€25,000 High Roller Championship Day 1 | 2009 PokerStars.com EPT Grand Final

05-01-2009 19:46 UTC+3

Magic Juanda

[user46298]

Double through for John Juanda (who is now being massaged a la Negreanu): Talal Shakerchi raised to 1,300 preflop - it's actually surprising just how many hands start like this and end with two completely different people getting their chips in - reraised by Juanda to 6,300. It passed round to big blind Jani Sointula, who made it 12,800 (leaving himself 19,000 behind). Knowing he was going to get a call, Juanda got the rest of his stack in, and was in good shape with {K-Spades}

vs.

.

The flop came {8-Diamonds}

, a sweat moment for Juanda. The turn and river were {10-Diamonds}

,

and he's now on 65,000+, while Sointula has less than 3,000, and might not be long for this tournament.

Tags: Jani Sointula John Juanda

05-01-2009 19:20 UTC+3

Aces Catching

[user46298]

James Mackey just busted a supershort player (<5k) when he pushed on the small blind when it folded to him. Big blind Mackey was going nowhere with {A-Diamonds}

- his opponent didn't want to turn his hand over and the dealer had to gently prompt him. He held {8-Clubs}

. Out.

Sammy George then says, "You've been waiting a long time! It's like the battle of the rocks." Then he looks at his own <10k stack and admits that his own reverse style isn't working that brilliantly either...

Tags: James Mackey

05-01-2009 19:16 UTC+3

Rousso-ptimistic A-K Doubles Vanessa Up

[user46298]

Vanessa Rousso is knocking on 100k now after she won a large pot, and the entire stack of one of her tablemates. Roberto Romanello made the 1,500 raise which started the whole thing off, called by Barry Greenstein and then raised to 5k by Rousso. A fourth player then made it 14,400, at which time Rousso considered it appropriate to just move her whole stack (c.60k) in with her {A-Clubs}

. He called the 40k or so he had left with {A-?}

, which stayed behind and gave Rousso a very healthy stack.

Tags: Vanessa Rousso

05-01-2009 19:08 UTC+3

Negreanu Proves Masseuses Not Lucky Charms

[user46298]

Prior to the break, another seat was vacated - that of Daniel Negreanu, whose volatile tournament hit the rocks after he got involved in a threeway pot on a ten-high flop. His {A-?}

was no match for Gus Hansen's {Q-?}

, and he was knocked to a stack which was as good as made of felt

Tags: Daniel Negreanu

Level: 5

Blinds: 200/400

Ante: 50

05-01-2009 18:35 UTC+3

15 Minute Break

[user46298]

And they're off. Back in 15 minutes for the last level before dinner break.

05-01-2009 18:27 UTC+3

Tablemates Led by Tony G

[user46298]

These players have all been sat together since the start of play today:

Yevgeniy Timoshenko - 31,400
Tony G - 80,000
Markus Golser - 34,100
Mike McDonald - 31,400
Thomas Wahlroos - 76,000
Erik Seidel - 42,300

Tags: Tony G

05-01-2009 18:25 UTC+3

Hand Caught in Van Til

[user46298]

It's not been Johan Van Til's day today. He's getting shoved on by short stacks, and has a chipped up Elky on his left. Just now I saw Van Til bet on a {K-Clubs}

board, called by Bertrand Grospellier (to give him his full name). On the {9-Clubs}

river, the pot was pretty chunky, and Van Til bet 12,600. Immediately Elky threw in enough blue 5k chips to cover Van Til's whole stack, and he passed once again.

Tags: Bertrand Grospellier Elky Johan van Til

05-01-2009 18:12 UTC+3

Langmann Commanding

[user46298]

Florian Langmann is the chip leader currently, with a tidy 143,000. He must have busted a player on his table recently, as the Table of Doom has been split and the horsemen of the apocalypse spread all around the High Rollers area. I am sure none of them shed a tear at being moved.

Tags: Florian Langmann

05-01-2009 18:09 UTC+3

Veldhuis Doubles Up! (to starting stack)

[user46298]

I caught this hand just as it all kicked off on the turn - the board {J-Hearts}

. Not a huge amount in the pot - around the 7k Lex Veldhuis bet here. His opponent raised to 16k, and then Veldhuis moved all in. Call! The young Dutchman was ahead with {K-Hearts}

vs.

- no river shocks and he's back over the 50k he started the day with.

Tags: Lex Veldhuis