The corridor between the tournament area and the press room at the Las Vegas Casino, Budapest, is going to need recarpeting at the end of this week. On a day of startling activity at EPT Budapest, the returning day three field of 42 players was trimmed to the final nine in less than five hours. Even though it took another 120-odd minutes to shed one more, keeping up with the action for the most part forced reporters to buzz between the tables and their laptops with hazardous haste and frequency, and no sooner was a player doubling up than he was out; the seeming shoo-ins for the final kicked into touch.



The eight players surviving the cull will return tomorrow to play to a winner, who will be €595,839 richer. It will be one of these:

Zoltan Toth, Hungary (1,059,000)
Ciprian Hrisca, Romania (1,038,000)
Albert Iversen, Denmark (1,017,000)
William Fry, UK, PokerStars player (572,000)
Johnny Lodden, Norway, PokerStars sponsored player (500,000)
Gino Alacqua, Italy (466,000)
Marino Serenelli, Italy (357,000)
Martin Jacobson, Sweden, PokerStars qualifier (306,000)

Regular poker observers will see one name leaping out from the page: that of Johnny Lodden, the Norwegian professional, for whom reaching a first EPT final table is a sizeable step nearer completing a personal journey of catharsis. Known across the world as one of the most talented and fearless of the online poker generation, the internet was abuzz earlier this year with rumours that Lodden had lost his sizeable bankroll forcing him out of the tournament arena and away from the high-stakes cash games that had been his hunting ground for several years.


Johnny Lodden

But the 23-year-old's ability was always too great to remain in exile for long, and he was brought back in from the cold and given a two-tournament sponsorship deal with PokerStars for the EPTs in Budapest and Prague. And what a way to repay the faith and underline his proven talent: Lodden, who has six previous cashes in EPT main events without ever making a final table, will tomorrow break that duck, hauling half a million in chips to take his place in the last eight.

The company he'll keep tomorrow fits a classic EPT final table archetype. There's the home-town hero carrying the hopes of most of the railbirds: Zoltan Toth is representing our hosts here in Hungary and is also the narrow chip leader.

Zoltan Toth

In the Scandinavian corner there's Albert Iversen, the 21-year-old Dane and chip leader at the start of day three, and Martin Jacobson, a chef-turned-PokerStars qualifier, who is hoping to join the likes of Mats Iremark, Magnus Petersson and Alexander Stejvic as Swedish EPT champions.

The Italian poker boom continues apace, with the reappearance on an EPT final table of Gino Alacqua, runner up in Prague last year. And there's also another new face from arguably the most promising poker nation in Europe, Marino Serenelli.

William Fry, a British PokerStars player, has capped a memorable debut in major tournament poker by cruising all the way to tomorrow's final test.


The PokerStars player William Fry

And then there's also the Romanian player Ciprian Hrisca, whose move upwards today has been as silent as it has been relentless. He's comfortably in the top three with more than a million.


Ciprian Hrisca

Of course, to reach those eight, we lost all others: the final remaining Team PokerStars Pro Alex Kravchenko perished in 23rd. He was joined on the rail - or in today's €2,000 side event - by the PokerStars qualifiers Janek Schleicher, Nicholas Maieritsch, Ofir Abramovivi, Dave Hardy, Robert Firestone, Tommi Etelapera, Dwayne Stacey, Lukas Bencovic, Oleg Korotkov and Sebastian Saffari.

It's been fast, furious and fun. More of the same will follow tomorrow.

Take a look back at today's action with any of the following:

Closing in on the final
How the (not so) mighty have fallen
Action stations
Replacements
The pots keep getting bigger
A Greek tragedy
The last of the Team Pros
El diablo thriving on halloween
The ever shrinking field
All ins and double ups
Here one minute, gone the next
Edging towards the eight

Read all about it in Hungarian, Swedish or German. Or see the moving pictures of the inimitable PokerStars.tv.



And after all that, be sure to join us tomorrow for the final shakedown. Goodnight from Budapest.

The eliminations have come thick and fast today as we edge closer to discovering the eight who will comprise tomorrow's final table. The official counts of the last 13 are on our chip counts page, and we'll be reverting to our time-stamped reporting style from here until the final is decided.

8.40pm - And there we have it
Ciprian Hrisca had been joking around a lot in these finishing stages, blowing his cards back to the dealer for instance and warning people he had position when the button came around, much to the merriment of the other players and railbirds. In contrast to him was Ivo Denev, a quiet player who has been wearing a mirrored visor since he started on day one.

As the short stack everyone paid attention when he raised to 48,000 pre-flop from under the gun plus one, especially Hrisca who re-raised, 150,000 in total. He didn’t seem to be joking anymore.

Denev called, leaving himself 200,000 behind for emergencies. The flop came Ts-6s-7c. There was no more finesse following that, just all-in and call.

Ivo Denev showed Ah-Kc but Hrisca turned over bullets to put himself ahead. The turn brought a king but the river a jack, ending this day and vaulting the last eight into tomorrow’s final.

As we await the final chip counts and the day end wrap, share a few moments with the PokerStars player William Fry, who will be on the final table tomorrow in his first major tournament:

Watch EPT Budapest 08: Interview Part II with William Fry Day 3 on PokerStars.tv

8.25pm - Play resumes
Blinds increase now to 10,000/20,000 with a 2,000 running ante.

8.05pm - Will he won't he
On a flop of 8s-3d-7h Jacobsen bet 100,000 and Zoltan Toth re-raised to 230,000. A tense few minutes passed by as Jacobsen considered the call but eventually mucked. Toth showed a ten and is now up to more than 1million. Players pause for a break.

7.45pm - Four way action
Four players see the flop of Qs-Tc-3d and four players check it. The turn is the Ac which is checked by Johnny Lodden in the small blind. Zoltan Toth in the big blind makes it 70,000 and Ciprian Hrisca asks how much before mucking. Gino Alacqua calls though before Lodden mucks. They see the river card 2c and both players check. Toth shows K-J to which Gino can only smile and tap the table in salute.

7.30pm - Not done yet
This time Ivo Denev moves all-in, a total of 145,000 which gives Ciprian Hrisca a seemingly painful decision to make. Visibly tired the Romanian scratches his head before deciding to call, showing pocket nines to Denev's A-Q. the flop brings the queen. Denev doubles up.

7.20pm - It's that man again
Next to be pushed off a hand by Sarenelli is Johnny Lodden. He raised to 40K before the Ialian re-raised to 120,000. Serenelli is now up to 370,000.

7.12pm - One more time
Serenelli is at it again, this time forcing a fold from Hrisca after moving all-in.

7.10pm - The fightback begins
Just when you thought it was all coming to a close the short stacks begin to double up. First double up goes to Marino Serenelli, the Italian enjoying every moment of his EPT. He moved all in with A-Q against Hrisca’s pocket sixes. A queen on the fop started his good run.

7pm - Down to one table
Sebastian Saffari is out in tenth after first losing a big hand against Gino Alacqua and then after an all-in called by Zoltan Toth. It was K-6 v K-Q, the bigger hand held by Toth who would go on to make a flush and leave just nine players remaining. Two tables become one until we have a final eight.

6.50pm - Jacobsen asks the question
Martin Jacobsen moved all-in on a flop of As-7s-8c. Zoltan Toth was the only player still involved, having first raised. Four players had seen the flop but now Toth held Jacobsen's fate. He passed.

6.45pm – Down to ten
“Well, it’s that time” announced Robin Keston, moving all in. Albert Iversen did the honours, calling Keston and showing pocket queens. Keston could only manage pocket tens. That wasn’t enough. We’re down to ten players.

6.30pm - Down to 11
Menno Antonius Bussinik of Holland is the next player out, leaving in 12th place after moving in with Ac-8s only to be called by Ciprian Hrisca with Ah-Jh. The jack on the flop all but extinguished hope for Bussinik, who collects €23,408.

6.15pm -- Down to 12.
With 13 players left every hand is a big hand. Simeon Tsonev raised pre-flop to 35,000 from under the gun and watched as PokerStars sponsored player Johnny Lodden re-raised, 90,000 total. An all-in and call followed with Lodden showing A-Q. With understandable irritation Tsonev turned over A-J and watched helplessly as a queen hit the flop, eliminating him in 13th place. Lodden meanwhile is up to 650,000.

The players are now into level 21, with blinds of 6,000-12,000 (ante: 1,000).

It’s a sensation just experienced by Christophe Haller, who tussled with PokerStars qualifier Johnny Lodden and came out of it, well, out. Lodden held K-T and found two more on the board, taking the event down to 15 players.

Then came the end of Casey Kastle’s tournament. Kastle, an adopted American sporting a Slovenia cap of his homeland, bet pre-flop and was re-raised by Ciprian Hrisca. Kastle checked his cards again and moved all-in. Hrisca called and whilst Kastle showed pocket queens Hrisca had him beaten with pocket kings.

It was a painful way to go for Kastle, who looked back at the board a couple of times before gathering his things to leave.

Robin Keston moved all-in and whilst Marino Serenelli eliminated another player two tables along, Keston waited for a call, got one and doubled up with pocket eights.

But the big news for PokerStars is Johnny Lodden’s progress, a near double up that saw him take a big haul from Romanian Ciprian Hrisca with pocket tens, the same hand he’d folded just a few hands prior in a pot with Ofer Golko. Lodden now has more than 400,000.

Yesterday one of the stories was that of Slovakian PokerStars qualifier Lukas Benkovic and his ascent to the chip lead, knocking out former EPT winner Arnaud Mattern along the way. Well, his adventure ended today in 17th place, all in with his short stack on a hopeful 9-6 but ran headlong into a caller with A-J.

Benkovic spoke with the video blog team earlier today...

Watch EPT Budapest 08: Interview with Lukas Benkovic Day 3 on PokerStars.tv

With 7,415 competitors in the October 26th edition of the PokerStars Sunday Million, taking down the top prize is an accomplishment for any player. But for a player with the hopes of a nation on his shoulders, it’s an even greater victory. When Darkillermax took down the top prize he claimed one of the biggest wins for a Chinese player in the history of internet poker! Darkillermax took a huge chip lead into the final table and rode it all the way to victory and a $174,656 payday.

Darkillermax is currently studying in Reims, France, and got his start on PokerStars in February 2007. He started off on PokerStars for the tournaments, and switched to cash games after a few months. After seeing the structure of the WCOOP and other major tournaments, he switched back to tournaments, and succeeded past his wildest dreams when he took down the Sunday Million less than two years after picking up the game!

He describes himself as a recreations player, but adds “since this win I might consider playing more big buy-in tournaments online and live, and might go pro.” Even with no live tournament experience, we have no doubt that he’ll be able to translate his online success into big wins on the green felt as well. Even after his success with No Limit Hold’em tournaments, he calls Omaha his favorite game because it “needs more skill and guts.”

We asked him to describe one key hand that propelled him to the final table, and he told us this story – “I had K-J suited and raised from the hijack. The button re-raised me and I supposed that was a squeeze play and with my stack I could make the call and see the flop. The flop came A-9-7 rainbow. At this point I thought I might move my opponent off his hand if he had a pocket pair. I decided to check and see what he does. He thought for a few seconds and bet 1/3 of the pot. I really felt weakness at that point and I insta-shoved all in. He used his time bank and finally made the call with A-5. I was almost drawing dead, but a Q on the turn and a 10 on the river gave me the runner-runner straight.” Even with the inevitable abuse in the chat box, Darkillermax used that big pot to give himself breathing room and then wielded his big stack like a hammer all the way to a deal when play reached heads-up and then the win and the extra $30K for the victor!

With a big boost to his bankroll, this self-described “Chinese boy” is poised to do great things in the world of poker both online and live!

The field has reduced to 19 players on three tables, and flops are increasingly scarce. It's possible to stand somewhere in the middle of the three of them for 15 minutes at a stretch without seeing any cards face up. The usual drill goes raise, re-raise, fold, fold, fold, etc., although there's sometimes a variation on the theme, which goes raise, fold, fold, fold, etc.

The tournament officials have just conducted a chip race to remove the 500 denomination chips from play, and shortly before they did there was a mildly diverting hand between William Fry and Johnny Lodden, featuring a cameo from Lucas Benkovic, the PokerStars qualifier from Slovakia. One of the button, Fry raised to 22,000 and Benkovic, in the small blind, did a degree of huffing and puffing and looking at his hand without concealing it much, which allowed Lodden, still to act, to see his cards from the big blind chair.

For all the vast amounts of money up for grabs, there's still a surprising amount of sportsmanship to most poker events, and Lodden confessed that he'd seen the cards, encouraging the dealer to show them to Fry as well. It was eight-six off-suit. Then Lodden put his headphones back on and re-raised to 80,000. Fry asked for a count, Lodden told him 130,000 an Fry folded.

Don't forget, the prizewinners to date are all being added to our payouts and prizewinners page.

It’s Halloween and William Fry is proving hard to kill, if you’ll excuse the expression. In a remarkable turnaround Fry, who came out on the wrong end of a hand with Romanian Ciprian Hrisca a short while ago, has now bounced back to the tune of 250,000 – a good fighting weight.

Catch up on what William had to say when he spoke to the video blog team earlier today...

Watch EPT Budapest 08: Interview with William Fry Day 3 on PokerStars.tv

Meanwhile on the table next to them Italian Gino Alacqua just survived another all-in, pushing with As-3s before shielding his eyes from the lights above and the glances of anyone considering a call.

Jari Pekka Juhola did just that, showing pocket queens but helpless to prevent an ace from hitting the flop, digging “El Diablo” out of trouble.

We are just a little more than a week from knowing who will be the 2008 World Series of Poker champion. Among the November 9, there are six PokerStars Million Dollar Men who have a chance to win the big one. Before they get the chance to win the bracelet, however, the PokerStars 6 will have to have face off against three PokerStars players in the Million Dollar Men Main Event

Tomorrow. PokerStars' Million Dollar Men Dennis Phillips, Ivan Demidov, Peter Eastgate, Ylon Schwartz, Darus Suharto and David ‘Chino’ Rheem will play against PokerStars players sirhindle, AhardDeath07, and 11RoyJoneS11 for a $235,000 prize pool.

Last weekend, those final three players beat out nearly 3,000 other runners today to play for a fairly massive amount of money. Everybody in the event will get $10,000, but first place is guaranteed $100,000! Here are the full payouts.

1st -- $100,000
2nd -- $50,000
3rd -- $25,000
4th-9th -- $10,000

Any money the PokerStars 6 win will go to charity. Any money won by the other three players will go right in their PokerStars accounts.

You can watch the tournament by clicking TOURNEY and SPECIAL in the PokerStars lobby and looking for "Million Dollar Men - Main Event."

For more information on the Million Dollar Men promotion, visit the the PokerStars Million Dollar Men page.

It marks the last of the Team PokerStars Pros. Alex Kravchenko’s attack on an EPT title just ended on the last hand before the break. Short stacked after some earlier clashes brought him back from the heights of 220,000 earlier today.

It was a case of threes against nines for the Russian again Ivo Donev. Kravchenko needed a three but none came and the Team Pro exits in 23rd place for €10,640.

Table one has rapidly become the table of certain death here today. Dave Hardy, Dwayne Stacey, Brice Cournut, George McKeever, Robert Firestone and Mauro Corsetti have all sat there for at least a couple of hands today, but are now walking the streets of Budapest and out of this tournament.

These eliminations were largely responsible for the incredible surge up the tournament leaderboard of the Greek player Pantelis Pavlis, who went from an overnight stack of 59,500 to more than 400,000. But if flirt with the poker gods to such a large extent, there's always the chance that they'll suddenly turn and send a bolt of lightening right back at you, something that has just happened to dramatic effect to Pavlis.

He got his now huge stack all in pre-flop against the established might of Albert Iversen, and the Greek was well armed with pocket aces. Iversen had queens. But the first card on the flop was another queen, and - kaboom! - there's a smoking heap of clothes left where Pavlis previously sat.