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The action just keeps on coming here at the WPT Venice! German team member Muchaz11 will go into the books in 11th place after just being busted by the same player who crippled team mate Daumbeach moments earlier.

The hand started with the aggressive player, (Italian Michele Slama), raising to 30k UTG. It was folded around to Muchaz11 on BB who had not been involved in any hands since the last break. Muchaz11 moved his remaining 200k all-in and the action was back to Slama. He called without any real hesitation and showed AsKh and Muchaz11 turned over 9h9s in classic coin flip. With a huge crowd gathering around the table and the dealer put a nasty out a flop of 3sAh4s putting muchaz11 in big trouble.

A Kd on the turn left muchaz11 still needing a 9 to stay alive, but a blank 5s sealed the deal for muchaz11 and his WPT Venice ended in 11th spot.

muchaz11 in action

muchaz11 giving his details to Tournment Director Thomas Lamatsch

The end for Muchaz11

Daumbeach was going strong on 350k at the last break, but two big hands have ended his WPT Venice Journey in a very respectable 14th.

First up, Daumbeach lost a huge chunk of his stack when he was all in from SB over the top of a 20k raise from UTG. BB instantly called with 80% of Daumbeach’s stack and UTG then folded. Daumbeach turned over his AsKs, but BB showed KK and with the boarding running out with no improvement for either player and Daumbeach was crippled down to just a hand full of big blinds.

A few hands later Daumbeach moved his remaining 60k all-in preflop from the button. BB looked him up and Daumbeach was going to need some help to stay alive with his Qs7d up against Kh3c. Unfortunately the board blanked out for Daumbeach and he was out in 14th.

Daumbeach getting his chips in

Daumbeache's final hand

Daumbeach marked his first bwin team live event with a nice cash, and it makes it a big few weeks for the German on bwin poker after he came 2nd in the GSOP Event #5 for over $15,000. Check out the recap and video from that event here.

Just 13 players left and Ilawa(613k), vincent582 (250k) and muchaz11 (280k) are now guaranteed at least 13,700€. Four more busts and te final table comes together, then when it is down to 6 play will conclude for the day. Go team go!

French team veteran LocStaOnFire has just been busted in 18th spot in a super tough beat at the hands of Italian pro Dario Minieri. LocStaOnFire was on the UTG when he looked down at KsKc and bumped it up to 21k. The action was folded to Minieri on BB who did his thing and re-raised to 63k from BB. LocStaOnFire flat called and the flop came Th7s4c. Minieri checked, LocStaOnfie bet out 46k hoping the super aggressive Minieri would check raise, and the Italian obliged raising LocStaOnFire all-in.

LocStaOnFire snap called and turned over his KsKc, but was surprisingly behind when Minieri showed an unlikely Td4h. LocStaOnFire still had a lot of outs, but couldn’t find them on the turn and river and he become another Dario Minieri victim. Minieri moved up to over 800k after the hand and is running hot so far today.

LocStaOnFire and Minieri locking horns

It was a great effort by LocStaOnFire to bring home 11,400€ and he is now the first ever bwin team player to cash twice at major live events after his $48,633 at the 2007 WPT Canade! Great work LocStaOnFire, hope to see you back in the action at the 2009 WSOP Main Event!

LocStaOnFire has now cashed twice for the bwin team

German team member Ilawa has had an incredible first session here on Day 3 of the WPT Venice, moving his stack up to 3rd overall on the chip count with 450k. French player vincent582 had a strong first session moving up to 365k and Daumbeach is also up there with 350k.

Ilawa is crushing it today

Daumbeach and vincent582 are looking strong

A team member who slipped under the radar is muchaz11 who is now sitting on 270k after also almost doubling his starting stack to 270k. LocStaOnFire rounds out the team, pretty much just staying steady after the first two levels with 250k.

muchaz11 moved up to 270k

Chip counts:

Ilawa – 450k
vincent582 – 360k
Daumbeach – 350k
muchaz11 – 270k
LocStaOnFire – 250k

Michael McDonald is still chip leader with a massive 942k and Italian pro Dario Minieri is next with 620k. Blinds have moved to 4000/8000/1000 and only 17 players. Only 11 more busts until we end today’s play, with 5 runners still going strong let’s hope we can get a really big presence on the final table!

bwin team veteran nammer4life’s great run in the WPT Venice has just come to an end at the hands chip leader Michael McDonald.

The hand started with nammer4life down to about 120k and McDonald raising from the cut-off to 20k. nammer4life then shoved from the button an the blinds folded. McDonald insta- called and turned over AcKd to have nammer’s AhJc dominated. If anyone deserved some luck it would be nammer and a TcTd 9h flop gave some hope of a split, but the turn and river both blanked and nammer was out with McDonald increasing his huge stack to an incredibly 900k.

Go Joe! nammer4life has broken his bwin team duck!

nammer4life is one of bwin Poker’s biggest players, feared in high stakes cash games and at regular on bwin team live events. After his tough run so far in the bwin colours, including a heartbreaking bad beat on the bubble in the 2007 WSOPE, it is just so fantastic so see the friendly Canadian finally get in the cash. It will be party time tonight!

It has been a crazy few minutes for the bwin team with 4 team members being eliminated in the blink of an eye. First up nestelous_x was eliminated virtually at the same time as freetcha, when he was all-in pre-flop with As5s vs AhJd and the board blanked.

nestelous x picked up 8,360€ in his first bwin team apperance

Danish player psycho2620 was next when the rampaging Illawa picked up Qs Qd and raised psycho2620 all in on the BB pyscho2620 looked down on 9c 9h and made the call. A Qh on the flop pretty much sealed the deal and sent pyscho2620 home in 31st.

Congrats psycho2620 - 31st Place in the WPT Venice

At the same time as psycho2620 was all-in, team mate puchi x was all in pre flop on Table 1 with JdTd against a AcKh . puchi x picked up some serious outs on a 9hQc7c flop, but wasn’t able to connect on the turn and river and was out in 30th.

puchi x was proud of his efforts in his first major live tournament and so are we!

To cap it all off French player yoggielours was out just a few minutes later when hisKc Jc couldn’t out race AsQs in another pre-flop show down.

yoggilours has 8,360€ from his trip to europe

Blinds have just moved to 3000/6000/500 and 26 players are remaining. The next payout level has been reached and all players are now 9,880€.

Illawa has had an incredible start to the day, almost doubling his stack after taking down huge pots on consecutive hands.

First up he was on BB and called a 14k raise from the button. He then led out with 26k on a Q♠6♣T♠ flop and was called. Both players checked down a 5♣ on the turn before Illawa bet 54k on a 3♣ river. His opponent tanked for a couple minutes, then made the call and Illawa showed his A♠Q♦ and took down a huge pot when his opponent mucked.

Next hand Ilawa again was heads up with an opponent to the river, and this time made his opponent fold by putting out 65k. The two pots move Illawa up to third on the overall chip count with 362k.

Ilawa counting up his winnings

German team member freetcha started the day with only 10 big blinds and not surprisingly got his chips into the middle on one of the first hands of the day. freetcha picked a really nice spot; the cut off raised to 17k, he pushed from button with 45k, and then SB moved all-in over the top. BB folded, as did the cut off and freetcha turned over KsJc to be racing for a really nice pot against TT. The flop was not kind to freetcha, bringing another T, but the turn was slightly kinder, a 9 giving him the gut shot.

If he could hit on the river freetcha would be up to over 100k, but unfortunately it blanked and the young German would have to settle for 8,350€ for his efforts! Well done!

Good spot, no luck ... freetcha can be proud of his 34th place finish

The cards are in the air! Go bwin team go!

The day of destiny has arrived for 11 of our bwin team members with Day 3 of the WPT Venice about to get started. With only 36 players remaining in the tournament all the guys are guaranteed at least 8,300€, but I’m sure the real prize on the players minds is something that no amount of money can’t buy; a WTP Bracelet. 397,960€ and a seat at the WPT World Championships for 1st is a nice sweetener though!

nammer4life looking relaxed as always

French Connection - vincent582 and nestelous_x

The elusive psycho2620

puchi x

yoggilours enjoying some lunch with team mate speedzebre

LocStaOnFire ready to take on the day

We just got a look at the re-draw for today’s play and there is certainly a good chance of some friendly fire between team members with four players seated on Table 3 and three on Table 4. Table two should also be interesting with two of the bwin team’s biggest stacks nammer4 life and vincent582 seated next to each other in seats 5 and 6.

Here is a look at all the bwin team’s stacks and seat numbers.

Table 1 Seat 3 – LocStaOnFire – 238,300
Table 1 Seat 4 – puchi x – 31,500

Table 2 Seat 5 – nammer4life – 213,700
Table 2 Seat 6 – vincent582 – 258,000

Table 3 Seat 3 – Ilawa – 187,000
Table 3 Seat 5 – freetcha – 50,600
Table 3 Seat 6 – Daumbeach – 115,000
Table 3 Seat 7 – yoggilours – 55,500

Table 4 Seat 4 – muchaz11 – 152,600
Table 4 Seat 5 – Psycho2620 – 130,600
Table 4 Seat 8 – nestelous_x – 42,600

Top ten stacks:

Michael Mcdonald – 545,700
Danilo Ginobbi – 344,900
Sunar Surinder – 343,100
Thor Drexel – 321,800
Shawn Metthew Busse – 286,900
vincent582- 258,600
Ilkka Koskinen – 238,500
LocStaOnFire – 238,300
Mario Adinolfi – 228,600
Sven Ragnar Astrom – 227,600

When play commences there is another 40 minutes of the 2500/5000/600 blinds and the average stack 165k. Play will finish today when it is down to the final six and the final table will be start at 12.00 C.E.T.