Josef "Pepe" Klinger raised to 275,000 under the gun and Nicolas Chouity called behind. The action folded around to Dominykas Karmazinas in the big blind, who asked the tournament director what the next level was (80k/160k/20k) and Klinger how much he was playing (around 2.65 million) before dwelling up for a while, rocking back and forth. He folded.
So Klinger and Choity went heads-up to a flop, which Klinger checked. Chouity bet 375,000, and Klinger now shoved. Chouity instantly asked for a count (2.36 million) and after a little while he called.
Chouity:
Klinger: very ahead with
Turn: to put Chouity in the lead, but...
...River:
Klinger doubled up again, this time to 5.51 million.
Andrew Chen raised to 275,000 and took the blinds and antes. The next hand saw Chen do the same thing again, this time Josef Klinger reraised to 575,000. Chen quickly released his hand.
Both have about 2.6 million, in joint equal second with just over 20 big blinds.
Now the table short stack, Aleh Plauski open-shoved for 940,000 but everyone folded and he took the blinds and antes.
The next hand Herve Costa open-shoved, and - after Andrew Chen had asked how much it was - everyone folded. Chen qualified his request afterwards: "I just want to know, you know, roughly." Then, sort of laughing, "I feel like a douchebag."
Josef Klinger moved all-in for about 1 million. Aleh Plauski instantly called from the big blind.
Klinger:
Plauski:
Board:
As the board came out, Klinger looked skywards and said, "Thank God," Plauski could do nothing but lament his bad luck complaining, "It's like A-K vs Aces..."
Klinger is up to 2.1 million. Plauski drops to a million.
Josef "Pepe" Klinger raised to 275,000 only for local boy Herve Costa to shove from the small blind, to applause from his buddies at the rail. Klinger, in keeping with the ongoing theme of this final table, asked, "How much?" The all in was counted, and was assessed to be 860,000 total. He dwelled up for a long time, contemplating his options, and eventually he called.
Costa:
Klinger:
Board:
The French contingent at the rail went crazy when the seven dropped on the turn, and once Klinger had failed to make a straight come the river, they cheered again for the double up.
Costa doubled to around 1.9 million. Klinger was left with 1.5 million.
Andrew Chen opened for 275,000 in early position and it folded around to big blind Josef Klinger who reraised to 575,000. Chen, as a variation on asking for a full count, asked Klinger how much he'd started the hand with (answer: a little under 2 million), and then folded.
Josef Klinger limped in under the gun and Nicolas Chouity limped as well to his immediate left. Aleh Plauski, however, very matter-of-factly announced, "I am all in," eliciting a very quick fold from Klinger. Chouity requested a full count of Plauski's stack - our finalists seem to be rather into asking for counts - and when he discovered that the all in was for 1.64 million, he folded.