EPT Warsaw: Day five, level 22 updates

Live updates from day five, level 22 of the EPT Warsaw Main Event event brought to you by Stephen Bartley, Howard Swains and Simon Young.

Blinds: 10,000-20,000 (2,000 ante)

2.40pm: Into the break
Christophe Benzimra opened for 65,000 on the button. Oleksandr Vaserfirer was waiting to call in the big blind and they saw a flop of [6d][td][3d]. Both checked for a [6c] on the turn. Now Vaserfirer made it 65,000 which Benzimra called for a [7s] river card. Another 180,000 from Vaserfirer and Benzimra shuffled in his chair.

"I can't ask you how much you play," said Benzimra, pointing to the huge stack of chips beneath Vaserfirer's chin. "I think you have more chips than me."

Benzimra thought about things but after a couple of minutes Vaserfirer called the clock. Benzimra passed and we go into a 15-minute break at the end of the level.

2.35pm: Benzimra wins Pagano's respect, but loses pot
For the third consecutive hand, Christophe Benzimra raised pre-flop. He got two through, but after he tried it from under-the-gun, Luca Pagano asked him how many chips he had, learning that it was something like 550,000. Pagano re-raised to 215,000. It was folded back round to Benzimra, who said: "You have more chips than me, no?" "Yep,
said Pagano.

Benzimra folded, showing [9h][9d]. "Very good fold," said Pagano, who showed [10h][10d].

2.24pm: Pagano power
Luca Pagano opens for 55,000 under the gun. Clayton Mozdzen moves all-in for more than 400,000. Pagano thought about it but then passed. Mozdzen showed pocket aces.

2.20pm: Battisti forces fold from Mozdzen
Clayton Mozdzen and Alfio Battisti get to a turn without too much excitement: [2h][jd][8h][8d]. Mozdzen bets 75,000 at it but Battisti now reraises, making it another 155,000. Mozdzen looks exceptionally anguished as he passes his Q-J. "Show the eight," he says, but Battisti does not oblige. "How many times can a player fold top pair?" Mozdzen says.

"Twice, I think," he adds.

2.15pm: Pot to Pagano
Alfio Battisti makes it 55,000 from the button. Christophe Benzimra calls in the small blind before Luca Pagano raises to 185,000 in the big. That ended things.

2.10pm: Squeezer out-squeezed
Oleksander Vaserfirer raised to 55,000 from the cut off and got one caller in Alfio Battisti in the small blind. The flop came [js][8c][qs] and after Battisti's check, Vaserfirer's 75,000 was good.

The two were at it again on the next hand, where Battisti's squeeze play went awry. Vaserfier again raised to 55,000 and this time Clayton Mozdzen called from the cut-off. Battisti, in the small blind, re-raised to 155,000, but that only stoked Vaserfirer's flames. He re-re-raised to 370,000 and both others now got out the way.

2.05pm: Prydyk power
Alfio Battisti opened for 55,000 under the gun before the action is folded to Ruslan Prydyk in the big blind. He calls for a flop of [th][ac][kd]. Both check for a [2s] turn. Prydyk checked before Battisti made it 85,000. Prydyk called for a [7h] river card, when both checked Prydyk showed [kc][qd] to win the hand.

1.55pm: Chop chop
No surprises for guessing who is the most active player: the hugely-chipped Oleksandr Vaserfirer. Most players are staying out of his way, although Alfio Battisti got involved, raising to 55,000 and seeing Vaserfirer call from the small blind. The flop came [3d][jh][jc], which both checked, and the turn was [9s]. Vaserfirer bet 75,000, which Battisti called. The river was  [qd] which both players checked again. Vaserfirer showed A-9 for two pair, jacks and nines ace high. And Battisti showed A-9 for the very same thing. Chop.

1.50pm: Three bet
Luca Pagano opened from early position - 50,000 or thereabouts is standard at the moment. Oleksandr Vaserfirer this time found the re-raise, however, and once it was folded back to Pagano, he didn't much fancy it anymore either.

1.45pm: Tentative play
With two of the short stacks now eliminated, the big guns are taking it steady, not wishing to jeopardise their stacks on some foolish rush of blood. Luca Pagano, who is now sitting to the direct left of the imposing stack of Oleksandr Vaserfirer, took down a couple of small pots, one with an under-the-gun pre-flop raise, the other when he completed the blind and fired a 40,000 bet on a king high board. Vaserfirer got out the way.

1.40pm: Short and sweet
Oleksandr Vaserfirer makes it 55,000 which Clayton Mozdzen raises to 210,000, enough for Vaserfirer to pass.

1.35pm: Alexander Klimashin out in seventh place, winning €44,687 (186,050 PLN)
Alexander Klimashin opn shoves with [9d][9h], Christophe Benzimra calls showing [ah][kh]. The board runs: [4d][as][2h][3s][3h]. That's it for Klimashin.

1.30pm: These two again
On a flop of [9h][ad][3h] Clayton Mozdzen made it 75,000 before Alfio Battisti raised to 165,000. It's the second hand that these to have been "at it" as my colleague put it and this time Battisti takes it down. Mozdzen folding, showing a [9s].

1.25pm: Into level 22
No break, just a blinds increase and we play on. Keep track of eliminations throughout the day on the payout page.