EPT Polish Open Main Event Day 1a | 2008 PokerStars.com EPT Warsaw

11-15-2008 01:02 UTC+2

EPT Warsaw Begins Today

[user46392]

Hello and welcome to Poland, home of interesting sausages, vodka breakfasts and the Warsaw EPT. This charming Eastern European city is about to be invaded by an expected capacity field of poker players from all around the world, including Team PokerStars pros Dario Minieri, Humberto Brenes, Isabelle Mercier, Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier, Katja Thater and Gavin Griffin. With the buy-in at an impressive-sounding 20,000 zloty (a slightly less impressive-sounding $6,780), someone will surely be a zloty multi-millionaire by the end of the tournament, as well as being crowned the poker king or queen of Poland.

Watch this space from 2pm local time for live updates straight from the card room floor.

11-15-2008 14:52 UTC+2

Lobby Action

[user46392]

The lobby of the Hyatt Regency is currently full of milling poker players, including Kara Scott, EPT Budapest winner Will Fry and Gavin Griffin. With only 10 minutes to go until the official start time, it looks as though they might be starting a few minutes late, but efforts will no doubt shortly be made to usher the players down two floors to the Casino Poland, buried deep underneath the hotel.

Level: 1

Blinds: 25/50

Ante: 0

11-15-2008 15:23 UTC+2

Shuffle Up and Deal!

[user25067]

Cards are in the air.

11-15-2008 15:26 UTC+2

Surveying the Field

[user25067]

Players are still trickling in, but thus far we've spotted Gavin Griffin, Johnny Lodden, Anthony Lellouche, John Duthie, Albert Iversen, and the always-coloful Polish pop star Michal Wisniewski.

11-15-2008 15:32 UTC+2

Small Field

[user46392]

A few more notables spotted at the tables are Ricardo Sousa, Arnaud Mattern, Ludovic Lacay and Priyan De Mel, among a rather bijou Day 1a field of just 90-100 players tucked away at the very back of the rather cozy casino.

11-15-2008 15:33 UTC+2

Current Table Of Doom

[user46392]

One particularly interesting table involves Arnaud Mattern, Kara Scott and Albert Iversen in the two, three and four seats respectively. Yikes.

11-15-2008 15:36 UTC+2

Super Mega Ultra Early Action

[user46392]

Antony Lellouche has already doubled up -- he knocked out another player, all in preflop, when Lellouche's pocket kings turned a king to outdraw his opponent's aces.

Tags: Antony Lellouche

11-15-2008 15:37 UTC+2

Short Day

[user46392]

With the field today rather smaller than the usual EPT turnout, it has been decided just to play seven levels instead of the customary eight.

11-15-2008 15:52 UTC+2

Lodden Already Yo-Yo-ing

[user25067]

In a multi-way limped pot, all four players checked the {9-Hearts}

flop. When the {5-Clubs}

came on the turn, the action was checked to Johnny Lodden, who led out for 150 from early position. Only the small blind came along. The river was the {10-Diamonds}

. The small blind checked and Lodden led again, this time for 425, and earned a call.

Lodden turned up {K-Spades}

for trips and took down a nice early pot.

Only a few hands later, however, Lodden raised it up to 200 from the big blind behind two late position limpers and both men called. All parties involved checked the {A-Hearts}

flop as well as the {6-Clubs}

which fell on the turn. When the {7-Spades}

appeared on the river, Lodden quickly tossed out a single purple 500 chip. The cutoff folded, but the big blind raised to 1,500.

Looking quite perplexed, Lodden stared at the board, attempting to figure out what his opponent possibly could have here. Ultimately, he tossed in a call.

Unfortunately for Lodden, the button made a runner-runner straight with the {8-Hearts}

and raked in the pot.

Tags: Johnny Lodden