EPT Prague: Day 1a, level five and six updates

Updates from day 1a levels five and six of EPT Prague, brought to you by Stephen Bartley, Marc "The Conv" Convey, Howard Swains and Simon Young.

Level five blinds: 150-300 (25 ante)
Level six blinds: 200-400 (50 ante)

6.40pm: Break
That's the end of level six, and the players are on their last 15-minute break of the day. Just two more levels to go today, folks.

6.35pm: The Gork show
Marc Gork opened proceeding with a 1,025 from first position and was called in two spots before a player in the small blind moved all in for 42,125. Gork had him covered by just 400 chips and went in to a little act as people gathered around the rail.

"I've been waiting for a situation like this all day and now it's the last hand of this table" Gork said in reference to his situation and the fact the table was just about to be broken. A few German expletives followed as well as Gork hiding his face in his Ushanka hat. He eventually made the call which prompted quick folds from the other two players still involved.

Gork opened [ts][th] to his opponent's [ah][qc] and the board ran [jc][4h][3c][kc][5s] to double Gork up to 86,000. His opponent meanwhile heads for the exit

6.20pm: Kelly doubles
Team PokerStars Pro JP Kelly doubled up when his K-K outlasted an opponent's A-2. The two of them got into something of a pre-flop raising war before all the chips went in the middle, much to Kelly's delight. He's now up to 65,000.

6.10pm: Kang you believe it?
Nothing has gone right for Ben Kang today. Losing races, hands being counterfeited has been the name of the game and he's just exited in a race after hitting an ace on the flop.
Antonin Teisseire limped from under-the-gun temping two more limpers in before Ben Kang moved all in for his last 3,575 from the button. Teisseire was the only caller with [7s][7c] and he was racing Kang's [ah][9c]. As mentioned Kang flopped an ace but the river ended his tournament. The board was [qc][5h][ad][5s][7h].

5.50pm: Efficiently winning pots
German Team PokerStars Pros Katja Thater and Florian Langmann have recently won pots without having to show down.

Thater led for 5,000 with the board showing [9h][qs][8d][js] and around 4,500 in the pot. Her opponent slowly called but mucked to her all in push on the [8c] river. She's up to 26,000 as a result.

Langmann, sat on the next table, also took down a pot in with no need to show. Konstantinos Alexiou opened proceedings with a min raise to 600 from the hijack before Langmann three-bet to 1,600. Both Alexiou and Manole on the button called to see the [4d][ts][4h] flop. Langmann continued his aggression with a 3,000 bet only to be called by the Greek. He folded to Langmann's 7,000 though after the turn came [jc]. Langmann going along nicely on 72,000.

5.40pm: Too high for Mihai
More punishment for Mihai Manole, a set-back in his recent comeback. On a flop of [kd][2s][td] he made it 4,000 which Konstantinos Alexiou called for a [7c] on the turn. Now Manole checked. Alexiou made it 8,000 now, wasting no time with his bets. Manole went into the tank but it wasn't long before Alexiou called the clock, signalling to the dealer like a football
coach calling a time out. Manole folded before the clock ran down. Manole admitted to having king-queen.

"You win," said Alexious, before on second thoughts adding "maybe." Manole looked robbed.

5.35pm: From the features desk
It doesn't always have to be so frantic. Take a leisurely perusal at the latest offerings from our features department, namely the story of the rise and fall of Christophe Schmeyer, from Germany, as well as the tale of four flying Dutchmen in today's field.

5.30pm: Counter attack
Constantin Cirstea just had his own little fist pump after tripling up to 35,000. There was a three-way all in on a [as][2s][7d] flop. Cirstea held [qs][ts] to his opponent's [ac][jd] and [7s][6s] respectively. Instant service for the Romanian as the turn came [4s] to complete his flush and comeback, for now.

5.27pm: Watch this
And now it's time for a video. Here's a look at the PokerStars welcome party last night...

5.25pm: We know this; we don't know that
The tournament information board currently confidently displays the fact that 180 players remain the the day 1a field. What's less certain is how many we started with. There's a slight discrepancy on the admin side of things and when that's ironed out we'll discover if it's 219 or 220 players who signed up today.

5.20pm: This week's Ukrainian
Pretty much every week we highlight a new poker force and realise that the more we do so, the less credibility our bold assertions carry. But this one is for real: the breakout country on this year's EPT has been Ukraine. Not only did Kyiv host the first event of the tour, but the likes of Oleksandr Vaserfirer, Alexander Dovzhenko and the sensational ex-pat Yevgeniy Timoshenko have been ripping through tournament fields all year.

And what do you know, the first man through 100,000 here in Prague is Ukranian. This time it's Oleh Okhotskyi, who has about 120,000, four times his starting stack, at the mid-point of level five.

5.10pm: Fist pumping
Five players saw the flop of [7c][3s][4d] but only Constantin Cirstea and Peter de Korver took it any further. Cirstea, who went deep in EPT Barcelona this season, checked to EPT Grand Final winner De Korver who bet 900. Call. Manole checked the [th] turn as well. De Korver bet 1,925. Call. Then the river card [6s]. Manole checked once more. De Korver grabbed 12,000 from his stack and lumped it in.

Cirstea called in a flash. De Korver turned over [8s][5s] and pumped his fists in celebration. Cirstea hadn't even showed his cards yet. "Of course I've got a straight," said De Korver, who had left Cirstea with 11,000 while moving up to close to 50k himself. "My area code, five-eight." We didn't find out what area code Cirstea lives in.

5.00pm: Dutchman flying again
Team PokerStars Pro Marcel Luske's stack had dwindled back below his starting stack after reaching lofty heights early on. Not to worry though as he's flying again after doubling up to 55,000 through Richard Grace.

Luske opened the action with an early position raise to 700 and was flat called in two spots before Grace three-bet to 4,600 from the small blind. Luske then four-bet and then called all in after Grace pushed. It was a bit of a cooler as Luske opened [as][ad] to Grace's [qs][qh] and the board ran out a safe [jd][4h][6d][2d][3c]. Grace knocked back down to 15,100.

4.45pm: And we're back
Players have enjoyed a 15-minute break and are back to battle it out once more. Meanwhile, here's a picture of a clown...