£220 Opening Event
Day 1b Started
2016 888Live Poker Festival London
£220 Opening Event
Day: 1b
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2016 888Live Poker Festival London
Buy-in
£220
Level
30
Blinds
100,000 / 200,000
Ante
30,000
Welcome to Day 1b!
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
We’re back in the room here at Aspers Casino in Stratford for Day 1b of the £100,000 Guaranteed Opening Event. It’s all part of the 888Poker London Live Festival, of course, which began yesterday in spectacular fashion.
Players who took part yesterday included survivors Arron Fletcher (535,000), Graham Hawkes (515,000) and Paul Whyman (260,000), while others such as Irina Nikolaidi, Renee Xie, Teddy Sheringham and Terry Jordon, the latter of which has already sat down today.
Also in the field at the beginning of today’s 13 levels of play are: Tim Tim Timotheu, Vinnie Anderson, Chuck Khuu, Margarita Stoycheva and the aforementioned Jordon. With six levels at 30 minute blinds then seven more at 40 minutes, with late registration available only up until the end of the break following Level 6. Players are permitted two re-entries each flight.
Level: 1
Blinds: 50/100
Ante: 0
Ton Up!
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
We already have 120 entries as players flood into the Aspers 888Live Poker Room here in Stratford. Players such as Raheem Tadj-Saadat and Paul 'The Rock' Romain are both attempting to make Day 2 at their first attempt.
Day 1a (pictured, left) saw 139 entries produce 24 survivors to Day 2. We could well see a lot more make it through today.
Level: 2
Blinds: 100/200
Ante: 25
Tolentino on the Attack
Level 2
: 100/200, 25 ante
Warren Tolentino bet 600 from under the gun, and Oscar Kirby called in the next seat, along with the players in the cut-off and button positions.
The flop of 
saw Tolentino continue for 1,100, but this time only Kirby called. The turn of 
saw Tolentino lead again, this time for 2,000, again just called by Kirby. the river of 
saw Tolentino ping in his final 2,400 chips and Kirby called, turning over 
. But Tolentino had 
and his turned trips doubled his shorter stack up to above average at 27,000. Kirby was healthy chip-wise before that hand so still has over 22,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
27,000 | |
|
|
22,000 |
Ferguson Fronts Up
Level 2
: 100/200, 25 ante
Grant ferguson was the original aggressor and proved the age-old adage in poker that pot control is king. Ferguson only called from under the gun, but when the big blind player saw three other limp too and raised to 1800, Ferguson's check-raise to 5,600 took over the betting lead. A player in middle position and the big blind raiser both called to see a flop of 
.
Ferguson led the flop for 4,000, but this time only got a call from middle position. On the turn of 
, Ferguson's 6,000 bet - roughly half of his stack - was enough to get a fold. He piles up 39,000, a very healthy growth of his starting stack of 25,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
39,000 | 39,000 |
Level: 3
Blinds: 150/300
Ante: 50
Baruskaite Bets Romain Off the Pot
Level 3
: 150/300, 50 ante
We joined an interesting pot between Daiva Baruskaite and Paul Romain, who are sat next to each other, with the talented Lithuanian player Baruskaite to the left of Romain, another London regular on the tournament circuit.
Both players have strong live records which only show signs of improving, with Baruskaite any cash at all in this tournament from going into the six-figure mark for live tournament winnings. Romain is no slouch either, with $225,000 to his name at the live felt.
The board already showed 
and we joined the action to see Baruskaite call Romain's bet of around 1,400 on the the turn. The river of prompted a check from Romain, however, and Baruskaite bet 3,200. Romain looked down at his stack of 14,400 chips and eventually elected to fold.
While Romain is short-stacked, Baruskaite has around double his stack and is above the average of 26,026 in the room, with 180 players in seats.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
28,100 | 28,100 |
|
14,400 | 14,400 |
Expecting Mr. Anderson
Level 3
: 150/300, 50 ante
Vinnie Anderson's regular casino is Aspers here in Stratford, and having final tabled more tournaments here than most, feels at home in the 888Live Poker Room here at the London Live Festival.
Anderson bet 1200 at blinds of 150/300 from under the gun, and was surprised to get four callers to a flop of 
. After Daniele Repici in the big blind checked to Anderson, he continued for 3,200. Everyone folded, but as Anderson turned to him and said "You're the last one", Repici raised - all-in for over 22,000!
Anderson folded, claiming a pair, but Repici won't care. The Italian player stacks up 32,000. Although that's still some way behind Anderson's double-starting-stack 50,200, Repici is well above average.
As you can see from the room pictured left (courtesy of 888Poker's William Powell) , it's very busy here on Day 1b. We have over 200 players in the room and two more levels of late registration and re-entry.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
50,200 | 50,200 |
|
|
32,000 | 32,000 |