The penultimate heat of the PartyPoker.com European Open III saw last year’s 5th place finisher Andy “the Piranha” Pyrah return to the table.  He was up against Ian Crapper Cox, Simon Zach, Kevin Atkin, John Keown and Frank Bluemlein. 
 
Pyrah started off strong and was picking on the German Frank Bluemlien, and it was he who knocked him out.  The flop came down 3s, 8s, 8c.  Pyrah flopped the full house, he was holding pocket 3’s.  Ian Cox held 9s, Jd and Frank Bluemlein Kd, Qd.  The turn came down the Kc, Bluemlein went all in, Cox folded and Pyrah called immediately.  The river came down the 6d, which didn’t help the German and the Piranha was starting to snap at his opponents heels. 
 
Play started to become a little cagey.  No one wanted to go out and 69 hands after the first player went out John Keown was knocked out by Pyrah.  Keown held Kh, Qd and was all in and Pyrah called with pocket 5’s.  The flop came down 2c, 4d, and 9d.  Keown needed running diamonds, any King or Queen.  The turn came down a Jc, so only a King or Queen would help, the river a 5 giving Pyrah a set and sending John to the green room to watch the rest of the action.
 
The PartyPoker.com World Open II third place finisher Kevin Atkin was the next to be knocked out, and it was Ian Cox who took him out and put him on the road to recovery.  Atkin went all in pre flop with pocket 3’s and Cox called with pocket 10’s
The board of 4d, 4c, 7d, 9d, 6d didn’t help Atkin, but put Cox in the lead with $257,000 chips. 
 
Pyrah who started so well, then froze and Cox knocked him out.  Pyrah held pocket 4’s and Cox held Ad, Qd.  Cox hit his ace on the turn, the river came down a Jc and last years finalist was out. 
 
Ian Cox had pulled it around and finished the game off four hands later.  Simon Zach went all in with 8h, 10c and Ian Cox called with Kh, 10s.  The flop came down 9c, Qh, Js, giving Ian Cox the straight, the turn came down the 5c and the river a 6s.  Ian Cox made it into his second straight TV semi final.