Hand #24: Zorlu Er raised to 400,000 from the button and Adam Owen called in the big blind, then quickly checked the flop. Er bet 465,000 and Owen folded.
Hand #25: In the hijack, Andreas Chalkiadakis made it 360,000 to go and Er asked the usual "how much?", then folded. All other players mucked their cards also, and Chalkiadakis won the pot.
Hand #26: Harcharan Dogra Dogra min-raised to 320,000 from the cutoff and Owen called on the button, Uri Reichenstein defended the big blind. On the flop, Reichenstein checked, Dogra Dogra then bet 450,000 and Owen folded. Reichenstein folded as well and Dogra Dogra claimed a vital pot.
Thomas De Rooij has been playing great at the final table and currently finds himself second in chips behind Adam Owen after making a call that left the watching rail and EPT Live commentators in awe during the previous level. Just a few hands before the break, and on a scary-looking board, De Rooij called with just a pair of kings and eight kicker. He was shown the stone-cold bluff from Adam Owen and raked in a big pot.
"I figured a lot of the two-pair or combo hands he could have weren't there. I put him on other hands and that led me to the call. I'm pretty glad I made it!"
He's flown under the radar a little on the penultimate day of the 2016 PokerStars.es EPT Barcelona Main Event, and that's a very deliberate ploy from the Dutchman.
"I quite like the position I'm in. Hopefully some other players have more well-known ways of playing and I don't. I'd like that."
It's not the first time Thomas has had to run well this week, after an unfortunate incident in Barcelona left him with a large plaster on his arm, which has been quite visible on the stream.
"I was walking with my friend on Thursday and had Google Maps open on his smartphone because we didn't know where we were going. A guy on a bike crashed through us and took my friend's phone and knocked me over. I got up and chased after him in flip-flops, but he outran me on the bike! I look at it like destiny now, as I'm here in the final."
He can already afford a replacement phone, as he's guaranteed €230,950 even if he finishes in seventh place. But De Rooij will be hoping to run even better than he attempted on Thursday to make the final six... and shoot for the title. He may even run away with it.
Hand #21: Uri Reichenstein raised to 260,000 from the button and Andreas Chalkiadakis called in the big blind to see a flop of . Chalkiadakis quickly checked, and Reichenstein checked behind.
On the turn, Chalkiadakis checked and then faced a delayed continuation bet worth 340,000 by Reichenstein. Chalkiadakis called and the river saw the Greek once again check, Reichenstein checked behind. Chalkiadakis showed the and Reichenstein almost mucked the winning , mentioning in table chat that he thought the seven would have made a straight.
Hand #22: Sebastian Malec raised to 270,000 from the hijack and Reichenstein asked for his stack, then called from one seat over in the cutoff. Zorlu Er asked "How much?" in the big blind and peeked at his cards before sending them into the muck.
On the heads-up flop of , Malec checked to Reichenstein and then faced a bet of 120,000 by the German. Malec called and the duo headed to the turn. Malec quickly checked, and Reichenstein checked behind.
After the river, Malec checked. Reichenstein bet 440,000 and Malec quickly called to see his opponent turn over . Malec had that beat with to win a juicy pot.
Hand #23: Chalkiadakis raised to 260,000 from the button and Zorlu Er three-bet to 710,000 in the small blind. Harcharan Dogra Dogra initially asked for a count, but then quickly folded. Chalkiadakis eventually folded and the players headed into a 20-minute break.
British player Adam Owen continues to lead the final table here at the 2016 PokerStars.es EPT Barcelona Main Event, but Thomas De Rooij's superb call on the river in that recent hand the pair shared has seriously reduced the gap.
Can the Dutchman close the gap even more before the end of play here on Day 5?
Hand #17: Uri Reichenstein made it 260,000 from early position. Er called from the button. The flop of saw Reichenstein continue for 380,000 and Er folded. Reichestein is second in chips with 8.5 million.
Hand #18: Andreas Chalkiadakis made it 255,000 from the hijack position, called by Sebastian Malec in the big blind. The flop of saw Chalkiadakis fold to Malec's c-bet.
Hand #19: Chalkiadakis raised in the next hand to 255,000 from early position but Adam Owen three-bet to 680,000 from the button. That pushed the blinds out of the way, but Chalkiadakis 4-bet to 1,755,000! Owen lets it go and Chalkiadakis takes it down.
"I really appreciate the lay-downs." came words from the table. It's doubtful those words will tilt Owen given he's still a massive chip leader.
Hand #20:Owen made it 275,000 from the cut off. Thomas De Rooij called in the big blind and saw a flop. De Rooij checked to Adam Owen, who c-bet for 300,000. De Rooij called. The turn of was checked by both players. The looked like a scare-card, but Owen - checked to again - bet 475,000. De Rooij called and was shown and De Rooij flashes to take the pot.
Hand #14: Sebastian Malec raised to 470,000 from the cutoff and the big raise did the trick, as all opponents folded.
Hand #15: Uri Reichenstein in the cutoff made it 260,000 to go and Zorlu Er asked his standard question: "How much?" Er then called and the duo headed to the flop, Er had already checked before the cards were even spread. Reichenstein bet 250,000 and Er called, then checked in the dark.
The came on the turn, and Reichenstein then fired a second barrel worth 680,000. Er asked for the amount again and folded. Some table chat followed and Er said he folded a five, Reichenstein replied "good fold."
Hand #16: Adam Owen raised to 270,000 from under the gun and Andreas Chalkiadakis called on the button. Er called in the small blind and the action went three-way to the flop of . Er checked, Owen made a continuation bet worth 350,000 and Chalkiadakis called, while Er folded.
The turn paired the board and also brought a flush draw. Owen checked and Chalkiadakis checked behind. The appeared on the river and Owen checked. Chalkiadakis gave him a stare down and checked behind.
Owen showed the and Chalkiadakis won the pot with the .
Hand #8: Adam Owen opened to 280,000 from early position, and action was folded round to Zorlu Er in the big blind, and the Turkish player eventually folded. Owen grabs a simple but handy pot.
Hand #9: Owen raised again to 270,000 from under the gun. Zorlu Er called in the small blind, but Harcharan Dogra Dogra folded from the big blind.
Zorlu Er declared that he would 'check blind' so Adam Owen followed suit on a flop of . The turn of saw Owen checked to and he made it 400,000. Er let it go.
Hand #10: A very quick raise-and-take-it for Adam Owen, who is definintely using his stack well. He's over 7 million clear of second in chips.
Hand #11: Reichenstein made it 260,000 from under the gun, and everyone folded. He barely even blinks.
Hand #12: Zorlu Er made it 270,000 from the hijack position and it was down to Reichenstein in the big blind. He didn't fancy it either, so the Turkish player drags one in.
Hand #13: Andreas Chalkiadakis made it 255,000 from under the gun. Harcharan Dogra Dogra called in the hijack and no-one else called, so the two men saw a flop of .
Chalkiadakis continued for 280,000 and Dogra Dogra (pictured) called. The turn prompted two checks. The river of saw Chalkiadakis check, but Dogra Dogra bet 325,000 , called. Dogra showed and that was good enough.
Hand #7: Pavel Plesuv raised to 255,000 from the hijack and Reichenstein called on the button, as did Andreas Chalkiadakis in the big blind.
The flop came , and the action checked to Reichenstein. He bet 560,000 and Chalkiadakis asked "you have like three behind?" Reichenstein replied "I started the hand with 4.2". Chalkiadakis then folded and Plesuv check-raised all in for 2,375,000. Reichenstein called and Plesuv was the player at risk.
Plesuv:
Reichenstein:
The turn changed nothing, as neither player held a diamond. And the river reduced the field to seven with less than a dozen hands played. Plesuv takes home €165,950 for his efforts and the action will stop for the day when there are just six participants remaining.