The Semi Finals of Event #5 €10,400 No-Limit Hold'em (Split Format)

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You have to hold your hands up and salute the World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) for continuing to be innovative. The €10,400 No-Limit Hold'em (Split Format) event has been a lot of fun, has created a great prize pool and shows that poker tournaments can continue to evolve.

The semi-final draw and created an interesting connotation because the two largest chip stacks face off against each other. This will give the winner of the Mizrachi and Hairabedian encounter a big advantage moving into the final round. Let's meet the players.

Today, four players return to a jam-packed Hotel Majestic Barriere to play the final two rounds of heads up action.

Roger Hairabedian has a resume littered with six-figure scores and 2011 is no different. The man known as "Big Roger" has already made the Partouche €8,500 No Limit Hold'em final table where he will play for a first prize of €1 million. Hairabedian managed to secure heads-up victories over Dimitry Motorov and the then chip leader Brian Powell, to secure his semi-final confrontation against Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi.

One man who needs no introduction is Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi. The WSOP bracelet winner and two-time WPT winner defeated Kent Lundmark and then Brian Hastings, in true Grinder style, to secure a semi-final berth against Hairabedian.

In the other half of the draw Shawn Buchanan had the misfortune of drawing arguably the worlds greatest tournament player, in the first round. The man known as Bucky has had a great WSOPE so far (two cashes) and his good run of form got him past Jason Mercier and then Anatolii Ozhenilok.

Facing Buchanan will be Noah Schwartz. Schwartz had an all American route to the semi finals. In the first round he overcame the ever-dangerous Bryn Kenney and then defeated Dan Fleyshman in the Quarter Finals. Schwartz will face off against Buchanan in the semi finals as he tries to capture his first major title.

The action will commence at 17.00 (CET) in Majestic #1 Hotel Majestic Barriere so be there or be square.