After a short pause in play to discuss the sorts of things that players discuss when they're three-way at an EPT final table, the poker resumed and Kevin Stani (button) quickly got involved with Konstantin Bilyauer (big blind).
They sneakily restarted play while no-one was looking so no media at all were around at the start of the hand, but it looked as though Stani had raised and Bilyauer called, before they both checked the flop. Bilyauer bet out 250,000 on the turn and Stani flat-called. The river was the and both players checked.
Stani turned over - and no-one was more surprised than he was to discover that he had made a full house. "Oh," he said. His face was a picture. "I thought I had ace-eight."
They chuckled about it for a while, but Stani was most likely very sad not to have extracted more value from that. Bilyauer seemed delighted. Nevertheless, that pot put Stani slightly in the lead on 5 million.
Konstantin Bilyauer opened to 140,000 on the button, Kevin Stani called from the small blind and Dmitry Vitkind called in the big.
The flop was and Stani checked, Vitkind fired out 300,000 leaving himself around 750,000 behind. Bilyauer folded and Stani thought for a moment before moving all-in. Vitkind sighed and called off the rest of his stack.
Stani:
Vitkind:
The Russian was behind but had any four, five or six to secure him a double up but the turn was a brick, as was the river and we're down to a three-way battle.
Arnaud Mattern took a 320,000 hit on that last hand against Vitkind and Bilyauer, but got it back the very next hand as he raised from the button and got a call from Kevin Stani in the big blind.
Stani check-called 160,000 from Mattern on the flop, but check-folded to another 320,000 bet from Mattern on the turn.
Current standings - Mattern 3.5 million, Stani 3.3 million.
[user46392]
Konstantin Bilyauer - enjoying himself
Dmitry Vitkind opened to 130,000 from the button, and presumably when he did so did not imagine the can of reraising worms that he thus unleashed. In the small blind, Arnaud Mattern tanked up for a while in the small blind. He re-popped to 320,000.
Over to Konstantin Bilyauer, who paused only very briefly before announcing, "One million," in his rather charming Russian accent and pushing two stacks of orange T25,000 chips across the line. He sounded as though he enjoyed saying it, and who wouldn't? - remember, this is only the young player's second ever live tournament, and he didn't cash in the first one so presumably he has never had an opportunity to bet one million chips at a real love poker table before today.
Anyway, his seven-figure four-bet produced very speedy folds from both his opponents, and he grinned broadly as he stacked up the chips and increased his lead to 4.7 million.
Our remaining four players are just restarting now. Dmitry Vitkind is the short stack and needs to double up soonish with a little over twenty big blinds. However with short-handed poker, things can change very rapidly...
Konstantin Bilyauer raised to 125,000, and Dmitry Vitkind defended his big blind.
Flop: - Vitkind checked, and Bilyauer checked behind.
Turn: - Vitkind bet 125,000, and Bilyauer quickly flatted.
River: - Vitkind went back to checking, and Bilyauer did the same. Vitkind thought he might have rivered a win with his , but Bilyauer showed to win the small pot. Vitkind shook his head and rolled his eyes at Bilyauer and left quickly for the break.
![[user46392]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
flop. Bilyauer bet out 250,000 on the 
turn and Stani flat-called. The river was the 
and both players checked.
- and no-one was more surprised than he was to discover that he had made a full house. "Oh," he said. His face was a picture. "I thought I had ace-eight."
and Stani checked, Vitkind fired out 300,000 leaving himself around 750,000 behind. Bilyauer folded and Stani thought for a moment before moving all-in. Vitkind sighed and called off the rest of his stack.
turn was a brick, as was the 
river and we're down to a three-way battle.
flop, but check-folded to another 320,000 bet from Mattern on the 
turn.
to win the small pot. Vitkind shook his head and rolled his eyes at Bilyauer and left quickly for the break.