2009 PokerStars.com EPT Vilamoura
Vilamoura Championship Main Event
Day: 5
Level: 25
Blinds: 20,000/40,000
Ante: 4,000
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:
Sarwer:
The news wasn't good for Franklin, and it wouldn't get any better. The appeared right in the door, and he was unable to catch up on a board running out . That's the end of Franklin's day, knocked off in 7th place.
Photo courtesy of PokerStars and Neil Stoddart
Heads up, the flop brought 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.
Silva:
Sarwer:
Board divided into streets for dramatic tension...
Flop:
Turn:
River: ...
...
... !
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.
SIlva check-called 90,000 on the flop and another 175,000 on the turn. Both players checked the river, and Silva's was enough to take it, Skampa only able to boast .
"I've only looked at one," said Abecassis, as Franklin tabled . Abecassis knew he had the , and it was likely he was ahead. But no; we all found out his second card together as he turned over 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 to give Franklin the two pair and a strong grasp on the pot. Salvation came on the turn though; the unlikely ripped off to fill in Abecassis' wheel! When the hit the river, he secured his much-needed double up, back over 400,000 as Franklin slips to 625,000.
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
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.