The European Poker Tour’s (EPT) time in San Remo is coming to an end and the chance for a home-grown winner is still very much on. Four Italians remain on the final table of eight players that will battle it out to see who picks up the Shamballa bracelet. Unfortunately for the home crowd, the two players way out in front are from other destinations around Europe and one will be familiar to those that are regular followers of the EPT.
Maximilian Heinzelmann’s luck was down at his home EPT leg in Berlin last month and the same could be said here as he sits in that all too familiar position of second in the chip count. He has already knocked out day five leader Nicolas Yunis and looks a threat to anyone that dare take away his place in second. Even though he’s built up an impressive stack of 7,885,000, the 21-year-old German has so far been no match for the UK’s Rupert Elder who sits atop the chip count with his stack of 8,005,000.
The only former EPT champion left in the field is Team PokerStars Pro Max Lykov. His chances are relatively small as his stack is the “Mini Me” to the rest of the field’s Dr. Evil. The final table lines up as follows:
Seat 1. Francesco De Vivo, Italy, 1,090,000
Seat 2. Max Lykov, Russia, 1,495,000
Seat 3. Rupert Elder, United Kingdom, 8,005,000
Seat 4. Max Heinzelmann, Germany, 7,885,000
Seat 5. Xuan Liu, Canada, 1,740,000
Seat 6. Roberto Spada, Italy, 4,775,000
Seat 7. Massimiliano Manigrasso, Italy, 2,000,000
Seat 8. Costantino Russo, Italy, 2,565,000
