£880 Main Event
Day 1a Started
2016 888Live Poker Festival London
£880 Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2016 888Live Poker Festival London
Buy-in
£880
Prize Pool
£228,096
Entries
288
Level
25
Blinds
40,000 / 80,000
Ante
10,000
Welcome to Day 1a of 888Poker London Live Main Event
We'll have cards in the air from 12.00 noon at Aspers Casino in Stratford for the opening flight of the £200,000 guaranteed £880 Main Event here in London.
Play will also be back under way for the conclusion of the High Roller from 3pm, but we'll be focusing on the Main Event right here, with coverage throughout the day. With plenty of live qualifiers expected to join with recreational players and some of the biggest names in the game, the action is sure to be exciting.
Players begin with 30,000 chips and will be playing 60-minute blind levels.
Play Under Way
After a slight delay, Day 1a is under way, with players such as Natalie Hof, Arron Fletcher and Haresh Thaker all in action.
There are 60-miniute levels throughout, with late registration still available, so we expect a steady stream of players throughout that period.
Level: 1
Blinds: 50/100
Ante: 0
Fletcher Starting Busy
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
The 888Poker London Live Main Event Day 1a is warming up and Arron Fletcher has begun today's Day 1a flight like he played in the Opening Event - on the attack.
After being one of two players to call a pre-flop raise to 300, he led the flop of 
for 600, and got one caller - the original bettor. The turn of 
led to two checks, but on the 
river, Fletchers bet of 2,300 was scary enough to initiate a fold.
Fletcher, almost silent at the table, belies an emotional centre to his persona away from the table. If you don't believe us - as if we'd bluff you - read our interview with Arron Fletcher from earlier in the week.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
32,000
32,000
|
32,000 |
Hof and Paunescu
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
Team 888Poker professional Natalie Hof continued action on a flop if 
and bet 500, but she was raised to 1,750 by Ciprian Paunescu, who had checked to the German post-flop.
On the turn of 
, both players checked. The river of saw Paunescu bet out 3,025, and while Hof considered the call, she eventually laid down her hand.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
33,300
33,300
|
33,300 |
|
26,700
-3,300
|
-3,300 |
Level: 2
Blinds: 100/200
Ante: 25
Hardy Hits Top Set
Level 2
: 100/200, 25 ante
One of the biggest hands so far led to the first elimination. Ivo Monzelo raised to 250 pre-flop, but Anthony Hardy re-raised to 850. He got two callers including Monzelo.
The flop of 
saw the other player in the hand make it 850, Monzelo raised to 8,000. Hardy took his time but called, and when the other player moved all-in, only Hardy called him off. Hardy turned over top set with 
and was up against 
, riding out turn and river to bust the other player.
"He was fairly short-stacked, so I'm up to 40,000." Hardy told us. Also on his table, however, is the early chip leader, Albert Sapiano. The 'Honey Monster' as he's known in the UK (he is a large honey magnate) is up to 55,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
55,000 | |
|
40,000 | |
|
|
22,800 |
Scott Straight Into It
Level 2
: 100/200, 25 ante
Kara Scott has just sat down, but already is involved in plenty of action here at the Day 1a tables at Aspers Casino in Stratford.
We joined the action on the river of the latest pot, which Scott fired 2,300 at with the board reading 
. Her opponent in the hand, Richard Swerling, called and was shown Scott's hand - 
. That was good enough for her to scoop the pot, but she must have lost one already as that put her back up to just under starting stack. Swerling is still above average.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
34,500
34,500
|
34,500 |
|
29,600
29,600
|
29,600 |
|
||
Shallow Rivered by Monzelo
Level 2
: 100/200, 25 ante
Pre-flop action at a table featuring David 'Dubai' Shallow, Albert Sapiano and Ivo Monzelo is not going to be scarce.
The latest salvos were fired between Shallow and Monzelo as Sapiano made it 800 to go pre-flop in Level 2 at blinds of 100/200/25 from the button. His two callers were Shallow under the gun and Monzelo in the small blind.
The flop of 
saw Shallow make it 800, and he was only called by Monzelo. The turn of 
saw Monzelo make it the same amount in an effort to take the betting lead. The river of saw Dubai make it 6,100 after Monzelo checked, but he also called too, and showed , which was good enough.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
38,200
15,400
|
15,400 |
|
18,500
18,500
|
18,500 |