Friday, October 9, 2015 9:42 PM Local Time
The second and penultimate day of the €2,200 Six-Handed No-Limit Hold'em Event #1 at the Spielbank Berlin started with 35 hopefuls, and only 21 of them made the money. After six 60-minute levels, only six players remained. Paul Michaelis, who won a bracelet earlier this year, bagged up the big stack of 670,000, giving him a full third of the total chips in play.
Three other bracelet winners returned to the tables today, and all three made the money before eventually falling short of the final table: Scott Clements (17th, €4,740), Max Pescatori (8th, €12,120) and Jeff Lisandro (7th, €12,120).
The bubble burst in the middle of Level 15. Sebastian Malec and Benjamin Einert were both at risk almost the same time and Malec was the only one to hit the rail. He was all in with against Max Pescatori, who flopped two pair with . Malec's elimination ensured a minimum payday of €3,520 for the 21 remaining participants.
Artur Koren, Sergi Reixach and Alex Rocha fell in quick succession to reduce the field to the final two tables. Other notables that fell short of the final six include Dylan Linde (18th), David Yan (16th), start-of-day chip leader Oliver Price (12th), and Dara O'Kearney (9th).
Here's the lineup for Friday's finale:
Seat 1: Stephen Chidwick - 354,000 (59 bb)
Seat 2: Marvin Rettenmaier - 90,000 (15 bb)
Seat 3: Ricardo Alvarado - 435,000 (73 bb)
Seat 4: Frederic Schwarzer - 242,000 (40 bb)
Seat 5: Paul Michaelis - 670,000 (112 bb)
Seat 6: Makarios Avramidis - 179,000 (30 bb)
There is 25:57 left in Level 19, so blinds will be 3,000/6,000 with a running ante of 1,000 when play resumes. Cards go in the air at 12:00 p.m. local time, and the action will be live streamed via Twitch.
Friday, October 9, 2015 8:26 PM Local Time
Paul Michaelis opens to 13,000 under the gun, and Jeff Lisandro defends his big blind, leaving about 25,000 chips behind.
On the flop, Lisandro moves all in with and Michaelis calls with . Lisandro has plenty of outs to work with, but he finds no help on the turn or river.
Lisandro is out in seventh place, setting the official final table and signaling the end of Day 2.
A full recap of the day's action will be posted shortly.
Paul Michaelis - 670,000
Jeff Lisandro - Eliminated in 7th Place (€12,120)
Friday, October 9, 2015 8:23 PM Local Time
Paul Michaelis opens to 13,000, and he's called by both Stephen Chidwick (button) and Ricardo Alvarado (big blind).
Alvarado and Michaelis check the flop, and Chidwick bets 21,000. Only Michaelis calls, and both players check through the turn and river.
Michaelis shows the to win the pot with a pair of kings.
Paul Michaelis - 625,000
Friday, October 9, 2015 8:15 PM Local Time
Marvin Rettenmaier opens to 13,000, and Paul Michaelis defends his big blind.
Michaelis checks the flop, and Rettenmaier bets 12,000. Michaelis check-raises to 28,000, and after some time, Rettenmaier reraises to 57,000. Michaelis, though, comes right back over the top with another raise to 90,000. Rettenmaier tanks and folds.
From start to finish, the hand takes more than ten minutes to play out.
Paul Michaelis - 585,000
Marvin Rettenmaier - 115,000
Friday, October 9, 2015 8:02 PM Local Time
Marvin Rettenmaier and Frederic Schwarzer are heads up on a flop.
From the big blind, Rettenmaier check-calls a bet of 10,000, and both players check through the turn. The river is the , and Rettenmaier leads for 22,000. Schwarzer calls, and Rettenmaier shows , winning the pot with aces up.
Marvin Rettenmaier - 197,000
Friday, October 9, 2015 7:53 PM Local Time
Level: 19
Blinds: 3000/6000
Ante: 1000
Friday, October 9, 2015 7:40 PM Local Time
The players have been sent on a quick ten-minute break, and action will resume at 7:50 p.m.
Here's how they stack up heading into the new level:
Seat 1: Stephen Chidwick - 332,000 (55 bb)
Seat 2: Marvin Rettenmaier - 152,000 (25 bb)
Seat 3: Ricardo Alvarado - 444,000 (74 bb)
Seat 4: Frederic Schwarzer - 285,000 (48 bb)
Seat 5: Jeff Lisandro - 58,000 (10 bb)
Seat 6: Paul Michaelis - 510,000 (85 bb)
Seat 7: Makarios Avramidis - 201,000 (34 bb)
Friday, October 9, 2015 7:32 PM Local Time
Marvin Rettenmaier opens to 11,500, and Ricardo Alvarado calls. Frederic Schwarzer squeezes in a three-bet to 29,000 from the cutoff. Rettenmaier folds, but Alvarado calls to go heads up. Alvarado checks the flop, and Schwarzer peeks at his cards again before checking behind.
Both players check through the turn, and Alvarado checks again on the river. Schwarzer bets 29,000, and Alvarado folds.
Frederic Schwarzer - 260,000
Friday, October 9, 2015 7:24 PM Local Time
Stephen Chidwick defends his big blind to a Marvin Rettenmaier raise, and the flop comes . Rettenmaier continues for 8,500, but he folds to a Chidwick check-raise of 25,000.
A few hands later, Rettenmaier opens to 11,500 from the cutoff. Ricardo Alvarado squeezes to 26,500 on the button, and Rettenmaier folds without incident.
Ricardo Alvarado - 460,000
Stephen Chidwick - 340,000
Marvin Rettenmaier - 175,000
Friday, October 9, 2015 7:15 PM Local Time
Paul Michaelis won a small pot against Stephen Chidwick on a board. The German pro check-called a Chidwick flop bet of 11,000, and the turn went check-check. Michaelis led for 42,000 on the river, and Chidwick surrendered his cards into the muck.
One hand later, Chidwick opens again, and he's called by both Frederic Schwarzer (middle position) and Makarios Avramidis (big blind). All three players check the flop, and Chidwick bets 24,000 on the turn. Schwarzer moves all in for 99,000, Avramidis folds out of the way, and Chidwick calls, showing .
Schwarzer turns over for the flopped nut flush, and the river completes the board to secure his double.
Stephen Chidwick - 310,000
Frederic Schwarzer - 230,000
Friday, October 9, 2015 7:03 PM Local Time
Jeff Lisandro moves all-in twice, and both shoves get through. Lisandro adds 11,000 chips to his stack each time, though he's still got an uphill climb in front of him.
Jeff Lisandro - 65,000
Friday, October 9, 2015 7:00 PM Local Time
Frederic Schwarzer opens the button to 10,000 and Paul Michaelis defends his big blind. On the flop, Michaelis check-calls a bet of 6,000. Both players check through the turn and river.
Schwarzer shows , and Michaelis tables to win the pot.
Paul Michaelis - 430,000
Frederic Schwarzer - 120,000
Friday, October 9, 2015 6:54 PM Local Time
On the first hand of the unofficial final table, Stephen Chidwick wins the blinds and antes with a raise to 11,000 from the button.
On the next hand, Marvin Rettenmaier opens the button to 11,500, and both Ricardo Alvarado (small blind) and Frederic Schwarzer (big blind) call.
On the flop, Alvarado and Schwarzer check. Rettenmaier bets 18,500, and only Alvarado calls. Both players check the turn and Alvarado bets 38,000 on the river. Rettenmaier folds.
Ricardo Alvarado - 460,000
Marvin Rettenmaier - 228,000
Friday, October 9, 2015 6:46 PM Local Time
There are 51 minutes remaining in the current level, after which there is a scheduled dinner break. If, however, the final table is not determined by then and all players agree, they will continue to play.
Here's the lineup:
Seat 1: Stephen Chidwick (United Kingdom)
Seat 2: Marvin Rettenmaier (Germany)
Seat 3: Ricardo Alvarado (USA)
Seat 4: Frederic Schwarzer (Germany)
Seat 5: Jeff Lisandro (Australia)
Seat 6: Paul Michaelis (Germany)
Seat 7: Makarios Avramidis (Greece)
Friday, October 9, 2015 6:35 PM Local Time
Max Pescatori limps in from the small blind, and Makarios Avramidis checks his option in the big blind. On the flop, Pescatori check-raises all in for 55,000 chips. Avramidis calls with the covering stack.
Pescatori:
Avramidis:
"My fault", Pescatori says with a smile.
The turn gives the "Italian Pirate" three more outs, but the river is a miss. Avramidis wins the pot with a full house sending Pescatori to the rail in eighth place.
There will be a short break to set up the unofficial final table of seven.
Makarios Avramidis - 220,000
Max Pescatori - Eliminated in 8th Place (€12,120)
Friday, October 9, 2015 6:30 PM Local Time
In a battle of the blinds, Jeff Lisandro moves all in for 31,500, and Frederic Schwarzer calls. Schwarzer has the superior stack and , but Lisandro is in the lead with . The board runs out , and Lisandro survives yet another all-in showdown for his tournament life.
Frederic Schwarzer - 165,000
Jeff Lisandro - 70,000
Friday, October 9, 2015 6:24 PM Local Time
Ricardo Alvarado opens the action with a raise to 10,000 from the button and Dara O'Kearney moves all in for 85,000 in the small blind. Alvarado calls with . O'Kearney has one overcard with , but he fails to improve on the board that runs out .
Ricardo Alvarado - 408,000
Dara O'Kearney - Eliminated in 9th Place (€8,790)
Friday, October 9, 2015 6:20 PM Local Time
Level: 18
Blinds: 2500/5000
Ante: 500
Friday, October 9, 2015 6:16 PM Local Time
On the turn of an board, Paul Michaelis checks, and Stephen Chidwick leads for 33,000 into a pot of 47,000. Michaelis calls and checks again on the river. Chidwick bets 65,000, and Michaelis announces the call. Chidwick shows to win the pot with eights up, and Michaelis mucks.
Stephen Chidwick - 450,000
Paul Michaelis - 350,000
Friday, October 9, 2015 6:14 PM Local Time
Paul Michaelis opens to 9,000 from the cutoff and Ilkin Amirov, who had just moved to the table, goes all in for 97,000 from the big blind. Michaelis quickly calls with , up against Amirov's . The board runs out , and Amirov is eliminated in tenth place.
Paul Michaelis - 470,000
Ilkin Amirov - Eliminated in 10th Place (€8,790)