Tony Cascarino has left the building.

Shortstacked for most of the day, Big Cass couldn’t hang on any longer and he exits in 14th and takes home £22k for his troubles.

The Irish support should now probably switch to Surindar Sunar who has been a long time supporter of the Irish Open, having played in the event since its inception in the early 1980s. Read about the history of the Irish Open here

He started the day as the big chp leader but he has been pulled back in by the chasing pack and currently sits on around 230k.

Unfortunately he is going in reverse at the moment and has been reraised off a number of hands at the feature table.

Marcel Baran is the chip leader with about 700k.

1. Baran 700k
2. Egan 500k
3. Langmann 400k
4. Haugen 285k
5. Lellouche 270k

Alan Smurfit got it all-in on the first hand at the feature table and was great shape with AQ v A7.

7 was the first card out.

Q was the second card and things were looking good again.

But the third card was a third heart and Smurfit was facing the nut flush draw for Baran.

(they deal the flop one card at a time in the Vic)

The turn was a blank but the flush came on the river and Smurfit had been horribly outdrawn. He takes home just over £16,000 for his weeks work.

Big Cass is now the only Irish hope left - come on Ireland!!

On a flop of 64TJ  (two diamonds) Chris Moneymaker moved all-in and was instantly called by Florian Langmann with AT of diamonds.

Moneymaker was in big trouble with 89 leaving him only six outs.

The 5d on the river sealed the deal and the 2003 WSOP champ was gone.  He had played fantastically well all week and one brain frazzle undid all his good work. 

I have now also lost my bed with Mad Mike and he is already texting me for his money - goddamit Chris, I really thought you would do it this time!!

With Roland De Wolfe exiting only a few hands earlier, the EPT London has lost two of its most fascinating characters.

We are now down to the final 16 and two tables of 8.

Ireland, Ireland, Repub-e-lic of Ireland!

Big Cass and Alan Smurfit are both hanging on by the skin of their teeth with around 70k each. Big Cass rivered an Ace holding AT against 77 a while ago to stay in the tournament.

Hopefully the luck of the Irish will stay with them and they can both get back in contention.

What a result it would be if they could both make the final table.

Stay tuned…

Chirs Moneymaker has been the action player at the feature table of late. 

In the last hand he limped with AJ and then checked an Ace-high flop to the turn.  On the river the big blind bet 12k when a third diamond hit.  Reluctantly Moneymaker called saying “i probably let you catch up”.  His opponent turned over A5 and Moneymaker took the pot.

With 23 players left Surindar Sunar is still chip leader with 470k but Anthony Lelouche is closing in with 420k.

Smurfit and Big Cass are still surviving and are very close now to the final two tables.

1st £ 611,520
2nd £ 346,528
3rd £ 203,840
4th £ 152,880
5th £ 124,342

The pay out for 32nd - 25th is £8,153. The next jump in pay is 24th - 17th which is £12,230.

Smurift and Big Cass are still in the mix and are on course for a nice pay day.  The feature table has seen both Roland De Wolfe and Chris Moneymaker all-in, both have survived their big hands and have increased their chip stacks.

On personal note I would just like to say that it was heartbreaking to see Katja Svendsen get knocked out… let’s just say that the rest of the feature table are no oil paintings!  in fact she was very unlucky when her aggressive reraise forced her to call a rereraise all-in - by a player with 78 suited!!  She had made her move with 45 suited.

She hit a 5, but then he hit a 7… and then another 7. She was crippled and exited shortly afterwards when her pocket JJs ended up in a threeway pot against Mangus’s KJ and Moneymaker’s QQ.  A king on the flop gave Mangus the main pot, Moneymaker increased his stack by winning the side pot.

Roland De Wolfe, who so painlfully outdrew Brian “The Fox” O’Keeffe at the Irish Open final table, reraises all-in with AdJd and is instantly called by Daniel Manguswith pocket Kings.

Roland De Wolfe (right) with Thomas Finneran at the final table of the 2007 Irish Open

Flop:5d Jc 9s

Turn: 4d (giving De Wolfe 9 more outs)

And the river is a … diamond? … of course not, it was another J!

So De Wolfe doubles up and the cheeky chappy from London continues his rollercoaster adventure through the tournament.

Carlos Citrone was the bubble boy, finishing 33rd and we are now down to the really serious business.

Shane Reihill unfortunately didn’t make it through but Alan Smurfit and Big Cass are both still very much alive.

Smurfit, who won a WSOP bracelet this summer, is in 9th place on 130k. Big Cass is fighting the good fight in 27th with 50k.

31 players remain including: Surindar Sunar (1st, 400k), Chris Moneymaker (19th, 80k) and Roland De Wolfe (21st, 75k).

Day 3 will start this afternoon with 40 players play down to the final table.

It will be a tight start to play as only 8 players will miss the money.  Payout for 32nd place is £8,153.  First prize is a hefty £611,520.

Irish eyes will begin to glimmer if Alan Smurfit (10th), Shane Reihill (26th) and Tony Cascarino (30th) can make the money.  Those same eyes will be smiling broadly if any of them can make the final table.

Surindar Sunar has a commanding lead over the field sitting on 400k. Second place Ben Grundy (220k) leads the chasing pack of 4 players over the 200k mark.

Other players to watch out for are Katja Svendsen (Blonde. Norwegian. Hot. 100k), Chris Moneymaker (Brunette. American. Dishevelled. 70k) and Roland De Wolfe (Black haired. English. Cheeky. 70k).

We’ll keep you up to speed as soon as the action kicks off…