French pro Antoine Saout is the chip leader in the 2014 partypoker WPT UK Main Event where only 16 players remain in contention for the £200,000 first place prize and the title of champion. Saout won a monster-sized pot on the last hand of Day 3 to propel him to the top of the chip counts as the only player with more than two million chips.
The hand in question saw Matas Cimbolas raise to 24,000 from under the gun at the 5,000/10,000/1,000a level and Najib Kamand called from the next seat across. Fraser MacIntyre called from the cutoff, Saout called from the button and Phillip Mighill put in the extra chips from the big blind.
The action checked to Saout on the 
flop, Saout bet 68,000 and only MacIntyre called. MacIntyre then checked the 
turn, Saout bet 200,000 only to see MacIntyre check-raise all-in for 800,000. Saout instantly called and when the cards were flipped over it was easy to see why.
Saout: 
– for a set of fives
MacIntyre: 
– for top pair
MacIntyre had already left his seat by the time the 
completed the board and he busted in 17th place.
Each of the 16 players returning to Dusk Till Dawn on Saturday 22 November, do so having locked up at least £10,200 for their efforts so far. This is because the money bubble burst during the first level on Day 3.
Ian Simpson: The unfortunate bubble boy of the 2014 partypoker WPT UK Main Event
It was the former Irish Open champion Ian Simpson who bubbled, after three-betting all-in with 
after David Peters raised with 
and then called to be rewarded with a board reading 
[s]
. Peters would later bust in 30th place.
With the bubble well and truly popped, the likes of Sin Melin (45th for £6,000), Morten Mortensen (44th for £6,000), Chris Moorman (42nd for £6,000), Sergio Aido (37th for £6,000), William Chattaway (28th for £6,500), last partypoker qualifier standing Ben Dobson (27th for £7,000), Triple Crown winner Jake Cody (26th for £7,000), and Charles Chattha (24th for £8,000) all collected some prize money.
Although Saout holds a substantial chip lead going into the penultimate day’s play, a victory for the Frenchman is anything but guaranteed because there are some exceptionally talented poker players hanging from his coattails.
Tamer Kamel starts Day 4 in second place
Tamer Kamel (1,782,000) starts Day 4 in second place with his fellow Brits Ben Warrington (1,294,000) and Ben Vinson (824,000) also still in contention.
Others to look out for on Day 4 include former World Series of Poker Main Event final table member Sylvain Loosli (523,000), the British-based Lithuanian grinder Matas Cimbolas (499,000), Spanish phenom Adrian Mateos (443,000), and the English quartet of Charlie Combes (377,000), Jamie Roberts (331,000), Patrick Leonard (290,000) and Leo McClean (268,000).
2014 partypoker WPT UK Main Event End-of-Day 3 Chip Counts
| Place | Player | Chips |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Antoine Saout | 2,317,000 |
| 2 | Tamer Kamel | 1,782,000 |
| 3 | Ben Warrington | 1,294,000 |
| 4 | Ben Vinson | 824,000 |
| 5 | Phillip Mighall | 611,000 |
| 6 | Najib Kamand | 583,000 |
| 7 | Sylvain Loosli | 523,000 |
| 8 | Matas Cimbolas | 499,000 |
| 9 | Adrian Mateos | 443,000 |
| 10 | Charlie Combes | 377,000 |
| 11 | Jamie Roberts | 331,000 |
| 12 | Patrick Leonard | 290,000 |
| 13 | Leo McClean | 268,000 |
| 14 | Nic Markou | 236,000 |
| 15 | Luca Moschitta | 158,000 |
| 16 | Stefano Garbino | 120,000 |
WPT Europe Tournament Direct Christian Scalzi and the Royal Flush Girls
Play resumes at Dusk Till Dawn at 13:00 GMT and continues until 10 players have fallen and the final table is reached. At this point the least anyone is taking home is £39,500 so it is fair to say that things are starting to get serious in Nottingham.
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We will be at WPT Fallsview, will you?
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