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

11-16-2008 13:30 UTC+1

Welcome Back to the Casino Poland

Good afternoon and welcome back to the Casino Poland for Day 1B of the PokerStars.com EPT Warsaw. We're expecting a bit of a larger starting field today, with Team PokerStars Pros Isabelle Mercier, Alex Kravchenko, Dario Minieri, Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier, Luca Pagano, Katja Thater, William Thorson and Marcin Horecki scheduled to take to the felt on this cloudy Polish afternoon.

Action should be underway in about thirty minutes, give or take. Stay tuned!

11-16-2008 14:20 UTC+1

Delayed Start

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You thought we'd start on time? P'shaw! This is poker! As is par for the course on the tournament circuit, very few players are in their seats for an on-time start-- most are still milling around and conversing with one another on the casino floor.

Level: 1

Blinds: 25/50

Ante: 0

11-16-2008 14:30 UTC+1

Shuffle Up & Deal

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Cards are in the air, players are mainly at their tables.

11-16-2008 14:34 UTC+1

A Few More Notables

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It's a veritable who's who of European poker down there today, with an occasional smattering of young Americans.

Among our field for today are Roland De Wolfe, Mark Teltscher, Pascal Perrault, Micke Norinder, Sebastian Ruthenberg, Peter Gould and Ramzi Jelassi. Representin' for the North American continent we have EPT London winner Michael Martin, Joseph Serock and Sorel Mizzi.

11-16-2008 14:36 UTC+1

Blogger's Nightmare

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Two of the great ladies of poker, Katja Thater and Isabelle Mercier, are sharing a table -- the table right next to the rail in the already cramped and crowded card room. We foresee some strong-arm tactics being required to get through to the tables...

11-16-2008 14:38 UTC+1

Table of Doom

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Our current Table Of Doom features Michael Keiner, Peter Gould and ElkY. Be afraid, table-sharers...

11-16-2008 14:53 UTC+1

More Interesting Pairings

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With a significantly more star-studded field today than yesterday, we finally have some interesting table pairings to report. Aside from the aforementioned ElkY-captained Table of Doom, we have Sorel Mizzi and Johannes Strassman sharing the felt over on Table 9, while pint-sized Italian raising machine Dario Minieri will have to contend with the equally aggressive Ramzi Jelassi. EPT Dublin champ Roland de Wolfe starts the day with position on the fedora-loving Frenchman Nicolas Levi, while Luca Pagano and EPT Barcelona champion Sebastian Ruthenberg face off on Table 2.

11-16-2008 15:00 UTC+1

The Hoodie Olympics

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With the sheer number of loud, patterned hoodies dotting the room this afternoon this fashionista is simply dying for a camera. One Scandinavian player is decked out in a hoodie festooned with a neon pink and green soccer ball pattern, while another chose a creation bearing a picture of a tiger on the back, adorned with shiny studs. Bertrand "ElkY' Grospellier, though, wins the PokerNews "Hoodie of the Day" award for his garish white Ed Hardy hoodie, covered in so many silver crystals it practically glows in the dark.

[Note: the whole outfit is charmingly completed by an ipod decorated with a skull and crossbones. Awesome.]

Tags: Bertrand Grospellier ElkY

11-16-2008 15:05 UTC+1