No one ever won a poker tournament without making the odd bluff, hitting the odd card, laying the odd trap and making the occasional hero call that might also have sent them to the rail. The 28-year-old Moritz Kranich from Hamburg, Germany, has shown all the requisite skills and more in Deauville this week, and is the worthy champion and winner of the €851,400 first prize.

But the most significant hero call of Kranich's poker career to date was actually made by his opponent, the 19-year-old Tristan Clemencon, when he and Kranich were the dominant bullies in a three-handed battle. There was only a 100,000 difference in the two-million-plus chip stacks of Clemencon and Kranich when the German moved all in on a board of Tc-Th-8s. The third player - France's Arnaud Esquevin - looked on with delight.

Clemencon thought for more than five minutes as he searched for the hero inside himself. But when Clemencon made that call, it was Kranich pumping his fist. The German had laid the perfect trap with his J-10 and Clemencon, drawing dead, mucked what he later revealed to be 8-2.

"I played my trips fast thinking of he has anything at all, he will get it in," said Kranich. "He fell for it and called my check raise."

With that, Kranich, previously best known as multi-table tournament specialist on PokerStars, and an online qualifier here, vaulted into a commanding chip lead for a brief heads-up battle with Esquevin.

That ended within an hour with the crowning of the second German EPT champion of the season.

"Poker has boomed in Germany for the last two or three years," he explained. "And there are a lot of good players."

Including Kranich. He had been a massive chip leader at the end of day two in Deauville, and he had played some of the best poker seen on the tour this year to get to that position. He seemed nailed on to take his place as chip leader around the final table after he also cruised through day three. But Clemencon had belied his tender years and led a spirited French charge on home soil.

When we reconvened in the Casino Barriere de Deauville at 2pm this afternoon, Frenchmen occupied five of the eight final table seats, with Clemencon out in front.

It was a fairly top-heavy chip ladder as the first hand of the afternoon was dealt. Clemencon, Kranich and the Italian player Andrea Benelli each had comfortably more than a million chips, while none of Jorn Walthaus, a lone Dutch representative, nor the French quartet of Esquevin, Jonathan Azoulay, Bruno Launais and Thomas Delattre had much more than 500,000.

And so those small stacks began to fall. First, Delattre's A-10 ran into Launais' A-K. One down. Then Launais received a taste of his own medicine when his A-7 slipped into the big slick of Esquevin.

Walthaus and Azoulay then fell in consecutive hands - again an accident with A-rag against A-K for Walthaus, then a plucky J-8 shove from Azoulay running into Benelli's A-2.

The only short stack from the start of the day still alive at this point was Esquevin, and it was going exactly according to plan for him. He said yesterday that despite trailing in chips, he knew that "anything could happen". And he was right.

Benelli, the only player with previous EPT final table experience, was flexing his muscles all afternoon and had even strong-armed himself past Clemencon and Kranich to the chip lead. But the wheels came off in spectacular fashion for Benelli: his pocket jacks cost him a bundle against Clemencon's 9-7, which had made two pairs, and then the same knaves, this time in Esquevin's hand, cost him and his Q-8 his chance at the title.

So that left us with the three who would cash in such epic circumstances. Clemencon later told French reporters that he thought he misplayed the huge hand against Kranich, and described it as "the worst hand of my life". Certainly the result was a disaster for the young Frenchman, but he has been outstanding all week in Deauville, and is still a hero in the making.

Likewise Esquevin, who wound up with €495,400 for his second place, almost precisely one Euro per unit of tournament chips he had at the start of the final. It looked like a short stack then; it looks better in the bank account now.

As for Kranich, he now joins his friend Sebastian Ruthenberg in the season five EPT winners' enclosure, and he also intends to join his wife Jessica in a new house in their home town of Dortmund, bought with a small slice of his €851,400 win.

All in all, it was a hugely welcome return for the whole EPT circus to the Normandy coast and Deauville. Let's not leave it three years next time, huh.

Take a look back at all today's action with any, all, some, none of the following links:

Introducing the finalists
Level 23 updates
Level 24 updates
Level 25 updates
Level 26 updates
Level 27 updates
Level 28 updates

And remember there's also coverage in the triumphant German, the second-placed French or the nowhere-to-be-seen Swedish.

Moving pictures are available at PokerStars.tv and head over to EPT.com for extended highlights of today's action, with hole cards showing, tonight.

A complete list of winners from Deauville can be found on the prizewinners page.

Next stop, Copenhagen.

All images (c) Neil Stoddart

Live updates from level 28 of the EPT Deauville are brought to you by Stephen Bartley and Howard Swains. Click refresh to see the latest updates. This post will track the action in level 28.

Blinds: 40,000-80,000 (ante: 5,000)

8.57pm: Moritz Kranich, a PokerStars qualifier from Germany, win the EPT Deauville and €851,400.
Full details on the day will be available shortly.

8.56pm: Arnaud Esquevin of France is eleiminated in second place for €495,500.
It was a simple all-in pre-flop and a call. Kranich made the move and Esquevin called, showing A-3 to the German's A-7. Kranich was ahead but the possibility of a split pot would remain. The flop came 9c-Td-6d. Kranich wanted low cards without seeing a three and he got it. A 5s on the turn, an ace on the river. It was all over. Moritz Kranich is the EPT Deauville champion.

8.45pm: Chips
A new level begins with the stacks looking like this:
Moritz Kranich - 5,100,000
Arnaud Esquevin - 1,400,000

Live updates from level 27 of the EPT Deauville are brought to you by Stephen Bartley and Howard Swains. Click refresh to see the latest updates. This post will track the action in level 27.

Blinds: 30,000-60,000 (ante: 5,000)

8.42pm: How about now?
Esquevin calls from the small blind but Kranich makes it 240,000. Esquevin has that glint in his eye again and announces "all-in". Kranich folds.

8.39pm: They think it's all over... it's not
On a flop of 6s-Kh-5h Esquevin made it 90,000 before Kranich raised to 275,000. Esquevin had that look in his eye and moved all-in. We thought this was it, but no. Kranich passed.

8.32pm: Moritz wins another
Just to mix it up a bit, here's the latest hand stacatto style: Flop. 6-7-5. Check. Bet. Call. Turn. Tc. Check. All-in. Fold.

8.30pm: Loose change
Esquevin takes the smallest of pots - the blinds - after both check down a board of 9s-8d-7h-Ad-7c. Esquevin showed Ah-Jd while Kranich mucked.

8.25pm: Route one poker
The first all-in of the heads up sees Kranich make it 160,000 pre-flop before Esquevin moved all-in. Kranich wasn't biting though.

8.22pm: Chips
Moritz Kranich - 5,550,000
Arnaud Esquevin - 920,000

8.20pm: Play restarts
That says it all really.

8.15pm: We need a player
At least one player is back in his seat. Moritz Kranich sits waiting patiently. Play should resume any minute.

8.05pm: Play stops
Players are in the middle of an unscheduled break. Play should get going again soon.

7.58pm: Tristan Clemencon, France, eliminated in third place, earning 284,800
Clemencon is done, putting his final 100,000 into the pot on the first time he gets the opportunity to do so. Both opponents oblige with the call. Moritz Kranich bets the 10-high flop, which gets rid of Esquevin, and he's heads-up against the all in Clemencon. The French player has J-2o, Kranich has 10-8o and Clemencon never catches up. From three million to bust in less than half an hour.

7.49pm: Kranich with a mountain to sit on
Clemencon bet 200,000 pre-flop which was called by Kranich for a flop of Tc-Th-8s. Clemencon bet 200,000 now and Kranich raised to 550,000. Clemencon called for a 2c on the turn. Now Kranich moved all-in. Clemencon went into the tank for a full five minutes before calling, mucking to Kranich's Js-Td. Kranich now has more than five million. That hero call leaves Clemencon with only 100,000.

7.43pm: Reraise wins
Moritz Kranich and Arnaud Esquevin see a flop in an unraised pot. It's 2d-6s-7c and Kranich bets, Esquevin raises to 160,000 and Kranich folds. The common consensus among the press corps, by the way, is that the best three players from the final 15 or so have made it to this three-handed battle.

7.38pm: For Kranich the spoils
Kranich bet 200,000 pre-flop whch was called by Esquevin for a flop of Jd-9s-Kc. Esquevin checked and Kranich made it another 205,000 to go. Now Esquevin moved all-in and Kranich called showing pocket aces. Esquevin flipped over Kd-8d before the turn 2d and river 7c were dealt, giving the spoils to the German.

7.32pm: Three hands in
Three pots, none getting further than pre-flop action. Esquevin has been most effective, re-raising twice to win hands, adding a few hundred thousand to his stack.

7.23pm: Extended break
The three remaining players have taken an extended break after Benelli's elimination. We be back with the action when they return.

7.03pm: Andrea Benelli, Italy, eliminated in fourth place, earning €219,800
After that quadruple up of the previous hand, Benelli's resurgence could go no further. He was all in again and this time faced two other callers: Tristan Clemencon and Arnaud Esquevin. They both check a flop of Qh-10c-Kd but then Esquevin bets 100,000 on the turn of Kh. Clemencon gets the hint, gets out the way, and leaves Esquevin's K-6 to be all over Benelli's 6c-8s. The Italian, who rose into the chip lead at one point today, will have to wait for his first EPT title, despite his second final table of the season.

6.59pm: One down, about five more to go
First hand back, Benelli has no choice but to be all in for his total 40,000 stack. Each of the other players give him the most possibly value for money and all call, then check it down, until Esquevin bets on the river. He has a pair of sixes, but Benelli's T-9 has made a straight on a board of 7-8-Q-6-J.

6.55pm: Chip counts
The players have returned from the break and their chip stacks are as follows:

Tristan Clemencon, 3,650,000
Arnaud Esquevin, 1,635,000
Moritz Kranich, 1,050,000
Andrea Benelli, 40,000

6.50pm: Play is about to restart. The official chip counts will be available on the chip count page in just a few minutes from now.

Live updates from level 26 of the EPT Deauville are brought to you by Stephen Bartley and Howard Swains. Click refresh to see the latest updates. This post will track the action in level 26.

Blinds: 25,000-50,000 (ante: 5,000)

6.35pm: Double up for Esquevin, Benelli's slump continues
Arnaud Esquevin's day just improved even more when, on the final hand of the level, he raised pre-flop and Andrea Benelli called from the big blind. The flop came 2h-Qh-Js which couldn't get much better for Esquevin. He had J-J and Benelli had Q-8o. Esquevin's top set survived through turn and river against the top pair and he's back in this game.

That's the end of the level and they've taken a 15 minute break. Chip counts are coming.

6.28pm: Current chip counts
Tristan Clemencon -- 3,700,000
Moritz Kranich -- 1,100,000
Andrea Benelli -- 1,000,000
Arnaud Esquevin -- 600,000

6.27pm: Chip leaders lump it in
A huge pot between the two chip leaders. With 1,500,000 already in the pot with the board reading 4s-7h-3c-Kd, Benelli checked to Clemencon who bet another 450,000. Benelli called showing pocket jacks but Clemencon had him beat with 9-7 for trips. The 2.4million in the pot just got passed to the 19 year old.

6.23pm: Esquevin in the frame
As one of the relative short stacks at the start of the day, Arnaud Esquevin said that "anything could happen" and that he was happy just to have made the final table. Well, it got better than that: he's still there with half the field gone. Here's what else he said to the video blog team:

Watch EPT Deauville S5: Final Table Arnaud Esquevin (English) on PokerStars.tv

6.18pm: Kranich kranks it up
Moritz Kranich just took Jh-3h up against Andrea Benelli's A-K, all in pre-flop. And it was good. The jack flopped and the Italian's dominance took a slight hit. Well, a 650,000 chip sized hit, to be approximate.

6.12pm: Post elimination counts
After Benelli eliminated Azoulay, the Italian may have just assumed the chip lead. These are the latest approximate counts:

Tristan Clemencon, 2,600,000
Andrea Benelli, 2,610,000
Moritz Kranich, 650,000
Arnaud Esquevin, 650,000

6.07pm: Jonathan Azoulay, France, eliminated in fifth place, earning €182,700
Two hands, two eliminations. Walthaus's disappearance on the last hand meant Jonathan Azoulay earned at least another €40,000. And that seemed to be good enough for him as he shoved all in on the very next hand, running into the big blind of the big stack Andrea Benelli. The Italian saw an ace and called - it was only 250,000. Benelli's A-2 was up against Azoulay's J-8 and although a jack flopped, so did an ace and Azoulay was sent to the rail

6pm: Jorn Walthaus, Holland, PokerStars qualifier, eliminated in sixth place, earning €142,400
Sometimes the chip leader actually has the cards as well. Jorn Walthaus shoves all in over the top of Tristan Clemencon's opener, but the snap-call from Clemencon spells trouble for the Dutch player. Clemencon has A-K and dominates Walthaus's A-2. The flop and turn gives some hope of a split pot for the all in player - J-7-8-9 - but the river is neither a ten nor a two and Walthaus is out.

5.54pm: And don't forget the joker!
A bet of 136,000 pre-flop from Benelli pummelled into submission by the re-raise all in from Arnaud Esquevin. Benelli shows the ace of spades and folds.

5.47pm: For the benefit of Benelli
Clemencon led the betting pre-flop, 130,000 called by Benelli for a flop of 5s-8d-9d. Both checked for a 7d turn. Benelli then made it 140,000. Not good for Clemencon who folded.

5.43pm: Clemencon on camera
Tristan Clemencon, our chip leader going into today's final table, was agreeably chipper as he spoke to the video blog team about his tournament so far:

Watch EPT Deauville S5: Final Table Tristan Clemencon (English) on PokerStars.tv

5.41pm: Chips
Players start the new level with these approximate counts (seat order):

Arnaud Esquevin - 500,000
Jorn Walthaus - 600,000
Moritz Kranich - 700,000
Andrea Benelli - 2,200,000
Tristan Clemencon - 2,000,000
Jonathan Azoulay - 227,000

5.40pm: New level
We are moving closer to uncharted territories. The published EPT structure only takes us to the end of level 26, this level, and so who knows where we go after that.

Live updates from level 25 of the EPT Deauville are brought to you by Stephen Bartley and Howard Swains. Click refresh to see the latest updates. This post will track the action in level 25.

Blinds: 20,000-40,000 (ante: 4,000)

5.33pm: No Benelli for it
And in the last hand, Benelli moves all-in behind a bet of 150,000 by Esquevin on a flop of Ks-4h-5h. Esquevin made him wait but eventually folded.

5.30pm: Second to last
The penultimate hand of the level features Moritz Kranich moving all in without any takers.

5.27pm: Jorn to be wild
After an initial opening bet of 108,000 from Clemencon Jorn Walthaus moves all-in for 321,000 more. Clemencon thinks for a while but lays down his hand. Walthaus takes the pot showing Tc-6s.

5.20pm: Bruno Launais, France, eliminated in seventh place, earning €108,300
It's all over for Launais, who runs into a resurgent Arnaud Esquevin. Launais raises from mid-position, Esquevin reraises from the button and Launais makes the pot-committed call. Launais has A-7o, Esquevin has A-Ko and a king on a rainbow flop all but ends it. Au revoir Launais.

Launais spoke to the video bloggers ahead of today's final table:

Watch EPT Deauville S5: Final Table Bruno Launais (English) on PokerStars.tv

5.11pm: Clemencon banging on the Walthaus door
We didn't see a card but there were still oodles of chips in the middle. Clemencon made it 108,000 pre-flop which Jorn Walthause raised to 265,000. The action was folded back to Clemencon who announced all-in, immediately making Walthaus muck his hand.

5.07pm: Dealer change chip count
They are rotating the dealer at the final table. Not literally; that would be cruel and dizziness might cause accidents. They are replacing the dealer, rather. In the break, here are the approximate latest chipcounts:

Arnaud Esquevin - 400,000
Jorn Walthaus - 750,000
Moritz Kranich - 650,000
Andrea Benelli - 1,825,000
Bruno Launais - 500,000
Tristan Clemencon - 1,900,000
Jonathan Azoulay - 333,000

4.56pm: Clemencon: none shall pass
Bruno Launais decided to have another stab at Tristan Clemencon's big blind, making a standard button raise but angering Clemencon into shoving all in. Fold.

4.52pm: So near
So much promise, instead the hand fizzled out with pre-flop betting turning into a check-chech showdown, Walthaus showing pocket sixes, beaten by Clemencon's J-8 with a jack on the flop.

4.45pm: Esquevin double up
Arnaud Esquevin moves all in from the button for his final 251,000. Moritz Kranich makes sure he knows exactly how much he's being asked to call before doing precisely that. Esquevin shows Ac-Jd and Kranich has Kc-Qc. The French player was ahead pre-flop and he is even further to the good on the flop of 3h-As-Ah. The turn and river are blanks and Esquevin doubles up to take anther chunk out of Kranich.

4.40pm: Clemecon grabs some back
Tristan Clemencon's chip lead was eroded during that last level, but he has just hauled some back, from the stack of Bruno Launais. Launais raises to 105,000 pre-flop, Clemencon calls, and then after Launais checks the flop of 10s-9h-5d, a bet of 140,000 from Clemencon takes it down.

4.35pm: Walthaus talks
Jorn Walthaus has had a decent start to today's final table. Yesterday he talked to the video blog team:

Watch EPT Deauville S5: Interview with Jorn Walthaus Day 3 (English) on PokerStars.tv

4.32pm: Chips
Arnaud Esquevin - 327,000
Jorn Walthaus - 811,000
Moritz Kranich - 1,131,000
Andrea Benelli - 1,897,000
Bruno Launais - 608,000
Tristan Clemencon - 1,206,000
Jonathan Azoulay - 543,000

4.30pm: Break time
Players take their first 15-minute break of the day at the end of level 24. That sets the chip counters in motion and they will return to us with seven names and seven numbers momentarily.

Live updates from level 24 of the EPT Deauville are brought to you by Stephen Bartley and Howard Swains. Click refresh to see the latest updates. This post will track the action in level 24.

Blinds: 15,000-30,000 (ante: 3,000)

4.13pm: AB takes chunk out of TC
My notebook reads: 78 - AB, TC rr 230. C. Kd 7c-3c TC 290K. AB AI. TC X.
That means Andrea Benelli raises 78,000 pre-flop and Tristan Clemencon reraises 230,000. Call. The flop is Kd-7c-3c and Clemencon bets 290,000. Benelli moves all in and Clemencon folds. That's the last action of the level.

4.08pm: Excitement! No, wait!
Azoulay makes it 170,000 pre-flop and the action is folded to Clemencon. He thinks then moves all-in. Azoulay calls and flips over A-Q, the same hand as Clemencon. A harmless board turns this one into a split pot.

4.05pm: Walthaus takes on Kranich, wins!
Jorn Walthaus raises to 76,000 from the cut off; Moritz Kranich calls on the button. Everyone else gets out of the way. The flop is 10-high - 10c-2h-8h - and a bet of 95,000 from Walthaus is good.

4pm: Azoulay picks his moment
Azoulay moves all in, a total of 204,000 which is called by Esquevin who is ahead pre-flop, showing A-J to Azoulay's A-7. Not for long though. A seven hits the flop to double up the Frenchman.

3.57pm: More power from Kranich
Arnaud Esquevin raises from the button and although Jorn Walthaus asks for a count, he eventually passes from the small blind. Just as well, as Moritz Kranich calls from the big blind and they see a flop of 9d-4s-5s, checked, then Ac on the turn, also checked. The river is the 7s and Kranich bets 100,000, which is enough.

3.53pm: Chip leader flexing his muscles
Benelli makes it 78,000 pre-flop but is pushed off by Clemencon, using his weight, with a raise of 220,000 ending the hand pretty quickly.

3.42pm: All in is good
Jorn Walthaus moves all in over a pre-flop raise from Jonathan Azoulay. Azoulay doesn't want to get involved and lets it go.

3.40pm: Chips
Here's how they stand at the moment (seat order) -
Arnaud Esquevin - 572,000
Jorn Walthaus - 529,000
Moritz Kranich - 942,000
Andrea Benelli - 1.524,000
Bruno Launais - 638,000
Tristan Clemencen - 1,719,000
Jonathan Azoulay - 398,000

3.33pm: Chip break
There's a slight pause in the action as the tournament staff help us with an approximate chip count. It'll be here as soon as they read it out, which should be momentarily.

3.27pm: Azoulay all-in
More tension as a Launais bet is followed by an all-in from Azoulay. The action was folded back to Launais who thought a while but folded.

3.24pm: Benelli checked
Andrea Benelli has been involved in more pots than the rest of the players put together, but this time he doesn't fancy a flop of 9c-7c-Ks when Bruno Launais bets at it. Benelli folds, giving his pre-flop raise of 76,000 to the French player

3.18pm: Three way pot
A three way pot started by a bet of 76,000 by Andrea Benelli. Azoulay calls as does Esquevin in the big blind. They see a flop of 7d-7s-Ac and each player checks. The turn comes Kd. Azoulay checks before Esquevin makes it 130,000. Benelli called and Azoulay left them to it, a river card 4s. Both check and it's the Italian Benelli, showing Ah-5h, who takes the pot.

3.10pm: Seven for the money
Seven players remain at the start of level 24 on the final table at EPT Deauville. Tristan Clemencon remains in the chip lead, with Moritz Kranich having slipped back a touch after that accident with kings versus eights. Benelli is probably now in second place.

Live updates from level 23 of the EPT Deauville are brought to you by Stephen Bartley and Howard Swains. Click refresh to see the latest updates. This post will track the action in level 23.

Blinds: 10,000-20,000 (ante: 2,000)

3.05pm: Thomas Delattre from France, eliminated in eighth place for €77,400
Bruno Launais bets 52,000 from the button and Thomas Delattre raises to 120,000. Launais then shoves in and is called by Delattre. It's unclear who has who covered but it'll be close. It's A-K for Launais and A-T for Delattre who's behind but gets some hope from the 9-Q-8 flop. He needed a jack but neither the turn or river helped. After a pause to count chips Delattre was the all-in player and leaves the final table in eighth place.

3pm: Staying alive
Andrea Benelli makes a standard button raise - 55,000 - and Bruno Launais makes a standard small blind defence: all in for 272,000. Benelli goes into the tank but comes out with the call and the Italian is ahead. He has As-8s to Launais' Ad-3h and the first murmurings of a potential split pot permeate the press room. So it proved, although there was some suck-out potential on the way. The flop came Kh-3s-Ac to put Launais ahead, but the 10c and the Ks on the river meant they split it.

2.50pm: Take it to the (first) river
Esquevin makes it 50,000 pre-flop and Moritz Kranich re-raises from the cut off to 150,000. It's folded back to Esquevin who calls for a flop of 4s-3h-Jc. Now Esquevin moves all-in with pocket eights and is called by Kranich who turns over pocket kings. The flop and turn miss both but the river deals an eight to double up the Frenchman.

2.40pm: Sharing the action
Nothing much since the all-in by Delattre. Andrea Benelli took a pot uncontested, and Jonathan Azoulay just took his turn doing the same.

2.28pm: Play starts
Play is underway. Two hands in and Thomas Delattre moves all-in behind a 50,000 pre-flop bet by Arnaud Esquevin. He doesn't fancy calling and Delattre takes the pot.

2.15pm: Photo shot
The photos have been taken. Here's one:

2.12pm: Photo shoots
The players are having their picture taken ahead of the final table action. While that happens, and a lot of people play with wires, why not allow the Team PokerStars Casanova Pro Luca Pagano give you a few dating tips. (There are worse people you could learn from, trust me.)

Watch EPT Deauville S5: Luca Pagano's guide to romance Day 3 (English) on PokerStars.tv

Television crews, casino staff, dealers and players are currently undergoing last-minute preparations for today's final table. The returning eight players are already guaranteed a payday of at least €77,400 but all eyes will be on the first prize of €851,400. (A full list of prizewinners to date can be found on the prizewinners page.)

Here are our final table players:

Seat one:
Arnaud Esquevin, France - 483,000


Esquevin celebrated his 21st birthday last Monday and is here in Deauville playing in his first major live tournament. The young business student lives in Paris and regularly plays in cash games at the Aviation Club de France, the most famous poker club in the country. If he wins today, Esquevin plans to buy a new house and use the rest of his money as a bankroll for games higher than the €5-€5 he currently plays. He will start the final table as a short stack but said, "Anything can happen."

Seat two:
Jorn Walthaus, 25, Amsterdam, Holland - PokerStars qualifier - 539,000

Jorn Walthaus (right)
Walthaus is a computer science student at Amsterdam University but admits that poker is slowing his studies down a bit. He qualified for EPT Deauville on PokerStars through a $800 satellite and this is his second major tournament inside a month, having also been at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure. He came to Deauville with his friend Joep van den Bijgaart who also cashed in 34th place.

Seat 3:
Moritz Kranich, 28, Hamburg, Germany - PokerStars qualifier - 1,434,000

Kranich first started playing poker four years ago, kicking off with free-rolls before progressing to $5 sit n gos. Within four months he had raised his average buy in to $100. In August 2006, the 28-year-old IT student started focusing on multi-table tournaments and last September recorded his biggest win to date: third place in the $1,050 WCOOP second chance tournament for $77,000. He has also won the S109 rebuy tournament on PokerStars. He has made three final tables in major live events, including the German Poker Championship, and he enjoyed his biggest live cash two weeks ago in the $5,000 side event at the PCA, where he earned $19,100 for 12th place.

Seat 4:
Andrea Benelli, 27, Prato, Italy - 1,195,000

A former computer sales rep, Benelli has been a professional poker player
for about a year. He has played in several EPTs, cashing in London and making the final table in Warsaw, where he came seventh and won €45,745. Benelli said that he would very much like to have supported his good friend Dario Minieri in the high roller event, but instead returned to his hotel room to prepare for the final table ahead.

Seat 5:
Bruno Launais, 22, near Montpellier, France - 402,000

Launais has been playing poker for four years, earning his prime income from the game for the past year. When he first started playing, he favoured full ring games but now plays mainly heads-up online, multi-tabling at the $10-$20 level. This is his first ever live tournament and won his seat online. His girlfriend Victoria couldn't make it to Deauville but he is being supported here by a group of friends - and more are arriving before the start of the final table.

Seat 6:
Thomas Delatte, 21, Boulogne-Sur-Mer, France - 233,000

This is not only Delatte's first EPT but it is his first major live tournament. He qualified for the event last Friday in one of the €200 live satellites held at Trouville Casino just down the road from Deauville. He normally plays cash games in card rooms in northern France and Belgium but has recently started playing tournaments and has cashed in the past five he played. The former estate agent is the short stack at the table and said: "I've nothing to lose. Everything from now on is a bonus. I'm very
happy to have made it this far."

Seat 7:
Tristan Clemoncon, 19, Bordeaux, France - 1,731,000

Clemencon was studying economics before turning full time to poker last March. So far it's proven to be a good decision as the 19-year-old has won close to $100,000 in less than a year. Deauville is his third EPT event, following Prague and Budapest, where he cashed in 49th place. His previous biggest win came at the Aviation Club in Paris but the €77,000 minimum he is guaranteed here will top that.

Seat 8:
Jonathan Azoulay, 29, Paris - 426,000 chips

Until five years ago, Azoulay used to play quite a lot of poker - mainly cash games in clubs around his home city of Paris. But then he qualified as a dentist and since then he's had very little time to pursue his hobby. He came to Deauville with a group of friends just for fun and bought in directly to his first major tournament. He said: "We all came along dreaming of making the final table but I still can't believe I've made it." Jonathan's girlfriend Laura is heading to Deauville tomorrow to cheer him on.

Here's what the video blog team made of it all:

Watch EPT Deauville S5: Final Table Introduction (English) on PokerStars.tv

Fifty percent of the starting field here in Deauville were French. Of the 48 players who have cashed so far at Casino Barriere this week, 21 grew up beneath le tricolore. And tomorrow's final table, which begins in Normandy at 2pm, will feature eight players. Five of them, you guessed it, are French.

The steady progression through this monster field at least tells us what they've been up to during the three-year absence of the European Poker Tour from these shores.

Gallic poker is booming, and the new poster boy this time tomorrow - alongside the likes of Betrand Grospellier and David Benyamine, of course - might turn out to be a 19-year-old by the name of Tristan Clemencon. He is carrying 1,731,000 chips to tomorrow's final table, and is an impressive chip leader.

Clemencon made one call in particular today, with pocket queens against Bruno Haddad's gutsy all-in with pocket jacks, after he saw a bead of sweat developing on Haddad's temple. It pays to keep a close eye on your opponents.

Alongside Clemencon tomorrow will be his countrymen Bruno Launais, Arnaud Esquevin, Thomas Delattre and Jonathan Azoulay.

They outlasted the more-celebrated likes of Michel Abecassis and Vikash Dhorasoo, who departed today, and other luminaries such as Arnaud Mattern, Antony Lellouche, Nicolas Levi, Pascal Perrault and Thomas Fougeron, who were early fallers.

That we can go this far without mentioning a player from another country speaks volumes. But we can't get any further because of one man: Moritz Kranich, the 28-year-old online phenom from Hamburg, Germany, who has been doing his bit near the summit of the chip ladder all week.

Kranich, who earned his seat in Deauville as his PokerStars alter ego "cattenacio", was the first through the million chip barrier today and stayed there until he bagged 1,434,000 at the close.

Andrea Benelli, making his second final table appearance of the season, is also in with a big shout tomorrow. He has 1,195,000 and is clearly in form after finishing seventh in Warsaw and 36th in London the month before that.

Jorn Walthaus, a 25-year-old PokerStars qualifier from Amsterdam, meanwhile, is keeping the Dutch hopes alive.

That, then, is our final table. And there is no place around it for the likes of David "Devilfish" Ulliott, Ivo Donev or Mika Paasonen, all veterans of the EPT but unable to make it into day four. A full list of those players in the money can be found on the prizewinner's page.

Take a look back at any of today's action with this selection of these somewhat predictably titled links (except the first one, which is just inaccurate):

The European long contest
Level 17 updates
Level 18 updates
Level 19 updates
Level 20 updates
Level 21 updates
Level 22 updates
Level 23 updates

And sample the same in the exotic languages of the Germans, the Swedes or the all-conquering French.

Tomorrow's final table begins at 2pm and you'll be able to watch extended highlights tomorrow night. Full details will be available on EPT.com.

If you can't wait that long, there are countless video blogs from Deauville and beyond on PokerStars.tv.

For now, though, that's bon soir from Deauville. We've weighed anchor.

All images © Neil Stoddart.

Live updates from level 23 of the EPT Deauville are brought to you by Stephen Bartley and Howard Swains. Click refresh to see the latest updates. This post will track the action in level 23.

Blinds: 10,000-20,000 (ante: 2,000)

7.40pm: Final table set
And with that, tomorrow's final table is set. The following players will return for the full television treatment at 2pm tomorrow.

Tristan Clemencon, France, 1,731,000
Moritz Kranich, Germany, PokerStars qualifier, 1,434,000
Andrea Benelli, Italy, 1,195,000
Jorn Walthaus, Holland, PokerStars qualifier, 539,000
Arnaud Esquevin, France, 483,000
Jonathan Azoulay, France, 426,000
Bruno Launais, France, 402,000
Thomas Delattre, France, 233,000

Stay tuned for a full wrap of day three.

7.35pm: Done
Jan Meinberg was well equipped for his most recent attempt to haul himself back into contention. He had Ad-Kd and he was all in pre-flop against Andrea Benelli, who had pocket threes. But the big slick never found the improvement it needed - the board ran out 7d-4h-Qs-6h-9s - and Meinberg departed on the final table bubble.

7.32pm: Suddenly
We're down to nine thanks to a Q-J against A-K scrap that saw David Davaux depart in tenth place to Arnaud Esquevin. The chips went in pre-flop and the action continues around one last table... note last, not final.

7.25pm: Meinberg takes one step in right direction
Jan Meinberg got it all in with Qd-Jh and was looked up by Andrea Benelli with Ah-6h. But the flop was kind to the all in player - Jd-10s-7d - and the turn and river kind too - 5s, Qc. He doubles up to about 200,000, which is still only 10 big blinds.

7.15pm: Meinberg with mountain to climb
Jonathan Azoulay moved all-in once, he moved in twice but only on the second time did anyone call and it was Jan Meinberg, another of the short stacks, taking on the business. Azoulay showed Ad-9d but Meinberg was ahead with Ac-Ts. That was until the flop when a nine struck. But there was still hope for Meinberg, falling as it did 9s-8s-4s. The Kh and 2c on the turn and river though changed nothing. A double up for the Frenchman leaving Meinberg with less than 100,000.

7pm: With ten players left, on two tables of five, we begin level 23. A full chip count is being made, but the runaway leaders at this stage are Moritz Kranich, who has 1,500,000 and Tristan Clemencon, who has now assumed the lead, with about 1,600,000. Those two are way ahead of the pack. Check the chip counts page in a few minutes for the latest full count.