Main Event Day 1a | 2010 EPT Copenhagen

02-15-2010 20:43 UTC+2

Welcome to København!

[user66118]

Our Live Reporting team has been slowly trickling into Denmark over the past two days, and we're just about ready to cut the ropes and open up the action at the 2010 EPT Copenhagen! The Casino Copenhagen is playing host to this event once again, this stop representing one of the core EPT events that has persisted on the running schedule since Season 1. It's got a new name this time 'round, though, and the "Nordic Open" figures to be a fine showcase for some of the best poker Denmark has ever seen.

The partial list of registrants that we peeked at hints at what we can expect this week. We've got the usual assortment of Team PokerStars Pros lined up, including Scandinavia's own Peter Eastgate, Johnny Lodden, and William Thorson. Annette Obrestad is registered to play too, and we expect to see a smorgasbord of other notable Scandies in the room when play kicks off tomorrow. In addition, just about 100 players have earned their seat through online satellites, many of them also from this region. A total of 340 runners have already registered, with room for just about 500 total.

We're still about 18 hours away from our start time, and the players and media are focused on tonight's Nordic Poker Awards. Our intrepid video team is heading for the red carpet as we speak, and we'll be sure to give you the scoop with videos and interviews from tonight's big event.

Now you're looking for a way to kill those 18 hours, so check out our PokerNews Jetset: Copenhagen to get a taste of what this city has to offer outside of the casino. Let's face it, though, you're a poker player, and the casino is all you care about. So join us right back here at noon CET as we start to raise some lint on the pristine new felt.

See you in the morning!

02-16-2010 10:50 UTC+2

Late Start

[user66118]

We've just learned that our start time for Day 1a will now be 2:00pm. That's just about four hours from now, so you've still got some time for a nap or a cash-game session.

Sit tight, we'll see you in a bit.

02-16-2010 14:59 UTC+2

Movement

[user46392]

The lobby outside the casino entrance is thronged with milling poker players, but as yet there is no sign of a timely start. At some point soon, though, we should be witnessing an EPT kicking off. Watch this space, poker fans...

Level: 1

Blinds: 50/100

Ante: 0

02-16-2010 15:24 UTC+2

...And They're Off!

[user46392]

The preliminaries are over, and we hereby begin the first of eight levels to be played today. There will also be a 45 minute dinner break at some point, presumably after level 4.

In the immortal words of TD Thomas Kremser, shuffle up and deal!

02-16-2010 15:52 UTC+2

Skampa and Chips

[user46392]

It's been a delightful first few hands for EPT Prague champion Jan Skampa.

He was involved in a three-way pot when we caught up with him. The flop read {10-Diamonds}

and Skampa bet out. Both players called, Jannik Laigaard in the cutoff and Aleksandr Beresnev on the button, and they continued three-way to the turn.

Turn: {3-Clubs}

Skampa bet out 2,300 this time, and both his opponents called behind. A hefty pot already for level 1, but just you wait for the river...

River: {6-Spades}

Skampa stared very intensely at the board for some time, before betting out 3,500. Laigaard sighed and called, but Beresnev raised to 10,000. Skampa reraised all in and Laigaard passed, but Beresnev made what turned out to be his last call of the tournament.

Beresnev: {K-Spades}

for the second nut flush
Skampa: {A-Spades}

for the nut flush

Skampa, whose EPT record is already rather impressive with one win and one fourth place finish, starts off the day here in Copenhagen as chip leader.

Tags: Jan Skampa

02-16-2010 16:20 UTC+2

The Stars Come Out at 2pm in Denmark

[user46392]

The 2pm start has done a fine job of getting players into the tournament on time - even fans of the fashionably late entrance Dario Minieri and Johnny Lodden are in their seats and looking reasonably alert.

Nevertheless, the atmosphere in the tournament room remains for the moment slightly subdued. What we need to perk this tournament right up is a variety of interesting table shares!

Currently lurking among the sea of un-famous hopefuls are the following familiar faces:

- Annette Obrestad, sharing with Johan "busto_soon" van Til
- dangerous Englishman John Eames sharing with garrulous Swede Peter Hedlund
- newly PokerStars-sponsored Thomas Bichon, sharing a table with EPT Prague third place finisher Stefan Matsson and Ville Haavisto
- Martin Kabrhel, king of the EPT side events, and talented young Norwegian Thor Drexel
- the aforementioned EPT do-weller Jan Skampa, at the same table as Team PokerStars Pro Ruben Visser

Level: 2

Blinds: 75/150

Ante: 0

02-16-2010 16:31 UTC+2

Glo Welcomes You to Copenhagen

[user66118]

The action is a little sparse here in the early going, so here's something you can waste a few minutes on. Yesterday afternoon, Gloria Balding braved the wind and the snow to go on a sightseeing tour of this scenic city. If you're planning a trip over for next year's EPT event, or if you just want to have a look at what we're seeing out the casino windows, check out the welcome video.

02-16-2010 16:45 UTC+2

Poor Start for Final Table Regular

[user46392]

Rasmus Neilsen trying to sort out what went wrong

One particularly familiar face in this tournament room is Rasmus Nielsen. Having made the final table in this event for the last two years running (he took 6th place last year and 4th the year before that), he will be keen to finally take it down.

It's not been an amazing start for Mr. Nielsen though. Most recently we saw him sighingly check-call bets from Cristiano Blanco on the flop and river of a {K-Hearts}

board, but couldn't beat Mr. Blanco's {A-Clubs}

when it came to showdown.

Blanco is bolstered to 35,000; Nielsen is knocked down to 22,000.

Tags: Cristiano Blanco Rasmus Nielsen