Vive La France!

[user46298]

There is a selection of top French players in the house today, from EPT sensation Arnaud Mattern to high-stakes tournament regulars Bruno Fitoussi and Michel Abecassis. Fitoussi might have strolled in nonchalantly slightly late, but now appears focused on his table which features Frederik Jensen, Darren Lyttle and Farzad Bonyadi among others. He's finished as runner-up in two previous WSOP events - the $1,500 Seven-Card Razz in 2005, and the $50,000 HORSE tournament in 2007, but has yet to get hold of a bracelet of his own.

Mattern is up 4k on his starting stack, while Abecassis is continuing his trend of building early on. He just won a few thousand early chips after cold calling a preflop threebet from Eugene Katchalov (Arkadi Kilman had started it all by making it 300). On the {6-Diamonds} {A-Hearts} {9-Spades} flop, Katchalov bet 1,600, called only by the in-position Abecassis. Both remaining players checked the {9-Diamonds} turn, but Katchalov check-folded when Abecassis bet the river.