After around 6 hands of no report-worthy hands, all three players find something to interest them at once.  First off Ruairi Coy raised on the button to 800,000.  Small blind Max Decorne found a call, but big blind Elie Payan then shoved all-in for over two million.  Back to Ruairi who had clearly found something decent to raise with this time, and he was all in over the top in a matter of moments.  Max thought about it, but declined to call.

Ruairi showed Ah Js

Elie Payan showed Kc 10c

The flop came 10d 5h 5s Outdraw for the short stack…so far…

The turn brought the Qh bringing potential straight outs, but it was the Jd on the river which sealed the deal as Ruairi’s Jacks leaped in front.

Deal!

It seems that three handed and nearing 5am they’re willing to deliberate a chop (based on chip count) of all the money (€77,660) apart from €3,000, which the rules state they must play for, along with the trophy.

Details of the deal between Ruairi Coy, Elie Payan and Maxence Decorne to follow.

The blinds are huge, and a stack of one million even small, so it’s no surprise that Peter Murphy shoved in an open spot.  Small blind Ruairi Coy gave him a spin with Kc Qc, and found he was way ahead of Peter’s Qs 3c.

The board came out Th 5h 9h Ts 4h meaning that Peter gets the round of applause reserved for one of the two remaining Irishmen left in.  Now its French vs. Irish 2:1…

Ruairi Coy sparked the whole thing off raising preflop on the button, only to find Raymond Kerley and Max Decorne both shovelling their small blind and big blind stacks in.  “I have to call,” he said - and flipped As 2c, behind both Raymond (Ac Kh) and Max (7s 7d).  The shortest stack was the one with the pair, and it held all the way to the river!  AK high took the side pot and the chip standings of the two of them are now:

Max Decorne: 2,250,000

Raymond Kerley: 900,000

Although fairly quiet of late, Raymond Kerley still has a stack, and reminded everyone of that fact just now, raising to 550k preflop, called by big blind Elie Payan.  They saw a Ks 3s 3d flop, but it got no further as Elie check-folded to Raymond’s 425 flop bet.

Elie Payan, having just doubled through with Queens, re-raised all in preflop over the top of Jonathan Gelston.  Gelston considered for a little while before deciding to go for it, getting his whole stack in with a dominated As 7s against Ac Qd.  The dogged French railers get excited once more, as their man makes a four-flush in clubs for good measure to bust 6th place, finally.

No deal.  Originally this room in the hotel was booked until 4am, which seemed like a reasonable estimate for how long it would take to come to a conclusion.  But with no end in sight, a deal was tentatively suggested, and rejected.  They’re playing on, even though the next level will be 150k/300k in half an hour which should precipitate action out of necessity.

Joe O’Neill

Over he comes brandishing the shiny glass trophy, and shaking the hand of Marty Smyth.  The latter is currently interviewing the former (”Don’t worry, Marty, Joe will do most of the talking.”).  So how did it all end?  Find out in a moment, for now he’s wandered off having won himself €3,100 and a go with Marty’s bracelet.  Apparently it brought him luck.

Ruairi Coy has built up the chip lead once again, and you can tell that his being the most aggressive preflop is paying dividends from the admittedly cautious-for-the-blind-level others.  In the last eight hands, Peter Murphy has taken two sets of blinds with preflop raises, two players have received walks(!), and Ruairi has taken three sets of blinds with preflop raises.  In the middle was that Max all-in-pre hand.  Come on lads, the blinds are now 75k/150k - every blind counts, and Ruairi is counting more of them than the rest currently.

Short stack Maxence Decorne found the spot (and the hand, it turned out) to shove preflop, called by Peter Murphy.  He held Qd Qs against Ad 6d.  The French spectators woke up en masse as they started calling “Queeeen!” before the first board card was dealt.  The table has already seen one big pair (two of the same big pair, actually) Aced by the deck, and Max’s supporters wanted to take no chances.

Their wish was granted on the turn - a Qh popped out before the river paired the board giving the short stack a full house and 800,000 chips.