PokerStars.com EPT Warsaw Championship Main Event Day 1a | 2009 PokerStars.com EPT Warsaw

10-20-2009 14:37 UTC+2

Staying Occupied

Donnie Peters

Marcin Horecki is sitting quietly at his table reading an Ian Fleming James Bond book. Horecki hasn't really done much at the table during the first couple levels here and is sitting with just over his starting stack at 31,000. Maybe the book is just more interesting.

Tags: Marcin Horecki

10-20-2009 14:44 UTC+2

Hold Up

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We've played two full levels, and the players are on a 15-minute break.

Level: 3

Blinds: 100/200

Ante: 0

10-20-2009 15:00 UTC+2

Play Resumes

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Let's play another two levels of poker, shall we?

10-20-2009 15:15 UTC+2

Pagano Picks One Up

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Donnie Peters

An under-the-gun player raised to 550 and Luca Pagano made the call from middle position. The two players were heads up to a flop of {8-Clubs}

. The preflop raiser fired 650 and Pagano called.

The turn brought the {K-Diamonds}

and the first player led with a bet again into Pagano. The bet was for 1,100 and Pagano opted to raise to 3,000. This sent his opponent into the tank and he eventually folded. Pagano is up to 44,000 chips.

Tags: Luca Pagano

10-20-2009 15:24 UTC+2

Manole Back to Starting Stack

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Donnie Peters

Mihai Manole raised to 500 from the button before an opponent out of the big blind three-bet him to 1,850. Manole made the call.

The flop came down {10-Diamonds}

and the big blind fired 2,700. Manole took his time, being a very methodical player if you remember our EPT Barcelona coverage, but eventually folded his hand. He's slipped back down to the starting stack of 30,000.

Tags: Mihai Manole

10-20-2009 15:26 UTC+2

Tulchinskiy Takes a Small One

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Voitto Rintala opened with a raise to 500 from middle position, and the button called, as did Mikhail Tulchinskiy in the small blind. The three men saw the flop come out {4-Spades}

, and action checked to the button. He put out a bet of 1,100 before Tulchinskiy stuck in a raise to 3,300.

That quickly folded Rintala, and the button would eventually release his hand as well, flashing the {Q-Hearts}

as he returned his cards to the dealer. Tulchinskiy is up to about 38,000.

Tags: Mikhail Tulchinski

10-20-2009 15:40 UTC+2

Mattern Doubles Up

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Donnie Peters

There was a raise from under the gun to 550 and a call before Arnaud Mattern reraised to 2,425. Action folded all the way back around to the player under the gun and he put in a large reraise to 23,750. The next player folded and action fell to Mattern. He thought for a minute or two before sticking all of his chips into the middle to make the call.

Mattern was the player at risk holding {K-Clubs}

versus his opponent's {A-Diamonds}

. Mattern was all in for a total of 12,300.

The board ran out {10-Hearts}

to keep Mattern's kings best and double him up to just under 26,000 chips.

Tags: Arnaud Mattern

10-20-2009 15:46 UTC+2

Flight Day 1a

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Donnie Peters

Last year, 99 players sat down to play Day 1a of the PokerStars.net EPT Warsaw Main Event. This year, the number of participants on the first day is down slightly with 88 entrants taking to the felt. There is expected to be many more entrants in tomorrow's field, but it's going to be a toss up whether or not the total number of entrants from last year (217) will be surpassed.

10-20-2009 15:52 UTC+2

Crazy Eights for Eastgate

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Three players, including Peter Eastgate, limped into the pot before the button made a raise to 1,200. That was enough to get him heads up with Eastgate whether he intended to or not.

The flop came {8-Hearts}

, and Eastgate tapped the table. He watched his opponent continue out with a bet before sticking in a small check-raise. His opponent shoved his stack forward, and Eastgate called all in for his last 15,000 or so. His opponent tabled {Q-Spades}

, and Eastgate's {8-Clubs}

had outflopped him in a big way. The turn was a safe {K-Diamonds}

, and the extremely safe {8-Diamonds}

spiked the river to improve the defending WSOP champ to the winning quad eights.

That double up moves Eastgate back over the starting stack to about 33,000.

Tags: Peter Eastgate