Follow Day 3’s action here!
21:51
Day 2 Completed: Marcel Bjerkmann Leads
Day 2 has come to an end with just 27 players remaining. The overall chip leader is a certain Marcel Bjerkmann who bagged and tagged 436,300 but hot on his heels are the likes of James Akenhead (336,000), Gianluca Trebbi (323,500), Jason Wheeler (348,200) and Andrea Dato (309,900).
Join us Wednesday at 1300 CET for all the action from Day 3 when the money bubble will burst and we may play down to the final nine players!
21:16
Seven More Hands
As the title says we will be playing seven more hands before wrapping up for the night and heading to see the magician better known as Dynamo.
21:11
Split Pot
Simon Ravnsbaek has been pushing his stack in with great frequency in the last few orbits in an attempt to pick up some much needed chips. Just now he raised to 4,800 from early position and when Dario De Pez three-bet to 12,100 he moved all in for around 30,000 more. De Pez made the call and the cards were revealed.
De Pez: 
Ravnsbaek: 
Split pot on its way! The final board ran out 
.
21:01
Candio Crushed
Filippo Candio raises to 4,800 from UTG+1 and after on player folds Jason Wheeler three-bets to 12,300. The action folds back around to Candio and he announces he is all-in. Wheeler cannot believe his ears and even re-checks his cards for a split second before calling.
Candio: 
Wheeler: 
The flop comes down 
putting Candio into an unlikely lead. The turn is the and the river is the 
and Candio leaps to his feet saying something like “ach ach ach ach,” we don’t think he is impressed.
Wheeler is amazed and offers his hand to Candio who is a gentleman and shakes it before leaving the tournament area chased by half a dozen members of the Italian press. Meanwhile Wheeler now has around 390,000 chips and is right amongst the leaders.
20:42
Akenhead Continues to Chip Up
James Akenhead is constantly adding to his stack and now has 360,000 chips. he just won two hands back-to-back, both uncontested. We think his table has just gotten fed up with his constant, controlled aggression and is letting him do what he likes!
20:32
Mike Sexton Busts Out
Mike Sexton has been eliminated from the Main Event at the hands of Gianluca Trebbi.
It was Umberto Calabrese who got the betting started with a raise to 5,000 from the hijack. Sexton is in the small blind and he makes the call only to see Gianluca Trebbi squeeze to 17,500. Calabrese gets out of the way but Sexton moves all in for around 30,000 in total and Trebbi instantly calls.
Sexton: 
Trebbi: 
Flop: 
– “Bad start,” said Sexton in a huge understatement.
Turn: 
– No help for Sexton
River: 
– Trebbi makes an unnecessary full house and Sexton is eliminated.
20:15
The Royal Flush Girls’ Day Out
The Royal Flush Girls took a day trip today, take a look at what they got up to.
20:00
Fish and Chips
Here are the biggest chip stacks from around the room and the fishes to whom they belong.
Marcel Bjerkmann: 450,000
Filippo Candio: 320,000
James Akenhead: 320,000
Jason Wheeler: 250,000
Alessandro Longobardi: 200,000
19:44
Last Break
The players are on their last break of the day. Join us in around 15 minutes.
19:35
Akenhead Helps Himself To Another Pot
Dario De Paz opens to 4,000 from middle position and just as he has done on at least half a dozen occasions over the last few orbits Akenhead three-bets him to 10,500. But instead of folding De Paz makes the call and it is heads up to the 
flop.
De Paz checks to Akenhead and the Brit fires a continuation bet of 10,800 and De Paz quickly calls by dropping the required chips into the pot from a large height. The turn is the and when De Paz checks Akenhead checks behind.
The river is the and De Paz checks again. Akenhead enters his customary pose before firing a bet of 16,500. De Paz quickly folds and says, “Nice hand,” but Akenhead does not reply almost certainly because he is listening to his iPod.
Akenhead seems to have the measure of his table right now and looks like he is in the zone, a dangerous combo we can tell you.
19:15
Mathew Frankland Heads For The Rail
A very disappointed Mathew Frankland is heading back to his hotel room after busting out at the hands of Jason Wheeler. The pair had clashed a couple of times over the past few levels with Wheeler being in Frankland’s big blind but they won’t be clashing any more.
The details of the hand elude us and Frankland didn’t look in the mood to talk about how the hand went down but we arrived to see Frankland rising from the table his beaten by the 
as the board had run out 
.
Frankland, a PartyPoker qualifier, started the day with just 14,200 chips, peaked at around 190,000 and now is busto. Good game sir.
18:42
Mike Sexton Doubles Up
PartyPoker Pro Mike Sexton has doubled up to around 56,000 after his pocket nines held up against the of Alessandro Longobardi.
Longobardi raised to 4,200 from early position then called, after 40 seconds deliberation, when Sexton moved all in for 27,500 from the big blind. The 
gave Longobardi even more outs but they failed to appear as the turn and river were the 
and 
respectively and Sexton survives.
Here Dany Willis speaks to the legend:
18:34
Akenhead Bossing His Table
The action folds to James Akenhead in the hijack and he makes it 4,300 to play. Rocco Palumbo is in the cutoff and he three-bets to 10,500. The button and both blinds fold but Akenhead is not in the mood for folding and he four-bets to 24,600 in total, which is enough to get the job done because Palumbo mucks his hand.
18:22
Party Players In Action
18:00
Coffee Please
It is the end of the level so that means the players are on a 15-minute break. Mine’s a coffee one sugar please. Thanks.
17:58
Popp Pops
Just a few minutes after reporting Alexander Popp was sat with 85,000 we now have to update that and inform you that he has busted out. We were there to see him moving a short stack in with 
and him getting called by the of Rinat Bogdanov.
The final board read 
and with that Popp us eliminated from the WPT Venice Main Event.
You could be following in Popp’s footsteps and have the experience of playing in one of the most prestigious events on the poker calendar. Download PartyPoker now and get winning your seat to a future World Poker Tour event.
17:39
PartyPoker Watch
Day 2 of WPT Venice would see four PartyPoker online qualifiers return and unbag chips, joining PartyPoker pros Tony G, Mike Sexton, and Kara Scott at the tables.
Sergey Vasiliev would bow out midway through the day but the other three PartyPoker online qualifiers are still alive and kicking, with Mathew Frankland turning his tiny 14,000 stack to start the day into a top ten chip stack for much of Day 2:
- Mathew Frankland: 190,000
- Alexander Popp: 85,000
- Kevin Green: 45,000
As far as the PartyPoker pros, Tony G would make an early exit but Kara Scott and Mike Sexton continue to grind away:
- Kara Scott: 87,000
- Mike Sexton: 25,000
17:25
De Paz And Akenhead Lock Horns
Joining the action on a board reading 
Dario de Paz fireds a bet from early position worth 12,000 into James Akenhead to really test the Brit’s resolve. It seems 12,000 is a fair asking price because Akenhead makes the call.
The dealer puts the onto the river and de Paz wastes no time at all making it 37,000 to play. This really gets Akenhead thinking and he sits and studies the board and his opponent for well over a minute before taking another peek at his holecards and flicking them towards the muck.
17:14
Frankland Claws Some Back
We just paid a visit to Mathew Frankland’s table where he told us he had lost some of his stack running a “house into a house.” He had also lost some more chips to Jason Wheeler just as we arrived but he won some back from Jeremie Sochet and Max Pescatori.
From under the gun Frankland raises to 3,300 and Sochet calls on the button. The small blind folds but Pescatori calls from the big blind.
Flop: 
– Pescatori checks, Frankland continues with a bet of 5,200 and neither opponent is prepared to pay that price and Frankland picks up the pot and is now armed with around 130,000 chips.
16:56
Bjerkmann Adds To Stack
Marcel Bjerkmann looks like he is attempting to break the world record for the length of time a poker player being massaged at the table, but it is doing him some good because he is up amongst the chip leaders with a stack of 252,000 chips.
Massimo Mosele opened to 3,300 from the button and Bjerkmann opted to defend his small blind with a three-bet to 8,300. Mosele called and the dealer got to work putting out the 
flop. Bjerkmann fired a continuation bet of 6,400 and after just 25-30 seconds he called time on his opponent. Mosele sat focussing on the board and by the time the floor had reached his table he had mucked his hand.
Bjerkmann is now up to 252,000.
16:43
Scott Doubles Through Pollack
PartyPoker Pro Kara Scott has just doubled through Benjamin Pollack to find herself with 95,000 chips. Pollack opened the betting, Scott three-bet with and Pollack moved all in with his . Soctt called and when the board ran out 
Scott doubled up and Pollack was left with around 38,000.
Shortly afterwards he was sent to the rail after losing to Fabrizio Ortolmo and he will not be repeating his final table appearance from WPT Prague here in Venice.
16:34
Wheeler Flies Past 100,000 Chips
Jason Wheeler makes a standard raise on the button and Viachelsav Goryachev defends his big blind. The flop is and Goryachev makes the first play with a check raise to 8,500 after Wheeler had bet 3,500.
On the turn we see the and Goryachev leads for 10,000, Wheeler raises to 28,000 and Goryachev calls. The final card is the and Goryachev checks to Wheeler who moves all-in and Goryachev folds.
Wheeler climbs to around 138,000 and is definitely a threat here in Venice.
16:06
Break Time
The players have gone on a 15-minute break.
16:03
PartyPoker Qualifier Down
Andrea Dato raises to 2,500 on the button and PartyPoker qualifier Sergey Valisyev moves all-in for around 26,000 in the big blind.
“Where are you from?” Dato asks.
Vasilyev tells him he is Russian and Dato makes the call.
Dato:
Vasilyev:
Board: 
Dato now has 210,000 and is now sharing a table with Filippo Candio
15:52
Kourdourli Bust
Nesrine Kourdourli has been sent to the rail after running her straight into Fabrizio Ortolmo’s pocket queen. The five community cards were void of drama and Kourdourli heads for the rail early than she would have planned to.
15:43
Delfonco Depleted
Francesco Delfonco’s Main Event has come to an abrupt end despite getting his money in as a substantial favourite. His found itself all in against the of Rocco Palumbo but the board ran out and the lesser hand became the best to send Delfonco home early.
15:37
A Look Back At WPT Venice Day 1
15:32
Bjerkmann’s Queen Hold, He Aoars To Second Place
Marcel Bjerkmann is now second in chips with a stack of 230,000 thanks in part having his queens hold against Sergey Samsonenko’s . The money went in preflop and when the board ran out it was game over for Samsonenko and Bjerkmann had a little celebration with the Revive Touch massage therapist.
15:23
Wheeler Rolls On
The action folds to Jason Wheeler in the hijack and he opens the betting with a raise to 2,500 from the hijack. Next to act is Viachelaw Goryachev and he looks Wheeler up and down before making the call.
Flop: 
– Wheeler leads out with a 3,500 continuation bet and he is instantly called by his opponent.
Turn: 
– Wheeler now checks and his opponent senses weakness and bets 12,500. Unfortunately his senses have let him down because Wheeler immediately check raises to 41,000 and Goryachev snap-folds.
15:12
Islamay Takes On Candio Head On
Giacomo Valenti raises to 2,800 from Seat 5 and after one player folds Filippo Candio three-bets to 7,000 in the cutoff. The button folds but Enion Islamay in the small blind has other ideas. He pauses for close to a minute before four-betting to 11,200. Valenti quickly gets out of the way but Candio checks how many chips Islamay has behind and then calls.
Flop: – Islamay bets 6,000 and Cadino instantly calls by throwing a red 5,000 and a yellow 1,000 chips into the middle of the felt.
Turn: – The turn is greeted with a rather quick 37,000 all in bet from Islamay and this seems to puzzle Candio who winces, licks his lips and stares at his opponent. Eventually he comes to the decision he is not prepared to pay 37,000 and he folds his hand.
14:56
Dorey’s Story Ends Here
William Dorey, better known as Muzowned online, has been eliminated from the WPT Venice Grand Prix after losing his stack in two hands. We missed the first hand but Fabrizio Ortolmo was helping himself to plenty of chips having turned a set of tens and rivering a boat.
The next hand Andrea Dato opened to 2,500 from middle position and he called off his remaining chips from the cutoff. Mike Sexton called from the big blind and the dealer put out the flop. Sexton checked, Dato bet 1,200 and Sexton folded.
Dato:
Dorey: 
The turn was the 
and when the river was the it was game over for Muzowned but the journey has just begun for Dato who is nicely stacked with 155,000 chips.
14:42
Dynamo To Perform Live
The sensation that is Dynamo is performing a show tonight for all WPT players and staff. The show is taking place at Ca Zanardi, just 10 minutes from the casino, at 2145-2315.
There will be free pasta and risotto with drink provided until midnight! Do not miss it!
14:22
Break Time
The players are now on a 15-minute break.
14:16
Frankland Doubles Again!
Although he started the day with just 14,000 chips Mathew Frankland now has a much healthier stack of 165,000! He told us that he got his money in with pocket tens against ace-queen and won the flip by flopping another set of tens.
Nice hand sir. The PartyPoker qualifier is now back in business.
14:10
Qualify For A Future WPT With PartyPoker
Download PartyPoker now and win yourself a package to the upcoming WPT Vienna Main Event. Packages include the Main Event buy-in, flights, accommodation and spending money!
14:08
Kings No Good For Kourdourli
Nesrine Kourdourli has just had pocket kings cracked by a lowly pair of four, much to the annoyance of Tony G.
We missed the preflop action but the camera crews were waiting for Tony G to act. Umberto Calabrse was all in and Kourdourli had bet 40,000 chips. After a minute, including saying something about a banana Tony G folded and the cards were shown down.
Kourdourli:
Calabrese:
The flop kept the kings well in front but the on the turn turned the hand on its head. The completed the hand and as Calabrese starting stack his chips Tony G said, “Look at that. That’s how easy it is. I can’t believe it.”
13:56
Apicella Crippled
Vicenzo Apicella has been left with just one big blind after his kings were smashed by Andrea Carini’s queens.
Carini opened to 2,200, Apicella responded with a three-bet to 5,300 and then called when Carini moved all in for 22,000 exactly. Carini turned over and was in big trouble against the of his opponent.
The dealer spread the 
flop into the centre of the table and Apicella looked disgusted to say the least. The turn was no help and neither was the 
and the pot slid its way to Carini.
13:39
Marsh Shoves On Pollack
The action folds to Benjamin Pollack in middle position and he min-raises t 2,000. Next to act is David Marsh and he announced all-in before moving his 14,000 or so into the middle. Everyone folds back to Pollack but the price is too much and he lets the dealer take his hand.
13:35
Mathew Frankland Triples Up
PartyPoker qualifier Mathew Frankland started the day with around 14,000 chips but now has three times that thanks to a touch of good fortune. He got his stack in with a pair of tens and found himself up against a pair of nines and pocket aces!
Just as it looked like he would be heading for an early exited up popped a ten on the flop to gift him a set and the win. He’s now up to 44,000 and has a little more breathing room.
13:24
Like London Buses
Although poker is a game played by both sexes but female poker players on the live circuit are still quite a rare breed. However, over on Table 5 there are not one, not two but three ladies keeping Roberto Romanello and chip leader Filippo Candio company.
So if you’re passing Table 5, which is highly unlikely we know, say hello to Irene Baroni, Carla Solinas and Giorgio Tabet.
13:22
A Couple of Tough Tables Out There
With the field thinning we have a number of tables that are starting to look a little on the tough side. Over on Table 3 there is Marvin Rettenmaier, Jason Wheeler, and Guillaume Darcourt whilst Table 1 is the home to Benjamin Pollack and two PartyPoker pro is the shape of Kara Scott and Tony G.
13:19
Speranza Number Two Gets Unwanted Action
Having just seen his brother raise from under the gun and pick up the blinds and antes just a hand or two previously, Alessandro Speranza tried his luck and made it 2,200 from the same position. To his direct left is Nicolas Levi and he three-bets to 5,100. The action folds around to Gianluca Speranza on the button and he stares down Levi before deciding to not pull the trigger and he folds.
The small and big blinds both fall and after 20-30 seconds of Hollywooding so does A.Speranza.
13:15
No Customers For Speranza
Gianluca Speranza has a wild and crazy image but that cunted for nothing just now as he raised just over the minimum to 2,100 from under the gun and all he picked up were the blinds and antes.
He’s got a much tougher table today that includes the likes of his brother Alessandro, Nicolas Levi, Andras Kovacs, PartyPoker Pro Mike Sexton and Dario Alioto.
Hello and welcome back to the WPT Venice Grand Prix Main Event where at 1300CET the 88 surviving players from Day 1 will return to their seats for another day of high octane poker.
The man everyone has to catch when the cards are back in the air is Filippo Candio who somehow turned his 30,000 starting stack into a colossal stack of 227,900, over 55,000 more than his nearest rival Gabriele Lepore on 172,000.
Other big stacks include Andrea Dato on 121,700 who you may recall finished fourth in the WPT Venice Main Event back in December, Andreyy Gulyy (107,600) who bubbled WPT Prague at the start of December and Danilo Donnini (105,200).
There are also a few well-known faces still in contention too so keep your eye out for the likes of Mustapha Kanit, Nicolas Levi, Dario Alioto, Tony G, James Akenhead, Guillaume Darcourt, Roberto Romanello, Kara Scott, Mike Sexton and Marvin Rettenmaier.
Play gets underway at 1300 CET and will continue until around 2100 when the tournament will be paused and everyone will vacate the casino and take a trip a few buildings down to be mesmerised by the magician that is better known as Dynamo.
During play yesterday Mike Sexton declared that Antonio Esfandiari is no longer the best magician in poker, here’s the video.
