2013 PokerStars.fr EPT Deauville Main Event Day 3: Shahaf Hadaya Leads The Way
Day 3 of the PokerStars.fr European Poker Tour Deauville Main Event wrapped up on Wednesday after five 90-minute levels were completed inside the Casino Barriere on Wednesday. At the start of play there were 154 players in the field, but by the time the curtain came down on the day’s proceedings, just 51 remained. The title of overnight chip leader went to Shahaf Hadaya, who ended the day with 1,237,000 in chips.
Day 3 Top 10 Chip Counts
| Position | Name | Chips |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shahaf Hadaya | 1,237,000 |
| 2 | Matthieu Herve | 1,050,000 |
| 3 | Sam Grafton | 985,000 |
| 4 | James Mitchell | 983,000 |
| 5 | Aurelien Guiglini | 942,000 |
| 6 | James Bills | 877,000 |
| 7 | Hugo Pingray | 768,000 |
| 8 | Jeff Hakim | 714,000 |
| 9 | Cyril Andre | 669,000 |
| 10 | [Removed:4] | 643,000 |
With the top 120 places being paid in this event there were 34 players who exited the tournament on Wednesday without any money. Some of those who fell before the money bubble burst included Ana Marquez, Steve O’Dwyer, Dermot Blain and Team PokerStars Pro Vanessa Rousso.
The bubble burst as the players headed out for refreshments at the very end of Level 16, and it was Said Basri who finished in 121st place. Basri’s final hand saw Christophe Lesage open to 8,000 preflop, David Susigan called and Basri tossed in his last 10,500 into the pot. Yury Gulyy called, then both Lesage and Susigan called the under-raise. The active players checked down the 8♦J♦2♣7♦A♣ board, and it was Susigan’s A♠5♠ being the hand responsible for sending Basri to the rail.
Basri’s demise meant everyone else had locked up a payday of at least €8,000. Marion Nedellec was the first player to head to the cash desk. Team PokerStars Pro Sandra Naujoks was not too far behind her, and fellow Team Pro Matthias De Meulder managed to climb the pay ladder slightly — his 75th-place finish was worth €9,700.
The overnight chip leader will sleep easy After Wednesday's play knowing he is on course for his largest career cash. Hadaya, an Israeli national, has a handful of live tournament cashes, with the largest topping the scales at $30,920. Currently, he is guaranteed to leave Deauville with at least €13,500 ($18,250) for his efforts, but if he manages to navigate his way through tomorrow’s Day 4, then he will secure a prize worth €23,000 ($31,100). There is, of course, the not-so-small matter of a €770,000 ($1,041,325) prize awaiting our eventual champion.
Starting Day 4 within touching distance of Hadaya are the likes of Matthieu Herve (1,050,000 chips), British duo Sam Grafton (985,000) and James Mitchell (983,000), and our sole Australian representative James Bills (877,000). Other players to look out for on Friday include Jeff Hakim (714,000), Mathew Frankland (606,000), Gordon Huntly (387,000), Jason Koon (386,000), Kristijonas Andrulis (365,000) and our last two remaining former EPT champions Salvatore Bonavena (321,000) and Lucien Cohen (209,000).
Day 4 kicks off at 12:00 CET on Thursday and PokerNews will be on the tournament floor bringing you all the action as it happens.
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