After the slow start the elimination of Jame Akenhead seems to have broken the ice and a flurry of activity ensued. Or maybe the blinds being up to 20k / 40k 5k ante helped to motivate the action. Or maybe it is the upcoming dinner break and an attitude of chip up or bust. Ok, probably not that last one since this is the World Series of Poker Europe Main Event final table.

Matt Hawrilenko made an aggressive move with his short stack, moving all in over the top of an opening raise from Barry Shulman. Shulman made the call with his AQ and after neither player improved the ace high was good enough to bring the pot to Shulman in the one seat and eliminate Matt Hawrilenko (right) in 8th place for £87,074.

The action continued into the next hand when Daniel Negreanu opened a pot and Antoine Saout moved all in.  Daniel made the call and before the crowd had settled into their seats from the previous all in there was another all in and a call.  Daniel had the AQ and was flipping with Saout and his 55.  The board ran out T8427 and with the spade on the river one of the many outs for Negreanu came in, leaving another November Niner on the sidelines with Antoine Saout (left) the 7th place finisher for £114,228.

Negreanu kept it up and not more than 3 or 4 hands later the cameras were again focusing in on an all in prelfop that resulted in an elimination.  This time it was Chris Bjorin going up against Negreanu who again had AQ, this time with the AQ.  Bjorin was in worse shape going in, dominated with his AJ.  Bjorin’s (right) 6th place finish brings £150,267.

In the couple of hands between eliminating players there was another all in between Praz Bansi and final table chip leader to this point Jason “treysfull21″ Mercier.  Bansi had Mercier nipped with his pocket jacks notching the pocket tens of Mercier.  As hot as he has been even Mercier couldn’t overcome the domination and after the board came out he had to send 400k and change to Bansi.  After paying of the all in bet off Bansi Mercier was back below 3 million and a few hands later when Negreanu elimanated Bjorin his stack cracked the 3 million mark making him the chip leader.  Last year Daniel Negreanu was eliminated from the WSOPE Main Event final table in 5th spot, but barring a significant change of fate he will be improving on that finish this year.

Chip Counts Post Carnage:

• October 1, 2009 -- Next Up November: Akenhead Eliminated 9th
• October 1, 2009 -- Introductions
• September 30, 2009 -- Final Table Chip Counts
• September 30, 2009 -- WSOP Europe 2009 Final Table Gallery