€5,300 EPT Main Event Day 3 | 2023 PokerStars EPT Barcelona

08-30-2023 10:00 UTC+1

Welcome to Day 3 of the €5,300 EPT Barcelona Main Event

Maxime Taldir

The bubble was long on Day 2, but the 303 players remaining in the €5,300 Main Event at PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) Barcelona have reached the money.

Now that this important step is behind them and everyone has locked up a minimum cash prize of €8,850, the next goal will be to run as deep as they can in the tournament when Day 3 kicks off at 12 p.m. local time. One of them will outlast the field of 2,120 entrants and take the €1,488,000 first-place prize.

Day 2 saw Eduard Barsegyan collect the largest stack in the room as he ended the day as the chip leader. He's joined at the top by Ioannis Zachmanidis and the €2,200 Estrellas Poker Tour High Roller runner-up Antoine Labat, who also finished among the big stacks.

Top 10 Chip Counts

Place	Player	Country	Chip Count	Big Blinds
1	Eduard Barsegyan	Russia	835,000	209
2	Ioannis Zachmanidis	Greece	802,000	201
3	Antoine Labat	France	731,000	183
4	Petr Svoboda	Czech Republic	724,000	181
5	Ezequiel Waigel	Argentina	703,000	176
6	Jack Hardcastle	United Kingdom	676,000	169
7	Claudio Di Giacomo	Italy	657,000	164
8	Carl Shaw	United Kingdom	577,000	144
9	Walid Salamoun Marwan	USA	565,000	141
10	Daniyar Aubakirov	Kazakhstan	558,000	140

Many notable faces return to their seats today looking to climb the leaderboard, including Maria Ho, David Docherty, Patrik Antonius, Davidi Kitai and Romain Lewis.

Day 3 will begin with approximately 11 minutes remaining in Level 15 at blinds of 2,000/4,000 with a 4,000 big blind ante. A total of five 90-minute levels will be played today, with 20-minute breaks at the end of every level. Shot clocks will also be introduced so players will receive six time banks at the beginning of the day, each worth 30 seconds. The action will once again be streamed on the PokerStars YouTube and Twitch channels on a 30-minute delay.

Be sure to stick with PokerNews as we bring you the action from the tournament floor for Day 3!

Tags: Antoine Labat Carl Shaw Claudio Di Giacomo Eduard Barsegyan Ezequiel Waigel Ioannis Zachmanidis Jack Hardcastle Petr Svoboda Walid Salamoun Marwan

08-30-2023 11:23 UTC+1

Spragg Finds Early Double

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Josh Noy

Level 16 : Blinds 2,000/5,000, 5,000 ante

PokerStars Ambassador Benjamin Spragg was all in on his very first hand and at risk against Julien Martini.

Benjamin Spragg: A♥K♥
Julien Martini: 7♠7♥

The classic flip saw Spragg continue to trail after the 5♠5♥9♦ flop and 2♦ turn, but the A♦ arrived on the river to stay alive and double his stack.

Player	Chips	Progress
Benjamin Spragg	140,000 73,000	73,000

Julien Martini	62,000 -71,000	-71,000

Tags: Benjamin Spragg Julien Martini

08-30-2023 12:22 UTC+1

Lau Hits One Million at Sinclair's Expense

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Josh Noy

Level 16 : 2,000/5,000, 5,000 ante

Jack Sinclair raised to 11,000 on the button before Ka Kwan Lau slid in a three-bet to 45,000 from the small blind.

Sinclair called to see the flop showing 8♣10♣9♠ and Lau checked. Sinclair fired 25,000, resulting in a check-raise from Lau to 80,000.

The 3♣ turn saw Lau lead out for 60,000 and Sinclair made the call. The river K♥ completed the board, where Lau used a time bank before checking. Sinclair moved all in for around 200,000 and Lau called instantly.

Jack Sinclair: J♠10♦
Ka Kwan Lau: A♣K♣

Jack Sinclair tapped the table after seeing his opponent's flush, while the pot saw Lau become the first player to cross the 1,000,000 chip mark.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ka Kwan Lau	1,250,000 600,000	600,000
Jack Sinclair	Busted

Tags: Jack Sinclair Ka Kwan Lau

08-30-2023 12:34 UTC+1

Ripper Ends Karmatckii's Run

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Dan O'Hair

Level 16 : Blinds 2,000/5,000, 5,000 ante

Jose Ruiz Dominguez opened to 10,000 from the cutoff and was called by Arsenii Karmatckii in the small blind. Walter Ripper then shoved from the big blind and Dominguez folded. Karmatckii called all in for 25,000 total and hands were revealed.

Arsenii Karmatckii: K♣8♣
Walter Ripper: Q♣Q♥

Karmatckiii would need some help, but the 7♦9♦4♦6♥2♣ runout kept Ripper's queens best — eliminating Karmatckii from the tournament.

Player	Chips	Progress
Walter Ripper	310,000 1,000	1,000
Jose Ruiz Dominguez	70,000 -31,000	-31,000
Arsenii Karmatckii	Busted

Tags: Arsenii Karmatckii Jose Ruiz Dominguez Walter Ripper

08-30-2023 12:46 UTC+1

Swan Song For Makaci

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Connor Richards

Level 16 : Blinds 2,000/5,000, 5,000 ante

Franck Makaci was all in for around 100,000 against the bigger-stacked Stephen Song.

Franck Makaci: 7♥7♣
Stephen Song: A♦J♣

Makaci's sevens were still ahead after the flop of 10♠9♥4♠, but the J♦ turn gave Song a big lead and the K♠ river confirmed Makaci's elimination.

Player	Chips	Progress
Stephen Song	500,000 17,000	17,000

Franck Makaci	Busted

Tags: Franck Makaci Stephen Song

08-30-2023 13:25 UTC+1

Csecsetka's Queens Send Ho Out

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Dan O'Hair

Level 17 : Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante

Maria Ho was all in preflop and at risk for around 140,000 from middle position against Peter Csecsetka, who was on the button.

Maria Ho: 8♠8♣
Peter Csecsetka: Q♣Q♦

Ho would need some help to keep her deep run alive, but the Q♠K♥5♠5♣J♠ runout needlessly improved Csecsetka to a full house and Ho was eliminated.

Player	Chips	Progress
Peter Csecsetka	450,000 321,000	321,000
Maria Ho	Busted

Tags: Maria Ho Peter Csecsetka

08-30-2023 13:42 UTC+1

PokerStars Power Path Gold Pass Winner Making a Deep Run

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Dan O'Hair

Level 17 : Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante

Action folded around to the blinds, where Hubert Matuszewski called from the small blind and Paul Jurcuta checked his option from the big blind.

Matuszewski check-called a 6,000 bet from Jurcuta on the 10♥5♦J♠ flop, but check-folded facing a 23,000 barrel from Jurcuta on the 3♦ turn.

Jurcuta, who entered the Main Event by way of a PokerStars Power Path Gold Pass, has chipped up nicely on Day 3 and currently sits with around 515,000.

Player	Chips	Progress
Paul Jurcuta	515,000 180,000	180,000

Hubert Matuszewski	130,000 -80,000	-80,000

Tags: Hubert Matuszewski Paul Jurcuta

08-30-2023 13:48 UTC+1

Germano Eliminated And Mariani Doubles Up

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Maxime Taldir

Level 17 : Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante

Robert Kaggerud opened from the hijack to 12,000 and was called by Gary Miller in the cutoff. From the small blind, Felipe Germano took a few seconds and shoved for 121,000 chips. In the big blind, Vlado Banicevic went into the tank and raised all in for 160,000 chips. Kaggerud and Miller quickly folded.

Felipe Germano: K♣J♣
Vlado Banicevic: 9♣9♠

Germano found a flush draw on the flop 2♣10♠4♣. However, it wasn't completed with the turn 3♠ nor the river A♥, and Germano was eliminated.

On the very next hand, Miller raised from the hijack to 12,000. In the cutoff, Julien Mariani, one of the shortest stack of the field, jammed for 45,000 chips. Miller eventually called.

Julien Mariani: K♥K♣
Gary Miller: 10♥8♥

A ten came on the flop 10♣A♠J♥ to give a pair to Miller. But Mariani's kings held on the turn 5♣ and the river 2♦, so he doubled up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Vlado Banicevic	310,000 117,000	117,000
Robert Kaggerud	130,000 90,000	90,000
Julien Mariani	108,000 66,000	66,000
Gary Miller	75,000 -113,000	-113,000
Felipe Germano	Busted

Tags: Felipe Germano Gary Miller Robert Kaggerud Vlado Banicevic

08-30-2023 14:36 UTC+1

Kaukua Bluffs Into Broadway

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Connor Richards

Level 17 : Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante

Day 1a chip leader Toni Kaukua got moved to Table 16 and wasted no time putting an opponent to the test.

In a heads-up pot on a board of K♦10♠A♦A♥, Kim De Sousa checked on the turn and Kaukua bet 60,000. De Sousa called. De Sousa checked again on the 3♠ river and Kaukua moved all in. De Sousa called with a stack of 182,000.

Kaukua tabled a bluff with J♠9♠ as De Sousa showed Q♥J♣ to double up with Broadway as the Finn was left short.

Player	Chips	Progress
Kim De Sousa	500,000 390,000	390,000
Toni Kaukua	90,000 -268,000	-268,000

Tags: Kim De Sousa Toni Kaukua

08-30-2023 14:48 UTC+1

Beltz Turns the Winner

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Josh Noy

Level 17 : 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante

Wouter Beltz opened to 12,000 from the cutoff before Luis Gutierrez slid in a three-bet to 44,000 on his left. Action folded back around to Beltz, who called to see the 9x8x6x flop.

Beltz checked and Gutierrez continued for 30,000. The Dutchman then announced a raise to 85,000, only to see Gutierrez fire back for approximately 155,000. Beltz decided to four-bet all in for 383,000, which Gutierrez snap-called.

Wouter Beltz: 7x7x
Luis Gutierrez: 8x8x

Beltz revealed an open-ended straight draw but found himself up against middle set. The 10x turn completed the straight for Beltz before a blank on the river assured him the double up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Wouter Beltz	869,000 549,000	549,000
Luis Gutierrez	250,000 113,000	113,000

Tags: Wouter Beltz Luis Gutierrez