Welcome back to the second of the two start days from the Spanish coast. With it being the weekend, we're expecting a few more players today, including Daniel Negreanu, former EPT champions Brandon Schaefer and Julian Thew as well as tennis legend Boris Becker.
Once again we will be playing nine levels, with play expected to finish at around 11.30pm local time.
Players are just beginning to filter into the casino now so hopefully we will be starting in around thirty minutes' time.
It's pretty much a who's who of international poker stars who were not here yesterday, to be honest.
Also gracing the felt at the Casino Barcelona today will be reigning WSOP champ Peter Eastgate, diminutive Italian Dario Minieri, EPT Grand Final champion and amusing Dutchman Pieter de Korver, and serious contender for most attractive EPT winner ever, Sandra Naujoks.
Players are only just beginning to take their seats, but a terrifying table has already been identified and swamped in a sea of media personnel -- ElkY and Boris Becker are table neighbours, their respective extraordinary hairdos shining like follicular beacons across the card room and attracting TV cameras like moths to a lightbulb.
Word has filtered back to the press room that Mr. Thomas Kremser has been and gone on the mic, and Day 1b of the PokerStars.com EPT Barcelona is well and truly underway.
- EPT San Remo winner/prankster Constant Rijkenberg
- entertaining Scandie Peter Hedlund
- Young Canadian Mike "Timex" McDonald
- recent WSOP bracelet winner John Kabbaj
- Australian veteran Mel Judah
- Noah Boeken
- Alex Kravchenko
- Liya Gerasimova
- Jani Sointula
- Benjamin Kang, making all the other Germans in the room look very small
- Cristiano Blanco
- Laurence Houghton
Daniel Negreanu has come to the table upset and irritated this afternoon. On his way over to the tournament, Negreanu was taking some photos with some fans when one of the fans picked his pocket and stole his wallet. Negreanu lost a lot of valuble things including credit cards, his license and some money.
"It's not the money I'm so worried about." he said. "It's more annoying than anything."
Lex Veldhuis is at Negreanu's table and is sympathizing with Negreanu about his unfortunate situation. Hopefully Negreanu can shake it off without letting it affect his poker game.
Johan Van Til has had a good start to today's proceedings, he bet 3,500 on the river of a board into two players, one called, while the other, Alex Kravchenko, folded.
One interesting, and frankly rather cosy-looking table, involves the mammoth poker personalities that are John Kabbaj, Alain Roy, Jani Sointula and Brandon Schaefer, all sitting in a row in what is even at the best of times the most squashed and crowded corner of the card room. Remember to breathe, boys.