Den "Tommy" Vartog, a PokerStars Online Qualifier from the Netherlands, failed to show up for his Day 1 assignment, but his stack remained in play after he'd sent an e-mail to tournament staff to pass along his hotel booking information. While most no-shows' stacks get pulled from the field after registration closes, Vartog's was left alone due to the fact that he actively contacted tournament officials to inform them of his intent to play.
As it turned out, Vartog never actually showed and the last of his chips were blinded off moments ago, making him the 176th place finisher. Not a bad performance for an empty chair... outlasting more than half the field and reaching Day 2.
"He made no mistakes," joked Tournament Director Danny McDonagh, albeit with one major exception.
