Main Event Day 1a | 2019 888poker LIVE Festival Barcelona

Player	Chips	Progress
Demetrio Caminita	426,000 66,000	66,000

Michail Tastanis	243,000
Mikael Johansson	156,500 41,500	41,500
Juan Bastida Perez	156,500 11,500	11,500
David Hu	153,500 13,500	13,500
Andrea Ricci	151,000 71,000	71,000
Jesus Rodriguez Lopez	145,000 15,000	15,000
Zhong Chen	139,500 -15,500	-15,500
Sergi Escote	139,000 -66,000	-66,000
Chris Moorman	121,000 -4,000	-4,000

David Murillo Parra	109,000 -1,000	-1,000
Marti Roca de Torres	100,500 5,500	5,500
Dario Quattrucci	98,500
Ramlal Basdeo	89,000 14,000	14,000
Jordi Mitjavila Moix	86,500 86,500	86,500
Francesco Delfoco	85,000 25,000	25,000
Evgenii Cherniak	83,500 8,500	8,500
Besmir Hodaj	80,500 45,500	45,500
Maya Geller	79,500 -5,100	-5,100
Lluis Jo Balague	76,500 76,500	76,500
Ramon Fernandez Munoz	73,500 73,500	73,500
Ivalin Todorov	73,500 -31,500	-31,500
Santiago Giraldez	71,300 6,300	6,300
Jeroen Kalthof	68,000 68,000	68,000
Petru Tarlev	50,500 -19,500	-19,500

Player

Chips

Progress

Demetrio Caminita

426,000

66,000

Michail Tastanis

243,000

Mikael Johansson

156,500

41,500

Juan Bastida Perez

156,500

11,500

David Hu

153,500

13,500

Andrea Ricci

151,000

71,000

Jesus Rodriguez Lopez

145,000

15,000

Zhong Chen

139,500

-15,500

Sergi Escote

139,000

-66,000

Chris Moorman

121,000

-4,000

David Murillo Parra

109,000

-1,000

Marti Roca de Torres

100,500

5,500

Dario Quattrucci

98,500

Ramlal Basdeo

89,000

14,000

Jordi Mitjavila Moix

86,500

Francesco Delfoco

85,000

25,000

Evgenii Cherniak

83,500

8,500

Besmir Hodaj

80,500

45,500

Maya Geller

79,500

-5,100

Lluis Jo Balague

76,500

Ramon Fernandez Munoz

73,500

Ivalin Todorov

73,500

-31,500

Santiago Giraldez

71,300

6,300

Jeroen Kalthof

68,000

Petru Tarlev

50,500

-19,500

The first of three starting days of the 2019 888poker LIVE Barcelona €1,100 Main Event is in the books and the tournament is well on track to surpass the guaranteed prize pool of €550,000 at Casino Barcelona. Day 1a is usually considered as the weakest flight and still managed to attract 109 entries, of which 31 players bagged up chips after 12 levels of 45 minutes each and already secured their seat for Day 2.

With a dominance of Spanish and Italian players in the Day 1a field, is comes as no surprise that one of them claimed the top spot overnight. In fact, it may very well turn out to be a difficult task to better the impressive performance of Demetrio Caminita, who established a commanding lead in the first flight and bagged up 426,000 - more than 14 times the starting stack of 30,000.

Michail Tastanis, who scored a double in the final hands of the day, follows well behind with 243,000 and there is another solid gap to a duo in third place including 888poker online qualifier Mikael Johansson and Juan Bastida Perez (156,500 each). Other notables that advanced include the two Dutchmen David Hu (153,500) and Zhong Chen (139,500), Sergi Escote (139,000), 2017 World Series of Poker Europe Main Event champion Marti Roca de Torres (100,500), Ramlal Basdeo (89,000), Francesco Delfoco (85,000), and Maya Geller (79,500).

Four 888poker ambassadors joined the action and two of them made it through Day 1a in Chris Moorman (121,000) and Sofia Lovgren (45,000). In the final level of the night, Moorman sent Tom-Aksel Bedell to the rail in order to claim an above-average stack to his name. For Ana Marquez and Martin Jacobson, the fortune was not on their side and both hit the rail in the late stages. Marquez lost a flip with ace-five against the pocket fours of Johansson.

Other familiar faces of the popular mid-stakes circuit that will have to take another shot at making Day 2 include Salvatore Camarda, Gabriel Podovei, Sergio Alonso, former EPT Main Event champion Kevin Stani, Luca Marchetti, Casey Kastle, Milad Oghabian and Carmen Zainescu.

The rise to the top of Caminita culminated in the final two levels of the night. First he won a flip with jacks against the ace-king of fellow Italian Francesco Di Profio, then had a value bet with top two pair paid and continued to rake in even more chips until it was time to bag and tag them for the night. Caminita sits in excellent shape to have a serious shot at the added 2019 WSOP Main Event package, courtesy by sponsor 888poker for the eventual champion of the flagship tournament of the festival.

A brief recap of the €2,200 High Roller and final result will also be published before the cards go back in the air at Casino Barcelona. At 6 p.m. local time on Friday, May 31st, 2019, the second starting day gets underway and the PokerNews live reporting team will once again provide all the action from the tables.

Tags: Ana Marquez Carmen Zainescu Casey Kastle Chris Moorman David Hu Demetrio Caminita Francesco Delfoco Francesco Di Profio Kevin Stani Marti Roca de Torres Martin Jacobson Maya Geller Michail Tastanis Mikael Johansson Milad Oghabian Ramlal Basdeo Salvatore Camarda Sergi Escote Sergio Alonso Sofia Lovgren Zhong Chen