Le Jour 4 du Main Event PokerStars Championship Bahamas a été écourté, le field tombant rapidement de 32 à 16 joueurs. Le Canadien Michael Gentili a pris le pouvoir sur la fin en remportant deux belles mains alors que Nick Maimone, Adrian Mateos Diaz et Byron Kaverman ont rendu les armes. Tout comme l'ultime tricolore en lice, Gaëlle Baumann.
Gentili aura 3,7 millions de jetons pour la reprise au Jour 5, soit plus de 150 blindes. Le jeune homme a de l'expérience puisqu'il a déjà terminé second d'un 5000$ WSOP pour presque 500 000$. Jason Mercier a lui besoin d'aide puisqu'il débutera l'avant dernière journée en dernière position au classement avec 340 000 soit 15 blindes à la reprise.
Gaelle Baumann a été la première sortante de la journée, elle n'a pas réussi à gratter le palier de la 31e place et termine 32e pour un gain de 14 760$. Pratyush Buddiga a suivi quelques minutes plus tard pour un gain de 19 000$ (31e). Byron Kaverman a chuté en 29e position pour le même gain que son compatriote après un gros flip perdu contre le Portugais Rodrigo Cordoba. Présent au Jour 4, Jaime Staples a perdu son 40-60 pour sa survie et s'incline lui en 27e place (19e).
Pendant ce temps là, le chipleader Nick Maimone ne faisait que perdre des coups. Mis à mal par Michael Vela, vainqueur WPT, Maimone est tombé à 30 blindes et va 4 bet all-in pour s'empaler sur les de Gentili. Dans le bas du classement, Gentili en profitait pour prendre la tête alors que Maimone quittait la partie en 19e position pour un gain de 24,640$.
En mode short stack ninja, le vainqueur du Main Event WSOP Europe et de l'EPT Grand Final Adrian Mateos Diaz est parvenu à accrocher une demi-finale de plus à son palmarès. Pas sûr que cette 18e place pour 24 640$ soit suffisante pour l'ambitieux espagnol...
Les survivants se retrouvent alors à la bulle du Jour 5... et c'est le moment choisi par Gentili pour remporter un pot énorme. Après avoir collé une relance UTG de Michael Bartholomew avec les , le patron du tournoi va envoyer trois mises sur un tableau . Bartholomew va hésiter un long moment rivière avant de call-muck son brelan de .
Le grinder US Rex Clinkscales sera donc l'ultime victime du Jour 4. Il va perdre une bonne partie de ses jetons en payant de grosse blinde avec suite à un open shove du short-stack Allon Allison avec . Tombé à 8 blindes, Clinkscales va tout mettre avec mais l'ancien vainqueur du PCA John Dibella va trouver deux paires au flop et une maison pleine au tournant avec .
La partie reprendra donc sur les blindes 12 000 - 24 000 (4000) avec 16 joueurs assurés de remporter 24,640$.
L'action sera à suivre dès 18 heures en streaming et sur le coverage de PokerNews. Il retse du beau monde puisque John Dibella, Cliff Josephy, Christian Harder et Ryan Riess sont encore en lice !
Rex Clinkscales pushed his remaining 328,000 into the pot, and John Dibella put him at risk from the big blind.
Dibella:
Clinkscales:
"Just an ace," Dibella requested.
He got more: , giving him two pair. Clinkscales needed an eight or running straight cards, but those hopes were dashed when Dibella locked it up on the turn. A meaningless arrived on the river, and the American grinder headed for payouts as the rest of the players prepared to bag up.
From the cutoff, Nadya Magnus raised to 50,000. Big blind Allon Allison called and both players checked the flop before the hit the turn. Allison checked again and Magnus bet 80,000. Allison check-raised to 250,000 and Magnus called in position.
The completed the board and Allison announced all in. He had about 760,000 and had Magnus just covered as she had 580,000.
Magnus went deep into the tank. "Will you show me if I fold?" she asked at one point. Allison did not respond, stoically staring to a fixed point in the room.
"I have a big hand you know," Magnus continued.
At one point she shook her head and glared to the rail. "I Just don't believe you!" she said.
Several minutes past and John Dibella asked for the clock. Still no word from Allison who had his eyes hidden behind dark shades.
The floor came over and informed Magnus she had a minute left to act on her hand. As 50 seconds had passed, the floor started the countdown from ten to zero.
With just two seconds left, Magnus pounced some chips in the middle to call it off for her tournament life.
"Ahhh!" Allison shouted, "So close!"
That was enough information for Magnus who showed for two pair.
"Shit! I almost had you. Just two seconds away!" Allison said.
"I think I lose" Allison said while he took one last peek at his cards.
Adrian Mateos lost a big pot after doubling Alan Schein up and was left with less than one big blind before being eliminated.
Schein moved all in for 372,000 from the cutoff and Adrian Mateos re-shoved all in on the button for 392,000.
Schein:
Mateos:
The flop came . Schein took the lead with a pair of kings and never looked back after the peeled on the turn and the came on the river. Mateos was left with just 20,000 chips.
The very next hand, Mateos called all in for less (16,000). Jason Mercier called from the small blind and Ryan Riess checked his option in the big blind.
The flop came . Mercier led out for 24,000 and Riess folded.
Mercier:
Mateos:
The turn was the and the river was the , sending Mateos home in 18th place.
Birthday boy and start of day chipleader Nick Maimone has been eliminated from the 2017 PokerStars Championship Bahamas $5,000 Main Event.
Maimone opened under the gun for 60,000 and his neighbor Michael Vela called. Over on the button sat Michael Gentili and he three-bet to 195,000. Both blinds folded and action was back on Maimone who pushed all in for just over 700,000. Vela folded right away, Gentili called instantly.
Michael Gentili:
Nick Maimone:
"Good hand, it [was] gonna play itself" Maimone said.
The board ran out and Maimone said his goodbyes. Down to 18 players now, still all guaranteed $24,640.
Action folded around to Rodrigo Cordoba in the cutoff and he raised to 45,000. Damien Steel was on the button and moved all in for 378,000. Cordoba had a decision to make and after a minute of deliberation he decided to call.
Cordoba:
Steel:
It turns out Cordoba was well ahead and Steel need to hit one of the two remaining fours in the deck to stay alive.
The board ran out and Steel was sent home in 21st place for a nice $24,640 payday.
Michael Gentili raised to 45,000 under the gun and small blind Michael Bartholomew called. Big blind Massimo De Mario squeezed all in for 541,000 and Gentili was quick to fold.
Bartholomew tanked for a bit, asked for a count, and then asked De Mario if he wanted a call. De Mario didn't reply but Bartholomew called anyway.
Michael Bartholomew:
Massimo De Mario:
It was a big flip and Bartholomew would be the one ending up winning it. The board ran out and De Mario hit the rail.
De Mario, an Italian player living in Germany, was the last Spin & Go winner left in the field. He turned $10 into a payday of $24,640.
Pedro Cabeca raised the button to 44,000 and small blind Nick Maimone called, Big blind Scott Stewart squeezed all in for 572,000 total and Cabeca folded. Maimone called.
Nick Maimone:
Scott Stewart:
The flop came which just about settled it. The on the turn made things official, the on the river was there just for good measures.
Kevin Andriamahefa was the shortest stack coming back from break and shoved from middle position for exactly 200,000. Small blind Michael Bartholomew asked for a count and then reshoved upon finding out it was ten big blinds. The big blind folded right away.
Kevin Andriamahefa:
Michael Bartholomew:
The made Bartholomew the heavy favorite but the on the turn was a scare card. The on the river wasn't one of the cards Andriamahefa was looking for and he exited the tournament in 24th place winning $19,000. The remaining 23 players are guaranteed $24,640 from here on out.
pour s'empaler sur les 
. Bartholomew va hésiter un long moment rivière avant de call-muck son brelan de 
suite à un open shove du short-stack Allon Allison avec 
, giving him two pair. Clinkscales needed an eight or running straight cards, but those hopes were dashed when Dibella locked it up on the 
turn. A meaningless 
hit the turn. Allison checked again and Magnus bet 80,000. Allison check-raised to 250,000 and Magnus called in position.
completed the board and Allison announced all in. He had about 760,000 and had Magnus just covered as she had 580,000. 
for two pair.
and the pot went to Magnus.
. Schein took the lead with a pair of kings and never looked back after the 
peeled on the turn and the 
came on the river. Mateos was left with just 20,000 chips.
. Mercier led out for 24,000 and Riess folded. 
, sending Mateos home in 18th place.
on the turn was a scare card. The 
