purples so big it pretty much covered the table, and then Harjak taking the plunge.  It took Bakens an age to fold (he said it was Ace Queen thereafter) and they were on their backs:

Murariu: 
Harjak:

His friends shouted, “Markoooooo,” as he picked up a heart draw on the turn: , but the river bricked the and the two tables are unbalanced in numbers once again.

Dan Murariu – 740,000
Lukasz Wasek – 120,000
Nicolas Dervaux – 140,000
Pedro Fanzares – 235,000
Amin Asikainen – 155,000
Marko Harjak – 135,000
Alexandr Shaarov – 105,000
Twan Bakens – 160,000

Lukasz Wasek (pictured) dropped to just 35k after raise-folding for 27k, but then straight away picked up in the small blind, doubling through preflop raiser Dan Murariu to around 70k.

The very next hand he shipped it in on the button with , and Pedro Fanzares made the call with no less than .  However, the on the flop brought a roared, “YES!” from Wasek and much hilarity amongst his railbirds who are delighted and find the whole thing most amusing.

A huge pot for chip leader Dan Murariu now – he’d raised to 50k over a 19k standard Daniel Pena (pictured) preflop raise, and this time Pena moved in after a few moments’ thought.  Murariu snapcalled with and found Pena holding .

The board ran out meaning that a shocked – but very polite – Pena had to wish the table good luck and head out the door.

This makes Murariu MONSTER leader with 740,000!

At least Jussi Nevanlinna made the next pay jump – €4,876, before moving his now short stack in preflop with , only to find Twan Bakens behind him with to bust him.

Joeri Scheerhoorn open-shoved preflop but found Simeon Naydenov calling from the blinds, Scheerhoorn was forced to show a paltry, but live, however Naydenov flipped and held on through a board.

That leaves 18 players and two tables.

Thomas Svengaard was next to bust, he called all-in after Yuliyan Kolev set both the shorter stacks from button. The small blind folded but Svengaard called with against Kolev’s , but the hand was over on the flop after the board came .

19 left, one more and we break another table.

End of the line for the talented youngster Josef Samanek, he had pushed preflop with from the button and found Lasse Nielsen calling with in the big blind, a good spot for a double no doubt but the board ran out to put on the rail in 21st place.

But a chop is what saved him… threebet fan Christoffer Hansen did it again over the top of Pena, and then called when he moved in – and he was in great shape with vs. Pena’s .  But the board ran out .  Hansen was about to offer his hand in bustout friendliness, but then realised that he wasn’t going to be 150k better off after all.

Battle of the monster hands preflop: Josef Samanek raised to 14k, and found button Daniel Pena reraising to 34k.  Very slowly, Samanek stared at his opponent (he’s not a rusher, Samanek) and finally moved in.  He was snap called, and the cards were on their backs:

Pena:
Samanek

Straight away on the flop, though, the !  The rest of the board changed nothing , and Samanek could only watch 145k of his chips go to Pena (he still has 140k left though).

Mosjin el Yakoubi just won a crucial 120,000 chip flip for his tournament life against Joeri Scheerhoorn when the former’s held firm against the of the Dutchman. This left the feature table looking as follows:

Seat 1: Bjaerke Hansen – 170,000
Seat 3: Marko Harjak – 112,000
Seat 4: Joeri Scheerhoorn – 88,000
Seat 5: Yuliyan Kolev – 332,000
Seat 6: Mosjin el Yakoubi – 120,000
Seat 7: Thomas Svengaard – 26,000
Seat 9: Simeon Naydenov – 345,000

Christoffer Hansen continues to go for the title of playing most hands ever, he opened to 12,500 and Juuso Leppanen repopped it to 30,500 but Hansen then 4-bet it to 61,500 and Leppanen folded quickly.

Hansen showed as a bluff, but it might well have been ahead…

Next hand and Hansen opened to 12,500 and Daniel Todorov was forced to call all-in from the big blind with against Hansen’s . Something for everyone on the as Todorov went ahead but was behind still % wise. The turn swung it back for Hansen and the river made both straights but the Dane’s was higher to eliminate Todorov.

Nicolas Dervaux’s all-in-preflop Fours held up (in full house fashion) vs. the which Bakens gave him a spin with, but he’s still very short.

Also near desperate is the bright-yellow-clad Lukasz Wasek, who doubled with pocket Sevens a moment ago but is still just on 42k.

Actually living in the penthouse of Desperate is Daniel Todorov, with just 21k.

Jeffy Pussinen – 240,000
Josef Samanek – 320,000
Eero Laivonen – 135,000
Daniel Todorov – 21,000
Lasse Nielsen – 130,000
Daniel Pena – 122,000
Christoffer Egemo – 325,000

Dan Murariu – 530,000
Lukasz Wasek – 42,000
Nicolas Dervaux – 85,000
Pedro Fanzeres – 150,000
Amin Asikainen – 88,000
Jussi Nevanlinna – 130,000
Twan Bakens – 160,000

Fotilas Aristotelis has been knocked out by Yuliyan Kolev, a nasty case of running into with the board coming to finish him off.

Robert Hansen is out after he pushed with and found Dan Murariu giving him a spin with . After a flop of it was looking like a split for sure until the turn and river unbelievably meant that Murariu’s six kicker played and Hansen was somehow out.

Charilaos Oustabasidis was next to fall, pushing against Lasse Nielsen’s and coming over second best on a board.

Incidentally, Dan Murariu is still massive chip leader with with 530,000.