PokerStars.it EPT10 Sanremo Day 5: Vicky Coren-Mitchell Eyes History and Second Title
Jordan Westmorland leads going into the final day of the PokerStars.it European Poker Tour Sanremo Main Event as eight players remain, but all eyes are on Team PokerStars Pro Vicky Coren-Mitchell, who has the chance to become the first two-time EPT champion.
Westmorland, from the United States, started the day with a significant chip lead and never looked like relinquishing his advantage, ending up with 3,300,000 in chips. By the close of play, however, Italian Giacomo Fundaro finished hot on his heels with 3,100,000, courtesy of knocking out three players.
Coren-Mitchell is still in contention as the only surviving Team PokerStars Pro, and she is vying to become the first double winner the EPT has seen, having been victorious way back in Season 3 at EPT London. She'll return as the short stack of the table with 910,000 in chips, though.
EPT10 Sanremo Final Table
| Seat | Player | Country | Chips |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jordan Westmorland | USA | 3,330,000 |
| 2 | Giacomo Fundaro | Italy | 3,100,000 |
| 3 | Emmanuel Pariset | France | 1,940,000 |
| 4 | Bruno Stefanelli | Italy | 1,335,000 |
| 5 | Andreas Goeller | Italy | 2,320,000 |
| 6 | Andrea Benelli | Italy | 2,085,000 |
| 7 | Vicky Coren-Mitchell | UK | 910,000 |
| 8 | Andrija Martic | Croatia | 1,660,000 |
Play resumed on Saturday with 16 players looking to make the final table and the first to fall was short stack Vincenzo Scarcella from Italy. Westmorland opened with the J♦10♦ and then called Scarcella who shoved with the A♦3♦. The final board of J♠9♠2♠10♣K♠ saw the Italian head for the exit with €22,575 in his pocket.
Before the next exit, Finn Jorma Nuutinen was crippled when his kings were outdone by Bruno Stefanelli’s jacks, and Nuutinen spent most of the day grinding the short stack.
Not long after that there was a three-way all in involving Jeffrey Hakim, Fundaro and the other Team PokerStars Pro in the field, Alex Kravchenko. Hakim open-shoved, was called by Fundaro, then Kravchenko moved all in over the top, and Fundaro made the call of that, too. Hakim had the A♠J♣, Fundaro the A♥K♠, and Kravchenko tabled the J♠J♥. The board ran out 4♠8♦A♦9♥10♠ and one of the two remaining aces in the deck appeared to eliminate two players in one fell swoop. It also gave Fundaro a crucial pot that would see him remain in contention throughout the day. Hakim finished 15th and Kravchenko 14th, both for €25,550.
Then, it was the UK’s Stephen Chidwick who exited in 13th place, on the money jump, taking home €29,275. Chidwick open-shoved from the button with the 4♣4♦, but Fundaro wasted no time in calling with the Q♣Q♥ from the big blind. The cards fell A♥J♦K♦Q♠7♥ and Fundaro claimed his third scalp in short order.
Next to go was Ariel Celestino in 12th. Andrea Benelli opened for 60,000 and the Brazilian wonder kid moved over the top all in for 489,000. Benelli made the call to put at him at risk. Celestino’s Q♠Q♦ was poised to double him up against the Benelli's A♣10♥, but the A♦3♣5♠7♦9♣ board duly delivered the ace to send Celestino out of the tournament.
In Level 26, Lukas Berglund quickly suffered a bad beat at the hands of Emmanuel Pariset. Not long after that, he would be eliminated in 11th place when he shoved from the cutoff and Coren-Mitchell reshoved from the small blind. Berglund tabled the Q♣9♠ versus the A♥5♦ of Coren-Mitchell. Fortunes changed as the cards ran out Q♠10♠3♣A♦2♥, but in the end Berglund hit the rail short of glory and €34,480 better off.
Raul Mestre had just given Andrija Martic a big double up and that meant when his under-the-gun shove with the K♥8♥ was called by small blind Andreas Goeller with the 2♦2♥ and the cards came 9♥7♠7♣10♣3♦, he was the player to go in 10th. He, too, walked away with €34,480.
There was a redraw for the unofficial final table of nine, meaning one player would be the final day bubble before play closed, and it didn’t take very long to happen.
The first hand of the final nine saw Westmorland open for 80,000 and Pariset, who had been shoving all day preflop, shoved all in for 890,000. Nuutinen was in the small blind and thought about it for a while. He hadn’t been on Pariset’s table until now and eventually made the call with the J♥J♦. Westmorland got out of the way. Paristet slammed down his A♦A♠, adding a fist pump for good measure. It was pretty much a done deal on the flop as the final board showed A♥2♥7♠J♠Q♥ with Nuutinen’s one remaining jack failing to appear on the river to leave him on fumes.
Shortly after that, Nuutinen put the last of his change in with the A♠2♠ and Coren-Mitchell was priced in from the big blind to make the call with her 6♠4♥. In the end, the board showed 10♦9♦K♦Q♣6♥ with the river delivering the fatal blow to Nuutinen and bringing play to a close for the day. Nuutinen took home €41,930 for his troubles.
Sunday's eventual winner is set to receive the €476,100 first prize, as well as the EPT champion's trophy and a stunning watch made by luxury Swiss brand SLYDE, the official watch sponsor for EPT Season 10 main events.
With four Italians left on the final table, will it bring a victory on home soil for one of them? Can Westmorland keep his chip lead to take a victory for the USA? Or can Coren-Mitchell finally deliver a two-time EPT Champion?
The players are back at 12 p.m. local time on Sunday, but coverage will be on a one-hour delay as the final table will be streamed with hole cards. Join the PokerNews Live Reporting team for all the action as the EPT Sanremo main event draws to a close.
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