Duncan McLellan is an unassuming amateur poker player and bricklayer in his fifties. As the dealers changed over he was the only one to thank the departing dealer and greet the new one. McLellan was in the big blind and checked his option with one limper in the pot. A flop of saw the small blind check and McLellan bet 350. No resistance and the pot was pushed to him.
What the other players may not know is that McLellan took down the first PokerStars home game in November this year, the UKIPT Isle of Man. He defeated Team PokerStars SportStar Fatima Moreira de Melo heads-up and took home £94,090. He has had further success since then and has qualified online to play this event. Underestimate him at your peril.
Yesterday the turnout was huge with 389 players ready for action. Today's 1B is even bigger, way bigger. At the moment already 531 players have signed up and registration is still open until the start of Day 2. The total players is already 920, crushing last years 864. The prize pool last year was €4,190,400, securing winner Ramzi Jelassi €835,000. What will the winner take home this year? We won't find out that answer until tomorrow.
"Where are the girls that touch my body," said Team PokerStars Pro Daniel Negreanu to no one in particular. The first 10 minutes of play had clearly taken their toll and he was in need of a massage. "Have you seen the girls that touch peoples bodies?" he inquired of a passer by. Having no luck he sat back down to his table, one that includes Mick Graydon, who finalled EPT8 Deauville.
Most tables are short handed right now, anywhere from three to six handed typically, but Joe Laming is still waiting to check, bet and fold. He's only got one other player for company and there has to be three for play to start. "You thought you were going to have to work today," he said to the dealer. "You show up on time for once and this is how you get rewarded," he said jokingly.
As they were waiting Paul Volpe walked up, seat ticket in hand and it looked like they might get some action at last but he walked on by. "We don't mind that," said Laming as Volpe, who's currently 14th on the Global Poker Index top 300, continued his search for his seat.
Player of the year Daniel Negreanu is here for the first hand, seated and ready to play. With four players at his table it is folded to the small blind who raises Negreanu’s big blind. “How much do you want?” Negreanu asked and threw in the required 225. “I have position, I get to see what you do first.” He continued to goad his opponent. They saw a flop of which saw Negreanu speculating that his opponent didn’t have a six. Undaunted his opponent bet 400 which Negreanu called. Turn card . “Oh you like that card.” Said Negreanu but they both checked and saw a river card . The small blind now bet 600. Negreanu counted out raising chips and made it 1,800 which seemed to confuse his opponent, but not enough for him to fold. He called and Negreanu quickly gave him the bad news. “Straight. I have a straight.” He said turning over . His opponent showed .
“First hand lucky. I am Romanian.” Said Negreanu’s disappointed opponent. There followed what was received as some passable Romanian from the PokerStars Pro before the dealer interrupted to tell him to take his phone off the table. He switched back to English to begin a monologue on his favourite topic: EPT tournament rules.
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We caught up with former October Niner Jake Balsiger prior to the start of play on Day 1b of the EPT10 Prague. Team PokerStars Pro Daniel Negreanu also stops by to give his two cents.
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saw the small blind check and McLellan bet 350. No resistance and the pot was pushed to him.
which saw Negreanu speculating that his opponent didn’t have a six. Undaunted his opponent bet 400 which Negreanu called. Turn card 
. “Oh you like that card.” Said Negreanu but they both checked and saw a river card 
. The small blind now bet 600. Negreanu counted out raising chips and made it 1,800 which seemed to confuse his opponent, but not enough for him to fold. He called and Negreanu quickly gave him the bad news. “Straight. I have a straight.” He said turning over 
. His opponent showed 
.
