EPT Barcelona: Vive La France!

Dlopt joins the big boys
Dlopt, now on about 200,000 has joined a table where blood will surely soon be spilt. With his are the UK's Julian Gardner (150,000), Gus Hanson (90,000) and Noah Boeken (85,000).

There are now 63 players left, and we are fast approaching the first cash position of 45.

Jorgen outshines Ivey
Back at the feature table, where Phil Ivey (above) is starting to look menacing and like a tiger has crept up unnoticed to 65,000. But the hero of the hour under the TV lights is our Norwegian qualifier Jorgen Kjerkol.

Starting the day on little under 12,000 he told how he needed to make a move - and make it fast. Well, he's now up to more than 60,000 and starting to play good, aggressive poker.

Here's an example of two successive hands just after the blinds went up to 1500/3000 with a running ante of 300.
Jorgen is on the big blind and calls a 6,000 bet. The flop of Q-Q-2 sees our man lead out with 10,000 to win the pot. The very next hand is folded around to Jorgen in the small blind, he calls and Phil Ivey checks. The flop comes 10-4-9 and Jorgen bets 6,000. It's too much for Ivey and the Norwegian scoops another pot.

He seems to be enjoying his time in the spotlight.

Farune OUT
PokerStars qualifier Farune is OUT in 67th. In a four-way unraised pot the flop came three clubs. It is checked round and Farune moves in with his remaining 17,000 holding the seven of clubs. He gets one caller holding the ten of clubs. They both made the flush on the river, but Farune was outgunned.

Jeff Lisandro now seems to be chip leader on about 270,000. He raised to 10,000 pre-flop and got reraised to 30,000. He called, the flop came 10-8-8, his opponent bets 30,000 and Jeff moves all in to force his opponent off the pot. He claimed to have J-J - but did not show.