Main Event
Day 1a Completed
2012 PokerStars.com EPT Barcelona
Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2012 PokerStars.com EPT Barcelona
Buy-in
€5,000
Prize Pool
€5,247,700
Entries
1,082
Level
34
Blinds
120,000 / 240,000
Ante
30,000
Chip Counts (full)
![[user76023]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
236,200 | |
|
|
211,000 | -100 |
|
|
190,600 | |
|
|
155,400 | 18,400 |
|
148,800 | |
|
140,600 | 15,600 |
|
138,100 | |
|
137,900 | |
|
132,900 | |
|
123,200 | |
|
116,400 | |
|
115,000 | |
|
|
111,900 | |
|
|
111,500 | |
|
109,400 | -600 |
|
108,600 | |
|
105,500 | |
|
104,000 | -26,000 |
|
|
104,000 | |
|
|
103,500 | 3,500 |
|
102,900 | |
|
102,900 | |
|
|
96,500 | |
|
95,800 | |
|
95,700 |
Joentausta Leads the Pack After EPT Barcelona Day 1a
Level 8
: 300/600, 75 ante
It’s hard to believe the beginning of another PokerStars.com European Poker Tour is upon us. The reduced season schedule, the pairing with sub tours, and the increased number of events has meant that every EPT cannot be missed by any of the top players from around the globe. The Estrellas Poker Tour Grand Final obliterated expectations and records by attracting more than a thousand players.
The EPT main event Day 1a kicked off today and a total of 403 players entered, and with around 600 more expected tomorrow; meaning this event could well pass the magic four-figure mark as well. Top of the pile at the end of the day with around 226 players remaining was Aku Joentausta. The Finn quietly amassed an impressive 236,200 chips. He’s followed by Guy Thomas (211,100) and Emanoil Savin (190,600).
Team PokerStars Pro had a ten-pronged attack coming in to today and three of them fell by the wayside. Liv Boeree and Martin Hruby both slipped up with big-slick, with the former running into aces and the latter failing to hit against pocket queens. Arnaud Mattern busted way back in level one when his triple barrel bluff failed to dislodge an opponent with an over-pair.
Lex Velduis (148,800) was the first player that we saw break the 100k-mark and although he slipped back somewhat he steadied the ship and sailed through to day 2. Marcin Horecki’s (14,200) stack was yo-yoing all day and he’ll be happy just to survive the draining battle he faced. Juan Manuel Pastor (72,400) was as steady as ever, Pius Hienz (72,400) got up 60,000 early on but spent most of the day hovering between 35-45k, before he finished strong. Matthias De Meulder (29,900), Sebastian Ruthenberg (95,700), and Henrique Pinho (77,800) will also be back for day 2.
In with a shout of not only being the first double EPT champion but also the first double EPT Barcelona champion are Martin Schleich and Kent Lunmark. The two previous champions were sat with each other for a time today and made it through with 81,000 and 76,300 respectively.
Those who came with high hopes only to see them dashed included: Chris Brammer, Scott Seiver, Jannick Wrang, Ben Wilinofsky, Vladimir Geshkenbein, Sorel Mizzi, Anton Wigg, Nicolas Chouity, Benny Spindler and Michael Tureniec.
We do this all over again tomorrow, you know? We’ll have new faces in a field that is expected to be stacked with stars. Apart from that everything else is the same as today. Play will do its best to start at 12:00 PM CET, and eight 75-minute levels will be played out. The PokerNews reporting team will be there as ever to capture as much as we can for you reading pleasure.
A Few End of Day Chip Counts
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
236,200 | 41,200 |
|
|
211,100 | 89,100 |
|
|
190,600 | -4,400 |
|
|
148,800 | 63,800 |
|
|
137,900 | -10,100 |
|
|
95,700 | 64,700 |
|
81,800 | 37,800 |
|
78,400 | 28,400 |
|
77,800 | 52,800 |
|
76,300 | 40,300 |
|
72,400 | 13,400 |
|
48,000 | -500 |
|
|
29,900 | 16,900 |
|
27,500 | -15,500 |
|
14,200 | -4,800 |
Last Five Hands
Level 8
: 300/600, 75 ante
With just less than 15 minutes left until the end of the last level of the day, the clock has been stopped and the tournament director announced that Day 1a of the PokerStars.com European Poker Tour Barcelona Main Event will be done as soon as all of the tables play five last hands.
Corner of Doom Gets Smaller
It was a tough looking corner earlier with Anton Wigg, Michael Tureniec, Daniel Stern and Sami Kelopuro all sitting in a row, but now only Stern remains. All busted except Kelopuro who was moved tables.
Meanwhile there's about 234 remaining in total, we're expecting that to be closer to 210 by the end of the day's play.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
Busted |
Finn Gets Fatter
Finnish player Aku Joentausta looks to be vying with Emanoil Savin for the chip lead. He's been running pretty hot according to his tablemates, even being told he should be playing on the roulette tables instead of the poker ones.
He just had a 7,000 bet paid off on the turn of a 
board before both he and his opponent checked the 
river.
Joentausta's 
was still good as he races with Savin to be the first place to break the 200,000 mark.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
195,000 |
Heinz Splits Pot
Level 8
: 300/600, 75 ante
The 2011 WSOP Main Event winner and Team PokerStars Pro Pius Heinz raised from the small blind to 1,300 and was called by the player in the middle position.
The rest of the table folded and the two saw the flop bring 
. Heinz checked and so did his opponent. Heinz checked the turn as well, but his opponent had other plans and bet 1,800. Heinz called.
The river brought 
and the player in the mid position lead again for 4,500. Heinz made the call and showed 
for a straight and his opponent flipped 
for the very same hand and the two split the pot.
The 100 Club
Chip leader Emanoil Savin still hasn't returned from break despite us being 20 minutes into the last level.
According to his tablemates, "He likes to take extra long breaks," and "he's playing roulette."
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
195,000 | 10,000 |
|
|
148,000 | 25,000 |
|
|
137,000 | |
|
|
130,000 | 22,000 |
|
|
125,000 | |
|
|
122,000 | |
|
115,000 | |
|
|
100,000 |
He Helped Rafa Nadal, Now He Takes His Seat
Level 8
: 300/600, 75 ante
Sergey Martynenko answered the call to help Rafa Nadal. His winning video earned him a seat to EPT Barcelona, and he plays today…
Read on here.