$$ Cash 4 Seat $$

3pm: Level over
That was the last meaningful action for the level and we’ll now take a break. It’s scheduled to last 15 minutes, but to be honest it could be anything up to an hour.

2.50pm: Threesome
For what seems to be the first time in this final, three players see a flop. Teodor Caraba raised to 170,000 and attracted both the blinds: Stephane Albertini flatted from the small blind and Mike McDonald came along from the large.

The flop came [4s][7s][2h] and after Albertini and McDonald both checked, Caraba bet 300,000. Albertini looked like he was going through the Hollywood motions of a man slow-playing a monster - the call pre-flop, the check, the delay - but the press-room commentators were again shown up to be the imbeciles that they are when Albertini folded, as did McDonald, and Caraba took the pot.

2.45pm: All in, call! - Michael Fratty out in seventh, winning €92,000
After a tense period of pressure on the short stacks, something had to give. So it did, and it was Michael Fratty, who shoved all in for 1,240,000 and might have hoped to have been in good shape with [ah][qd]. He wasn’t. Jake Cody was lying in wait with [kd][kh] and despite bellows from the partisan rail for an ace, there was none forthcoming. The board ran [10h][7c][qs][jc][9d] and we’re a Frenchman down.

Michael Fratty reads it and weeps

Cody is close to 6.5 million and closing in on Teodor Caraba’s lead.

2.40pm: Secara breathes again
Chronically low and facing a now or never decision, Claudiu Secara found and ace and lumped it in. It was 325,000 in total and Mike McDonald fulfilled his duty and called, showing [7d][5d]. Secara had [ah][6s] and found an ace on the [9s][7c][as] flop. McDonald needed another seven or five to bust Secara but the Romanian dodged both, doubling “up” to 765,000. McDonald “down” to 3,300,000.

Claudiu Secara doubles up

2.35pm: Slowdown
It’s a slow period of play here, where Stephane Albertini just moved all in and got no takers, while the other two short stacks are each hoping the others bust first.

Just to keep you informed, the chat in the press room is currently centred on the 50th anniversary of Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day. Best of luck all you Bubble Wrap afficionados. Happy popping.

2.25pm: Richer and poorer
A definite division is now appearing in the chip counts between the have and have nots. In the David Beckham/Brad Pitt/Warren Buffett/Goldman Sachs/billionaire category are only Teodor Caraba, Jake Cody and Mike McDonald, who can afford to raise and then fold. All of Craig Bergeron, Michael Fratty, Stephane Albertini and Claudiu Secara (in particular) are on the ropes.

2.15pm: Albertini doubles through Bergeron
It was folded to Craig Bergeron in the small blind, with Stephane Albertini’s micro-stack in the big. Bergeron raised to 300,000, encouraging the all in from Albertini, and it duly arrived: the Corsican shoved and Bergeron called. On their backs:

Bergeron: [qc][3c]
Albertini: [ad][4h]

The flop brought something for everyone. It came ace high, but with two clubs on it, which meant Albertini had hit his ace but Bergeron had a flush draw. Lucky for Albertini, less so for Bergeron, there were no more clubs and we have a double up.

2.10pm: Secara surrenders to Cody
Jake Cody attacked Claudiu Secara’s big blind, raising to 175,000 from under-the-gun. Secara called for what amounted to about a third of his stack but check folded the [qs][qc][ks] flop when Cody bet 195,000 at it.

2.05pm: A thousand words
Here’s what you’re seeing if you’re sitting in the bleechers in Casino Barriere.

Final table action, Deauville

2pm: Secara double up leave Albertini on the ropes
Claudiu Secara’s all in of 375,000 only amounted to about four big blinds and Stephane Albertini probably would have called it even with less than the [ac][jc] he found. Secara had [6h][6d] but was soon stacking more than 800,000 when the board came [qs][4d][2h][kd][8c]. Albertini is now the man at risk.

1.55pm: Cody v Caraba
It might sound like a light-welterweight bout between a Puerto Rican hot-shot and an American show-pony, but this scrap is between the a kid from Rochdale and a Romanian, who are also the two biggest stacks at the EPT final table in Deauville. On this particular occasion it didn’t amount to much: Cody raised to 175,000 pre-flop and Caraba called. The flop was [4h][ks][qh] and both checked. The turn was [2d] and Caraba check-folded when Cody bet 225,000.

1.50pm: McDonald re-raises
Happily for sadists, the action has not let up despite the break. Mike McDonald might have spent much of the time away from the table chatting with Craig Bergeron but he’s not taking it easy on his new buddy. Bergeron opened to 185,000, McDonald three-bet over the top, and Bergeron folded.

Mike McDonald

1.45pm: Caraba attacks Fratty
After an extended break, we’re back to the table - and back to the aggressive action. Michael Fratty was again the most eager to get his chips in the pot, raising to 185,000 on the first hand. But Teodor Caraba, to his left, quickly re-raised to 600,000 and Fratty tank-folded.

1.35pm: We’re back
The seven players are returning from their break. This is level 28, and blinds are 40,000-80,000 with a 5,000 ante.

Teodor Caraba from Romania is still winning this by some way with more than nine million, followed by Jake Cody with 509,000. The short stack is Claudiu Secara with slightly less than 800,000.

The full, official chips are here:

[chipcount 40]

And as well as the €847,000 first prize, this is the silverware they are also playing for…

PokerStars Blog reporting team: Marc Convey, Stephen Bartley, Howard Swains and Simon Young

1.20pm: Level ends with a three-bet
Mike McDonald has now given Jake Cody a taste of his own medicine. The British player opened and McDonald three-bet. Cody folded.

Just as it’s hotting up, we take a break. That’s the end of the first level of the final. Full chip count to come.

1.20pm: The far-flung districts
In the down time between hands here, we’ve been running through our PokerStars Blog analytics to see where all our readers are coming from. A big shout out to our man in Mayotte, an island off the north west coast of Madagascar. We’re happy to have you - bring your friends.

But where are you Iceland? We want you back.

1.15pm: Cody arrives
Jake Cody has been relatively quiet in this early exchanges, but woke up with a three-bet after Craig Bergeron’s opener to remind the table he’s still there - and wielding a mighty stack. Bergeron folded with a smirk.

1.10pm: Eastgate talks
The former World Champion Peter Eastgate is a thoroughly decent bloke, even in times of sorrow. PokerStars Blog lassoed the recently departed for a quick chat and he happily shared his thoughts on the tournament:

“I think I’ve played decent throughout the whole tournament,” said Eastgate. “There was nothing else I could do. On the other hand on day four I might have accumulated more chips. But I think I did all right. Right now I’m disappointed.”

Good game. See you in Copenhagen; home soil.

1.05pm: Tens bring more profit for Caraba
Peter Eastgate just busted with pocket tens but Teodor Caraba showed how it should be done - flopping a set and squeezing a couple of million out of Craig Bergeron. It started tamely enough. Caraba raised in mid position and Craig Bergeron called to his immediate left. Bergeron led out on the [5d][10d][8s] flop, adding 250,000 to the pot, and Bergeron matched it to bring a [kc] turn.

Caraba did not let up, beting 600,000 on that, and Bergeron called again, swelling the pot to more than two million. The [2s] on the river seemed innocuous, but the action did not halt. Caraba asked Bergeron for a count then bet 1.4 million. Bergeron called that as well, and at this point Caraba showed that monster.

Bergeron mucked and began the count out of that last huge bet. Caraba is closing in on 10 million now and has this tournament by the proverbials.

1pm: Three-time all in for Eastgate - call! - out!
Peter Eastgate out in eighth earning €70,000
It’s third time unlucky for Peter Eastgate, who again moved his short stack (820,000) all in but this time was looked up by Craig Bergeron. Bergeron actually re-raised all in to isolate, but the former World Champ was in pretty good shape with [10c][10h] against Bergeron’s [kc][9s].

That advantage held only as far as the flop. There was a king among the first three cards out and Eastgate never regained the lead. He went off for his interviews - €70,000 richer but still short of his first EPT title.

12.50pm: McDonald cracks kings, doubles up
Here’s the first major pot of the final - and it’s a great one for the aspirations of the potential two-time champion Mike McDonald. Stephane Albertini opened for 180,000 from the cut off. McDonald was on the button and announced all-in for 1,570,000. The blinds folded and the action returned to Albertini who called showing [kh][ks]. McDonald showed [ad][qh] and needed the ace to keep him in the tournament. He flopped it, the board running [as][6s][8c][7c][2d], doubling up the Canadian to 3,270,000. Albertini down to less than 1,550,000.

12.45pm: Picture time
Ever wanted to see nine men force out a grin while flanking a casino manager in a red dress? Here’s today’s final table group shot.

From l-r: Michael Fratty, Jake Cody, Teodor Caraba, Craig Bergeron, Thomas Kremser (EPT tournament director), Lucy Denos (Casino Barriere manager), Stephane Albertini, Peter Eastgate, Mike McDonald, Claudiu Secara

12.40pm: Eastgate all in Mk II
Here’s the Eastgate all in again. Folded to him on the button, he shoved and the two blinds will have known that his shoving range was somewhere between seven-deuce and aces. Either way, neither Bergeron nor Albertini fancied tangling and both folded.

Eastgate’s all in count: 2

12.35pm: Bergeron turns defence into attack
Peter Eastgate found himself - and his short stack - in the big blind for the first time. And unsurprisingly it was under attack: Michael Fratty raising to 130,000 from the cut off. This time Eastgate didn’t have the goods to defend and let it go, but will be critically aware that he can’t do that too many times.

On the next hand, Fratty again was the first to volunteer chips to the pot, again raising to 130,000. But with Craig Bergeron in the big blind this time, things weren’t quite so straightforward as HU4ROLLZ found the first three bet of the final, making it 305,000. Fratty called. Big pot.

The flop came [2c][qs][10h] and Bergeron was first to act. And act he did in emphatic fashion, moving all in for 2,890,000 and putting Fratty to the test for his entire stack. Non, merci. Fratty folded.

12.30pm: First flop
After Teodor Caraba raised again from early position to take it down uncontested, Stephane Albertini flexed him muscles for the first time, raising to 160,000. This time, however, Jake Cody called in the small blind and the two of the saw the first flop of the final.

It came [4s][7c][8c] and Cody checked. Albertini bet 240,000 and Cody called. The turn was the [10d], which they both checked. (Checking the turn really is the latest craze.) The river was the [6h] and Cody couldn’t resist: he counted out 335,000 and moved it over the line.

Albertini folded.

12.20pm: Eastgate all in
Second hand and folded to him in the cut off, Peter Eastgate moves all in and gets it through. No one fancied doubling him up this early, so he adds another round of blinds and antes to his stack. On the next hand, Jake Cody got involved and raised to 145,000. No one tangled.

12.15pm: Off time
The first hand was dealt at about 12.15pm, which isn’t at all bad for a final table. With Peter Eastgate on the button, and nursing a short stack, we might have expected him to be the first player involved. But instead it was the chip leader Teodor Caraba who raised to 130,000 pre-flop and took down the blinds and antes.

12.05pm: Away we go
Intros are done and off we go.

12pm, tomorrow: Hello yesterday, welcome to today. ElkY’s elimination last night was the first hand on level 27 and so we begin final table day with almost all of that level still to play. The blinds are 30,000-60,000 and unless we hear otherwise are not being wound back. We pick up where we left off with the final eight.

The player profiles are now up and published, with a nice little pen pic. The television crew are now going through the formalities and play will start when they’re ready. Any minute now…

DAY OVER

7.35pm: First hand back - and ElkY is out!
Michael Fratty raised to 160,000, which Teodor Caraba called. ElkY moved all in over the top for 1,060,000 in what we can probably describe as a classic squeeze play. This, however, was nothing of the sort: it was a classic trap from Caraba.

Fratty folded and Caraba instantly called, showing [ad][as] against ElkY’s [ac][qc]. This was problematic for ElkY to say the least.

The flop, however, gave him hope. It came: [8c][jc][4s] and he was now on the flush draw. It didn’t come, however, as the turn was [9h], adding a gutshot straight draw, and the river another brick.

ElkY departs in ninth, flying out of the tournament room. He wanted it. He didn’t get it. But our final table is now set.

These are the names, and the counts, you’ll be seeing at tomorrow’s final:
1 - Claudius Secara, Romania, 795,000
2 - Jake Cody, UK, 4,650,000
3 - Michael Fratty, France, 1,595,000
4 - Teodor Caraba, Romania, 6,915,000
5 - Peter Eastgate, Denmark, 695,000
6 - Craig Bergeron, USA, 3,135,000
7 - Stephane Albertini, France, 3,555,000
8 - Mike McDonald, Canada, 1,815,000

7.30pm: Nine still remain
It’s the start of yet another level, and blinds are now up to 30,000-60,000 with a 5,000 ante. PokerStars qualifier Teodor Caraba is still chip leader, but hot on his heels is the young Brit Jake Code.

We are collecting the official chip counts going in to the start of this 75-minute level right now, and you’ll find those over on the - no surprise here - chip count page.

Two Team PokerStars Pros remain, but we still have to lose one more player before tomorrow’s final table is set. Here’s one of those pros - it’s ElkY…

PokerStars Blog reporting team: Howard Swains, Stephen Bartley, Marc Convey and Simon Young

With the elimination of Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier at the end of day four, our final table of eight players for EPT Deauville was set. The Romanian Teodor Caraba leads, but there are two other major talking points from the final line-up: can the Team PokerStars Pro Peter Eastgate add EPT glory to his World Championship. Or can the young Canadian Mike “Timex” McDonald become the first ever two-time EPT champion?

Play is scheduled to begin at noon on Monday to determine the answers. Prizewinners to date are on the prizewinners page; chip counts, updated throughout the final, are on the chip counts page and follow PokerStars Blog for a blow-by-blow account of the action.

These are the contenders:

Seat 1 - Claudiu Secara, 35, Romania - 795,000 chips

Romanian players have made a big impression at this tournament, a sign of the country’s growing presence in international poker. Claudiu Secara is one of two on the final table, while a third, Robert Cezarescu, was knocked out in 13th place. Secara has played a number of EPT events and made it to day two of the Grand Final last year. His best result so far, however, was 12th place in Prague in December, where he won €31,400. Poker is not a full-time occupation for Secara - by day he’s the general manager of a timber company. “He’s not surprised to get this far,” said his wife Csila. “He’s a good player and he’s worked hard for this. He hopes to go even further.”

Seat 2 - Jake “neverbluff67″ Cody, 21, UK - 4,650,000

Jake Cody is a former psychology student who is making his debut on the European Poker Tour in Deauville this week. Cody mainly plays online, where he has a string of good results, including a recent second-place finish in a $1,500 event, earning $198,000. Cody played numerous side events at this year’s PCA and also took part in the first PokerStars Italian Poker Tour event, which was won by his friend, Matt Perrins. Cody also cashed at the recent PokerStars UK and Ireland Poker Tour event in Galway.

Seat 3 - Michael “Fratton” Fratty, 34, France - 1,595,000

Michael Fratty qualified for the Main Event in a €250 satellite at Casino Barrière. He is an optician by day but has been a recreational poker player for the past 20 years, preferring these days to play Omaha online. He has won two $55 buy-in events on PokerStars and his best live result was second place in a €500 buy in hold ‘em event in Paris. He has staged a remarkable comeback to make the final table here - at one point he was down to three big blinds. If he wins, he said that he will “buy a big flat and stop playing poker!” His wife is supporting him at home, where she is caring for the couple’s two children.

Seat 4 - Teodor Caraba - 21, Romania - PokerStars qualifier - 6,915,000

The dominant chip leader, and assassin of Betrand “ElkY” Grospellier when play was nine-handed, Teodor Caraba has been playing poker since childhood but seriously for around 18 months. He mainly plays online but also visits local casino where he plays in cash games. This is his first EPT event. “I know I’m good and the field was really weak to start with,” he said. “I’m satisfied with what I’ve done so far - now I just hope I win.” He won his seat in a $530 satellite on PokerStars.

Seat 5 - Peter Eastgate, 24, Denmark, Team PokerStars Pro - 695,000

Peter Eastgate bludgeoned his way into the poker consciousness in the most dramatic fashion possible, scoring his first major success at the 2008 World Series Main Event. He became (at the time) the youngest ever champion by outlasting the inaugural November Nine, winning $9 million and the platinum bracelet. It was no fluke. Eastgate cashed in the Main Event at the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure the following January and then took down a $5,000 side event. He followed that by finishing second at the Main Event of EPT London in October last year, winning close to $850,000. This is his second EPT final table and his fifth in-the-money finish - and he’s only 24-years-old.

Seat 6 - Craig Bergeron, 20, USA - PokerStars qualifier - 3,135,000

Craig Bergeron held the chip lead for much of day three and goes to the final table in fourth place. Bergeron is an extremely well-known mid-stakes multi-table tournament and sit and go online player. His best result so far was sixth place in the PokerStars Sunday Million last March, where he won $40,000. He also came second in another online event in November for a further $40,000. In live events, Bergeron’s best result was winning the €2,000 side event at EPT Dortmund last year.

Seat 7 - Stephane Albertini, 28, Corsica, 3,555,000

Stephane Albertini has been playing poker for 12 years or so, mainly in casinos and almost always cash rather than tournaments. He often comes along to EPT event but usually to play in the high stakes cash games that are are running at the same time as the tournaments. He has played in around six EPT main events but has never cashed - until now. His best live tournament results have been in Marrakech in Morocco, where he has cashed for sums around the €20,000 mark.

Seat 9 - Mike “Timex” McDonald, 20, Canada - PokerStars qualifier - 1,815,000

In 2008, when he was 18 years old, Mike “Timex” McDonald became the youngest ever champion of an EPT Main Event, earning $1.4m as he won in Dortmund and also became the first Canadian champion on the European Poker Tour. In Deauville today, McDonald now stands a chance of becoming the first two-time champion in the tour’s six-season history, on what will be his third EPT final table. A regular on the internet poker discussion forums, and a feared presence at the online tables, “Timex” has numerous five-figure successes in the major tournaments and more than $2 million in live winnings. He now divides his time almost 50-50 between the online and live game - and has recently found a new hunger. “I’ve felt a lot more motived by poker in the last six to eight months,” he said. “I wasn’t really feeling that motivated before.” Be warned.

Regular readers of the PokerStars Blog EPT coverage will be familiar with a relentless obsession with finding a first double winner of an EPT. To those inside the game and particularly those whose lives are spent following this bandwagon across Europe, it’s the new frontier, like a Mars colony or wireless electricity. EPT Deauville could still be the place where that record breaks, but the story today was hijacked by a young man from Romania, Teodor Caraba, who leads heading into the final tomorrow.

Teodor Caraba

With just nine players remaining two former champions sat poised to reach tomorrow’s final. Both Mike McDonald, an EPT Dortmund winner, and Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier, who won the PCA in 2008, remained on course to add a second title to their already glittering Palmares.

But Caraba struck in what would be the last hand of the day. Grospellier shoved his last million in with ace-queen, running into Caraba’s pocket aces. Grospellier’s dream was done and hopes for a new page in poker’s history books were cut in half.

Crashing out in ninth: Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier

But so strong is the line up for tomorrow’s final that it can just about withstand the absence of icon, ElkY. In addition to McDonald, the former World Champion Peter Eastgate, himself runner-up from EPT London this season, stands to add tour silverware to his World Series gold.

History man: Mike McDonald

Peter Eastgate

It took seven hours to eliminate 16 players, stark contrast to yesterday’s seven level last hand epic, and we’d be remiss not to mention the four other players returning tomorrow intent on stopping all this talk of records. There’s no place for sentimentality when a first prize of €847,000 is at stake.

Here’s how they’ll line up:

Seat 1 - Claudiu Secara, Romania, 795,000
Seat 2 - Jake Cody, UK, 4,650,000
Seat 3 - Michael Fratty, France, 1,595,000
Seat 4 - Teodor Caraba, Romania, 6,915,000
Seat 5 - Peter Eastgate, Denmark, Team PokerStars Pro, 695,000
Seat 6 - Craig Bergeron, USA, 3,135,000
Seat 7 - Stephane Albertini, France, 3,555,000
Seat 8 - Mike McDonald, Candada, 1,815,000

There are never any easy rides to an EPT final, and earlier fallers could be forgiven for not getting past this lot.

Craig Bergeron won a side event at EPT Dortmund last year and came third in a similar event in Barcelona last September. Jake Cody, from the internet, is the last remaining British player having assembled a fighting stack. He’ll be recording his biggest win tomorrow whatever happens.

Craig Bergeron

Jake Cody

While Claudiu Secara and Michael Fratty have never before pinged the EPT radar their performances this week turned a few heads. The same goes for Stephane Albertini, one of three Frenchmen hoping to snatch victory from the jaws of poker history in front of a home crowd.

Michael Fratty

With notable players everywhere today we inevitably had to lose some of the top names, including Bruno Fitoussi, Freddy Deeb and the crowd favourite Alexia Portal who were each eliminated within sight of the final.

Out: Freddy Deeb

Out: Alexia Portal

That’s all from a shorter but sweeter day four in Deauville. How sweet will depend on how much crème brulee we can now fill our boots with between now and closing time. The final table begins tomorrow at noon but until then there are always the links, gold mines of information that recap hand for hand the events of the day. Look through them at your leisure. Or now. Yes, do it now.

From 24 to the final
Level 23
Level 24
Level 25
Level 26
Level 27

By now you’ll know the drill. All this is available in hoopla-wooo French and stoic German and all photos were provided by photographic and martial artist Neil Stoddart. Right-click-save-image at your peril. You can also find all the moving images of the day over at PokerStars.tv where you can right click all you want.

That’s that. Caraba led into today and he’ll lead into tomorrow. Join us for what promises to be a gripping final. Until then… to the brulee.