Action folded around to the blinds, where Giancarlo Monti raised to 1,500 from the small blind and was called by Johan Storaakers in the big blind.
Storaakers proceeded to call bets from Monti on every street. First for 2,500 on the A♠K♠J♥ flop, then for 6,000 on the 3♣ turn, and finally for 7,000 on the 6♣ river.
Monti tabled A♣K♥ for top two pair and Storaakers mucked — conceding the pot to Monti.
Storaakers was left with just 2,500 following the hand and busted shortly thereafter.
Ramon Kropmanns was in the small blind in a heads-up pot against middle position opponent Terence Etim on a flop of 9♣7♣7♠.
With around 15,000 already in the middle, Kropmanns bet a small 1,700 and Etim called. Kropmanns then slightly sized up to 2,500 on the 5♠ turn and Etim again called.
The Q♠ river completed the board and Kropmanns took some time before sizing up further to 5,500. Etim laid it down.
The action folded around to Masato Yokosawa in the small blind and he shoved for his last 2,300 chips. Daniel Aldana was in the big blind and shrugged as he called it off.
Masato Yokosawa: Q♣6♠
Daniel Aldana: 5♣4♠
Yokosawa was in the lead with queen high and the Q♥J♣7♥ flop paired his queen. The 4♣ turn gave Aldana some outs but the 7♣ river was not one of them and Yokosawa scored the double-up.
Valon Olluri three-bet to 3,600 from the small blind and received three callers, including Tibor Nagygyorgy in the hijack, Ludovic Periaux in the cutoff, and button Mohamed Mamouni.
The flop came K♥7♥J♦ and Olluri led out for another 4,200. Only Nagygyorgy called this time.
Both players checked the 10♦ turn and the 9♦ fell on the river. Olluri then spent a few minutes tanking before firing out 16,700. Nagygyorgy also gave the decision some thought before he called.
Olluri turned over A♣4♥ for a bluff and Nagygyorgy showed Q♠J♠ for a straight as he took down the pot.
Giulio Astarita raised from the hijack to 1,300. He saw Jimmy Guerrero fold on the button, but Andrea Piglionica three-bet to 3,900 in the small blind.
Astarita called, and discovered a 2♠8♦10♠ flop, where he bet 3,000. But Piglionica chose to check-raise to 8,200. Astarita made a face but eventually called.
The 4♣ came on the turn, and Piglionica shoved for 16,800 chips. Astarita snap-called.
Andrea Piglionica: 8♣8♠
Giulio Astarita: 10♦10♥
Both players hit a set on the flop, but Astarita had the best one. So after the river A♥, he scooped the pot. Covered, Piglionica was eliminated.
Miltiadis Kyriakides opened in early position and Fahad El Mechraa called in the small blind before Thi Nguyen put in a three-bet to 4,500 from the big blind. Kyriakides called but El Mechraa mucked his hand.
The 7♠6♠3♠ flop was checked through to the J♥ turn. Nguyen checked once more and called a bet of 3,500 from Kyriakides.
When the 5♥ completed the board, both players tapped the table. Nguyen showed ace-high with A♣Q♣, while Kyriakides took down the pot with 8♣6♣, flopping a pair of sixes.
Giuliano Bendinelli and Nathan Tetart were heads-up on a board of 2♦6♠J♠10♦ when Tetart bet 9,000 from the big blind and Bendinelli called in early position.
The river came the A♥ and Tetart then led out for another 10,500. Bendinelli quickly folded.
The next hand, Bendinelli raised to 1,000 and received three callers, including Jerome Lopez in the cutoff, Matias Totti on the button, and big blind Lucas Silva.
The flop came 8♥5♠4♦ and Silva led out for 1,500. All three opponents called to the 2♦ turn, where Silva bet another 4,100.
Bendinelli and Totti called while Lopez got out of the way. The river came the 7♠ and action checked to Totti, who fired out 20,000.
Silva folded this time and Bendinelli went into the tank for several minutes, apologizing to his tablemates. He eventually threw his cards away as the defending champion has already lost more than half his stack within a few minutes of taking his seat.