$25,000 NL Hold'em II | 2023 PokerStars EPT Cyprus

10-14-2023 22:34 UTC+2

Leon Sturm Eliminated in 3rd Place ($113,100)

Matt Warburton

Level 18 : Blinds 10,000/25,000, 25,000 ante

Artur Martirosian shoved all in from the small blind and Leon Sturm called from the big blind with a short stack. Players flipped their cards.

Leon Sturm: 5♥5♣
Artur Martirosian: 10♣7♣

The board ran out K♣6♣J♦7♦A♦. Martirosian paired his seven on the turn to win the pot. Sturm was eliminated from the tournament in third place for $113,100.

Player	Chips	Progress
Artur Martirosian	2,000,000 200,000	200,000

Leon Sturm	Busted

Tags: Artur Martirosian Leon Sturm

10-14-2023 22:30 UTC+2

Sturm Rivers Ace to Double Up

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Matt Warburton

Level 18 : Blinds 10,000/25,000, 25,000 ante

Artur Martirosian shoved all in from the small blind into Leon Sturm, who called in the big blind for 73,000. Players turned over their cards.

Leon Sturm: A♦8♣
Artur Martirosian: K♠5♦

The board ran out J♦K♦8♦7♠A♠. Martirosian paired his king on the flop and Sturm picked up a flush draw. "Sweaty," said an observer. The river brought Sturm an ace to give him the pot and a much needed double up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Artur Martirosian	1,800,000 60,000	60,000

Leon Sturm	170,000 -100,000	-100,000

Tags: Artur Martirosian Leon Sturm

10-14-2023 22:21 UTC+2

Alex Kulev Eliminated in 4th Place ($81,800)

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Matt Warburton

Level 18 : Blinds 10,000/25,000, 25,000 ante

Paulius Plausinaitis raised from the small blind and Alex Kulev moved all in from the big blind. Plausinaitis made the call and had Kulev slightly covered as players flipped their cards.

Alex Kulev: A♦J♣
Paulius Plausinaitis: 9♥9♠

The board ran out A♠8♦9♣6♥2♦. Kulev paired his ace on the flop, but Plausinaitis made trip nines to get ahead and win the pot.

Kulev was eliminated from the tournament in fourth place for $81,800.

Player	Chips	Progress
Paulius Plausinaitis	740,000 305,000	305,000
Alex Kulev	Busted

Tags: Alex Kulev Paulius Plausinaitis

10-14-2023 22:17 UTC+2

Mikalai Vaskaboinikau Eliminated in 5th Place ($66,100)

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Matt Warburton

Level 18 : Blinds 10,000/25,000, 25,000 ante

Mikalai Vaskaboinikau got his chips all in from the small blind against Artur Martirosian in a clash between the two biggest stacks at the table. Vaskaboinikau was at risk as players flipped their cards.

Mikalai Vaskaboinikau: A♦Q♥
Artur Martirosian: A♠K♣

The board ran out 5♥3♦3♣9♥10♣. Neither player improved and so Martirosian held with his ace high and king kicker to further extend his chip lead.

Vaskaboinikau was eliminated from the tournament in fifth place for $66,100.

Player	Chips	Progress
Artur Martirosian	1,740,000 680,000	680,000

Mikalai Vaskaboinikau	Busted

Tags: Artur Martirosian Mikalai Vaskaboinikau

10-14-2023 22:06 UTC+2

Players in the Money

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Matt Warburton

Level 18 : Blinds 10,000/25,000, 25,000 ante

The five remaining players are now in the money. The next player to bust will receive $66,100. The top prize is worth $264,690.

As it stands, Artur Martirosian is out in front as the only player who has over one million chips. Mikalai Vaskaboinikau is in second with close to 750,000.

Player	Chips	Progress
Artur Martirosian	1,060,000 100,000	100,000

Mikalai Vaskaboinikau	740,000 50,000	50,000
Paulius Plausinaitis	435,000 85,000	85,000
Alex Kulev	420,000 10,000	10,000
Leon Sturm	270,000 125,000	125,000

Level: 18

Blinds: 10,000/25,000

Ante: 25,000

10-14-2023 22:04 UTC+2

Cheong Busts on Bubble

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Matt Warburton

Level 17 : Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante

Leon Sturm open raised from middle position and Kyle Cheong moved all in from the button with a short stack. Mikalai Vaskaboinikau then moved all in over the top from the big blind and Sturm folded. Players flipped their cards, with Cheong at risk.

Kyle Cheong: A♦Q♥
Mikalai Vaskaboinikau: K♦K♠

The board ran out 6♦7♠2♠8♣8♥. Vaskaboinikau had pocket kings and made two pair with the eights on board. Cheong was eliminated from the tournament one before the money.

"My friend, you've been unlucky against me today," said Vaskaboinikau.

"Yes, but it's been fun," said Cheong as he left the table.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mikalai Vaskaboinikau	690,000 130,000	130,000
Kyle Cheong	Busted

Tags: Kyle Cheong Leon Sturm Mikalai Vaskaboinikau

10-14-2023 22:00 UTC+2

Ponakovs Loses Flip and Busts to Martirosian

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Matt Warburton

Level 17 : Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante

Action folded around to Artur Martirosian, who pushed 475,000 into the middle, an effective all-in against the blinds' stacks. Aleksejs Ponakovs made the call in the small blind and the big blind folded. Players flipped their cards.

Aleksejs Ponakovs: 5♥5♣
Artur Martirosian: Q♥9♦

The board ran out 6♥8♠3♣2♣9♣. Ponakovs remained ahead with his pocket fives until the river brought Martirosian a pair of nines to give him the pot.

Ponakovs was eliminated in seventh place. With that, the money bubble began.

Player	Chips	Progress
Artur Martirosian	960,000 600,000	600,000

Aleksejs Ponakovs	Busted

Tags: Aleksejs Ponakovs Artur Martirosian

Level: 17

Blinds: 10,000/20,000

Ante: 20,000

10-14-2023 21:34 UTC+2

Vaskaboinikau Cracks Kings to Double Up

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Matt Warburton

Level 16 : Blinds 10,000/15,000, 15,000 ante

Action folded around to Kyle Cheong, who moved all in from the button. Mikalai Vaskaboinikau called in the big blind for 261,000, around 13 big blinds. Players flipped their cards, with Vaskaboinikau at risk.

Mikalai Vaskaboinikau: A♥2♥
Kyle Cheong: K♦K♣

The board ran out 6♠4♥A♠7♣J♥. Cheong had pocket kings, but Vaskaboinikau paired his ace on the flop and held. He won the pot and doubled up his stack.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mikalai Vaskaboinikau	560,000 260,000	260,000
Kyle Cheong	310,000 -350,000	-350,000

Tags: Kyle Cheong Mikalai Vaskaboinikau