€10,000 EPT Grand Final Main Event Day 1b | 2009 PokerStars.com EPT Grand Final

The window curtains are open in the main tournament room of the Monte Carlo Bay Resort Hotel, where the tournament room is taking shape for Day 1b of the 2009 PokerStars.com European Poker Tour Grand Final. With blue skies visible outside, dealers inside are counting out starting stacks of 30,000 in an array of yellow, red, purple, black and green chips.

Yesterday 396 players filled the room for Day 1a, with Lee Nelson ending the day at more than 200,000 chips and high above the leaderboard. Today we expect closer to 500 as a result of the typical "last Day 1 flight" surge. The room was packed with poker talent yesterday; even more of the big names should be in the field today.

Play is set to begin just after noon local time, in about twenty minutes. Keep your browser on PokerNews.com for all of the action