Main Event
Day 1a Started
Main Event
Day 1a Started
We're here in the stunning Catalan capital of northern Spain, Barcelona, where players will take to the felt for the first flight of the €500,000 guaranteed Main Event. With huge fields and massive top prizes in previous 888Live events in London and Rozvadov, Barcelona is expected to once again fill the tables and give players from across the world all the fun of 888Live events with the chance of bagging a major title all for just €1,000+100 entry.
Each level lasts 45 minutes on Day 1, so we expect to see plenty of players taking no time at all in pushing for an early lead. With play due to begin at 6.00pm, here are the levels players will play across Day 1a, with an hour-long after Level 6.
Day 1 Level Structure
Level | Ante | Small Blind | Big Blind |
1 | 50 | 100 | |
2 | 75 | 150 | |
3 | 25 | 100 | 200 |
4 | 50 | 150 | 300 |
5 | 75 | 200 | 400 |
6 | 75 | 250 | 500 |
7 | 100 | 300 | 600 |
8 | 100 | 400 | 800 |
9 | 100 | 500 | 1,000 |
10 | 200 | 600 | 1,200 |
11 | 200 | 800 | 1,600 |
12 | 200 | 1,000 | 2,000 |
With unlimited re-entries until the first hand of Day 2, plenty of big names will be expected to fall out of the High Roller and into the Main Event, with 31/65 players still remaining. Catalin Pop, the defending champion from 88Live's Rozvadov Main Event, at King's Casino is still in with a chance of winning that event before taking to the felt in the Main Event.
Level: 1
Blinds: 50/100
Ante: 0
Kelly Kellner has made an effort to win the first pot of this €500,000 guarantee Main Event at the 888Liver Main Event here in Barcelona, but he's run into trouble. Opening to 375 in first position, Kellner got a call only from the gentleman in the next seat.
The flop of saw Kellner lead out for 775, getting a quick call. On the turn of he bet 1,775 and again got a call. But the biggest bet was saved for the river. That fell the and Kellner bet 5,000 chips. He was called, however and while Kellner was bluffing with , his opponent turned over for the winning hand.
"Nice hand, nice flop for you too." said Kellner, who will need to recover. He - like every other player - has the opportunity of unlimited re-entries on Day 1, however.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Kelly Kellner |
22,000
-8,000
|
-8,000 |
Pre-flop, a raise from Balazs Somodi on the button was called by Ange Besnainou early position.
The flop of saw Somodi checked to by his opponent, so he made it an extra 800 to see a turn. Besnainou called. The turn was the saw both men checked and they did the same on the river.
At showdown, Somodi held and Besnainou grinned ruefully as he showed .
"You needed one of my queens." said Somodi, pulling the pile of chips towards him. Not strictly true, but he had Besnainou roadblocked on his route to Broadway.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Balazs Somodi |
31,300
31,300
|
31,300 |
Ange Besnainou
|
28,700
28,700
|
28,700 |
We joined the action at another Main Event table with Manuel Sanchez c-betting the flop of to the tune of 225. His heads-up opponent in the hand, Mette Puromaeki, called.
The turn of saw Puromaeki check-call anther bet, this time 675 chips. The river came the , however, and when Sanchez made it 1,500, Puromaeki let it go.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Manuel Sanchez | 30,900 | |
Kimmo Kurko | 29,100 |
Level: 2
Blinds: 75/150
Ante: 0
Bence Szaszko drove the action in the latest pot at Table 4, with Level 2 under way in the Main Event. He opened to 300 in the cutoff and was called by Simen Gulbrandsen on the button and another player in the big blind.
On the flop of , Szaszko made it 650 to continue and was only called by the player in the big blind. The turn of saw both players check but on the river, Szaszko's bet of 825 got a fold. While Szaszko has stablised, he got off to a tough start and now has over half a starting stack.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Bence Szaszko | 17,000 |
Kimmo Kurko was in the process of firing out a bet of 2,500 into a pot of at least three times that on the river of a board showing .
Kurko's opponent n the hand was none other than Kelly Kelner, whose promise of 'Kellstermania' has so far led to him taking an active part in most pots and engaging the table in friendly chat in order to "bring the fun back to poker". It's in no way sarcastic to suggest it's working and his table are having a great time, with more talk and laughter coming from the eight that share his felt than anywhere else in the 888Live tournament room.
Kelner, who folded his after some thought, was shown Kurko's winning hand of .
"I'm not ashamed of my hand." he said, to more laughter. When we counted his chips, he told us that "I got it all back and more." That story checks out, with Kellner now leading the way in the room.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Kelly Kellner |
40,800
18,800
|
18,800 |
Kimmo Kurko |
25,000
-4,100
|
-4,100 |
Level: 3
Blinds: 100/200
Ante: 25