EPT11 Prague – 22 Battle for Final Table Seats

If you’ve ever played a poker tournament, you know the importance of the phase just before the final table. Although it may not be as crucial in a financial sense, players are looking to get a seat at that last table, even if it means nursing a super short stack.

Add to that the idea of about €1 million reserved for the winner, and that is all the incentive needed to fight tooth and nail while aiming for a shot at the title.

For many of the EPT Prague Main Event participants, that opportunity is no longer available, but the 22 still standing can almost taste the sweet smell of victory. Just a few more flips, a couple of holds – and they will be leaving Prague rich(er), happier, and with a brand new title for one.

The man leading the pack of victory-thirsty poker players is Fabio Sperling. He bagged a stack of 4,357,000 last night, more than a million ahead of the current player in second place, Stephen Garner. But while a chip lead can give you a certain feeling of security, Sperling will have to face some serious obstacles before he can get his seat at that coveted final table.

One of those obstacles isVanessa Selbst, a woman who needs no introduction. Vanessa has been crushing live tournaments for some time now and her presence at the tables is not welcome news to those looking to add to their stacks. With about 2 million in chips, the Team PokerStars Pro has plenty of ammo to backup her tremendous skills.

Davidi Kitai hails from Belgium, and with 2.3 million in front of him, he is another one of those players who you don’t want to mess with. A Triple Crown winner, his track record speaks for itself. The name Sam Grafton is well-known to anyone who’s been keeping up with live poker happenings. ‘The Squid’ returns today with 2.6 million and he will be a serious force to be reckoned with as well. An interesting fact: Grafton just recently moved to Prague with his girlfriend, and this is a great start in his new hometown.

Although EPT events traditionally play down to the final table of eight and then stop for the day, the format has been slightly altered for Prague. Since final tables sometimes take a ridiculously long time to complete, the plan today is to play five full levels, regardless of the number of players still in the field.

That means that we could see only five or six players returning tomorrow instead of the usual eight. That will not take away any of the excitement from the event, but it should make it easier on everybody time-wise (and otherwise).

The cards are about to fly in the air for the penultimate day of the EPT11 Prague Main Event. Late tomorrow, we will have the name of the winner!