We were only speculating before, but the staff has just confirmed our number for today. Officially (for real this time) 509 runners played Day 1b here in London, bringing the total number to a staggering 848 total players. That's 118 runners more than last year, an increase of 16%. And that's impressive stuff.
All this means that the Season 7 version of the EPT London is the largest tournament this country has ever seen. Congrats to PokerStars for getting this together and making it such a huge success once again.
With one limper in front of him, Jon Aguiar limped from the button, and the small and big blinds all came along for the minimum to see a cheap four-way flop. It came , and the action checked to Aguiar. He put out a bet of 700, only to see the small blind check-raise to 2,425. Aguiar was the only caller, and it was heads up the rest of the way.
On the turn, the small blind shoved his last 9,675 at the pot, and Aguiar sank in his chair. "Jack-four?" he asked, smirking with some disgruntlement. Aguiar double-checked his , though, and he made the call to put his opponent at risk. The small blind showed up , needing some help to stay alive.
The river was no help, though, and Aguiar notches the KO, moving himself up to about 42,000 in the process.
From the cutoff seat, Michael Binger made it 750 to go, and the button promptly reraised to 1,425. Two seats over, Max Lykov cold four-bet to 4,025, sending the action back to Binger. He asked Lykov how much he was playing, considered for a couple minutes, and reraised to 8,000 straight. That folded the button, but Lykov went ahead and six-bet shoved for 21,800 total.
That sent Binger spiraling into a long, mumbly soak in the think tank. We couldn't tell if he was talking to Lykov or not -- it sounded like he was more talking to himself, walking through the decision that was in front of him. He could have been reciting the Declaration of Independence for all we know, it was pretty much a full conversation he had with himself under his breath. Finally, he spoke up.
"He's gonna show me a deuce if I fold, I know it."
Binger did fold, though, after taking another minute or so to convince himself.
"Ace-high?" Lykov asked.
"I had an ace in my hand." Binger answered.
"What were your pot odds?" someone else at the table chimed in.
"Two point three to one," Binger snap-answered. "But I'm always dominated there, and sometimes I'm super dominated by aces. Unless he's doing that sometimes with an airball. Which I doubt."
Binger has just over 20,000 left in front of him, and he'll save those for a better spot.
Erik van den Berg, still wearing the orange bobble hat that we all loved so much at EPT Vilamoura, raised from the button and got looked up by both Jude Ainsworth in the small blind and Fatima Moreira de Melo in the big.
The flop came down and it checked around to van den Berg, who bet 1,000. The action returned to Ainsworth, who now made it 3,500. And then back to de Melo, who reraised to 8,000.
Van den Berg quickly ducked out of the way, but Ainsworth shoved for around 25,000 leaving de Melo with a very serious decision. She thought about it for a long time. She asked Ainsworth a question which we think was, "Do you have a flush draw?"
"Yes. No. Maybe," came the answer.
Eventually she called, and they were on their backs, waiting several minutes for the TV cameras to arrive and record this moment for posterity.
Ainsworth:
De Melo:
Still waiting for the cameras. De Melo: "Ahh, it figures. I hope I don't get my draw. You're in great shape. I'm in shitty shape."
Eventually the cameras arrived, and although the flush draw did not come in, neither did any of de Melo's outs, and Ainsworth's ace-high after the turn and river took the pot.
Ainsworth doubled to 52,000. De Melo was left with just about 11,000.
We didn't see the hand, but we noticed the empty seat - Swedish sensation, and according to our own Gloria Balding "Prada model lookalike" Viktor Blom is no more for this tournament.
JP Kelly opened to 800 from middle position, Nicolas Levi and Richard Toth called behind him with Todd Terry calling in the blinds.
The flop came and Kelly fired 2,200. Toth was the only player calling and they saw a turn, now Kelly checked and Toth bet 3,700 which Kelly called.
The river was the and Kelly checked a third time, Toth betting 5,600 which Kelly called quickly.
Toth showed for a hand that was probably a bluff against most hands Kelly would call the river with (except perhaps jacks). Kelly turned over for a rivered two pair though to scoop the pot.
, and the action checked to Aguiar. He put out a bet of 700, only to see the small blind check-raise to 2,425. Aguiar was the only caller, and it was heads up the rest of the way.
turn, the small blind shoved his last 9,675 at the pot, and Aguiar sank in his chair. "Jack-four?" he asked, smirking with some disgruntlement. Aguiar double-checked his 
, though, and he made the call to put his opponent at risk. The small blind showed up 
, needing some help to stay alive.
was no help, though, and Aguiar notches the KO, moving himself up to about 42,000 in the process.
and it checked around to van den Berg, who bet 1,000. The action returned to Ainsworth, who now made it 3,500. And then back to de Melo, who reraised to 8,000.
turn and 
river took the pot.
and Kelly fired 2,200. Toth was the only player calling and they saw a 
turn, now Kelly checked and Toth bet 3,700 which Kelly called.
board in a 65,000 chip pot.
