Giovani Gouveia raised to 5,000 from early position after which Tudor Purice three-bet to 15,000. Two seats over Onur Guvan four-bet to 28,000 and the action was folded back around to Purice.
"I'm all in," Purice said putting Gouveia to the test for 130,000 total.
Gouveia called immediately.
Purice:
Gouveia:
The board ran out and Purice raked in this huge pot.
The EPT London took a hit in attendance in Season 8 – 691 players created a prize pool of £3,351,350 – but even so it attracted some of poker’s best including Martins Adeniya (7th - £86,350), Kevin Iacofano (6th - £120,000), Juan Manuel Pastor (4th - £200,000) and Steve O’Dwyer (2nd - £465,000). Oh, it also included Benny Spindler, who captured the £750,000 first-place prize.
It was Spindler’s biggest score, but just one on an already impressive poker résumé. Not only is Spindler an accomplished high-stakes online poker player (he plays under the usernames “toweliestar” on PokerStars and “psychobenny” on Full Tilt Poker), he had previously made his mark in the live realm thanks to a third-place finish in the 2009 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Main Event for $1.1 million, runner-up in the 2011 EPT Grand Final €25,000 High Roller for €316,000, and first in the €10,000 NLHE – Single Reload at the 2011 EPT Tallinn for $€49,350.
Since winning the EPT London, Spindler has continued his success. In October 2012, he won the €10,000 NLHE 8-Max at the EPT Sanremo for €253,000, and he followed that up with a win in the €10,600 High Roller at the GCOP for €77,500. He also finished sixth in last April’s A$10,000 WSOP APAC Main Event for A$146,205.
Spindler will no doubt be in London looking to capture the title for a second time.
The action his been furious at one of the three lone tables in the side room here at the Grand Connaught Rooms in London, and mainly because of Ludovic Geilich and Maximilian Senft. The two were heads up on a board of , and Senft had a bet of 35,000 in front of him. Geilich raised to 82,500, Senft moved all in for what looked like 225,000, and Geilich tank-folded.
Craig McCorkell is up to 100,000 after doubling through PokerStars qualifier Nurlan Boobekov. McCorkell was at risking with against Boobekov's but the board came down a relatively lowly to ensure the pot went to the local boy.
The flop read when Yngve Steen checked to Kitty Kuo who bet 7,000. Former EPT Copenhagen winner Michael Tureniec made the call in position and Steen folded his cards.
The turn brought the and this time Kuo quickly checked. Tureniec bet out 15,600 and he was quickly raised to 55,000. Tureniec went into the tank for a while but eventually he moved all in for 75,000 total.
Kuo snap called.
Tureniec disgustedly flipped up after seeing Kuo's and he was drawing dead tot a chop. The river brought the and Tureniec left the building. Kuo is now among the chip leaders and on her way to a fourth EPT cash within 12 months.
Dhru Patel was an unknown to the global poker world a few days ago but he's quickly establishing his name as one to watch. Patel played about 19 minutes in the Super High Roller earlier this week but ended Day 1a of the Main Event as the chip leader. Right now Patel is battling it out with regulars Kyle Julius and Frederik Jensen, the latter of which he just bluffed.
The board read when Patel bet 53,700 and Jensen tanked for quite a while before folding his hand. Patel showed and is back up to 200,000 chips. Jensen, a former EPT winner, still has a lot of chips left to play with.
Jason Tompkins opened for 4,800 from the under-the-gun position only to have [Removed:203] three-bet him to 8,800 from middle position. Action folded back around to Tompkins and he wasted little time in moving all in for roughly 40,000. Mueller seemed excited, double checked his cards, and then slid in some chips to make the call.
Mueller:
Tompkins:
It was a bad spot for Tompkins and it only got worse when the flop gave Mueller a set. Tompkins was up out of his seat, but the turn gave him pause as he picked up a gutshot straight draw. The dealer burned one last time and put out the . Tompkins missed, grabbed his things and made a beeline for the door.
"I don't think he knew who you were," David "Devilfish" Ulliott said to Mueller after the hand.
and Purice raked in this huge pot.
, and Senft had a bet of 35,000 in front of him. Geilich raised to 82,500, Senft moved all in for what looked like 225,000, and Geilich tank-folded.
against Boobekov's 
to ensure the pot went to the local boy.
after seeing Kuo's 
and Tureniec left the building. Kuo is now among the chip leaders and on her way to a fourth EPT cash within 12 months.
into Georgios Karakousis' 
.
when Patel bet 53,700 and Jensen tanked for quite a while before folding his hand. Patel showed 
flop gave Mueller a set. Tompkins was up out of his seat, but the 
turn gave him pause as he picked up a gutshot straight draw. The dealer burned one last time and put out the 
. Tompkins missed, grabbed his things and made a beeline for the door.
