There’s been a very healthy contingent of Japanese players here at the European Poker Tour (EPT) Main Event in Monte Carlo. But one of their number just hit the headlines for the worst possible reason.

Yasuhiro Waki burst the bubble in this record-equalling event, busting in 160th place to help the remainder of the field secure a minimum payday of €8,700.

Waki did this in style. With a diamond encrusted ring glinting from his pinkie, a flash of blonde painted through the middle of his hair, and a string of red beads dangling from his neck, Waki tabled his pocket red aces — A♦ A♥ — to go to battle for all his chips.

The usual phalanx of camera operators, sound guys, reporters and players from other tables had swarmed to the centre of the action, seeing Ryhor Karapanau table his Q♣ J♣ . Waki took a long, long drink from his bottle of water and awaited his fate.

“No club please,” he said.

The dealer wasn’t listening.

YASUHIRO TO YASU-VILLAIN

The flop brought gasps from everyone at the table. It came A♣ 4♣ Q♦ . That was top set for Waki but the flush draw for Karapanau.

The turn was the 5♥ . A blank.

But the river was the 2♣ and even if we hadn’t seen it with our own eyes, we would have known it from the sound emanating from Waki. “No, no, no, no, no, no, no!” he shrieked.

He then slumped with his head on the felt, smile rather than grimace painted across his face. Although he is a relative stranger to the European Poker Tour, he gave the impression of not exactly riding his first rodeo here, and seemed to have the air of someone for whom €5K is not going to be the ruination.

He emerged from his temporary hibernation to say, “Nice game!” to his opponents, then shook their hands one by one. He even made sure to peel open fists pushed forward for a bumping. He wanted the old-school handshake.

With that, Waki left the tournament area without troubling the cashiers. While everyone else looked forward to some profit for the week.

HOW THE OTHERS SURVIVED

Those in-the-money players included both Mihails Morozovs and Martin Guerro, who had both found themselves all-in and at risk during a relatively brisk bubble period.

Guerro made a bold play with a less-than-nut holding in a pot against Christian Larrosa a while earlier, earning a double. Soon after, Morozovs won a big set-over-set encounter against Maloku Kreshnik.

In the first of those pots, Guerro limped from late position and saw Larrosa raise from the small blind. Guerro, with the smaller stack, called in position.

The flop ws 3♣ 6♦ 5♥ and both players checked. They also checked the Q♣ turn, but then Larrosa bet 33,000. Guerro moved all-in for his last 117,000 and after a puff of the cheeks, Larrosa called.

Guerro had to wait a long while for the cards to be revealed. This is what happens during the bubble, when all hands have to finish on all tables before the showdown commences. He knew at this point that he had a flush with 7♣ 8♣ , but as played, that seemed vulnerable.

However, when the rest of the world tuned into the action, Larrosa showed his K♦ 5♣ for two pair, and the flush was indeed good.

As for Morozovs, he was a little more comfortable. All of his chips went in with Q♥ Q♣ when they were already at a turn card and the board read 7♦ 9♥ 2♥ Q♦ . He had top set. His opponent, Kreshnik, had pocket sevens, but was now drawing to one out.

It didn’t come on the river. It was the 2♣ . So Morozovs survived. “I had the exact same experience in Barcelona,” Morozovs said. “Direct bubble, same stack.” He knows how to find the hands at the right time, clearly.

EVEN THE BEST ARE NOT IMMUNE

It’s probably worth adding here that the player out in 161st, taking them to the stone bubble, was Stephen Chidwick. Regarded as one of the very best in the world, Chidwick was down to just one chip earlier on, and although he doubled that up when he was in the big blind, he lost a three-way all-in to nearly bubble.

Let’s not weep for Stevie. He chopped the €50K single day event with Isaac Haxton last night. But it goes to show how even the best cannot avoid a Main Event bubble every now and then.

The tournament now continues for another level and a bit tonight, before the big money gets nearer over the next couple of days. But that’s your bubble for Monte Carlo for another year. Poor Yasuhiro. It was a long way to come for treatment like that.

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