This is the earliest we've made it three-way in an EPT final in some time - but speedy starts can often result in lengthy three-ways and heads-ups, so we are staying pretty comfortable in the press room for the timebeing.
2010 PokerStars.net EPT Barcelona
Jesus Cortes Lizano has been getting quite bored watching Kent Lundmark and Konstantin Puchkov battle it out and decided to get involved when he raised to 255,000 from the button. Lundmark and Puchkov both called in the blinds and we had three way action on the flop.
Flop:
Lundmark checked, Puchkov nodded and Lizano predictably bet the Ace high board making it 465,000 to play. Lundmark quickly folded but Puchkov made the call.
Turn:
Puchkov again checked and Lizano fired a second barrel worth 1,135,000. Puchkov rose to his feet and pondered for a while before making the check raise to 2,500,000. Lizano folded.
Konstantin Puchkov raised from the button and Kent Lundmark called in the big blind to see a flop. Lundmark checked. Puchkov bet 325,000, and Lundmark made the call.
Both players checked the turn and they proceeded directly to the river. Lundmark now bet out 825,000, and after a pause Puchkov called, but looked distinctly unhappy and mucked when Lundmark turned over for a flush.
Lundmark was chip leader at the start of the hand, but his chip lead after the hand is once more convincing.
Kent Lundmark and Konstantin Puchkov seem to be taking over the action in this three handed tournament. Lundmark opens from the button to 200,000 and Puchkov defends in the Small Blind as normal. The flop is a very dry and Puchkov checks to Lundmark who bets 225,000 and Puchkov calls. The turn is and both players check. The river is and Puchkov bets half pot 530,000 and Lundmark makes the call.
Puchkov turns over for second pair and Lundmark folds his hand.
Konstantin Puchkov and Kent Lundmark have been in a constant battle since we went three-handed, with Puchkov being content with calling Lundmark's raises preflop.
From the small blind, Lundmark made it 300,000 to play, and Mr Puchkov decided he was prepared to pay that number of chips to see a flop. The flop came down , prompting checks from both players.
Turn: - Lundmark checked again, then called his Russian opponent's 350,000 bet.
River: - Lundmark once again checked but this time he folded when Puchkov made a bet of exactly 1,000,000 chips!
Kent Lundmark seems to like a min-raise at this stage in the tournament - and why not? The min-raising strategy seems to have worked out for him so far, what with him being chip leader and whatnot - but this time it didn't quite go his way.
So Lundmark min-raised from the button and both his opponents called in the blinds. They saw a flop and it checked to Lundmark. He bet 280,000 and Puchkov called; Lizano folded and they were heads up.
The turn was the and Puchkov check-called what looked like 625,000 (the TV folks have started showing us occasional chip counts, but the graphics now seem to have disappeared) from Lundmark. They both checked the river, and Puchkov's for a pair of tens was victorious over Lundmark's for sixes.
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Jesus Cortes Lizano opened up from the button with a bet of 220,000 and serial blind defender Konstantin Puchkov called in the big blind. Puchkov once again proving that he is entirely comfortable playing pots out of position.
The flop was and Puchkov lead for a bet of ~220,000 and Lizano called. The turn was and Puchkov fired the second barrel, this time of 325,000 and again Lizano called. The river paired the board when the fell and this slowed Puchkov right down and he checked. Lizano considered the situation before checking as well and took the pot down after his had counterfeited Puchkovs��s flopped two pair after the river had paired.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Kent Lundmark |
9,450,000
1,250,000
|
1,250,000 |
|
||
Jesus Cortes Lizano
|
5,885,000
-470,000
|
-470,000 |
Konstantin Puchkov |
4,885,000
-995,000
|
-995,000 |
It folded around to the newly short-stacked Shander de Vries on the button, who went all in for 1.22 million. In the big blind Kent Lundmark quickly called. De Vries didn't look happy, and he had good reason to be afraid.
De Vries:
Lundmark:
Board:
With that, de Vries fell into the consoling arms of his incredibly beautiful girlfriend at the rail, and we were down to three.