PPT Madrid Gallery

Haigh sweeps into Tour League lead

A second final table appearance at the ParadisePoker Tour Madrid saw Robert Haigh climb to the top of the PPT League with one event to play.

The popular German leapfrogged Ronnie Espensen, the Dane who had led since PPT London in November, courtesy of his seventh-place finish and leaves him in a powerful position.

The Tour League champion will win a €10,000 bonus prize plus entry into all Season 3 events, so battle for the top spot will be fierce in Barcelona from July 29th-31st.

Espensen will be disappointed to have lost the lead he held for so long, but Haigh's consistency has earned him his place at the summit - and the tournament professional will be keen to hold on to top spot.

A deep run in Barcelona could yet pay off for Lukasz Gebica, Paulo Calado, Tibor Boros or Bastian Bluem, however, so all eyes will be on the leading contenders when we shuffle up and deal in Catalonia.

ParadisePoker Tour League Standings
1. Robert Haigh - 91
2. Ronnie Espensen - 88
3. Lukasz Gebica - 64
4. Paulo Calado - 64
5. Tibor Boros - 61
6. Bastian Bluem - 57

Click to view the full PPT League standings.

PPT Madrid - on the side

250 players anted up in the ParadisePoker Tour Madrid side events and chased over €30,000 in prize money over three days of tournament action at Gran Casino Madrid.

While battle raged in the €125,000 Guaranteed Main Event on April 30th, the €200 NLHE Freezeout attracted 74 entrants and it was Daniel Fresneda who won the €4,600 top prize in a Spanish-dominated final table.

The locals continued to dominate the €150 Pot Limit Omaha on May 1st, with David Perez wrapping up victory, before Sergio Valero made it a clean sweep for the hosts in the €100 NLHE Deep and Steep tournament.

Special note goes to Jose MªAguaron after he cashed in two events, but congratulations go to all our side event winners!

Here are the PPT Madrid side event results:

Side Event 1 - April 30th
€200 + €20 NLH Freezeout

Place - Name - Country - Prize
1 - DANIEL FRESNEDA - SPAIN - €4,600.00
2 - JUAN P. HERRANZ - SPAIN - €2,900.00
3 - JUSTO GARCIA - SPAIN - €1,900.00
4 - RAFAEL CHACON - SPAIN - €1,400.00
5 - YANIRA DELGADO - SPAIN - €1,000.00
6 - INOCENTE GOMEZ - SPAIN - €800.00
7 - ANGEL GOMEZ PALMERO - SPAIN - €700.00
8 - SALIM ALIBAS - SPAIN - €600.00
9 - JOSE Mª AGUARON - SPAIN - €500.00

Side Event 2 - May 1st
€150 + €15 Pot Limit Omaha

Place - Name - Country - Prize
1 - DAVID PEREZ - SPAIN - €1,500.00
2 - CONSUELO NAVARRO - SPAIN - €900.00
3 - JOSE Mª AGUARON - SPAIN - €600.00

Side Event 2 - May 1st
€100 + €10 NLH Deep and Steep Freezeout

Place - Name - Country - Prize
1 - SERGIO VALERO - SPAIN - €3,800.00
2 - ALEJANDRO PONT - SPAIN - €2,400.00
3 - ANTONIO GAMBERO - SPAIN - €1,450.00
4 - OSCAR RODRIGUEZ CALAMONTE - SPAIN - €1,100.00
5 - OMAR RODRIGUEZ OCAMPO - SPAIN - €800.00
6 - GONZALO RUIZ DE MEDINA - SPAIN - €700.00
7 - FELIX MOTA CASTRO - SPAIN - €600.00
8 - STEVEN WARNER - GERMANY - €500.00
9 - JEREMIAS GERARDO JOSON - SPAIN - €400.00

Fantasy Poker - Madrid results

The Germans made a big impact on the ParadisePoker Tour Madrid as deep runs from the likes of Robert Haigh and Bastian Blüm proved the key to Fantasy Poker glory.

Tournament pro Haigh in particular had been a hugely popular pick following his success in Vienna, so plenty of teams benefitted from the 44-point haul for his 7th-place finish.

That called for strength in depth to separate the teams and it was +EV!!! who had Blüm in support. The fellow German last just minutes on Day 3 but that 17th-place earned his backer a €1,100 package to Barcelona!

In second place was Brauny, who had picked 32nd-place finisher Steve Warner along with Haigh, while kiiivii snatched 3rd on the back of Wolfram Henke and Martin Nielsen both reaching the points.

Don't forget Fantasy Poker will be back for the final leg of the ParadisePoker Tour, Season Two in Barcelona, from July 28th-31st.

Until then, our congratulations go to +EV!!! on the victory; we'll be in touch soon to confirm your prize.

+EV!!! - 78 points
Robert Haigh (44)
Jens Weigel
Bastian Blüm (34)

Brauny - 63 points
Suse Posny
Steve Warner (19)
Robert Haigh (44)

kiiivii - 54 points
Luis Ubierna Martinez
Wolfram Henke (26)
Martin Nielsen (28)

Baldor crowned the king of Madrid

Pablo Baldor outlasted his opponents to take down the ParadisePoker Madrid after a gruelling final table lasted deep into the night.

The cash game pro finished the job by making a fine hero call with Q♥5♠ on a 7♠K♥5♥-2♥-2♠ board.

His opponent Jose Maria Somolinos had put the last of his chips into the pot on the river with a missed straight draw, but Baldor held his nerve to claim the PPT trophy plus the €4,000 added prize money.

Here's what he had to say after following in the footsteps of fellow Spanish pro Miguel 'Miki' Rodriguez, who won the 2010 event.

How does it feel to have won the ParadisePoker Tour Madrid?
It’s really nice to have won because I live in Madrid – this is my casino – and I’m not really a tournament player. This was just a bit of fun to be honest and it’s been just that, not just because I won but also because I played with friends along the way. I’m a professional cash game player right now but I enjoy tournaments, they make a nice break from the routine. If I can travel playing tournaments as well – that’s even better!

The one thing you don’t get in a cash game is that sense of being the winner, as opposed to up or down for the session, so is that a special feeling?
It’s a great competition and I enjoy that element but I’m not new to tournament poker, so while I’m happy to win I know luck played a big part along the way. I don’t feel like a world champion or anything!

You won back-to-back hands to knock out Robert Haigh on the final table when he had Aces and then Kings. When things like that happen, does it feel like destiny is playing a part for you?
The whole tournament I had things go my way. When we were at the bubble I won with QQ vs KK, so that has to be one of the key hands of the tournament. On Day 1 I won a big pot with Aces vs KK and another KK. The first hand with Robert, I called from the big blind with pocket 7s and flopped a set. I check-min raised him and although he called on the flop, he’s a good player and he made a great lay down on the turn. The second hand I had AQ in the small blind and I had a very big stack; he slow-played Kings and I had made the decision to check-raise all-in on the flop. Obviously he called and I hit runner runner diamonds – the rest is history!

The final table was a long one, lasting until past 5am in the morning, so were you still enjoying it as time wore on?
Getting to the final table in the first place was very tough but I used to play online tournaments, sometimes for 12 or more hours at a time, so it’s not a problem for me to play for so long. I tried to focus because although this was fun, it’s also my job and the money is important. The title is important too though.

With that in mind, the last four players made a deal and played on for €4,000 extra, so was it the money motivating you at that point or the prestige of winning the ParadisePoker Tour Madrid title?
Both. I don’t have a sponsor at the moment and this kind of win can help me achieve that goal. I’m a cash player so this is my best chance to get some recognition.

How much did it mean to have your girlfriend in the crowd cheering you on?
We agreed that if I had any chance to win the tournament, she would come here to cheer me on, hold the cheque in the photo and share the glory! {laughs} She’s already planned how to spend the money!

Lopez falls in 3rd

Pablo Baldor and Jose Maria Somolinos will go heads-up for the remaining €4,000 prize money plus the prestigious PPT Madrid trophy.

The field was finally reduced to two as Jose Luiz Lopez lost two all-ins in quick succession, but he will be comforted by his €22,300 score.

The flambouyant Spaniard had first made the call with QJ after Somolinos shoved pre-flop holding A7, but there was no help for him on the board.

And it was the same again just moments later, his final hand - A3o - trailing Baldur's A9o and failing to connect with a saviour.

Fantasy Poker update

Robert Haigh was the key to Fantasy Poker success at the ParadisePoker Madrid, so it's little wonder six teams selected him!

Having made one final table in Vienna already this season, his 7th-place finish scored each of those teams 44 points, but it was +EV!!! who backed him up with fellow German Bastian Bluem.

That meant a combined total of 78 points for his side, and early indications suggest that was the winning score.

The official Fantasy Poker results will be confirmed by Friday.

Raul first out post deal

Raul Magdaleno and Pablo Baldor went to war shortly after the deal was struck and it was the latter whose hand held up to send his compatriot to the rail.

Baldor had shipped his stack over the top of Magdaleno's button raise, and when the call was announced, the players revealed AJ♥ and Q9♠ respectively.

The dealer delivered 10♠A♦6♥ before 8♠ on the turn made things interesting again, but the K♥ on the river missed Raul and meant he exits with his deal cash of €17,100.

Deal or no deal?

Another double up from a short stack prompted an in-depth deal discussion between our players, and after some time, an agreement was struck.

Chip leader Jose Luiz Lopez (1.478m chips) will take €22,300, Raul Magdaleno (976,000 chips) €17,100, Pablo Baldor (842,000 chips) €15,800 and Jose Maria Somolinos (473,000 chips) €12,000.

That leaves €4,000 still to play for but we can expect some more fireworks as play gets re-started.

Raul in the asendency as short stacks survive

Raul Magdaleno cimbed the chip ladder with a pair of pots that transformed him from short stack to contender once again.

And even first victim Jose Maria Somolinos - who had been reduced to less than 10 big blinds after their all-in clash - has since doubled through to keep four players in the Main Event.

Magdaleno (pictured) began his rise by 3-betting all-in with K♥10♠ and though Somolinos called with QQ to leave him in poor shape, the dramatic board would favour Raul.

The flop looked to have sealed it, landing 8♥9♦K♦ but the turned Q♥ swung things against him - only for the river to show favour with the J♣ for the straight.

That was soon followed by another significant win against Pablo Baldor with a set of 4s, helping Raul gain ground on chip leader Jose Luiz Lopez.

It was Lopez who then doubled Somolinos through, his 5s finding no help to beat his opponent's 7s.

Chip count at the break

Here's how the final four are stacked:

Jose Luiz Lopez - 1,300,000
Pablo Baldor - 905,000
Jose Maria Somolinos - 650,000
Raul Magdaleno - 430,000

Stalemate broken by Srini exit

Our last remaining overseas player hit the rail and with his departure, a lengthy stalemate came to an end.

Srini Thavarajah tried to outmanoeuvre Jose Luiz Lopez on a 6♣8♥3♣ flop with J♠Q♥ but the Spaniard snap-called with 10♦10♠.

The dealer flipped the K♣ on the turn and the river 7♦ was also no help to Srini, sending him home to Germany with a €6,300 payout.

Previously the action had dried up for an hour, with the closest thing to action coming when Thavarajah and Lopez had clashed in a solitary big hand.

Lopez bet 107,000 into a huge pot on the river, with 2♣6♣K♣-K♦-A♦ showing, and triumphantly showed 6♠7♠ when his rival folded.

Prize pool reminder - 1st - 31,300; 2nd - 19,400; 3rd - 12,500; 4th - 8,000

In pics

Monteiro out in 6th for €4,900

Marcos Monteiro was hot on the heels of Robert Haigh as he made his move with A♠8♠ but came unstuck.

It was Srini Thavarajah who finished the short stack off, picking up QQ at just the right moment to make the call.

The flop brought solitary spade but there was to be no bad beat here, and Monteiro picked up his €4,900 cheque courtesy of a 6th-place finish.

Aces and Kings not enough for Haigh

Robert Haigh suffered a sickening end to his PPT Madrid as he had Aces and Kings cracked back-to-back against the same opponent.

The German pro (pictured) had made a big lay down with bullets after getting two callers from his utg raise, folding to Pablo Baldor's turn shove with a scary 9♦6♠7♥-8♣ board.

The very next hand the pair tangled again, this time the money going in on the 7♥9♦3♦ flop.

Haigh showed K♥K♠ and had his opponent's A♦Qx crushed - but running diamonds delivered a gut-wrenching end to his tournament.

Having survived to final table with a lucky river card himself, Haigh was philosophical in defeat: "I told him I had Aces and the first hand and he said he had a set of 7s, but I knew it was something sick when he check-raised me on the flop.

"It's still seventh-place though so I can be happy, plus it's really good for the ParadisePoker Tour League."

Haigh leaves the Gran Casino Madrid with a €4,300 prize.

More to follow on the Tour League, but it appears Robert's second final table appearance will be enough to send him above Ronnie Espensen with one leg to play.

Prize pool reminder - 1st - 31,300; 2nd - 19,400; 3rd - 12,500; 4th - 8,000; 5th - 6,300; 6th - 4,900.

Chip update

We've had a brief break in play so here's a rough chip count to keep in you in the know:

Jose Maria Somolinos - 800,000
Jose Luiz Lopez - 620,000
Robert Haigh - 500,000
Raul Magdaleno - 500,000
Pablo Baldor - 400,000
Srini Thavarajah - 400,000
Marcos Monteiro - 350,000

And we're 7 - Rodriguez follows suit

There's no hanging around at the ParadisePoker Tour Madrid final table, as David Rodriguez followed Costas out the door moments ago.

Having taken his seat with just over 300,000 chips, he must have been feeling the pressure as the 10,000/20,000 blinds twice passed through him - making a brave call that cut his evening short.

Jose Luiz Lopez had already put his chips at risk by the time Rodriguez decided to gamble with A♦7♦, and he was dismayed to see his rival flip A♥K♦.

There was no real drama to follow as the flop came 5♦9♣5♥ followed by the killer K♠ on the turn.

Rodriguez leaves with a €3,700 prize.

Heaven can't help Gabriel

Gabriel Costas succumbed to his short stack and cut the final table to eight players in quick time here at the Gran Casino Madrid.

The Spanish player had been odds on to miss the final cut when his QQ ran into AA earlier, but David Camara Espejo's misfortune was his gain as he secured €3,000 for 9th.

Costas shoved on the button with 5♠6♦ but big blind and chip leader Jose Maria Somolinos found 9♣9♦ and called.

The board brought the big stack's set and although there was hope for Gabriel on the turn when he picked up a gutshot draw, there was to be no heaven-sent river to prolong his run.

Prize pool reminder - 1st - 31,300; 2nd - 19,400; 3rd - 12,500; 4th - 8,000; 5th - 6,300; 6th - 4,900; 7th - 4,300; 8th - 3,700;

Final table pics

Final Table Chip Count

The extended dinner break is edging towards a close so let's check up on how the remaining stacks shape up.

Jose Maria Somolinos - 781,000
Robert Haigh - 626,000
Raul Magdaleno - 563,000
Pablo Baldor - 533,500
Jose Luiz Lopez - 334,500
Srini Thavarajah - 320,000
David Rodriguez - 315,000
Marcos Monteiro - 200,500
Gabriel Costas - 93,500

Bullets to the heart

The final table is set and it could hardly have arrived with more fanfare, as twice Aces and Queens collided - with two contrasting results that left David Camara Espejo distraught at exiting 10th.

Continuing his role as executioner on Day 3, it was Robert Haigh who struck the killer blow and sent us to dinner break, but this time is more luck than the expert judgement we've come to expect from the German.

Haigh had shoved over the top of the initial raise from 'Luzago' with Q♥Q♣ in the hole earning a snap call from the Spaniards A♣A♥.

With the pair evenly stacked, it looked all over for the PPT regular - but a river Queen turned the hand on its head and sent Robert to the final table with a 600,000 stack.

Earlier Gabriel Costas had been pushed to the brink in an identical match-up - suits and all - though it was his QQ that lost out to the Aces of Jose Maria Somolinos.

Final table to follow!

Prize pool reminder - 1st - 31,300; 2nd - 19,400; 3rd - 12,500; 4th - 8,000; 5th - 6,300; 6th - 4,900; 7th - 4,300; 8th - 3,700; 9th - 3,000

Quads on show

David Rodriguez reshuffled our chip count within moments of it going live on the PPT blog, as a pre-flop all-in swung back and forth.

Rodriguez had shipped with 7♠7♥ after Marcos Monteiro 3-bet with AQ, and the rest of the money followed.

Monteiro looked in control when the flop fell Q♣J♣10♠ but the turn landed the 7♣ before the 7♦ hit the river and left Rodriguez celebrating quads - and a huge pot!

A quick chip count

Here's the latest chip count from PPT Madrid as we continue with 10 players left.

Pablo Baldor -770,000
Marcos Monteiro - 530,000
Gabriel Costas - 460,000
Srini Thavarajah- 420,000
Jose Luiz Lopez ("Koke") - 370,000
David Rodríguez - 340,000
David Camara Espejo ("Luzago") - 320,000
Robert Haigh - 320,000
Raul Magdaleno - 250,000
José María Somolinos - 160,000

It's not the final table...

We're playing on one table here in Madrid, but take the PPT blog's word for it, it's not the final table!

One more player to go but here are pics from the last (not final) table...

Final table in touching distance

The final table is in sight for the ten remaining players in the ParadisePoker Tour Madrid Main Event, as Washington Prado hit the rail in 11th.

The colourful Spaniard, nicknamed 'Jonny Brasil,' had been a big presence as Day 2 came to a close, but had gone decidedly quiet as his stack was whittled away over the course of the last few hours.

Prada eventually came over the top of Pablo Baldor's pre-flop raise with 7♣7♦, but found himself in need of help against A♠A♣.

The board failed to oblige, coming 4♠9♠4♥-K♠-Q♠ and ending Washington's day. He wins €2,200 for 11th.

Earlier Jose Luiz Lopez had been luckier to survive, catching a river Ace to improve his A♥K♣ at the expense of Gabriel Costas.

Prize pool reminder - 1st - 31,300; 2nd - 19,400; 3rd - 12,500; 4th - 8,000; 5th - 6,300; 6th - 4,900; 7th - 4,300; 8th - 3,700; 9th - 3,000; 10th - 2,500;

Engelien finishes 12th; wins €2,000

Robert Haigh has been left to fly the German flag alone after compatriot Caspar Engelien also missed out on the final table.

His A♥6♠ came up short against the 10s of Pablo Baldor and the foreign players lost another man.

Haigh delivers another knockout blow

In some better news for German readers, Robert Haigh continues to grow his stack - this time at the expense of Nacho Guerra's life here in Madrid.

Cesar Garcia had already fallen by the time the popular Spanish pro open-shoved with J♥Q♠ and it was Haigh who made the call with K♥Q♥.

His domination might have been tested by the 8♥9♥3♠ flop, which handed Krusty a few more outs, but blanks on the turn and river sent Guerra to the rail in 13th.

Both Guerra and Garcia earn €1,850 for their Day 3 finishes and the remaining players are now eyeing the final table.

Dankart out in 15th

Mischa Dankart made it another German down at the PPT Madrid after twice running into Aces on Table 1.

The first instance was the decisive moment, as the vast majority of his chips headed for Gabriel Costas' stack after a pre-flop all-in.

Costas had the fortune of holding A♥A♣ when Dankart (pictured) found A♠K♣ in the hole and the inevitable hand unravelled.

Down to his last 10,000 chips, the micro stack doubled through but when his fellow Germans both entered the next pot, his tournament life would come to an end.

Robert Haigh took his final chips courtesy of his A♦A♠, even after the 6♦9♦7♠ flop had brought Dankart's 10♥7♥ some hope. Mischa wins €1,600.

Marcos Monteiro had also been close to an exit when he got it all-in bad with 99 vs Cesar Garcia's QQ. A flopped 9 came to his rescue, however, and left his rival in trouble.

Prize pool reminder - 1st - 31,300; 2nd - 19,400; 3rd - 12,500; 4th - 8,000; 5th - 6,300; 6th - 4,900; 7th - 4,300; 8th - 3,700; 9th - 3,000; 10th - 2,500; 11th - 2,200; 12th - 2,000; 13th - 1,850; 14th - 1,850

Srini takes a hit as Espejo strikes

David Camara Espejo (pictured) is the clear chip leader at the first break after he struck an early blow vs Srini Thavarajah on Table 2.

The aggressive Sri Lankan had been employing his usual pre-flop ploy and it had already worked once against his Spanish foe, forcing him to fold a double belly buster straight draw with a hefty c-bet.

However, his advantage was not to last, as another pre-flop clash saw him lose over a third of his stack.

Srini had tossed in his standard open for 22,000 from early position and after some thought, Espejo 3-bet from the cut-off to 58,000.

Thavarajah responded with a 4-bet to 150,000 but when his rival near insta-shoved, he was left to tank for a few minutes before laying down his hand.

Meanwhile, Robert Haigh is back in chip magnet mode, dragging in a pair of big pots with trips.

First he caught the cards to take it down against Jose Luiz Lopez, before he also got the best of Nacho Guerra.

The man nicknamed Krusty had tried a move on the turn after the board came J♦A♠J♥-7♥ in a blind battle, but Haigh picked it off and showed down his trips to restore his stack to 380,000.

Bastian's Day 3 over in flash

Bastian Bluem was still musing over the final hand of Day 2 after making his exit in 17th at the Gran Casino Madrid.

The German (pictured) had been ahead of the 230,000 average heading into that decisive moment, but his AK ran aground against a villain's JJ and left him clinging to his tournament life.

There was to be magical Day 3 comeback from Bastian, either, as at the first opportunity to ship his short stack his K4 couldn't overcome the big blind's 88.

"It's a long way to come to play just one or two hands," he rued, "But any time you cash in a tournament like this you've got to be happy as it's not normal.

"I feel like I played well over the whole event too, it's just a shame the timing of that hand, but that's the way it goes sometimes."

Bastian won €1,500 for his efforts and was swiftly followed to the rail by Omar Rodriguez, as the field was reduced to 15 players in quick time. Omar wins €1,600.

Day 3 Chip Count

Spanish player Cesar Garcia Del Barrio leads the way as we get started on Day 3 of the Main Event here at the Gran Casino Madrid.

His lead is far from the dominant advantage held by Tibor Boros back in Prague, however, so he is closely followed by the likes of Srini Thavarajah and Raul Magdaleno.

The German contingent have performed admirably, meanwhile, with Robert Haigh, Caspar Engelien and Bastian Bleum still hopeful of making an impact today.

OFFICIAL CHIP COUNT
1st - CESAR GARCIA DEL BARRIO 385,500
2nd - SRINIVASAN THAVARAJAH 341,300
3rd - RAUL MAGDALENO 327,000
4th - PABLO FERNANDEZ BALDOR 308,400
5th - MISCHA DANKART 303,100
6th -DAVID CAMARA ESPEJO 296,600
7th -ROBERT HAIGH 286,000
8th -WASINGTON PRADO 282,100
9th - GABRIEL COSTAS 197,700
10th - JOSE MARIA SOMOLINOS 188,100
11th - MARCOS MONTEIRO 183,800
12th - NACHO GUERRA 170,000
13th - CASPAR ENGELIEN 146,500
14th - OMAR RODRIGUEZ 109,000
15th - DAVID RODRIGUEZ LAMAS 77,800
16th - JOSE LUIS LOPEZ 70,900
17th - BASTIAN BLUEM 61,400

Two tables to return on Day 3

The target for Day 2 was set at two tables, but only 17 players will return for the final battle for PPT Madrid glory after a pair of late eliminations.

Level 17 - with blinds at 4000/8000 with an 800 ante - will welcome our players back but Ernesto Rosendo, Alexandro Herrando, Jose Belinchon and Emilio Beldarran will not be among them.

If ever there was a lesson in chip and a chair poker, Herrando provided it after finishing 20th for a €1,250 payday despite entering Day 2 as the shortest stack in the room. Nice work Alexandro!

A full chip count will be on the blog before Day 3 shuffles up and deals, but for now we have a selected count before we bid you goodnight.

Rough/Selected Chip Count

Srini Thavarajah - 341,300
Robert Haigh - 300,000
Nacho Guerra - 170,000
Casper Engelien - 146,500
Bastian Bleum - 61,400

Fantasy implications in rush of exits

The traditional post-bubble surge for the exit has brought us down to 22 players as we hit Level 16, and there are a few Fantasy Poker consequences to consider.

Tom Lane had valiantly held on both for his €1,250 prize and AllinTony's fantasy hopes, but despite picking up Jacks for a final stand, he went out in 27th after his opponent found an Ace on the turn.

Lane was delighted with his cash, however, which was just reward for the survival slog he endured.

He was followed by David Algarra, Candido Franco and another fantasy pick - Wolfram Henke - to the disappointment of kiivii and cwack.

Update - Martin Nielsen and Dietmar Doering are next out and we have 21 players still harbouring PPT Madrid dreams.

Brutal bubble

The bubble is rarely considered kind, but spare a thought for our last two players to miss the money in Madrid, as they were subject the cruelest whims of Lady Luck.

Though it was Consuelo Navarro (pictured bottom right) who was to be bubble boy for the night, local pro Chelo (pictured top left) was also suffering as the money passed her by after a sick beat.

Her K♦K♣ had looked set to bring a huge pot her way vs the Q♦Q♥ of Pablo Baldor, especially when she connected with the 4♥K♥8♥ flop, but the turn and river brought runner runner hearts to send her back to the cash tables.

Navarro looked disconsolate a short time later, having run his trips Aces into a bigger kicker, and he lamented his misfortune as the remaining players gave themselves a round of applause.

Here are the pics:

Bubble territory

29 players are all hoping to avoid bubble boy duty at Gran Casino Madrid tonight - but two will be disappointed.

Since last we listed the fallen, Joaquin Poveda Ganga, Javier Sanchez Miguel and Steve Warner followed to the rail.

Luis Fernando Garcia Martinez and Vital Villarubia left us at the bubble - and the tension amongst the short stacks is clear.

Those enjoying themselves include Srini Thavarajah (pictured), as the Germany-based player passed the 200,000-chip mark by eliminating one of the above.

His A♠10♠ didn't even have to endure any drama against the 9♠2♦ of his rival, spiking the ten on the flop to end the contest early.

Taking a hit however was the big stack of Casper Engelien, who shipped a 200k pot to a Spanish villain in a typically aggressive blind battle.

The 33J flop had already set off fireworks by the time Engelien shoved with 45 on the turn 6, but his opponent read the move, insta-called with J2 and escaped the wrath of the river to win the monster pot.

Closing on the cash

We're down to 34 players so with the bubble approaching, let's remind ourselves why average stacks are about about to tighten up, short stacks say their prayers and big stacks play God!

Prize Structure
1st - 31,300
2nd - 19,400
3rd - 12,500
4th - 8,000
5th - 6,300
6th - 4,900
7th - 4,300
8th - 3,700
9th - 3,000
10th - 2,500
11th - 2,200
12th - 2,000
13th - 1,850
14th - 1,850
15th - 1,600
16th - 1,600
17th - 1,500
18th - 1,500
19th -27th - 1,250

The latest dreams ended were those of Federico Blazequez, Valdir Cordeiro, Jose Pire and Rafael Aparicio.