2009 PokerStars.com EPT Vilamoura

Vilamoura Championship Main Event
Day: 5
Event Info

2009 PokerStars.com EPT Vilamoura

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
78
Prize
€404,793
Event Info
Buy-in
€5,000
Prize Pool
€1,561,700
Entries
322
Level Info
Level
28
Blinds
40,000 / 80,000
Ante
5,000

Level: 25

Blinds: 20,000/40,000

Ante: 4,000

Ryan Franklin Eliminated in 7th Place (€46,851)

Ryan Franklin - 7th Place
Ryan Franklin - 7th Place
A few hands ago, Pierre Neuville was getting a bit frustrated with Ryan Franklin. The young pro had moved all in a couple different times, and Neuville had failed to notice on more than one occasion. He leaned back across the dealer to ask -- rather, tell -- Franklin to announce, "All in," more loudly.

Fast forward a few hands and we find Neuville opening the pot to 75,000. "All. In." said Franklin in a particularly clear manner. Two seats over from him, Jeff Sarwer came back over the top with an all in of his own. Neuville looked surprised and folded, and Franklin was heads up for his tournament life.

Showdown
Franklin: {8-Spades} {8-Hearts}
Sarwer: {J-Diamonds} {J-Clubs}

The news wasn't good for Franklin, and it wouldn't get any better. The {J-Spades} appeared right in the door, and he was unable to catch up on a board running out {10-Hearts} {3-Clubs} {J-Spades} {5-Spades} {4-Diamonds}. That's the end of Franklin's day, knocked off in 7th place.

Photo courtesy of PokerStars and Neil Stoddart

Tags: Jeff SarwerPierre NeuvilleRyan Franklin

Two In a Row For Sarwer

Pierre Neuville opened with a raise to 70,000 from the hijack seat, and action came around to Jeff Sarwer. In the small blind, he stuck in a re-raise to 180,000, and Neuville quickly called.

Heads up, the flop brought {Q-Spades} {5-Clubs} {A-Spades} and a continuation bet of 250,000 from Sarwer. Neuville didn't seem to like it, but he let his cards go into the muck.

Sarwer got a walk in the big blind on the following hand, and he would win his third-consecutive pot moments thereafter. Details on that hand forthcoming.

Tags: Jeff SarwerPierre Neuville

Silva Doubles Through Sarwer in Gigantic Cooler/Suckout Scenario

Jeff Sarwer opened for 70,000 from the cutoff and Antonio Matias flat-called on the button. Over to Joao Silva in the small blind, who announced all in for 945,000. While Silva was still engaged in pushing stacks of chips across the line, Sarwer announced a call. Matias got out of their way, and they were on their backs.

Silva: {K-Clubs} {K-Diamonds}
Sarwer: {A-Hearts} {A-Spades}

Board divided into streets for dramatic tension...

Flop: {2-Diamonds} {10-Spades} {2-Clubs}

Turn: {8-Spades}

River: ...

...

... {K-Spades}!

With an unbelievable roar from the crowd, the Portuguese player doubled to over 2 million. He violently high-fived a friend at the rail with a sound like a gunshot, before coming over to Sarwer and giving him a consolatory rub on the shoulder, which probably was no consolation at all. The expressionless Sarwer is down to 800,000.

Tags: Jeff SarwerJoao Silva

Skampa At It

Jan Skampa raised to 72,000 in the cutoff and Joao Silva called out of the big blind.

SIlva check-called 90,000 on the {10-Hearts} {7-Hearts} {J-Spades} flop and another 175,000 on the {7-Spades} turn. Both players checked the {2-Hearts} river, and Silva's {Q-Clubs} {J-Clubs} was enough to take it, Skampa only able to boast {K-?} {8-?}.

Abecassis All In

First into the pot from the cutoff seat, Michel Abecassis slid his full stack of 188,000 forward. Two seats over in the small blind, Ryan Franklin announced an all-in reraise, enough to get him heads-up with Abecassis.

"I've only looked at one," said Abecassis, as Franklin tabled {A-Clubs} {3-Clubs}. Abecassis knew he had the {A-Hearts}, and it was likely he was ahead. But no; we all found out his second card together as he turned over {A-Hearts} {2-Hearts} with a grimace.

Looking for at least a chop to stay afloat, the flop would bring more bad news for the at-risk Abecassis. It came out {5-Diamonds} {A-Diamonds} {3-Diamonds} to give Franklin the two pair and a strong grasp on the pot. Salvation came on the turn though; the unlikely {4-Spades} ripped off to fill in Abecassis' wheel! When the {7-Spades} hit the river, he secured his much-needed double up, back over 400,000 as Franklin slips to 625,000.

Tags: Michel AbecassisRyan Franklin

Updated Chip Counts

Ryan Franklin - 830,000
Jan Skampa - 1,420,000
Jeff Sarwer - 1,780,000
Antonio Matias - 2,540,000
Joao Silva - 720,000
Michel Abecassis - 188,000
Pierre Neuville - 2,250,000

Confusion

Here's an interesting one.

With the first couple players ducking out of the way, Pierre Neuville opened the pot with a raise to 77,000. Nearly simultaneously, Ryan Franklin put 70,000 chips out in front of him, thinking he had seen Neuville muck. If Franklin's chips had gone into the pot before Neuville's raise, he would have had the option to change his action. But because nobody could be certain which chips hit the felt first, Franklin's action was determined to be a call. He added the extra 7,000 on top to make it match.

Two seats over from Franklin, Jeff Sarwer slid out a healthy reraise to 325,000, and Neuville and Franklin instantly folded in turn.

Tags: Jeff SarwerPierre NeuvilleRyan Franklin