Second Verse, Bigger Than the First
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Good morning once again and welcome to our continuing coverage of the EPT Season 7. Yesterday was the opening flight of the third tour stop, the EPT London Poker Festival. Day 1a welcomed an impressive 339 runners to the felt, and increase of about 11% from last year's Day 1a. Hundreds more are in the building today for the second flight, and all expectations are that we'll surpass last year's numbers to make this event the largest ever held in the UK.
The number is 392. If we can get that many players crammed into the ballroom here in the West Wing of the Hilton Metropole, we'll have broken the record, and there'll be champagne all 'round.
The Team PokerStars Pros will be out in full force today, no doubt about that. Joe Hachem has been spotted mulling about the tournament area, as have Daniel Negreanu, the de Meulder brothers, Nacho Barbero, newest Team Pro member Liv Boeree, and the lovely Sandra Naujoks.
We've also got Aussie cricketing legend Shane Warne in the house today, as well as French rap star Bruno "Kool Shen" Lopes. Celebrities, pro players, and complete amateurs. Anyone with £5,000 and a dream can enter the field today for what promises to be an action-packed, tape-delayed day of televised poker.
You don't have to wait for the editors to cut together b-roll for this one, though; we're on the scene and ready to bring you as much of the action as we can see. We're just about 15 minutes from go time -- maybe a bit longer if yesterday's delayed start is any indication -- so don't wander too far.
We'll be right back with the shuffle up and deal!