Main Event Day 1b | 2010 EPT Deauville

01-21-2010 14:52 UTC+2

FFD!

[user66118]

Deeb is here! No, not that one. Shaun is apparently holding fast to his resolution to give up tournament poker for the time being.

But, surprisingly, Freddy Deeb's face has been spotted in the field. Maybe it's not a surprise after all, though; Deeb was here last year too, and he managed to make a small cash for his 52nd-place showing. Deeb's best-ever EPT performance came at the Grand Final in 2008 where he took 30th place for €42,100. He would sure love to add an EPT trophy to his mantle that already boasts a pair of WSOP bracelets and pair of WPT titles.

Tags: Freddy Deeb

01-21-2010 15:09 UTC+2

Luca Looking Good

[user140525]

PokerStars Team Pro Luca Pagano is showing strength early despite being seated at a relatively tough table with Fabrice Soulier and Melanie Weisner. [Removed:247], sitting on Luca's left, dared to tangle with him in a big hand.

Board: {10-Diamonds}

Pagano bet 5,200 into the sizable pot, and [Removed:250] quickly called. Pagano showed {5-Diamonds}

for 5s full, good enough to pad his stack nicely. Luca is already over 55,000.

01-21-2010 15:12 UTC+2

Sweet Eames Are Made of These

[user46392]

Another table boasting a high concentration of recognizable faces is Table 22 - Joe Beevers, Nicolas Levi and young British up-and-comer John Eames are all seated there.

Up-and-comer John Eames was actually headed in the direction of down when we strolled by the table, though.

He raised in early position and picked up calls from Alain Fourmann and Jose Demeyre in the big blind to see a {J-Clubs}

flop which they all checked.

The turn was the {4-Hearts}

and Eames now bet 500. Fourmann called, Demeyre passed, and they saw a {6-Clubs}

river, which both checked again. Fourmann turned over {A-Spades}

for top pair, and Eames mucked his hand.

Tags: John Eames

01-21-2010 15:24 UTC+2

Gorodetskiy Going Down

[user46392]

Editor of PokerNews UK & Europe magazine Ilya Gorodetskiy was grinning wildly in the way that only a man who's just lost half his stack can.

Turns out that most of the damage was done when another player limped in and then called a raise from Gorodetskiy, who was holding {A-Hearts}

. They saw a {9-Hearts}

flop and Mr. Other Player bet out 575. Gorodetskiy made it 1,600, Mr. Other made it 3,200, and Gorodetskiy called.

The turn was an {8-?}

and not a heart and Gorodetskiy called a 3,475 bet from Mr. Other who then immediately checked blind. The river was another unhelpful {8-?}

, also not a heart, and Gorodetskiy checked behind. Mr. Other turned over {10-?}

offsuit, and took the pot.

Following another unhappy incident involving a flush-over-flush scenario, Gorodetskiy is down to 14,000.

Tags: Ilya Gorodetskiy

01-21-2010 15:43 UTC+2

ElkY Update

[user46392]

Of course, all this poker is just a distraction from the real question that's on everybody's lips - what has ElkY done with his hair today?

Well, the answer is... Well, actually there isn't much of it left.

The newly-sheared Team PokerStars Pro was involved in a pot when we wandered by. The board read {8-Spades}

and ElkY was betting out 1,250 form the small blind position. Sylvain Calmelet on the button called, and they saw a {7-Clubs}

river. ElkY now bet out 4,325, and Calmelet calmly folded.

ElkY's on around 35,000.

Tags: ELkY

01-21-2010 15:43 UTC+2

Break it Up

[user66118]

We've got our first two levels under our belts, and it's time for the inaugural 15-minute break.

Level: 3

Blinds: 100/200

Ante: 0

01-21-2010 16:06 UTC+2

/Break

[user66118]

The 15-minute breaks will probably turn into 20 minutes once again today, since Security refuses to let the players back into the room until the break clock runs fully down to zero. Either way, they're all finally back in here, and play has resumed.

01-21-2010 16:06 UTC+2

Bracelet-Bedecked Field

[user140525]

Everywhere you turn at the Casino Barrière de Deauville, you're bound to run into a World Series bracelet winner. Today's field includes three 2009 winners. Vitaly Lunkin picked up $1.89 million for conquering the 40th Anniversary $40k tournament. Marc Naalden dominated this year's Limit Hold'em events, winning one, finishing second in another, and cashing in a third. Peter Traply also picked up a bracelet this summer.

Also in today's field are 2008 winners Rob Hollink, Dario Minieri, and Davidi Kitai. Main Event winner Peter Eastgate is registered for the tournament but has yet to make an appearance.

Other WSOP bracelet owners currently gracing the Deauville felt include Alexander Kravchenko, Praz Bansi, Ivo Donev, Freddy Deeb, and 2004 Main Event winner Greg Raymer.

01-21-2010 16:38 UTC+2

Kjerses!

[user46392]

There was a raise to 500, but Stephan Kjerstad made it 1,000 from the button. The gentleman in the nine seat, sadly absent from our player list, called in the small blind. Mr. Original Raiser passed, and they went heads up to a flop.

They checked down the {4-Diamonds}

flop and

turn, and Mr. Small Blind bet out 750 on the {5-Clubs}

river. Kjerstad passed, but no feeling sorry for him! He's still doing just fine on 40,000.

By the by, young Jeremy Amsellem, also at that table, is doing well on 50,000 or so.

Tags: Jeremy Amsellem Stephan Kjerstad