Kevin Stani is proving he's not to be messed with. He raised on the button to 180,000, and in the small blind, Arnaud Mattern three-bet to 560,000. Stani slowly made the call. The action flop came , and Mattern fired out 650,000. Stani's hands shook so hard it was difficult for him to slide out the three stacks he needed to raise to 1.5 million. Mattern gave up his hand, and Stani celebrated the huge pot by giving Arnaud a look at his cards - . That put Stani over 6 million and knocked Mattern back to the short stack.
That's for you darts fans. Also it is coincidentally the number that our three remaining players are using for their opening raises while most pots are not even reaching the flop.
The only one that has saw Konstantin Bilyauer check-raise Arnaud Mattern off a flop. Mattern had opened the button to 180,000 and the Russian flat-called before raising Mattern's 210,000 flop bet to 530,000 to elicit a fold.
Mattern got some of the chips back soon after though, Bilyauer raised to 180,000 from the button but the Frenchman reraised to 560,000 from the big blind to win a few chips back. Meanwhile Kevin Stani is still the chip leader.
First hand back, and Arnaud Mattern limped in on the small blind before calling a raise to 185,000 from Konstantin Bilyauer in the big blind. This was a promising start, but in the event they checked down the board before Bilyauer took it with . Mattern mucked and play continued.
A very small limp/checked pot between Kevin Stani and Arnaud Mattern in the blinds turned interesting on the turn of the board when Stani bet out 80,000 and Mattern suddenly raised to 250,000. Stani looked him up and down, and made the call.
Stani checked the river and Mattern fired out another 220,000, but Stani called and his was presumably good as Mattern mucked and Stani's lead increased to 5.45 million. Mattern is still firmly in second place after that, on 4.15 million.
Arnaud Mattern raised to 150,000, and Konstantin Bilyauer called in the small blind. They both quickly checked the flop and the turn. Bilyauer checked a third time after the river, but this time, Mattern decided to bet 160,000. Bilyauer tossed out the call with a shrug but folded when he saw Mattern's .
Arnaud Mattern check-called a bet of 225,000 from Konstantin Bilyauer on a flop of before both players checked the turn and river. Bilyauer showed but it was no good against Mattern's .
Next hand saw Mattern open the small blind to 150,000 but fold when Bilyauer made it 365,000.
A couple of hands later and Kevin Stani limped in the small blind, Mattern checking his option. Stani fired out 75,000 on a flop of and then 175,000 on the turn. Mattern called both these bets to see a river, Stani checked this time and now Mattern bet 320,000 putting Stani into the tank, but the Norwegian folded and another pot went to the Team PokerStars Pro.
Mattern opened the small blind in the next hand to 165,000 and Bilyauer attempted to reraise but accidentally made a string bet and it was counted as a call. Mattern now fired 220,000 on the flop and Bilyauer, still rueing his mistake folded once again.
The Frenchman looks to be slowly edging back towards the chip lead.
Although they couldn't help him read his hand in that last encounter with Konstantin Bilyauer, the poker gods are being pretty good to Kevin Stani right now.
Konstantin Bilyauer made it 140,000 from the button and Stani called in the big blind before check-calling 170,000 from Bilyauer on the flop and another 260,000 on the turn. Stani checked a third time on the river and this time Bilyauer checked behind, before announcing, "Ah, come on," with a grin on his face, then, "Feck." Stani had turned over for a flush draw which had turned into two pair on the river; Bilyauer's own was no longer ahead and Stani took the pot.
![[user140525]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
, and Mattern fired out 650,000. Stani's hands shook so hard it was difficult for him to slide out the three stacks he needed to raise to 1.5 million. Mattern gave up his hand, and Stani celebrated the huge pot by giving Arnaud a look at his cards - 
. That put Stani over 6 million and knocked Mattern back to the short stack.
board before Bilyauer took it with 
. Mattern mucked and play continued.
board when Stani bet out 80,000 and Mattern suddenly raised to 250,000. Stani looked him up and down, and made the call.
flop and the 
turn. Bilyauer checked a third time after the 
river, but this time, Mattern decided to bet 160,000. Bilyauer tossed out the call with a shrug but folded when he saw Mattern's 
before both players checked the 
turn and 
.
and then 175,000 on the 
turn. Mattern called both these bets to see a 
river and this time Bilyauer checked behind, before announcing, "Ah, come on," with a grin on his face, then, "Feck." Stani had turned over 
was no longer ahead and Stani took the pot.