With registration now closed and the number of runners fixed and definite, the prize pool has been calculated for this, the largest poker tournament ever held on British soil.
The crucial numbers:
Total prize pool - £4,112,800
Number of places paying out - 128
Min-cash pays - £7,500
First place pays - £900,000
For the full breakdown, please click the tantalizing "Payouts" tab above.
A big pot between two members of Team PokerStars!
We picked up the action on the 
flop. Jude Ainsworth led out with a bet of 3,000, and Fatima de Melo raised to 8,000. Ainsworth reraised to 16,000, de Melo moved all in, and Ainsworth snap-called with the covering stack. De Melo knew she was in trouble.
Showdown
Ainsworth: 
De Melo: 
There was no help on the 
turn or 
river, and de Melo said, "Good luck, man," as she headed for the door.
Ainsworth - 89,000
It's been a great year so far for Israeli player Tomer Berda. He started it off with a cash at the PCA and then another one at the EPT Grand Final, where he also won a side event. His run only improved when he got to Vegas, winning a bracelet in the $2,500 NLH event and finalling a $1,500 NLH event too before finishing an extremely respectable 134th in the Main Event.
Berda cashed at EPT Tallinn as well, and came second in a side event at EPT Vilamoura - and he's now in an excellent position to make a serious assault on this EPT.
We're not sure exactly when the chips went in, but the cards looked like so:
Berda: 
Opponent gentleman: 
Board: 
Berda's opponent flopped a straight but Berda turned a full house, and the hapless unknown gentleman hit the rail. Berda meanwhile is flying relatively high on 55,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
69,000
12,000
|
12,000 |
|
42,000
16,000
|
16,000 |
|
38,000
21,500
|
21,500 |
|
|
32,000
9,000
|
9,000 |
|
19,000
4,000
|
4,000 |
|
||
|
18,000
6,000
|
6,000 |
|
||
|
16,000
3,000
|
3,000 |
|
|
||
|
Busted | |
|
Busted | |
|
|
||
Wow, that was fast. We're not sure exactly what happened, but Padraig Parkinson went from 80,000 to busto in apparently two hands, and tablemate Kenny Hicks is now in possession of 135,000.
We found Irish poker legend Padraig Parkinson staring very intently at the felt on the turn of a 
board. His opponent appeared to have checked to him, and Parkinson had bet 11,000.
Eventually the opponent ceased his tanking and folded. Parkinson raked in the pot, and despite looking a bit like he's been sleeping in a doorway, Parkinson is doing very well - he's up over 80,000.
Level: 6
Blinds: 200/400
Ante: 50
Jason Mercier raised to 725 from early position, and John Cernuto called on the button. The small blind called as well, but the big blind stacked up his 4,900 remaining chips and pushed them across the line. Mercier asked for the count, tanked for a minute, and folded, Cernuto made the call, and the small blind ducked out of the way.
Showdown
Cernuto: 
Big blind: 
The flop came 
, and the big blind coaxed, "Come on. Numbers, not pictures. Numbers, not pictures."
The dealer was listening, dealing a safe turn 
and river 
to earn him the double.
Cernuto still has about 51,000 to work with.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
105,000 | |
|
||
|
78,000
22,000
|
22,000 |
|
78,000
31,000
|
31,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
68,000
39,000
|
39,000 |
|
|
65,000
25,000
|
25,000 |
|
62,000 | |
|
61,000
43,000
|
43,000 |
|
||
|
58,000
27,000
|
27,000 |
|
|
||
|
58,000
40,000
|
40,000 |
|
|
||
|
50,000
34,000
|
34,000 |
|
49,000
16,000
|
16,000 |
|
|
||
|
48,000
3,000
|
3,000 |
|
|
||
|
47,000
6,000
|
6,000 |
|
|
||
|
45,000
16,000
|
16,000 |
|
|
||
|
40,000 | |
|
37,000 | |
|
36,500
13,500
|
13,500 |
|
|
||
|
33,000
7,000
|
7,000 |
|
32,000 | |
|
32,000
6,000
|
6,000 |
|
31,000
2,000
|
2,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
30,500
3,500
|
3,500 |
|
30,000
13,000
|
13,000 |
|
|
||
|
30,000
2,000
|
2,000 |
|
|
||
|
29,000
9,000
|
9,000 |
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
74,000
1,000
|
1,000 |
|
|
||
|
60,000
28,000
|
28,000 |
|
|
||
|
60,000
13,000
|
13,000 |
|
|
50,000
4,000
|
4,000 |
|
50,000
16,000
|
16,000 |
|
45,000
12,000
|
12,000 |
|
||
|
45,000
3,000
|
3,000 |
|
43,000
13,000
|
13,000 |
|
40,000
2,000
|
2,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
40,000
7,000
|
7,000 |
|
|
40,000
16,000
|
16,000 |
|
|
40,000
2,000
|
2,000 |
|
|
38,000
19,000
|
19,000 |
|
|
||
|
38,000
1,000
|
1,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
38,000
3,000
|
3,000 |
|
37,000
6,000
|
6,000 |
|
34,000 | |
|
|
||
|
32,000
9,000
|
9,000 |
|
31,000
6,000
|
6,000 |
|
28,000
6,000
|
6,000 |
|
26,000 | |
|
|
||
|
26,000
3,000
|
3,000 |
|
25,500
1,500
|
1,500 |
|
|
||
|
25,000
8,000
|
8,000 |
|
|
||
|
24,000
1,000
|
1,000 |
