[user66118]
"This is going to be over in 10 hands at this pace," I said as I moved closer to the table. My blogging partner danafish wasn't having any of it. "I bet he doubles up before that," she said. Cue the dramatic foreshadowing.
Pierre Neuvile open-raised to 175,000, and Antoino Matias made the call from the big blind.
The flop came down , and Matias led out with a bet of 200,000. Neuville didn't waste any time calling, and the turn revealed the . When Matias fired another 250,000, Neuville moved all in for 545,000 total. Matias was hating it, but he knew he had to call. We know that because he said, "I have to call." With Neuville at risk, the cards were flipped.
Showdown
Neuville:
Matias:
Neuville had turned his straight with a flush draw to go along with it. Matias would need a non-spade queen to make a higher straight and take the title. But the dealer filled out the board with the , a blank.
Neuville notches a much-needed double up, and he's back in the running now. He's at 1.840 now, while Matias has the rest -- just less than 8 million.
[user46392]
Not much action so far in terms of nail-biting action.
One pot went Pierre Neuville's way when he bet 150,000 on the river of a board. Matias folded.
Then the chips went back to Matias when he called a 125,000 bet on the turn of a board, both players checking the river. Matias turned over for, well, ace-high - and it was good enough to make Neuville muck.
[user66118]
On the first hand of heads-up play, Pierre Neuville opened with a raise to 170,000 from the small blind. In the big, Antonio Matias announced a re-raise.
"All in. There is soccer game to see."
That drew a rise from the crowd and Neuville as well. Matias apparently wants to get this over with in just one hand, but Neuville would not oblige him this time, surrendering his cards and waiting for a better spot.
[user66118]
Jeff Sarwer - 3rd Place
From the button, Antonio Matias open-raised to 125,000. Both Pierre Neuville and Jeff Sarwer came along from the blinds for a family pot. The dealer ran out a flop of , and Neuville checked. Sarwer led out with 275,000 chips. Another raise came from Matias, and this time it was the big stick. He announced an all in, and Neuville tank-folded to put the decision back on Sarwer.
"Flush draw?" he asked. There was no response from Matias. Sarwer was clearly struggling with a tough decision, and it would take another several minutes of debate before he acted. "Do you have a really big hand?" he tried again. "If I had a pair of nines, would that be good?"
Matias broke a little bit. "Maybe. Maybe not," he said, looking awfully relaxed. "You'll have to find out."
Sarwer put his hands behind his chips as if ready to shove them in, but he took pause to glance around the rail and consider his decision one more time. "You're running so hot, it's like..." Sarwer was trailing off, but it seems he'd made up his mind. Finally, with a reluctant, "All right," he moved his chips in, all in and at risk.
Showdown
Sarwer:
Matias:
The news was not good for Sarwer as he was well behind and in danger of elimination. "Red nine!" yelled Ricky Fohrenbach from the rail.
The turn wasn't a red nine, but it was a fine sight for Sarwer. The peeled off to improve him to two pair and put him one card from a double up. "Come on, fade the eight-outer!" yelled another railbird, John Aguiar.
But Sarwer could not. The hit the river, and Matias re-improved to tens up, earning the pot and knocking off Sarwer in 3rd place. After another fine EPT run, Sarwer's been checkmated.
After mulling around the rail for a little while, Sarwer thanked the audience and said goodbye. He was shown off to a hearty ovation, heading to the cage to pick up a check for more than �150,000.
[user46392]
First hand back, and Jeff Sarwer made it 160,000 from the button; Antonio Matias called out of the small.
Matias bet out 100,000 on the flop and after a short pause Sarwer called. They checked down the turn and river, though, and Matias' was presumably good as Sarwer mucked his hand.
[user46392]
Antonio Matias made it 125,000 from the button and Jeff Sarwer called in the big blind.
Sarwer bet out 150,000 on the flop, but was forced into the tank when Matias raised. Eventually he called.
The turn was the and this Sarwer checked. Matias bet 375,000, and once more Sarwer retreated to the quiet safety of the tank. When he came out again, he called.
The river came down the and once again Sarwer checked. This time Matias checked too - and his offsuit was good enough to take the pot away from Sarwer, who mucked.
![[user66118]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
, and Matias led out with a bet of 200,000. Neuville didn't waste any time calling, and the turn revealed the 
. When Matias fired another 250,000, Neuville moved all in for 545,000 total. Matias was hating it, but he knew he had to call. We know that because he said, "I have to call." With Neuville at risk, the cards were flipped.
, a blank.
board. Matias folded.
river. Matias turned over 
for, well, ace-high - and it was good enough to make Neuville muck.
hit the river, and Matias re-improved to tens up, earning the pot and knocking off Sarwer in 3rd place. After another fine EPT run, Sarwer's been checkmated.
river, though, and Matias' 
and this Sarwer checked. Matias bet 375,000, and once more Sarwer retreated to the quiet safety of the tank. When he came out again, he called.
and once again Sarwer checked. This time Matias checked too - and his 
offsuit was good enough to take the pot away from Sarwer, who mucked.