£5,200 EPT London Main Event Day 1b | 2008 PokerStars.com EPT London

10-02-2008 17:00 UTC+2

Chino Busto

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November Nine member David "Chino" Rheem has hit the road.

10-02-2008 16:51 UTC+2

Play Recommences

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Kit Kat wrappers are in the bin and cards are back in the air.

10-02-2008 16:31 UTC+2

Players Take a 15-Minute Break

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10-02-2008 16:26 UTC+2

"I was up to 15,000, and then won a big pot," answered Julian Thew when I inquired about his newly acquired 23,000 stack. But just as I was about depart, Roberto Romanello raised to 300, Sebastian Ruthenberg made it 1,350 and Thew raised again to 3,100.

Romanello, unaware of Thew's action, threw in the extra 1,050, and the floor was inevitably called. "I didn't say 'call'," pleaded Romanello as they awaited a ruling. With no floor man in sight, Liam Flood offered his services from a neighbouring table. Sadly, his offer was met with silence.

When help did arrive, Romanello was allowed to retrieve his call, much to his evident relief, and play continued. Without hesitation, Ruthenburg moved all in and Thew called.

Ruthenberg = {A-Hearts}

Thew =

Ruthenberg began to rise on the {9-Spades}

flop, but a {K-Clubs}

stopped in his tracks momentarily before the {5-Spades}

river confirmed his demise.

Tags: Julian Thew Sebastian Ruthenberg

10-02-2008 16:17 UTC+2

Setback for Ladowsky

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On a

flop, Stephen Ladowsky (button) bet 6,000, only for Kieron Draper (small blind) to push all in for 4,600 more. With 6,000 already in the pot, Ladowsky must have found the call as alluring as a belly dancer, but ultimately deemed he was too far behind and made the fold.

10-02-2008 16:14 UTC+2

Potential Chip Leader

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Not only does Patrick Sacrispeyre have a smile wider than the M1, but he also has around 30,000 in chips. Sadly, I didn't see the massacre unfold, but neighbour Jim Kerrigan did mention something about kings and a flopped set.

10-02-2008 16:13 UTC+2

Pass the Sugar and Crack Aces

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Joe Hachem is sitting on a nice stack after he doubled up earlier. The former WSOP world champion snapped off aces with pocket tens. Hachem rivered a ten. Live poker is soooo rigged.

Tags: Joe Hachem

10-02-2008 16:12 UTC+2

Fast Out of the Blocks

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One player who has come hurtling out of the blocks at breakneck speed is last year's WSOPE runner up John Tabatabai who currently has just under 30,000.

He was already flourishing at the time, but one hand I witnessed saw Tabatabai leading out for 3,050 on a {5-Spades}

board. To his delight, neighbour George Lind pushed all in, and quicker than a hiccup, Tabatabai made the call with {A-Clubs}

. Lind showed {5-Clubs}

.

A

river was of no use to Lind, allowing Tabatabai to take the pot. "See you at the final," predicted the dealer, which possibly wasn't the wise choice of words given she'd just dealt him trip aces.

Tags: John Tabatabai

10-02-2008 16:01 UTC+2

"What Does Seidel Think?"

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During the WSOPE last week, Antonio Esfandiari and his buddy Phil Laak were playing a prop betting game called "What Does Johnny Lodden Think?" They would try to predict the answers to specific questions and the one who was closer to Lodden's answer would win £100. Today, the game has evolved. The participants are Esfandiari and David Williams. And instead of Johnny Lodden, they are using Erik Seidel in a new version called "What Does Seidel Think?"

Yes, poker tournaments can be utterly boring affairs and those guys are trying to have a little fun while passing the time in between folding hands.

Tags: David Williams Erik Seidel

Level: 3

Blinds: 75/150

Ante: 0