Today will be Day 1a. Action will begin at 1:30pm local time. Check back in with PokerNews for live updates, chip counts, and photos.
2008 PokerStars.com EPT London
£5,200 EPT London Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info
2008 PokerStars.com EPT London
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Buy-in
£5,200
Prize Pool
£3,349,200
Entries
596
Level
29
Blinds
60,000 / 120,000
Ante
0
Players Left 1 / 596
Filter
(1)
Today will be Day 1a. Action will begin at 1:30pm local time. Check back in with PokerNews for live updates, chip counts, and photos.
Level: 1
Blinds: 25/50
Ante: 0
Yes indeed, poker still brags mass appeal and with every comp comes a new buzz about who will be the next EPT champion. But whilst Joseph Mouawad is making a rare appearance to defend his crown, it's not going to be easy, as the recent WSOPE in Leicester Square has lured over a number of big names from across the Atlantic, including Chris Ferguson, Chad Brown, Shane Schleger and recent WPT victor Michael Watson, all of whom are penciled in for action today.
The Vic is also serving up a host of more homegrown talent, as Richard Ashby, Ketul Nathwani, Ross Boatman, Michael Greco, and Dave Colclough all dive headfirst into the melting pot. Also present is an elated Maria Demetriou, still basking in the glory of qualifying through a $33 rebuy in which she had to battle a 100 plus field to snap up just one seat. "I rolled down my corridor when I won," she confessed. "I'm not sure what I would have done if I'd lost. My hand was shaking over the mouse heads-up, it was all or nothing."
Let's see if she can turn that 'all' into even more...
"Maybe I'll get a seat in a hour, maybe two?" he wondered.
For now, The Razor silently waits and sips his java.
Some online characters in today's field? RaiNKhAN, aakkari, ael1979, shaundeeb, and SirWatts.
But no, Barny hasn't been cavorting with ladies, far from it in fact... "I was partying the first day, then watching Ross play online the next, and last night I was doing commentary for the Poker Den before getting dragged into a highly profitable cash game."
"So, all in all," I replied, "good preparation for today's event?" Barny's raised eyebrows spoke volumes.
But just as I was departing, Boatman locked horns with Henning Granstad, a bet and call on the turn of a
board leading to a double check on the river. Although Granstad initially mistook the dealer for saying "jack" rather than "check", Boatman ultimately took the pot with 
versus the Norwegian's 
to add a few early chips to his stack.
On a
flop, Soren Blanner led out for 700 with 
, his neghbor made it 1,800 and Blanner made the call. After both players had checked the Blanner-friendly 
turn, Blanner fired out 2,000 on the river, and was duly called. Funnily enough, his hand was good."Hey, I folded queens on the flop," declared a relieved Ola Brandborn.
. Rintala had 
against Wong's 
. Ouch. Boat over boat. Both players were all in and Wong had Rintala covered. After the hand, Rintala jumped out to the early chip lead with almost 20,000 while Wong slipped to 300.
Level: 2
Blinds: 50/100
Ante: 0
