PokerNews Cup Austria, Day 3 Highlights
With 31 players remaining in the PokerNews Cup Austria Main Event, the early focus on Day 3 was the bubble. 27 places paid, so the first four players eliminated in Saturday's play would see nothing for their work. Pierre Marceau was the one least concerned with the bubble, as he started Day 3 with the chip lead. Among those chasing him were Hugo Felix, Andrew Nicholson and Erich Kollmann, who all began Day 3 with big stacks.
Play was tight early as the remaining players strove for the money bubble. Finally, J?rg Niepenberg got all his chips in the middle preflop with K?J? after a preflop raise from Ville Hyyryl?inen. Hyyryl?inen called Niepenberg's re-raise, and tabled A?J? for the dominating hand. No help came on the board of 9?9?3?Q?4? for Niepenberg, and he was eliminated in 28th place.
After Niepenberg's elimination, it didn't take much more time for the final table to be set, with the subsequent eliminations coming in quick order. Day 2 chip leader Pierre Marceau busted in 11th place (�1,630) to set the final ten-handed table when he got involved in a big hand with chip leader Erich Kollmann. Marceau moved all in preflop with A?8?, and Kollmann made the call from late position with A?10?. Nothing unexpected happened as the board ran out K?9?2?7?J?, and Marceau collected �1,630 for his finish.
Ten-handed play was deliberate as the players vied for the eight seats on the final table, but finally Joao Santos got all his chips in the middle with Kollmann. Kollmann raised preflop, as had been his pattern throughout the evening, and Santos re-raised with A?Q?. Kollmann thought for a moment before moving all in over the top of Santos, who went into the tank for a while before making the call. Kollmann tabled Q?Q?, and the board ran out 5?5?3?5?6? to give him a full house and send Santos to the rail in tenth (�1,630).
Ville Hyyryl?inen was the final table bubble boy when he moved all in preflop with 5?5? and found one caller in Hugo Felix, with K?10?. Felix instantly took the lead in the hand as the flop came down 10?A?9?. The 9? on the river gave both men two pair, and Felix dodged both of Hyyryl?inen's outs as the river came down the Q? and Hyyryl?inen went to the rail in ninth place (�2,920).
Erich Kollmann finished up Day 3 with the chip lead, but had Hugo Felix in second place as they bagged their chips in preparation for final table play. Kollmann recently took third place in the 2008 CAPT Bregenz Open, while Felix cashed in the EPT German Open this January.
