Manuel must fly!

Anyone who has dared to sit at the baize knows about poker's cruel streak, but spare a thought for Manuel Stan if you shuffle up and deal tonight.

He may not have been the bubble boy, in fact he won a tidy €1,600 for two day's play, but after upping his aggressive streak hoping for win or bust to catch a plane to London, his PPT life lasted ten minutes too long - or ended about six hours too early - depending on your POV.

Asked why he'd decided to book a flight with the final table in sight, the UK-based player insisted it was not down to a lack of belief.

"I was trying to catch my flight for the last half an hour, which I started with an above average stack, and I lost a big chunk of my chips when I shoved with a pair and lost," began his lament.

"I didn't think it was very likely I'd win when I booked the flight, but at this point it wasn't the end of the world if I cancelled because I've won €1,600 and can afford another night here! Still, I wanted to get back to London tonight.

"I played well at times here, had a bit of luck - the usual 50/50," he added, "I was down to 5,000 chips after two hours but by today at Level 12 I was double the average so it was certainly up and down.

"Today I'm really upset that I lost most of my chips with a straight draw and I certainly regret the last half hour - as I missed my flight and failed to make the final table - but that's life, and I enjoyed the tournament."