Team PokerStars Pro, Nacho Barbero has just lost a substantial pot after betting all three streets into a better hand.
The player in middle position opened with a raise to 500, Barbero three-bet to 1,300 and the intial raiser quickly called.
Flop:
First to act, the initial preflop raiser now checked, Barbero took a stab at the pot with a 1,400 bet and after twenty seconds or so, his opponent called.
Turn:
Once again the action went check, bet, call but this time the amounts were twice what they were on the flop, topping the scales at 2,800.
River:
With the board now double-paired it was unsurprising that our middle position player checked, but Barbero was in no mood to give a free showdown and quickly bet 5,000. His opponent looked as if he was contemplating a raise but finally decided that a call was better and he put the yellow chip in to make the call.
Barbero:
Middle position player: and the winning hand
We understand that Team PokerStars Pro Angel Guillen, the man who was arguably the real bubble at this year's WSOP Main Event (the actual bubble gets a ticket for the following year's Main Event, but Guillen got his aces cracked on the bubble bubble), has suffered some misfortune here in Barcelona as well - kings into aces, we hear, and he's gone.
Team Pokerstars Pro Dario Minieri had just bluffed off a large percentage of his stack when we arrived at his table and he was in the middle of another hand. He was in the cut off with a bet of 1,100 in front of him and a re-raise from the button totalling 5,800. Minieri made the fold but his stack had dwindled to 3,375.
In the next hand Minieri opened from 350 and Team Pokerstars Pro Daniel Negreanu defended his big blind by putting Minieri all-in. Minieri once again was forced to fold.
Then Minieri raised for the third time in succession - again to 350. This time the big blind called. This opponent was the player Minieri had a split pot with earlier. The flop was and the big blind checked and Minieri bet 425 before the big blind made the call.
"Split pot again?" Asked Minieri.
"No" replied the big blind.
The turn was the and Minieri pushed all-in. His opponent folded showing an exposed 3 for bottom pair. Minieri exposed both of his cards to show a pair of deuces.
Next it was John Eames time to play a pot as he opened to 400 from early position. He received 3 callers and the flop was . Eames bet 750 and received one caller from a lady in middle position. The turn was the and Eames this time bet 2,000 and the lady called. The river was the and Eames threw a yellow chip worth 5,000 into the middle and for the third time the lady called. Eames turned over a pair of nines for the turned full house and the lady mucked her hand.
Then someone in the room shouted "Yessss!" Negreanu said it was cold again and Minieri raised and then raised again to take down two uncontested pot.
EPT Vilamoura winner and all-round cheeky chappy Toby Lewis has had a somewhat lacklustre start to his day.
We found him checking behind his opponent on the turn of a board, and then folding to a 2,525 bet on the river. This pot was not exactly small for Level 2, but it looked as though most of the damage to his stack had been done in an earlier hand - he's down to 16,000 already.
Yesterday's 263-strong Day 1a field meant that we were already on track to shatter last year's 478 total - but this is now turning huge.
So far, 482 people have registered for Day 1b. That is to say, more people are playing this event today than played both of last year's Day 1s combined. Even with the reduction of the buy in this year, this is an impressive feat. And registration is still open. So if you have a spare €5,000 and fancy a flutter, why not head down to the Casino de Barcelona? This is going to be one hell of a prize pool...
As is usually the case, Team PokerStars Pro Daniel Negreanu is being surounded by the cameras and reporters, all hoping to be the first to note a hand he played.
So far they are being disappointed as Negreanu is not playing as many pots as he usually does, instead he is sat shivering in the poker room and asking for a blanket.
"I'm freezing," declared Negreanu, before informing anyone willing to listen, myself included in that, that the air conditioning was blowing down the back of his neck.
"I'll try and commandeer a scarf," said one helpful PokerStars employee
"No. I want a blanket so I can wrap myself up," came the reply of the four-time WSOP bracelet winner
A few more extremely interesting tables have begun to emerge.
At one end of the room, the diminutive Porsche-driving Italian Dario Minieri is sharing a table with his sleepy-looking fellow Team PokerStars Pro Daniel Negreanu, winner of the EPT Vienna €2,000 side event John Eames and 2009 PCA final table bubbler Jan Collado.
Elsewhere Spanish Team PokerStars Pro Juan Maceiras is sharing with EPT Copenhagen finalist Roberto Romanello, winner of the EPT Monte Carlo €2,000 side event Fabrice Soulier, Dutch bobble hat enthusiast Erik van den Berg and WSOP PLO finalist Dmitry Stelmak.
![[user46392]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
and the winning hand
and the big blind checked and Minieri bet 425 before the big blind made the call.
and Minieri pushed all-in. His opponent folded showing an exposed 3 for bottom pair. Minieri exposed both of his cards to show a pair of deuces.
board, and then folding to a 2,525 bet on the 
river. This pot was not exactly small for Level 2, but it looked as though most of the damage to his stack had been done in an earlier hand - he's down to 16,000 already.
