The plan was for eight levels of a field down to 32. We wondered how long it would take and it turned out things moved fast just when it was expected to slow. The approach to the bubble was as expected, nothing like the hour long bubble play last year.

Mats Iremark -

The EPT Deauville champion of season two was an unexpected casualty before we reached the money. In a pot involving Mike McDonald and King-queen Mats showed Jacks, good at the start of the hand and with all your chips in the middle, bad when a queen hit the board twice and your chips won’t come back.

Stephen Wrenger -

Probably missed for most of the tournament Wrenger would have the ignoble job of being the bubble boy, and it was another EPT winner Brandon Schaeffer who would see him off, grateful for a little touch of good fortune – a dramatic one too. Q-T-5 on the flop which hit both players well. Q-T for Brandon and two pairs, T-T for Wrenger to move ahead. Until the turn, an explosive card with the noise of the crowd audible two flights up. Brandon takes the pot and Wrenger leaves with nothing.

The pace showed no signs of slowing, most seemingly grateful for an early-ish night, thanks mainly to two hands that both saw two players gone in quick succession – between then and the 32 left now Ramsi Jelassi fell victim to a killer four, despite holding aces, against anothe rplayer with tens. As well as the four a ten hit the river, ending all hope for Ramsi who would have taken the side pot had the river not been so bad. And then crowd favourite and legendary gambler Thor Hansen marked the final elimination of the day, exiting in 33rd place the victim with A-T against an ugly run in with a K-Q found another king on the flop.