Ludovic Lacey

Ludovic Lacey is out in 11th place, moving in with A-T which were stopped dead in their tracks by pocket jacks. Playing down to nine rather than eight means just one further elimination is required for a final table. But the bigger story behind all this is the sudden collapse of Andy Black. From sitting at one point with over 700k a short while ago, he now has just 90k after a series of dark hands sent him to the brink.


Andy Black


The new miracle man Reijo Manninen

It started with a hand against Annette who made a full house that cost Andy 100k. Then a blinds war broke out with Anders Pettersson with Andy pushing all-in with K-2 off suit. Pettersson though had found pocket eights and called, doubling up. There would be more.


Anders Pettersson

PokerStars qualifier Reijo Manninen meanwhile was putting together his own story, battling back from just a few blinds to the felt into the hundreds of thousands despite expectations from all on the rail – who had to kept at bay by Tournament Director Thomas Kremser - that he would be out next. His big hand was with pocket eights and it was Andy Black who called with A-K. With no help on the board another chunk of his stack was headed in the opposite direction. Andy’s collapse was almost complete.

But not quite.

In another brutal blow Tronde Eidsvig took a little more from Andy, moving in with over cards and a flush draw on a low flop with Q-9. Andy, finding pocket fours in the hole, called. But the gods had something else in mind sending a fateful nine on the turn, pairing the one in Tronde’s hand.

From 700k to 90k in half an hour. We need one more elimination before we reach our final. In an astonishing turn around it could well be Andy Black who falls short.