Event 1 - £1,000 No Limit Hold'em Day 1a | 2009 World Series of Poker Europe

Level: 6

Blinds: 100/200

Ante: 25

09-18-2009 18:59 UTC+2

Italian Stallion Strides Ahead

[user4144]

I'd have to dust off my Miss Marple hat and investigate further, but at first glance it would appear as though Cristiano Blanco is the first to pass the 20,000 mark. He just eliminated a short stack with {Q-Clubs}

versus

on an ensuing {5-Hearts}

board.

Tags: Crisitiano Blanco

09-18-2009 18:53 UTC+2

Bansi Eliminated

[user4144]

Praz Bansi was desperately short-stacked and managed to get a few pushes through, but eventually came up short when he ran K-Q on the button into the A-Q of the big blind.

Tags: Praz Bansi

09-18-2009 18:45 UTC+2

Duthie Out-Luckied

[user46392]

John Duthie did the decent thing and got his chips in with pocket queens on a {K-?}

X flop and got looked up by a gent holding the obligatory pocket aces. A third ace came on the river, though, and Duthie, crippled, made his exit shortly thereafter.

Tags: John Duthie

09-18-2009 18:43 UTC+2

Trip Sixes an Omen for Vinson?

[user4144]

Ben Vinson is firing on all cylinders at the moment, and is one of the current chip leaders with 18,325. He just eliminated his neighbour after he raised to 500 from the button and called an all-in from the small blind. His opponent turned over {8-Diamonds}

, but Vinson's {6-Clubs}

spiked a set on a {K-Spades}

board. If that wasn't bad enough, his fallen victim then stumbled as he tried to exit, the elasticated rail snapping open as he fumbled his way through.

Tags: Ben Vinson

09-18-2009 18:42 UTC+2

It's Hell-as for Greekfish

[user46392]

A massive disaster for Andy Greekfish after he raised with pocket fives and picked up one caller, to see a {5-?}

flop. Must be nice. Greekfish bet out and the gent called, and when the turn came a blank Greekfish moved all in. His opponent called and turned over {K-?}

...

...Bang! Seven on the river. Ouch.

Greekfish is down to 3,500.

Tags: Andy Greekfish

09-18-2009 18:24 UTC+2

Bellande Eliminated

[user4144]

The foreboding figure of Jean Robert Bellande is no more. He made a good call on the flop with middle pair, but ultimately lost out to pocket threes on a x-5-x-3-x board.

Tags: Jean Robert Bellande

09-18-2009 18:19 UTC+2

Miscellaneous Chip Counts

[user4144]

There are three tables on the raised area, where I believe the TV table will be located come Main Event time. I grabbed a few chip counts:

Daniel Rudd -- 4,875
John Dwyer -- 3,450
Mohammed Hassan -- 1,600
Richard Kellett -- 10,000
Jean Robert Bellande -- 4,000
Mike Ellis -- 4,750
Dave Shallow -- 6,500
Andy Kyprianou -- 14,000
Michel 'The Abacus' Abecassis -- 7,375
Eion Kennedy -- 5,800
Alex Martin -- 8,525
Ian Frazer -- 14,500
Joe Grech -- 10,450

09-18-2009 18:18 UTC+2

Kellett Up, Kellett Down

[user46392]

It's all action on the Richard Kellett roller coaster.

First he managed to knock out another player with {A-Diamonds}

against the all-in's {5-Spades}

. The chips went in on the flop or on the turn; either way Kellett had made a straight by the end of the {5-Hearts}

board to send the hapless gent to the rail.

Mere moments later, Kellett moved in to cover Owen Kennedy on the river of a {5-Spades}

board and Kennedy insta-called. Kellett flipped {9-Hearts}

for a straight -- but Kennedy turned over {J-Clubs}

for a full house and a double up.

Kellett remains hovering around the 10,000 mark.

Tags: Richard Kellett

09-18-2009 18:09 UTC+2

By, George!

[user4144]

Sammy George is in the vicinity. He's not playing today, but as a larger than life personality, his presence is always felt.

Sammy George is certainly a name you'll be hearing more about in the future. Not only has he recently joined the ranks of Full Tilt as one of their sponsored pros, but he's also one of the brave few tackling Mr Dwan in the Durrr Million Dollar Challenge at the tail end of the festival.

I asked him if he wanted to practice against me so he could get a feel for someone of durrrr's calibre, but he politely declined the offer.