Cristian Dragomir, the last remaining PokerStars qualifier has been eliminated from the tournament in fifth place.
Down to just 160,000 he moved all in from under the gun, next to act was Koen De Visscher and he re-raised to 270,000, which was enough to force everyone else out of the pot.
Dragomir:
De Visscher:
The board was a rather uneventful and with it the emotional Dragomir shook the hands of the rest of the table and wished them all good luck. A true gentleman.
Vladimir Geshkenbein opened to 110,000 in the cutoff but on the button Cristian Dragomir made it 250,000 to go. The blinds folded, Geshenbein called, and they saw the flop.
Flop:
Geshkenbein checked and Dragomir bet 255,000. But Geskenbein now check-raised all in for 2.405 million, leaving Dragomir with a huge decision - he covered Geshkenbein, but only by 170,000.
"I am ahead," Dragomir told Geshkenbein.
"You think I go all in without a hand?" asked Geshkenbein, amused.
Dragomir was completely serious as he replied, "Yes, actually I do. I'm afraid I'm going to call and look stupid. It's better than what you have, but it's stupid." Geshkenbein was meanwhile swinging his toy monkey card protector around. "The monkey you think is going to help you now?" continued Dragomir. Then, "Will you show me if I fold?"
"If you show me what you fold," said Geshkenbein cheerfully. "And you show first."
"But you show me?"
"One."
And then Dragomir made the call.
Dragomir: for a pair of eights
Geshkenbein: for a flush draw and overcards
Turn:
River: bringing in the flush
Geshkenbein did a little crotch-pumping dance as he doubled up to 5,310,000 and the chip lead. Dragomir meanwhile was crippled to 170,000 - when he returns from break, that will be less than three big blinds.
Cristian Dragomir raised to 100,000 and Kevin Vandersmissen called in the big blind to see an flop. Vandersmissen then called a pot-sized 200,000 bet on the flop to see a turn.
Again the Belgian checked and Dragomir fired out 300,000 and again the Belgian made the call before once more checking, this time on the river.
Dragomir decided to somehow check back and turned over for the straight, clearly worried about the chance of a flush being out there.
Giacomo Maisto opened to 110,000 preflop and Vladimir Geshkenbein made it 260,000 on the button. A quick call to see a flop which both players checked.
The came on the turn and Maisto checked again, Geshkenbein bet 300,000 but the Italian clicked it back to 600,000 and Geshkenbein looked very frustrated, folding.
Maisto showed the and said, "Eight-eight."
"Why would you raise the turn with that?" said a very exasperated Geshkenbein as the Italian moved back over the 3 million mark.
Koen De Visscher is slowly chipping up after backing into two pair in a hand against Giacomo Maisto.
De Visscher opened with a 100,000 raise from the button, which only Maisto called from the big blind. The dealer put out the flop, Maisto initially checked then called a 110,000 bet from the Belgian.
The turn brought the into play and both players checked their option to bet but when the arrived on the turn Maisto checked then quickly called a 340,000 bet from De Visscher.
The big river bet turned out to be a value bet as De Visscher turned over for two pair, much better then the of the Italian.
De Visscher now has 2,200,000 whilst Maisto has 2,000,000.
Cristian Dragomir has been quite vocal since the last break, something that seems to be really annoying Vladimir Geshkenbein.
Giacomo Maisto opened to 105,000 from the button and Geshkenbein made the call in the small blind. Dragomir then raised to 400,000 which prompted a fold from Maisto but Geshkenbein wanted a little longer to think about what he was going to do.
"Why so much?" asked the tournament's sole Russian survivor
Dragomir then explained, in great detail, how he likes to three-bet more when out of position but Geshkenbein, a $25/$50 cash game regular, did not seem to impressed.
"Don't waste our time," commanded Dragomir, "There is no hand you can have that you would call him (Maisto) that you can call 400,000 more with," before adding, "I'll go for a cigarette if you promise to take the entire five minutes and not play."
This seemed to rile Geshkenbein who turned a nice shade of scarlet before he folded his hand. Dragomir, who had seen Geshkenbein's demeanour completely change then said to him "I only poker you. If you mind I will stop."
"I mind" said Geshkenbein abruptly.
"I will stop."
I have a sneaky feeling these two could clash very soon.
Cristian Dragomir opened to 105,000 in the cutoff and Kevin Vandersmissen in the small blind called to see a flop, which they both checked.
The turn was the and Vandersmissen bet out 140,000; it was met with a swift call and they saw the river - the . Vandersmissen bet out again, this time 270,000, and found himself snap-called. He matter-of-factly turned over for a gutshot that had gone nowhere, and Dragomir''s was good to take the pot.