EPT Prague: Final table, level 28 updates

Updates from the final table, level 28 of EPT Prague, brought to you by Stephen Bartley, Marc “The Conv” Convey, Howard Swains and Simon Young.

Latest chip counts are on the chip count page. The EPT tournament structure can be found on the EPT tournament structure page. Full details of the payout structure and prizewinners so far are on the payout structure and prizewinners page.

Click through for full profiles of the final table players.
Previous coverage today: Level 25 | Level 26 | Level 27

Blinds:
Level 28: 40,000-80,000 (5,000 ante)

5.35pm: Another one in the books
That’s the end of the level, with the three-handed chip counts looking like this:

Stefan Mattsson: 2,870,000
Jan Skampa: 6,150,000
Eyal Avitan: 8,550,000

5.30pm: Skampa counter attack
The hand after doubling up Stefan Mattsson, Jan Skampa got a small chunk of it back. Eyal Avitan folded his button – a regular move, let me tell you – and Mattsson made it 220,000 from the small blind. But Skampa was having none of it, and made it 580,000. Mattsson thought for a short while, but then tossed his cards high into the air, and into the muck.

5.29pm: Mattsson not out of it yet
A bet of 180,000 from Jan Skampa to open the pot from the button. Stefan Mattsson then announced all-in from the big blind and Skampa called. A♥ K♥ for Mattsson, A♦ 9♥ for Skampa. The board ran: 2♠ 3♠ J♠ J♦ 4♣ . Mattson doubles up to around three million.

5.25pm: Mattsson v Skampa
One pot to each of Stefan Mattsson and Jan Skampa when the two of them lock horns. On the first, Skampa limped from the button and Stefan Mattsson checked from the big blind to see a 2♣ K♠ 5♣ flop. Both players checked before a 205,000 Mattsson bet on the 3♣ turn took it down.

On the second hand, Mattsson raised to 200,000 from the button only to lay down to a Skampa three-bet to 550,000.

5.22pm: Chunks of chips
On a flop of K♦ 7♠ K♠ Jan Skampa bet 110,000 which Eyal Avitan called for a 2♥ on the turn. Skampa then fired out 275,000 which Avitan called. Again on the 10♦ river card, Skampa bet 650,000 and Avitan called. Skampa showed K♣ 8♣ . Avitan showed nothing and just patted the table. Pot to Skampa.

5.21pm: Do you remember the last time?
Action has slowed a little in Prague, which has got our video bloggers (and Dario Minieri) remembering last year, where the action came thick, fast and Italian.

5.20pm: Avitan gets some
We see another flop! Avitan makes it 250,000 from the button. Mattsson passes but Skampa calls from the big blind. The flop is 5♦ 7♣ 3♥ , which Skampa checks, then folds when Avitan puts 325,000 over the line.

5.15pm: Small pot for Skampa
We see a flop! Stefan Mattsson folds his button, and Jan Skampa calls from the small blind. Avitan checks his option. Both check the 9♠ A♦ A♠ flop and also the K♣ turn. But on the Q♣ river Skampa makes it a teasing 95,000, but Avitan will not bite.

5.10pm: The trophy
Here’s what they’re playing for:

5.07pm: Three in row for Mattsson
It was only the blinds and antes won but they all count. He pushed from the small blind and the button forcing folds and then he was given a walk by his two opponents.

5.05pm: Three way action
A limped pot with a flop of 10♦ J♠ 10♣ . Avitan made it 200,000 which was called by Mattsson and Skampa. A 6♥ on the turn. It’s checked to Skampa who bet 435,000. Avitan called by Mattsson passed before the 4♠ on the river. Avitan checked, Skampa made it 950,000 and Avitan thought for a while, going through a process of separating orange chips, counting them, re-stacking them before calling with 10♠ 7♠ . Skampa showed 8♥ 9♣ . A big pot for Avitan.

5pm: Team Pro Top Trumps
Just imagine poker Top Trumps, where “Horror Rating” and “Fear Factor” were replaced by “Number of Tables” or “Poker Endurance”. Hmmm. Just imagine…

4.55pm: Four hands – and some action on the fourth
Things are slowing down a bit, folks. We’re going through a spell of seeing no flops. Here are four hands in a row:

One – Stefan Mattsson bets 190,000 from the button, Jan Skampa and Eyal Avitan fold.
Two – Skampa makes it 190,000 from the button, the other two fold.
Three – Avitan folds his button and Mattsson folds from the small blind. A walk, then, for Skampa.
Four – Mattson makes it 190,000 from the button (standard) and this time Skampa calls. But Avitan seemingly wakes up with a hand from the big blind and makes it 780,000. That’s enough to chase off the other two.

4.50pm: Mattsson suffering
Stefan Mattsson and Jan Skampa saw a limped 10♣ 9♦ 2♣ flop from the blinds. Mattsson led out for 110,000 and was called by his big blind neigbour. Both checked the 3♣ turn before Mattsson check-folded to a 150,000 from Skampa on the 8♠ river. Mattson is looking really downbeat about his chip stack downswing at the moment.

4.45pm: The Jan Skampa show
Jan Skampa made it 200,000 to go from the button – no takers. Then the other way around – no takers, a walk to Skampa. Then Skampa made it 215,000 pre-flop – no takers. Then another 190,000 from the button – no takers.

4.40pm: Skampa wounds Mattsson again
Jan Skampa is continuing to damage Stefan Mattsson, who now appears to be below two million in chips. Mattsson made it 190,000 from the button, and Skampa called in the small blind. Avitan folded.

The flop came 7♣ Q♣ 10♥ and both checked. But on the 8♣ turn Skampa bet 315,000. Call. Now on the J♥ river Skampa made it a hefty 815,000 – called again by the Swede who got the bad news soon enough. Skampa had K♣ J♣ for a turned flush.

4.35pm: Skampa grabs another
Jan Skampa makes it 240,000 from the button, and he gets a call from Stefan Mattsson in the big blind. The flop comes 4♦ J♠ 9♠ , Mattsson checks, and then mucks before we even had time to count how many chips Skampa was about to move over the line.
Next hand, Skampa gets a walk in the big blind.

4.30pm: Two in a row for Avitan
Stefan Mattsson raised from the button to 190,000 and was called by Eyal Avital in the big blind to see a 10♣ 5♠ 2♥ flop. Avital check-called a 235,000 bet before they both checked the 7♣ turn. Avital then bet out for 355,000 on the 7♣ river prompting Mattsson to fold. He extends his chip lead a little further with that pot.

4.20pm: Avitan assumes lead
Eyal Avitan came back from the break and was on the button. He raised to 235,000 and after Stefan Mattsson got out the way, Jan Skampa re-raised to 580,000 total, or 345,000 more. Avitan called. The flop came 5♥ Q♣ A♣ and Skampa bet 550,000 at it, which Avitan also called. The turn was 7♣ and after Skampa checked, Avitan bet 895,000, which was too much for Skampa, who yielded both this pot and the chip lead.

4.16pm: Chip counts with cards in the air

Jan Skampa, Czech Republic – 6,710,000
Eyal Avitan, Israel – 6,545,000
Stefan Mattsson, Sweden – 4,315,000

4.15pm: Play resumes on the final table
Three left in EPT Prague.