Arnaud Mattern won the first-ever EPT Prague back in Season 4, but his hopes of doing it again are slowly fading.
In a recent hand, there was 10,000 in the pot and a board reading when Mattern checked from the small blind and Maurizio Braco did the same from early position. Mattern proceeded to check the river, and that's when Braco fired out a bet of 6,500. Mattern only had 10,500 back, and he opted to save it by folding after having thought about it for a solid minute.
Meanwhile, Igor Kurganov has been eliminated from the tournament.
The EPT Country of the Year freeroll took place in Prague today, with 16 of Lebanon's finest competing against their countrymen for a €10,000 prize pool. There were some familiar faces in the final four, as PokerStars Blog found out.
Once again Ari Engel opened the betting on his table by raising to 1,325 in the hijack seat. Jose Manuel Nadal Sordo was on the button and he three-bet to 2,825 and that was enough to force Fabrice Soulier out of the pot. However, Mick Graydon was in the big blind and he put in a raise of his own, one to 6,600.
Graydon's raise was too much for Engel to pay and he quickly folded, but Nadal Sordo looked poised to at least call. However, that was not the case because his cards found their way back to the dealer.
"Show one card," request Engel, "It's very good for the game!"
Graydon refused to acknowledge Engel's request and got busy re-stacking his chips.
We often see the lucky charms and trinkets that poker players adorn their playing space with, but never before have I seen a player bring their own drinking vessel!
Ruaf Bikbulatov ordered a black tea with one sugar from one of the many waitresses, but before she could go process his order Bikbulatov delved into his rucksack and after much rustling of paper and the removal of some bubble wrap, produced a large drinking glass that he requested his drink to be made in, much to the amusement of the waitress.
A look back on the ground breaking final in 2008 in which Salvatore Bonavena became the first Italian winner of the EPT, changing the game in his home country…
Jan Skampa won this event back in Season 6, but his hopes of capturing the title for a second time came to an end courtesy of Souheil Mansour.
In the hand, William Davis limped from early position only to have Skampa three-bet to 2,700 right behind. Mansour then called from the button, Davis folded, and it was heads-up action to the flop. Skampa was first to act and led out for 4,500, which inspired Mansour to raise to 17,000.
Skampa thought long and hard before gently placing in a call, and then he checked the turn. Mansour wasted little time in spiking out a bet of 22,400, and a few moments later Skampa moved all in for right around 35,000. Mansour, who barely had him covered, snap-called.
Showdown
Mansour:
Skampa:
Skampa discovered the bad news—that he was drawing dead—and made a hasty exit from the tournament floor after the meaningless was put out on the river.
The action was opened with a raise from the hijack to 1,200 from Laurent Polito and after the cutoff got out of the way, former WPT Vienna champion Dmitry Gromov three-bet to 2,700 on the button. Both blinds folded and Polito called.
It was therefore heads up to the flop, a flop that Polito initially checked, but then called when Gromov continued with a bet of 5,000. The turn made the board even scarier and it was no surprise that both players checked. The river received the same treatment; both players checked.
Polito turned a pair of red queens onto their backs, whilst Gromov could only muster the lowly .
After calling a three-bet from Anthony Lezzi, and another bet on the flop, Fabrice Soulier was faced with another 4,500-chip bet on the turn. Soulier called.
The river was the , and Lezzi slowed down, checking to Soulier who fired 12,500. Lezzi tanked for quite some time, then finally committed enough chips to make the call.
Soulier rolled over for a rivered straight, and Lezzi groaned before mucking his hand. Soulier increased his stack to 65,000 chips.
when Mattern checked from the small blind and Maurizio Braco did the same from early position. Mattern proceeded to check the 
river, and that's when Braco fired out a bet of 6,500. Mattern only had 10,500 back, and he opted to save it by folding after having thought about it for a solid minute.
![[user76079]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
flop. Skampa was first to act and led out for 4,500, which inspired Mansour to raise to 17,000.
turn. Mansour wasted little time in spiking out a bet of 22,400, and a few moments later Skampa moved all in for right around 35,000. Mansour, who barely had him covered, snap-called.
was put out on the river.
flop, a flop that Polito initially checked, but then called when Gromov continued with a bet of 5,000. The 
turn made the board even scarier and it was no surprise that both players checked. The 
river received the same treatment; both players checked.
.
turn. Soulier called.
, and Lezzi slowed down, checking to Soulier who fired 12,500. Lezzi tanked for quite some time, then finally committed enough chips to make the call.
for a rivered straight, and Lezzi groaned before mucking his hand. Soulier increased his stack to 65,000 chips.
