Day 3 of the 2017 PokerStars Championship Barcelona €5,300 Main Event was yet another day of quality poker action, a perfect manifestation of why the Barcelona stop has always been highly popular with players since the first EPT Barcelona festival took place more than a decade ago in the sun-kissed city.
A total of 287 players returned at Casino Barcelona for Day 3 play, with Mauricio Salazar Sanches marching ahead as the chip leader. The first important task before the remaining survivors was to burst the bubble. And they did splendidly. It was not long before the field was reduced to the 247 players who would leave with a payout. And Jean Paul Zaffran from Israel was the first such player.
The Day 3 participants played six 75-minute levels until they called it a day. At the time when they proceeded with bagging and tagging and packing for the day, there were only 70 players left at the poker tables at the host venue.
Australian poker player Benjamin Richardson had accumulated the largest chip stack by that time. The player concluded Day 3 play with 2.804 million, followed by Japan’s Tsugunari Toma with 2.448 million and Canada’s Scott Wellenback with 2.032 million.
Andre Akkari is the only PokerStars Team Pro member left in contention after Jeff Gross the only other PokerStars-sponsored player left in contention was eliminated on Day 3 of action. Gross busted even before the bubble burst. Other notables that did not make it to the paid positions were Upeshka De Silva, Steven van Zadelhoff, and Mikita Badziakouski.
Dario Sammartino, Sam Greenwood, and Thomas Muehloecker, who came fresh from a triumph in the €10,200 No-Limit Hold’em Turbo, were among the well-known poker pros to exit the Main Event with a payout.
Day 4 of play is set to begin today at noon Barcelona time. As mentioned above, the remaining contenders will march into the Casino Barcelona halls led by Benjamin Richardson. The player will look to boost significantly his poker bankroll, which currently amounts to $317,922. He has cashed in a number of live tournaments over the course of his career, including EPT Barcelona ones, but is yet to take down a big event. He is quite well positioned to make this happen in a few days by defeating his remaining fellow competitors in the ongoing €5,300 Main Event.
Each of the 70 finalists is guaranteed a minimum cash of €18,190 upon entering Day 4 play. However, it is more than clear that they are all vying for the first-place prize of €1,410,000 and the tournament trophy. The Day 4 hopefuls will play at least five more 75-minute levels before calling it a day. They will have one more day of play on Saturday when the final table of eight will be played. Thus, the name of the winner is to become known at some point on Sunday.
