EPT Polish Open Main Event Day 1b | 2008 PokerStars.com EPT Warsaw

11-16-2008 21:42 UTC+2

Hot in Herre

[user25067]

The Casino Poland Warsawza has quite an expansive poker area-- twenty some-odd tables with a few cash games running at the moment. Most of those tables are spread out on the main gaming floor. The ones being used for this tournament, however, are all packed into a tight back corner of the room for reasons passing understanding. The temperature in said corner is rising by the minute, despite a couple of portable air conditioners attempting to cool the area down.

It may be 39 degrees outside, but in here, players and media folks alike are rolling up their sleeves and chugging down water like it's Vegas in July.

Level: 6

Blinds: 150/300

Ante: 25

11-16-2008 21:54 UTC+2

Ruthenberg Rues His Aces

[user46392]

Sebastian Ruthenberg has had to pack up move out of his penthouse -- he's down to 13,500 after doubling up an opponent at some point before or along a {Q-?}

board.

Ruthenberg: {A-Spades}

The lucky doubler-upper: {Q-?}

Tags: Sebastian Ruthenberg

11-16-2008 22:02 UTC+2

The Ups, Downs, and Ups of Nicolas Levi

[user46392]

As I count the stack of the be-trilby'd one, he announces to me, "A ton." He looks down and counts his chips before qualifying his statement: "A small ton." The small 'ton' is in fact a below average, yet still manageable, 13,000.

I wander off for a moment and come back to find Levi doubling up an opponent, his {Q-Hearts}

no good against the opponent's {3-Clubs}

after the board came out {2-Clubs}

. "Not a ton any more," says Levi sadly, examining his remaining 6,000 in chips. "But plenty."

And in fact, he got his 'plenty' chips across the line in the very next hand, shoving from the button to an under the gun raise from Jonas Molander.

Molander: {A-Hearts}

Levi:

Board: an exciting-on-the-turn but ultimately surprise-free {6-Spades}

Levi doubles back up to a ton (13,000 in the usual terminology).

Tags: Jonas Molander Nicolas Levi

11-16-2008 22:13 UTC+2

Germany vs. Sweden

[user25067]

On a flop of {9-Hearts}

, the big blind checked, Sebastian Ruthenberg bet 1,100, William Thorson called and the big blind folded. The turn brought the {10-Hearts}

, which both players quickly checked, and on the {Q-Clubs}

river, Ruthenberg fired out an additional 4,200. Thorson tanked for a short time before dribbling in a call and saw the bad news when Ruthenberg rolled over {9-Clubs}

for a set.

Ruthenberg is now on 23,000 while Thorson dips to 8,500.

Tags: Sebastian Ruthenberg William Thorson

11-16-2008 22:22 UTC+2

Reversal of Fortune

[user25067]

When we last checked in with young Dario Minieri, he had just eliminated Ramzi Jelassi and had taken his micro stack up to a more workable 7,500. Twenty minutes and six flights of up-and-down the stairs from the media room to the casino floor later, the scarf-loving Italian was sitting on a rather hefty stack of 34,000.

Dario's first leap in chip count came when he landed on the good end of a coinflip, his {A-?}

flopping top pair against his opponent's {9-?}

. One more double-up and a few small pots later, he's good for second in chips, behind Roland de Wolfe, who has ground his stack up past 40,000-- all while enjoying a massage that has now past the six-hour mark.

Tags: Dario Minieri Roland de Wolfe

11-16-2008 22:24 UTC+2

Recent Eliminations

[user25067]

High-stakes PLO aficionado Markus Golser, WSOP-E bracelet winner Theo Jorgensen, and controversial online poker figure Josh "JJProdigy' Field have all recently exited the building.

11-16-2008 22:32 UTC+2

Poker Gods Are Kind to Keiner

[user46392]

...Although they seemed quite keen to give him a fright first.

All in preflop with {5-Spades}

against Johannes Strassmann's {A-?}

, the flop couldn't have been worse for Michael Keiner.

Flop: {J-Diamonds}

Turn:

'Ooohs' from the other players and the instantaneously-formed Wall Of Media.

River: {10-Hearts}

Explosions of hilarity from the other players and the Wall Of Media, who love that kind of thing. Even Strassmann had to laugh. Nobody, however, was having as good a time as Michael Keiner was, as he doubled up his micro-stack to a merely smallish stack of 11,000.

Tags: Johannes Strassmann Michael Keiner

11-16-2008 22:37 UTC+2

How Are They Getting Along?

[user46392]

Remy Biechel:

Although he has ducked under the Pokernews radar for much of the day, he has been quietly and steadily accumulating chips, and is now one of our big stacks on 36,500.

Peter Gould:

Mr. Gould is now extremely unlikely to see Day 2, or even make it to the end of the level, as he's been barely surviving with under 2,000 in chips for some time now on an aggressive table which includes ElkY among its aggressors. With just 1,275 last time we saw him and the blinds at 150/300/25, he may now be beyond the point of recovery...

EDIT: Mr Gould has now officially busted out. With only three big blinds, it was always going to be a struggle...

Tags: Peter Gould Remy Biechel

11-16-2008 22:49 UTC+2

Dario Again!

[user25067]

On a flop of {10-Diamonds}

, Dario Minieri bet 1,400 and his lone opponent on the button called. The turn came the {7-Clubs}

. Minieri checked, the button bet 4,000, and Minieri quickly raised to 8,000. The button gave up his hand and Minieri showed {A-Diamonds}

.

"I can't show a bluff, I show the best hand!" quippied Minieri.

"Oh God, Dario again!" groaned Mark Teltscher from one table over, the Englishman unusually interested in Minieri's play today.

Tags: Dario Minieri