Over on the other side of the final table rail, the side events are still underway.
In the €10,000 High Rollers event, Sorel Mizzi is gigantic chip leader - he has a third of the chips in play with eight players remaining. The winner is going to get €130,000 for their trouble.
Meanwhile Team PokerStars Pro Vanessa Selbst failed in her attempt to beat LAPT San Jose and IPT San Remo winner Valdemar Kwaysser in the €3,200 Heads Up semi-finals, and shared third place with Nikolay Evdakov. Kwaysser will play Kevin Eyster in the final.
Konstantin Bilyauer is playing a lot of hands since he doubled through Arnaud Mattern. Dmitry Vitkind opened to 130,000 on the button and Bilyauer flatted from the big blind to see a flop.
Vitkind fired 175,000 after his compatriot checked but was called, leaving both players checking the turn. The river was the and now Bilyauer fired 375,000 which Vitkind called after much deliberation.
Bilyauer turned over for the flopped nuts and Vitkind could only muck. Bilyauer now at 4.2 million while Vitkind is down to 1.6 million
Konstantin Bilyauer opened to 125,000 from the button before Kevin Stani (who is starting play quite a few more pots) reraised to 300,000 out of the small blind. Bilyauer now 4-bet to 725,000 and Stani quickly moved all-in. The Russian instantly folded and Stani triumphantly turned over , Bilyauer tapped the table.
Dmitry Vitkind raised on the button and Konstantin Bilyauer called in the big blind to see a flop. Bilyauer checked and Vitkind eyed him up for a moment or two before continuation-betting 155,000. Back to Bilyauer, who thought about it for a little while - and then check-raised to 405,000. Vitkind couldn't see this as Bilyauer is wearing sunglasses, but he was staring him down, hard. Eventually Vitkind folded, and dropped to 2.55 million. Bilyauer upped his stack to 4.15 million.
Arnaud Mattern raised to 120,000, and on the button, Konstantin Bilyauer made the call. The fateful flop fell , and Mattern bet out 150,000. Bilyauer thought a bit before moving all in for 1,725,000 total. Mattern called quickly, but he really didn't like what he saw. His was drawing extremely thin against Bilyauer's for bottom set. Mattern was dead on the turn, and after the river, Mattern paid to double him to 3.6 million. That made Mattern and Bilyauer just about even in chips, but Arnaud lost a few more on the next hand.
Konstantin Bilyauer opened to 125,000 from the button before Dmitry Vitkind reraised to 350,000 out of the big blind. Bilyauer moved all-in fairly quickly and Vitkind shrugged, not looking entirely happy, called.
Bilyauer:
Vitkind:
The board came and Vitkind doubled up to about 2,600,000. Bilyauer dropped to 1,700,000
Arnaud Mattern opened to 120,000 from the button and Kevin Stani decided to defend this time.
Both players checked the flop before Stani check-called a bet of 140,000 on the turn. The river was the and Stani checked a third time, Mattern bet 310,000 and the Norwegian thought for a while, even counting out the chips and it looked like he was about to call. Something must have changed his mind though and after a brief bit more time thinking, Stani folded and the Mattern Express rolls on.
Arnaud Mattern raised his button, an extremely standard occurrence. Mikko Jaatinen quickly moved all in from the small blind. Konstantin Bilyauer folded his big blind, and Mattern said, "I call," almost sadly.
Jaatinen:
Mattern:
The board came , bringing no help for Jaatinen. He and his brother did the Jaatinen family proud in Tallinn this week, but their run has come to an end. Mattern now has an even bigger chip lead with 5.15 million.
It folded around to Steven van Zadelhoff in the small blind, who went all in. In the big blind, Kevin Stani made the call.
Stani: woke up with
Van Zadelhoff: in some trouble with
Board:
Van Zadelhoff flopped a straight flush draw, prompting some ooh-ing from the crowd, but didn't come in and he hit the rail, making the international gesture of "aw, shucks" at his girlfriend at the rail.
Stani's stack increased to just a shade below 3 million.
Business as usual for Arnaud Mattern who won the first three pots of this level uncontested. Dmitry Vitkind took the next two pots with a push from UTG and then he got a walk in the big blind.
Then in the most interesting hand so far this level, Konstantin Bilyauer opened preflop to 125,000 from UTG+1/Hijack, and Kevin Stani made the call on the button. Vitkind folded in the small blind but Mattern now put in a big 3-bet to 420,000. Bilyauer looked as though he wanted to fight back and you would suspect that sooner or later he will be making a big move. But on this occasion Bilyauer folded and so did Stani, both appear to be avoiding confrontation...for now.