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Day 1b Completed
2026 888poker LIVE Barcelona
€888 Main Event
Day: 1b
Players Left 137 / 280
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Chip Counts
Level 13
: Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
Just 24 hours made all the difference for Michael Falcon. Yesterday, he burned through two bullets in the opening flight but couldn’t find a bag. But everything changed for him today on Day 1b of the 888poker Live Barcelona €888 Main Event.
Falcon flopped trip kings in a four-bet pot to bust Javier Tamayo, then won a race with jacks against Beniamin Luca’s ace-queen to climb up past 500,000. He finished with 548,000, making him the overwhelming chip leader among the 27 players who survived the day.
Day 1b Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Falcon | Denmark | 548,000 | 183 |
| 2 | Jesus Ramos | Spain | 324,000 | 108 |
| 3 | Maxime Colom | France | 310,000 | 103 |
| 4 | Marcos Paneque | Spain | 297,000 | 99 |
| 5 | James Hawkins | United Kingdom | 270,000 | 90 |
| 6 | Chang Tan | Hong Kong | 242,000 | 81 |
| 7 | Lucia Navarro | Spain | 241,000 | 80 |
| 8 | Daniel Rueda | Spain | 218,000 | 73 |
| 9 | Inaki Angulo | Spain | 151,000 | 50 |
| 10 | Alexandre Coussy | France | 143,000 | 48 |
Five members of the 888poker team took to the felt today, and all five of them secured their spots for Day 2. Jesus Ramos led the team with 324,000, followed by Lucia Navarro (241,000), Inaki Angulo (151,000), Ricardo Mateus (102,000), and Vivian Saliba (75,000).
Maxime Colom (310,000) and Marcos Paneque (297,000) also finished as big stacks, while James Hawkins, who wasn’t even trying to play this flight and wanted to buy a ticket for tomorrow, earned a miraculous double up later in the day by hitting a straight on the river. “King James,” as he wrote on his chip bag, rounded out the top five with 270,000.
Other players to survive the day included Chang Tan (242,000), Adria Colomina (140,000), and Darya Hulyk (117,000). Among those who will have to try again on a later flight were 888poker Live Madrid champion Gorka Akerreta, as well as 2025 Madrid runner-up Alvaro Murciano.
A total of 85 players came to the Casino Barcelona today for the second flight, bringing the total field up to 133. That number should increase dramatically tomorrow, as Day 1c is expected to be the biggest one yet. There is also a turbo Day 1d flight at 11 a.m. on May 23 with 20-minute levels. All surviving players from the four opening flights then combine for Day 2 at 5 p.m. later that day. Late registration remains open until the start of Day 2.
PokerNews will be back tomorrow as the Casino Barcelona poker room will be packed with a new group of hopefuls taking their shot at the 888poker Live Barcelona title.
Level 13
: Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
548,000
2,000
|
2,000 |
|
||
|
324,000
264,000
|
264,000 |
|
||
|
310,000
190,000
|
190,000 |
|
|
297,000
47,000
|
47,000 |
|
270,000
10,000
|
10,000 |
|
242,000
42,000
|
42,000 |
|
241,000
11,000
|
11,000 |
|
|
||
|
218,000
173,000
|
173,000 |
|
151,000
51,000
|
51,000 |
|
143,000
78,000
|
78,000 |
|
140,000
40,000
|
40,000 |
|
134,000
24,000
|
24,000 |
|
117,000
103,000
|
103,000 |
|
117,000
117,000
|
117,000 |
|
106,000
14,000
|
14,000 |
|
104,000
14,000
|
14,000 |
|
102,000
13,000
|
13,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
102,000
102,000
|
102,000 |
|
|
99,000
99,000
|
99,000 |
|
|
93,000
3,000
|
3,000 |
|
89,000
9,000
|
9,000 |
|
75,000
75,000
|
75,000 |
|
75,000
15,000
|
15,000 |
|
||
|
47,000
103,000
|
103,000 |
|
|
46,000
34,000
|
34,000 |
Level 13
: Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
Day 1b has ended with 28 players remaining out of 85 entries.
Stay tuned for chip counts and a recap of the day's action.
Level 13
: Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
On the last hand of the night, Lucia Navarro raised to 6,000 in the cutoff, then called when the small blind moved all in for 105,000.
All-In Player: A♥Q♠ 
Lucia Navarro: A♦K♠
Navarro hit top pair on the K♣3♠5♥ flop, while the J♥ turn gave the at-risk player some hope with a straight draw. The river A♠ only improved Navarro to two pair, and she earned the knockout to bring the night to a close.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
230,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
|
||
Level 13
: Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
Michael Falcon raised to 6,000 under the gun and Antonio Lopez called in middle position. James Hawkins then moved all in for 129,000 on the button, Falcon folded, while Lopez called to put Hawkins at risk.
James Hawkins: A♦7♦
Antonio Lopez: A♥K♣
Hawkins found himself dominated and at risk as the flop came 4♦6♥9♥. The 10♦ turn gave him straight and flush draws, while the 8♥ fell on the river to complete his straight.
"Vamos! I wanted to play tomorrow. They made me play today. Now we're on to Day 2. You need cojones in this game," Hawkins yelled out as he recorded all the action with his phone.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
550,000 | |
|
|
||
|
|
260,000
205,000
|
205,000 |
|
|
80,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
Level 13
: Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
Tamas Tari raised to 6,000 in early position before Ricardo Mateus three-bet to 18,000 in middle position. Tari then moved all in, and Mateus snap-called for 55,000.
Ricardo Mateus: Q♥Q♣
Tamas Tari: K♦J♦
Mateus was ahead with his queens, and the board ran out A♠3♠6♦10♣9♦ to earn him another double up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
115,000
65,000
|
65,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
90,000
60,000
|
60,000 |
Level 13
: Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
Tournament officials announced that players will see seven more hands before bagging up for the night.
Level 13
: Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
Vivian Saliba raised to 6,000 in the cutoff and Tamas Tari called in the small blind. Ricardo Mateus then moved all in for 23,200 in the big blind and Saliba folded, while Tari called to put him at risk.
Ricardo Mateus: A♦J♦
Tamas Tari: K♦J♣
Mateus had Tari dominated and was a favorite to double up, and the 7♥3♣5♦9♠6♦ board kept him in the lead as Mateus stayed alive in the closing minutes of the day.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
150,000
10,000
|
10,000 |
|
|
90,000 | |
|
|
||
|
|
50,000
20,000
|
20,000 |
|
|
||
Level 13
: Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
Filip Barczak raised to 7,000 under the gun, Jan Travesset moved all in for 30,000 in the small blind, and Barczak called.
Jan Travesset: 9♦9♣
Filip Barczak: A♥J♠
Travesset remained in the lead on the K♠3♠5♠7♥ board, while Barczak picked up a flush draw. The river was the A♠, and Barczak made his flush to win the pot and send Travesset to the rail.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
110,000
40,000
|
40,000 |
|
|
Busted |
