2009 PokerStars.com EPT Grand Final

€25,000 High Roller Championship
Day: 3
Event Info

2009 PokerStars.com EPT Grand Final

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
76
Prize
€720,000
Event Info
Buy-in
€25,000
Prize Pool
€1,975,000
Entries
79
Level Info
Level
23
Blinds
40,000 / 80,000
Ante
10,000

Rousso Doubles Up; Press are Overjoyed

The press are beginning to wonder whether they'll make their morning flights home.

With the board reading {7-Diamonds} {Q-Hearts} {5-Clubs} {K-Diamonds}, all the chips went in, and oh, dear...

Dorfman: {Q-Clubs} {3-Diamonds}
Rousso: {5-Spades} {7-Spades}

"King," said someone at the rail weakly.

River: {10-Hearts}

Ms. Rousso doubles up, just as the level comes to an end. "Guys, we're off the structure sheet," said the TD, before informing them that it would be 40,000/80,000 next, with a 10,000 ante. The players have decided to pass up their break this time around, but there will shortly be a pause to color up the 5,000 chips.

Dorfman Keeps the Pressure Up - Rousso Dwindling

Dorfman dominant
Dorfman dominant
Vanessa Rousso isn't one to just fold until desperately short -- in fact she moved in preflop just a minute ago (no call) and has been routinely calling preflop raises and having a go on the flop. But the general trend for her at the moment is down -- and now with 600,000 she's starting to get into the danger zone.

The last chunk to leave her stack came after Dorfman raised 60,000 preflop and she called. She also check-called the 100,000 Dorfman bet on the {9-Diamonds} {9-Spades} {6-Clubs} flop. However after checking the {9-Clubs} turn, she faced Dorfman setting her in (yet again) and shaking her head, threw her cards away.

Tags: Randy DorfmanVanessa Rousso

Rousso Shoves Again

Our two will-not-die heads-upsers saw the {5-Clubs} {K-Hearts} {7-Clubs} flop, and Dorfman bet out 100,000. A call, and they proceeded.

Turn: {6-Hearts}

Dorfman bet out again, this time 145,000 -- but this time Rousso announced all in for another 640,000.

Dorfman stood up, and Rousso put her chin down on her hands, staring at the felt. Dorfman tanked up and checked his cards one last time in case they had magically transformed into two completely different cards -- and then folded.

Treading Water

Small back-and-forth pots have kept Vanessa Rousso floating around the 1,000,000 mark for about 15 minutes. Behind his wall of 3,600,000, Randy Dorfman looks fairly secure, for now.

Raising Every Hand

Randy Dorfman is doubling the big blind (60,000) from the button almost every time, and raising from the big blind very often should Vanessa Rousso have limped her button. "So, you have a raising hand every hand now?" she asked.

She called one of these preflop min-raises a moment ago, but folded when Randy Dorfman bet 100,000 on the {10-Diamonds} {2-Diamonds} {7-Spades} flop.

River Running Smoothly for Rousso

Randy Dorfman raised on the button to 125,000. Vanessa Rousso called. The flop came {4-Clubs} {10-Diamonds} {Q-Diamonds}. Rousso check-called Dorfman's 155,000 bet. They both checked the turn and then Rousso bet out 155,000 on the river. Once again, a bit of a think, but a pass to her river bet (this time considerably smaller). A gradual increase in towers is occurring on Rousso's side of the table.

Tags: Randy DorfmanVanessa Rousso

No Improvement for Rousso

Vanessa Rousso called a raise to 125,000 from Randy Dorfman ("You can raise to 125,000," I heard her say earnestly, although what Dorfman did or said to elicit this remark is forever lost in the mists of what happens in parts of the table we can't see from right behind Dorfman). This constituted excitement for the railers.

They saw the {8-Diamonds} {10-Clubs} {K-Spades} flop and Rousso checked it -- and then instantly laid down her hand to a 190,000 bet from the Dorf-man.

Rousso All In...

Interested onlookers Chad Brown & brief visiting Joe Hachem
Interested onlookers Chad Brown & brief visiting Joe Hachem
...but no call. It looked genuinely close though - a pot had built after Randy Dorfman raised preflop to 120,000 and Vanessa Rousso called. They both checked the {K-Spades} {10-Clubs} {9-Clubs} flop, but Rousso check-called Dorfman's 240,000 bet on the {7-Spades} turn. With just 440,000 behind, her river move all in when the {3-Clubs} fell stumped Dorfman.

"There's no way you have a flush, or you'd have shoved on the flop," he mused. Standing up, talking out loud, looking at the pot and her stack, he took a good few minutes to eventually decide he wasn't up for calling.

Tags: Randy DorfmanVanessa Rousso

No Fireworks Yet

A few smallish pots -- Vanessa Rousso landed herself two walks, broken up by a raise from her to 150,000, followed by a reraise all in from Randy Dorfman. "Queen-jack?" inquired Rousso, shortly before folding.

Rousso to Dorfman: "You've Got a Lot of Chips"

Rousso: Down but not out
Rousso: Down but not out
Yes, he does. And now with the blinds a chunky 30,000/60,000, he's picked up even more, taking down a few pots which didn't get further than the flop. He raised from the big blind once when she limped on the button, picking it up, and the next time this happened she called the 120,000 raise, and he got a fold on the {A-Clubs} {3-Clubs} {4-Clubs} flop by moving all in.

"This isn't any fun!" said Rousso, who with 700,000 is now feeling the size of the blinds and her chip disadvantage.

Tags: Randy DorfmanVanessa Rousso