Don Fagan came through heat nine of the PartyPoker.com European Open III, when it looked like “Chicken” Joe Koumi would go through.
 
Koumi started quick and in the 19th hand he knocked Jon Wong out.  Wong’s Ad, Qh failed to beat Koumi’s pocket cowboys, and this year’s 3rd place finisher at the Irish Open was going home early. 
 
Two hands later the eccentric Swede Ken Lennaard was out when he tried to make a move on Rob Cooper.  Lennaard went all in when the flop came down 6, J, 6, he held 7d, 10s.  Cooper called with Jh, Qd.  The turn came down a 10h giving Lennaard a chance, but the river came down 3c. 
 
Trevor Reardon was the next to leave, and it was Don Fagan who knocked him out.  All the chips were in when the flop came down 6s, Ac, 3c.  Reardon held pocket Kings, and Fagan Ah, Jh.  Reardon needed a king to come down on the turn and flop to stay in but it didn’t.  Chicken Joe still had the chip lead but Fagan was hot on his heels.  Fagan then won five consecutive hands to take the lead away from Koumi.
 
Koumi was now struggling and inevitably went out.  He was all in with 2d, 10c and Fagan called with Kh, 5c.  The flop couldn’t have been any kinder for Fagan when two Kings and a two showed up.  A 10 came down on the turn and Koumi was drawing dead.  The river came down a 7 and Koumi who looked to destroy the field was out. 
 
Don Fagan was now massive chip leader going into the heads up battle with Rob Cooper and it wasn’t long before Fagan won the game.  Cooper picked up As, 10d and went all in, Fagan called with Ac, 8h.  Fagan paired his 8 on the flop leaving Cooper to hit a 10 to double up.  The turn came down a 5h and the river an Ah.
 
Don Fagan, goes into the second semi-finals were he will be up against Pippa Flanders and Darren Hickman.