In the last week or so, we've talked a lot about the World Cup of Poker and the live finals in the Bahamas. We've spoken of the bright sun, soft sand, and blue water. What we really haven't delved into too deeply is what will actually happen in the Bahamas at the World Cup of Poker V live finals.

Seems like a good time, no?

As you likely know already, 54 teams will compete around the world. Of those 54 teams, nine will end up at the live finals. Based on the World Cup of Poker rules, those nine teams will come from each of the nine divisions: U.S.A., Canada, Germany, United Kingdom, three European Divisons, Latin America, and the Rest of the World.

The Divison Play-Offs for those nine divisions take place on December 7. The teams who make it to the finals will be playing for nearly $300,000 in prize money. Here's how they will do it.

Once in the islands, the teams will compete in a preliminary live round to determine the Team Score. The scores in that round will determine the team's stack-size in a final round. In that round, each team will play a forced-rotation single-table tournament. When it's all said and done, that single-table event will determine not only the World Cup of Poker champion, but the prize money for the final nine teams.

Here's the payout structure.

World Cup of Poker Live Final Prizes

1st: $100,000 ($20,000 per person)
2nd: $70,000 ($14,000 per person)
3rd: $50,000 ($10,000 per person)
4th: $30,000 ($6,000 per person)
5th-7th: $10,000 ($2,000 per person)
8th-9th: $5,000 ($1,000 per person)

It's all explained in greater detail on the World Cup of Poker V website.

Next up on the schedule is this Sunday's USA, Canada, Germany Divisional Qualifiers. We'll have mor eon that in the next couple of days.

by Adam "STUDstood" Roberts

I have been getting some positive feedback with regards to this game selection topic so I would like to continue with it.

In addition to what we have already covered, other factors should be paid attention to when choosing which game(s) to compete in.

Do you prefer playing heads-up or short-handed?

There are many opportunities to do this, especially online. If and when the game you’re in fills up, quitting it and either joining a different short-handed game, or starting a heads-up game with someone else should not a problem, especially if you are able to play different game types and limits.

Does your playing style suit itself to heads-up, short-handed, or full games?

This is something only you will be able to determine, either by feel or results. Just remember that the “speed of the game” (both in actual hands dealt and the style of play), as well as the value of hands, differ as the amount of players in the game changes. One thing you do have to take into consideration is that heads-up and short-handed games may break down at a moment’s notice. If you are either stuck money in that game or on a positive “rush,”, you may not want that to happen. With full games, you can usually see when a game is in a precarious position to break down and then be able to act accordingly.

You usually have the option to start a short-handed game.

This way, you can get the seat you enjoy being in. This also may be prudent if you know that a certain “live one” is going to show up; your game is already going and will have open seats when this player arrives.

If you enjoy playing in multiple games online, it may be hard to play in short-handed or heads-up tables.

The concentration needed to play short games is tremendous, as opposed to playing in full games. Some people thrive on this, but others just can’t keep up. The type of game plays a part in this, too. For instance, although Stud is my best game, it is very hard for me to play in two Stud games at the same time, as opposed to Stud Hi/Lo or Razz, which take less concentration because of the style and structure of the game. In all of those games, there is also a premium on remembering the exposed cards, and the more Stud-style tables you play, the more difficult this is to do. Hold’em (whether limit, pot limit, or no limit) is better for playing in more games because remembering cards on each hand is not necessary.

Some players enjoy jumping from game to game, based on who is in the game at a given moment.

I try not to jump games just to seek out one player. You never know when that player is going to quit, who is going to join the game you just left, etc. I generally stay in the same game (or multiple games if I am online), because they are the most profitable for me. I know most of the regular players, and I have invested some time and energy in getting the feel for that particular game; every table change is like starting over. Plus, you never know who may show up.

If you know when your favorite game usually begins and ends, you may want to adjust your schedule to allow you to get in the most hours in that game.

This will sometimes be possible, and when it is, can help your profitability.

Do not berate the “live players”. In fact, try to be even nicer to them.

We covered this issue in a previous blog, but I want to reiterate it. Selecting a good game has little value if you yourself turn it into a bad one. Whether you are a professional or not, there is nothing a winning player can do that is worse than making a losing player feel uncomfortable, leading to him/her to either try and play better (to avoid being criticized or abused) or to quit your game completely. I will cover “game persona,” “table demeanor “and “gamesmanship” more in my next blog.

Try to not let your ego get in the way of who you are competing against

.

You may want to try and play against the “best of the best,” even though you don’t have an edge in that spot. This is okay is if you are only playing poker for enjoyment. Playing with better players might help you improve your game (by watching their strategy at the table), but it will probably not be profitable, and if you are playing to win, you should avoid playing with better players.

On the flip side, although you do want to play with inferior players, you should be sure that your game strategy against them does not become “personal,” where your own solid play veers off-line because of their poor play. Bad play and bad beats can put some people on tilt – don’t let it bother you.

Thank you for reading my blogs, and for your feedback.

You can find me in the $10/$20 and $30/$60 limit games in our Stud section, as well as in our weekly $215 buy-in tournaments. Please check the starting times of each of those events for your geographic area under Tourney > Special in the PokerStars lobby.

Feel free to contact me with any questions, suggestions or thoughts at adamr@pokerstars.com. See you at the tables!

When Eric Liu found himseld in need of a new car, he didn't just go down to the used car lot and pick up a clunker to get him around town. He chatted up the folks at the PokerStars VIP Club and ended up paying for most of his vehicle with Frequent Player Points. We asked him to let us in on the story, and he obliged. Here's what he had to say.

by Eric Liu

I'm a 23 year old high stakes cash game player and instructor at CardRunners who has just recently started playing live tournaments. I've had good success so far, cashing in all 3 of the EPTs I've played in (PCA, Monte Carlo, London). Just recently a few months ago I moved to San Francisco and brought along my car, a Mazda RX-8, and needed to get a new clutch for it. Well, the clutch was too tight, so I kept stalling, which is very bad news in San Francisco because of all the hills.

Naturally, I decided to get a car thats powerful, nice looking, and very good on hills, and nothing is better at doing that than a Range Rover! Coupled with the fact that I've wanted a Range Rover or Escalade for some time now, it just seemed like the natural decision to make.

The specific SUV that I purchased is a black '08 Range Rover Sport Supercharged. I've only driven it a few times so far as its new and I'm out of town so much, and so far I simply love it. I love the way it looks, and the stuff inside is incredible. Technology these days is incredible--everything is automatc: seat positions, windshield wipers,lights, temperature, GPS, etc. There are also a few quirks about it that are amusing but mostly useless: a dial that allows driving in all different kinds of terrain (rain, snow, gravel, sand), a button that raises and lowers the car, and the most ridiculous of all, a large yellow button that allows the car to go down a 45 degree incline on loose sand.

In a few years when my RX-8 gets old and I'm settled in Las Vegas (where there are no hills), I'm probably going to replace it with a porsche 911 turbo. Hopefully I'll have enough FPPs by then to get yet another car from Pokerstars.

The last time this humble blog reported on an event from Deauville, France was February 12, 2006. The lady of the the French Coast was one of the players' (and, frankly our) favorite places to stop on the European Poker Tour. Since then, due to uncontrollable circumstances and the vagaries of the poker world, Deauville has remained only a pleasant memory. Absence has made the heart grow, if not fonder, at least a little misty for the old haunt on France's northern shore.

Enter the ever-likable John Duthie.

Duthie, creator and chief executive of the European Poker Tour, has announced that the EPT Deauville event is back on on the calendar for the coming year. The Season Five French Open will run at Casino Barriere de Deauville on January 20-24, 2009.

Deauville boardwalk, circa 2005

The luxurious town of Deauville will once again attract hundreds of poker players who will sit down to play in the charming Casino Barriere Deauville including all four of the Team PokerStars Pro ladies; Vanessa Rousso, Vicky Coren, Isabelle Mercier and Katja Thater. As well as the ever successful ElkY, Noah Boeken, Alex Kravchenko, Luca Pagano, Dario Minieri and Chad Brown.

PokerStars players, as always, can win their tickets to EPT Deauville on PokerStars.com. Satellites are running daily and platers can win a package worth more than $9,000 which includes buy-in to the tournament, hotel accommodation and expenses. Players can buy directly into the main event for €5,300. The event is capped at 700 players and is looking an estimated prize pool of €3,360,000.

We'll see everybody in Deauville.

Yesterday Joao Barbosa was 25-years-old and one of the hottest rising stars on the European Poker Tour. Today Joao Barbosa is 26-years-old and €367,141 richer. On the day he celebrated his birthday, the kid from Porto, Portugal, also underlined his serious talent. Barbosa's EPT record now reads: one title and two other cashes from four events played. Here is our Best Newcomer-elect.

Joao Barbosa, Portugal's first EPT champion

Barbosa out-gunned one of the highest-quality final tables in recent memory, featuring the reigning EPT Prague champion Arnaud Mattern and the Team PokerStars Pro Dario Minieri. Minieri and Barbosa had previous. They tangled in one of the most spectacular pots of the tournament late on day two, when Minieri called a massive bluff from Barbosa with second pair, which was good against the Portuguese's seven-high. But Barbosa earned his revenge today, dispatching Minieri in third place with pocket nines to the Italian's sevens.


Three-handed action (from l-r): Joao Barbosa, Dario Minieri, Nico Behling

That left Barbosa to do battle with Nico Behling, another young player rapidly making a name for himself on the poker circuit. The German made the final table of the Aussie Millions earlier this year and is now the nearly man of EPT Warsaw. Behling scaled the heights of a monstrous chip lead mid-way through the final table, ousting Ludovic Lacay, whose aces lost to a set of eights in the German's hands. And although he took a huge hit later on, his set of sixes no good against Minieri's straight, he was even in chips when they went down to two.

But Barbosa had the run of it heads up, picking off the bluffs and rarely getting caught with his own. After doubling up once, and a couple of dramatic split pots, Behling was all in with J-7, but Barbosa's A-10 was not to be outdrawn. Behling has €205,270 with which to soothe his wounds. Barbosa has more than 360,000 reasons not to forget his 26th birthday.


How they lined up

How we got down to three was a familiar tale of brutal aggression sprinkled with suck outs. The short-stacked Michael Muheim was first out, running into Sergey Shcherbatskiy's cheekily-played aces.


Michael Muheim

Muheim's A-9 never caught up and the PokerStars qualifier took €21,114 for ninth. Lacay's aces weren't quite so lucky, running into a set of eights as described earlier. And then Andrea Benelli's day was ended by his friend and countryman Minieri. That was an A-Qh v J-J affair, the flush turning for Minieri.

Andrea Benelli

Shcherbatskiy was next to go, forced back to the Urals by Barbosa, whose pocket queens were better than Shcherbatskiy's A-5. Still, the €57,475 prize for sixth represented a massive spin up on his $7.50 buy-in to a step one tournament on PokerStars.

After that it all got a little grim, for Mattern and another PokerStars qualifier, Atanas Gueorguiev, in particular. "Three-outered and then two-outered," muttered Mattern as he went to the cage for his fifth-placed money, referring to two outdraws -- A-K beaten by A-8 and pocket 10s undone by eights. It was arguably even worse for Gueorguiev, who got it in good on a king-high flop with ace-king. But Barbosa, way behind with K-Q hit the magic queen on the river. He made €87,973 for fourth, another PokerStars qualifier in the money.

And that, really, was that. We wondered if might be the first two-time champion. We wondered whether Dario Minieri might take his first EPT crown. We wondered if a PokerStars qualifier might win another major tournament having qualified online for peanuts. In the event, we got none of those things. But we did get another terrific final table and another hugely talented winner. Congratulations Mr Barbosa, and happy birthday.

Watch EPT Warsaw 08. The Winner of the Final Table on PokerStars.tv

Take a blow-by-blow look back at the final table with any of the following links.

Final table introductions
Level 18 updates
Level 19 updates
Level 20 updates
Level 21 updates
Level 22 updates
Level 23 updates

Not enough unlikely clumps of consonants? Try the Hungarian coverage. Or even the Polish. How about nice little graphics of cards? You can find that on the German final table wrap. And if small circles above letters is more your bag, the Swedish blog has it covered.

Moving images are available, as always, on the peerless PokerStars.tv. All the peerless photography on the PokerStars blog comes from Neil Stoddart. And the next stop on this peerless poker tour is in Prague next month. Please join us.

Thank you and goodnight from Warsaw.

Play on the final is underway. We're in level 24 with blinds at 12,000-24,000 (3,000 ante).

This post contains the latest action from the level, and will also include approximate chip counts throughout play. The official counts, taken at the end of each level, are on the chip count page.

11.20pm: Joao Barbosa wins the EPT Warsaw and €367,141. Details to follow...

11.20pm: Nico Behling of Germany, eliminated in second place for €205,270
The last hand came from out of nowhere, a 60,000 bet from Behling pre-flop, re-raised to 200,000 by Barbosa before Behling said “all-in”. That made Barbosa bounce back in his chair, composing himself enough to call, showing Ah-Th to Behling’s Js-7s. The flop hit both hands, 7c-As-3h. The turn 6h gave Barbosa more outs and the 6d made that irrelevant. A new EPT Warsaw champion is crowned, his name is Joao Barbosa.

Nico Behling

11.10pm: This is it!
Some people aren’t surprised. An all-in, called, a defining hand that would swing the momentum one way or end it the other. As-Jh for Behling, Ac-9h for Barbosa, behind but safe on a split pot board of Qc-3h-4s-Ah-3s.

11.02pm: Pre-flop action
A couple of big bets have been enough to see off the other. Then a big pot developed pre-flop. A Behling bet of 60,000 from the button, re-raised by Barbosa to 170,000. Behling thinks but mucks.

10.50pm: Stalemate
A pot to sum up the current stalemate. Checking all the way to the river on a board of 7c-Td-3h-7h-7d. Behling bet 60,000 and Barbosa called. Each showed an ace and a kicker lower than a ten for a split pot.

10.35pm: All-in called
Ten hands, mostly folds pre-flop, all-ins not called. Then an all-in called, all the chips in the middle with Barbosa showing pocket sixes to Behling’s Q-9 which on the flop finds another nine to see him double up.

10.15pm: Chip counts
Joao Barbosa -- 1,794,000
Nico Behling -- 376,000

***

One of the many video blogs available on PokerStars.tv includes this one with Nico Behling earlier in the tournament...

Watch EPT Warsaw 08: Interview with Nico Behling Final Table on PokerStars.tv

Play on the final is underway. We're in level 23 with blinds at 10,000-20,000 (2,000 ante).

This post contains the latest action from the level, and will also include approximate chip counts throughout play. The official counts, taken at the end of each level, are on the chip count page.

10.15pm: Final hand action
The last hand before the break again yields some action. Nico Behling completes the blind but Joao Barbosa accepts his option and makes it 70,000 more. Behling calls. The flop is 8s-2d-Kd and Barbosa bets 85,000. Behling likes it too and bumps it up to 175,000, but he can't like it as much as Barbosa, who announces all in. Fold.

That leaves Behling with 376,000 as the players go to a 15 minute break. Barbosa has 1,794,000.

10.05pm: What was that?
A flop of 2s-7h-3h and a bet of 80,000 from Behling. Barbosa thinks for a while and announces a raise. It wasn’t clear by how much because Behling had already folded.

10pm: Grinding away
The very slow progress continues, with Nico Behling taking a series of small pots and Joao Barbosa taking the only notable offering. Behling made it 51,000 pre-flop and Barbosa called. The flop came 5d-5s-6s and Barbosa sprang into action, betting 65,000. Behling called. Barbosa bet 130,000 at the 7s turn and Behling gave it up.

Joao Barbosa

9.48pm: Big pot for Barbosa
On a flop of 7s-8s-6s Barbosa made it 70,000 which Behling called, adding to the pile of yellow chips already in the pot. The turn comes 9c which Barbosa bets at, 165,000 total. A long pause follows but Behling can’t bring himself to call.

9.39pm: A quick all-in
A bet of 50,000 by Behling pre-flop, raised by Barbosa to 140,000. Behling then announced he was all-in. Barbosa got out of the way.

9.32pm: Another swing to Barbosa
In a change from the advertised programme, Behling bets 60K pre-flop rather than the expected 44,000. What’s more it’s called by Barbosa. We have a hand to report. On the flop of Kd-7s-8h Behling checks to Barbosa who makes it 75,000 to go. Behling then raises, two tall towers of yellow chips worth 200,000. Barbosa counters that by moving all-in, forcing a fold from the German.

Barbosa – 1,670,000
Behling – 500,000

9.30pm: Copenhagen anyone?
This heads up is shaping up to be one of those long ones -- two in Copenhagen always spring to mind in these moments, when Tim Vance played Soren Jensen on season four and Mads Andersen played Edgar Skjervold in season two. So while we wait for action, here's a video. It's Kara Scott's top five final table tips:

Watch EPT Warsaw 08: Kara Scott Top Tips Final Table on PokerStars.tv

9.12pm: Current chip counts
Nico Behling -- 740,000
Joao Barbosa -- 1,430,000

Play on the final is underway. We're in level 22 with blinds at 8,000-16,000 (2,000 ante).

This post contains the latest action from the level, and will also include approximate chip counts throughout play. The official counts, taken at the end of each level, are on the chip count page.

9.10pm: Barbosa the bully
Joao Barbosa takes a small pot, raising pre-flop to 44,000, which is called by Behling.The flop is 7h-5s-7h and both players check. The turn is 10h and Behling bets 45,000. Barbosa thinks a while but then raises, making it 190,000. Behling folds.

9.06pm: Coming back
Behling has begun to claw some chips back, from 600K to 730K to 790K. He now has roughly 830K after some smallish pots. That puts Barbosa on around 1,470,000.

9pm: Behling takes one down
Nico Behling just took down a small pot, betting all the way, including pre-flop, on a flushing (hearts) ace-high board. Barbosa got out the way at the turn.

8.50pm: No major moves
A lot of pre-flop betting and folding. This hand is slightly different. Barbosa bets 44,000 in the standard way pre-flop before Behling raises to 120,000. The second Barbosa announces all-in Behling folds.

Approximate chip counts:
Behling – 600,000
Barbosa – 1,590,000

8.40pm: Heads up chip counts
Joao Barbosa: 1,240,000
Nico Behling: 950,000

8.35pm: Dario Minieri, Italy, Team PokerStars Pro eliminated in third place, earning €123,162

That's the end of the road for Dario Minieri. One hand after he gets a walk in the big blind but looks at pocket jacks, flipped in anguish, Joao Barbosa gives him the action he craved. Barbosa raises from the button, Minieri moves in over the top, his last 180,000 and Barbosa calls. The Portuguese has two black nines, Minieri has two black sevens and the flop helps neither. "Nice hand," says Dario as he shakes Barbosa's hand. "Nice to play with you, Dario," says Nico Behling and he offers his paw. Minieri departs, but it's a airly safe assumption that he'll be back.

Team PokerStars Pro Dario Minieri

8.30pm: Nothing drastic
Nico Behling wins a pot by virtue of re-raising Dario Minieri, making the Italian think for a while before folding. Another 80,000 to the German.

8.20pm: You win some, you lose some
Dario Minieri picks up the first two pots, first open raising from the button to take the blinds, then re-raising from the big blind after Nico Behling opens for 42,000. Minieri then gives Behling a walk in his big blind, before open raising again from the button. This time Jaoa Barbosa announces that he's all in and Minieri goes into his talking mode. Barbosa keeps schtum, refusing to confirm or deny that he'll show if Minieri folds. Then Minieri says, "OK, I have one more question. If I fold and show, will you show as well?" Barbosa nods his head and that's what they do: Minieri has A-3o and Barbosa pocket sixes.

Then we actually see two flops in a row, both between Minieri and Behling. Minieri calls Behling's pre-flop bet of 44,000 and they see 7h-3s-Qh. Behling takes this one with an 80,000 bet. Then the two players, in an unraised pot, see 5d-Ah-7s and Miniri bets 16,000, which is called. The 10d turns and Minieri this time shakes off Behling with a bet of 38,000.

8.15pm: Under way
Play finally restarts after an extra long dinner break.

8.10pm: Empty seats
Still no sign of the players. No, wait. They're here. We should be playing again within a few minutes.

7.55pm: Long dinner
Players were spotted in the bufet room about an hour ago, but are yet to return to the tournament area. We're expecting them imminently for the resumption in play.

Play on the final is underway. We're in level 21 with blinds at 6,000-12,000 (1,000 ante).

This post contains the latest action from the level, and will also include approximate chip counts throughout play. The official counts, taken at the end of each level, are on the chip count page.

6.40pm: Chip counts at the dinner break
Joao Barbosa -- 1,140,000
Dario Minieri -- 267,000
Nico Behling -- 707,000

6.38pm: End of the level
We've reached the dinner break. Play will resume in one hour.

6.30pm: Battle of the blinds
In a battle of the blinds between Joao Barbosa and Dario Minieri for a flop of 6h-5d-8c. Barbosa makes it 21,000 which Minieri raises to 78,000. Barbosa announces “all-in” and gets a pretty quick fold from Minieri as the dinner break approaches.

6.15pm: Behling bouncing back
In an unraised battle of the blinds, Dario Minieri and Nico Behling see a scary flop of Ah-10s-As. They both check it, then Minieri bets 14,000 on the 2c turn, which Behling calls. The river is the 7s and after Minieri checks, Behling bets 40,000 and Minieri calls. "Flush," says Behling and shows 9-4s. "Super good," says Minieri.

6.12pm: Behling all-in.
Barbosa made it 34,000 from the button pre-flop which was called by Behling for a flop of 8h-Ac-2c. Behling then led the betting, making it 45,000 which Barbosa called. Another bet, 60,000 this time from Behling on the 2d turn. Again Barbosa called, taking it to the river, a 6d. Now Behling moved all in, another 151,000. Barbosa was not long in calling, but was only able to show Js-8s to Behling’s Ad-9c, good to double him up.

6.05pm: Three-handed chip counts
Joao Barbosa - 1,620,000
Dario Minieri - 320,000
Nico Behling - 275,000

5.55pm: I think the word is "sick"
Atanas Gueorguiev, PokerStars qualifier from Bulgaria, eliminated in fourth place earning €87,973
Joao Barbosa is on a hot streak and when you're hot, you're hot. Atanas Gueorguiev raises from one off the button and Barbosa flat calls. The flop comes 3c-4s-Kd and Barbosa tickles 35,000 at it. Gueorguiev doesn't hang around before announcing that he's all in and Barbosa is equally sharp in calling. Gueorguiev's A-K is miles ahead of Barbosa's K-Q and the 9h on the turn doesn't change that. But there are two outs left in the deck and one of the queens - hearts, for the record - rivers to send the final PokerStars qualifier in the field back to Sofia. He'll take €87,973 - and one shocking bad-beat story with him.

5.52pm: Arnaud Mattern of France, eliminated in fifth place for €72,724.
It started with a 36K Arnaud Mattern bet from the small blind but the hand finished with his elimination, ending hopes of a first double-winner. Barbosa then raised, 92K total and it wasn’t long before the chip were in the middle. Eights for Barbosa, tens for Mattern. The flop missed both but Barbosa caught an eight on the turn, doing well to suppress a huge cry of relief. Mattern had his coat though and was soon on the rail.

Arnaud Mattern

5.40pm: Chip counts at the start of level 21
Arnaud Mattern – 340,000
Joao Barbosa – 755,000
Dario Minieri – 495,000
Nico Behling – 300,000
Atanas Gueorguiev – 265,000

***

Arnaud Mattern spoke to the video blog team about his hopes for the final. you can find more from Arnaud and hundreds of others at PokerStars.tv.

Watch EPT Warsaw 08: Interview with Arnaud Mattern Final Table on PokerStars.tv

Play on the final is underway. We're in level 20 with blinds at 5,000-10,000 (1,000 ante).

This post contains the latest action from the level, and will also include approximate chip counts throughout play. The official counts, taken at the end of each level, are on the chip count page.

5.38pm: The Bulgarian battle plan
Atanas Gueorgeuiev moves all-in with A-8 on the last hand of the level, a total of 130,000 which Arnaud Mattern called with A-K. It looked to be the last hand for the Bulgarian until the turn brought a rescue eight which doubled him up.

5.30pm: Mineri on the charge, Barbosa slows him down
Dario Minieri raises five hands on the spin and only gets one big-blind defender, Arnaud Mattern. But Mattern checks to the turn and then folds to Minieri's bet. The board reads 10s-Ac-6c-10d. Joao Barbosa, who seems to be the only player who enjoys tangling with Minieri, then has the audacity to raise the Italian's blind, making it 33,000 from the small blind. Minieri defends. The flop comes As-10c-Kc and Barbosa bets 39,000. Minieri calls. But both check the turn (7h) and the river (5d) before Barbosa shows pocket fours, which are good.

5.20pm: Latest chip counts
Arnaud Mattern – 410,000
Joao Barbosa – 630,000
Dario Minieri – 610,000
Nico Behling – 310,000
Atanas Gueorguiev – 168,000

5.15pm: Behling taking hits
Joao Barbosa and Nico Behling both check the flop of Ad-Ts-8d. The turn brings a 5s which Barbosa checks, allowing Behling to bet 40,000. Joao immediately check-raises, a raise of 300,000. Behling folds another hand, taking another hit while Barbosa shows Js-9s.

5.05pm: Dario doubles up again
It's the rarest of beasts - an unraised pot pre-flop - with Dario Minieri making up Nico Behling's big blind. The flop comes 8s-2s-6h and both players check. The turn is 9s and then it goes crazy: Minieribets 15,000, Behling makes it 60,000, Minieri maes it 143,000 and Behling moves all in, covering Minieri. The Italian is committed and insta-calls, asking Behling: "You got the flush?" Behling shakes his head and shows pocket sixes for a set, Minieri shows T-7 for a straight, but the German still has loads of outs. One of his sixes is a spade, so he's got the flush draw and the full house draw, but the Ad is a brick. And Minieri is right back in this.

5.01pm: Barbosa building
Minieri was first to bet pre-flop, followed by a raise from Nico Behling, using blue chips to make it 80,000, before Joao Barbosa re-raised all-in to bring the hand to a sudden halt. Barbosa adds 100,000 to his stack.

4.50pm: Quiet period
With five left, things have slowed somewhat. The table short-stack Atanas Gueorguiev just made the only move he really can - all in - after Nico Behling had raised from the button pre-flop. Behling folded. There's some good table banter, with Joao Barbosa and Dario Minieri reminiscing about that huge hand at the end of day two when Minieri made a hero call with a pair of jacks (second pair, no kicker) to snap off Barbosa's huge bluff. Other than that, it's raise and take pre-flop.

4.42pm: Sergey Shcherbatskiy, a PokerStars qualifier from Russia, eliminated in sixth place for €57,475.
Five minutes ago Sergey Shcherbatskiy was in the buffet having dinner at the break, five minutes later he’s out. He moved in with Ad-5h only to be called by Joao Barbosa holding pocket queens. Shcherbatskiy stood as the flop came Js-7h-Tc. The turn card Kc switched what each player was hoping for but the river was a blank. Handshakes and Shcherbatskiy was gone, with a €57,469 improvement on his $7.50 Steps buy-in.

Sergey Shcherbatskiy

4.35pm: The players have just returned from the break and their full, official counts have been added to the chip counts page.