Anton Wigg Leads as Bubble Bursts During EPT Berlin Day 2

Swedish poker star Anton Wigg topped the chips leaderboard on 695,000 after Day 2 of the €5,000+€300 buy-in main event drew to a close at the PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) Berlin.

Six levels of play were completed in the Grand Hyatt Hotel, with Stockholm’s Anton Wigg – a former EPT champion from 2010 – topping the chips count, just 24,500 ahead of second placed Russian and Day 1a chip leader Vladimir Geshkenbein (670,500), as the money bubble was burst.

The leading 112 places make the money, so, with just 102 players from yesterday’s starting 329 surviving to begin Day 3, Scotsman David Vamplew – the EPT London main event champion from 2010 – was the left as the unfortunate money bubble boy after he crashed out in 113th.

Mario Puccini Holds Third Spot

German Mario Puccini is sitting in third place on 604,000 chips, while Englishman Marc Wright holds fourth on 585,000 and Greek player Andreas Vlachos is fifth on 531,500.

Spaniard Cesar Garcia Domínguez (sixth on 526,500), German Bahadir Kilickeser (seventh on 500,000), American Zachary Korik (eighth on 450,000) and home duo Soren Vohrs (ninth on 429,500) and Gereon Sowa (10th on 421,500) complete the top 10.

Wigg – who picked up $672,818 for taking down the EPT Copenhagen DKR35,000 No-Limit Hold’em main event back in February of 2010 during season six of the tour – is in pole position to lift the biggest prize of his live poker tournament career if he can stay in front to collect the €825,000 on offer in Berlin.

Swedish Sensation Enjoying Germany Stop

In fact, the 25-year-old Swede has already enjoyed a profitable Berlin stay after picking up €37,250 for winning the €2,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em Turbo Bounty event on Tuesday evening.

Now, having started the second day of the main event with 152,200 chips, he added another 542,800 to his stack when clearing all the hurdles placed in front of him – including a few massive hands against Germany’s Davidi Kitai and American PokerStars qualifier Calvin Anderson.

The first of these pivotal hands came against Oklahoma’s Anderson – who finished in 14th place for $115,000 at last year’s PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA) $10,000 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em main event – when Wigg eliminated the American.

Andersen opened from early position, only for another player to three-bet before Wigg then placed in a four-bet. But the States pro decided to five-bet shove while holding Q♣ Q♠ – but then saw Wigg, who was not to be dissuaded from seeing a flop, quickly call to show the dominating K♥ K♦ after the third player had folded.

The flop came 5♦ 10♠ 10♥ to change nothing, while the 6♠ turn and A♣ river ensured that Wigg added 176,000 to his stack to move up to 370,000 as his kings held up.

Final Level Sees Leader Chip Up

Then, during level 16 – with the blinds at 2,000/4,000 and a 500 ante – Frenchman Stephane Albertini, in middle position, opened with a raise to 8,500, with Wigg, who was in the next seat, three-betting to make it 18,500.

Small blind Kitai then four-bet to 45,000 after the action had folded to him, ensuring that the big blind and Albertini also mucked their cards to leave just Wigg to make the call.

The flop came Q♣ 10♥ 7♥ and Kitai threw in a 55,000 bet, only for Wigg to re-raise that to 118,000. The German – who had just 258,000 chips remaining – took a few minutes to make a decision, but then showed his hole cards, A♦ K♣, before also mucking.

Much to Kitai’s frustration, Wigg only revealed the 5♣ while allowing a wry smile to cross his face as he collected the chips that took him up to 615,000.

Vladimir Geshkenbein Stays Strong

But the Swede was not the sole starter to enjoy a good Day 2, with Russia’s Geshkenbein – last year’s EPT SnowFest €3,500 buy-in No-Limit Hold’em main event winner in Hinterglemm for $552,901 – making a charge into second place when adding 468,900 chips to his stack to end the day on 670,500.

The 23-year-old managed to make quads at one point, overcame trips while holding a straight, and also saw his kings hold up during a huge three-player all-in hand against jacks and ace-queen.

However, it wasn’t such a great day for Fife’s Vamplew – who collected $1,408,407 for taking down season seven’s EPT London £5,000 buy-in main event – as the Scot just missed out on cashing in Germany’s capital city when his pocket kings were cracked by the queens of PokerStars qualifier Heinz Kamutzki.

David Vamplew Misses Out on Cash Finish

The German, in early position, raised pre-flop and then called when big blind Vamplew three-bet shoved all-in for 61,500. Kamutzki showed Q♣ Q♦, while the Scotsman tabled K♦ K♥ to be well ahead – only for the Q♠ 8♠ 4♦ flop to give the German trips.

The A♣ turn was no good to Vamplew, while the 10♣ river confirmed his exit as Pennsylvania’s Bill Chen became the first casher in 112th place for $7,500. Chen was soon joined by several other casualties, including Canadian Jeff Sarwer in 107th for the same cash prize.

Other big-name pros who will line up at the 13 tables in the Grand Hyatt Hotel today include the likes of Team PokerStars Pros Vanessa Selbst (374,500), Jan Heitmann (129,000) and Ana Marquez (99,000), Koen de Visscher (285,000), Taylor Paur (207,000), JP Kelly (152,000), Day 1b chip leader Cengiz Ulusu (320,500), Kevin MacPhee (390,500), Will Molson (87,500), Andrew Chen (71,500), Jan Bendik (348,500) and Scott Baumstein (132,500).

Idaho’s MacPhee – who took down the EPT Berlin main event during season six for $1,356,429 – added 251,400 chips to his stack yesterday to stay in contention for a repeat success from 2010.

Bertrand ‘ElkY’ Grospellier Hits Rail

While Brooklyn’s Selbst, German Heitmann and Spaniard Marquez are still in with a chance at the EPT title, the remainder of Team PokerStars Pros fell on Day 2 – meaning Bertrand ‘ElkY’ Grospellier, Barry Greenstein, Viktor ‘Isildur1’ Blom, Theo Jorgensen, Angel Guillen, George Danzer, Henrique Pinho, Juan Manuel Pastor, Pierre Neuville, Nuno Coelho, Matthias De Meulder and Alex Kravchenko all hit the rail earlier than they would have hoped.

Team PokerStars Sports Star Boris Becker and Friend of PokerStars Charlotte Van Brabander also failed to cash, as did the likes of PokerStars qualifiers Shaun Deeb and Rupert Elder, Jake Cody, Per Linde, Moritz Kranich and Peter Jepsen.

Day 3 will hopefully see the field reduced to just 24 players over three tables today, with 24th spot taking €20,000 from the €3,725,000 prize pool.

Top 10 Chip Counts After Day 2 of the EPT Berlin Main Event

1. Anton Wigg (Sweden) – 695,000

2. Vladimir Geshkenbein (Russia) – 670,500

3. Mario Puccini (Germany) – 604,000

4. Marc Wright (UK) – 585,000

5. Andreas Vlachos (Greece) – 531,500

6. Cesar Garcia Domínguez (Spain) – 526,500

7. Bahadir Kilickeser (Germany) – 500,000

8. Zachary Korik (USA) – 450,000

9. Soren Vohrs (Germany) – 429,500

10. Gereon Sowa (Germany) – 421,500