Yesterday's 263-strong Day 1a field meant that we were already on track to shatter last year's 478 total - but this is now turning huge.
So far, 482 people have registered for Day 1b. That is to say, more people are playing this event today than played both of last year's Day 1s combined. Even with the reduction of the buy in this year, this is an impressive feat. And registration is still open. So if you have a spare €5,000 and fancy a flutter, why not head down to the Casino de Barcelona? This is going to be one hell of a prize pool...
EPT Vilamoura winner and all-round cheeky chappy Toby Lewis has had a somewhat lacklustre start to his day.
We found him checking behind his opponent on the turn of a board, and then folding to a 2,525 bet on the river. This pot was not exactly small for Level 2, but it looked as though most of the damage to his stack had been done in an earlier hand - he's down to 16,000 already.
Team Pokerstars Pro Dario Minieri had just bluffed off a large percentage of his stack when we arrived at his table and he was in the middle of another hand. He was in the cut off with a bet of 1,100 in front of him and a re-raise from the button totalling 5,800. Minieri made the fold but his stack had dwindled to 3,375.
In the next hand Minieri opened from 350 and Team Pokerstars Pro Daniel Negreanu defended his big blind by putting Minieri all-in. Minieri once again was forced to fold.
Then Minieri raised for the third time in succession - again to 350. This time the big blind called. This opponent was the player Minieri had a split pot with earlier. The flop was and the big blind checked and Minieri bet 425 before the big blind made the call.
"Split pot again?" Asked Minieri.
"No" replied the big blind.
The turn was the and Minieri pushed all-in. His opponent folded showing an exposed 3 for bottom pair. Minieri exposed both of his cards to show a pair of deuces.
Next it was John Eames time to play a pot as he opened to 400 from early position. He received 3 callers and the flop was . Eames bet 750 and received one caller from a lady in middle position. The turn was the and Eames this time bet 2,000 and the lady called. The river was the and Eames threw a yellow chip worth 5,000 into the middle and for the third time the lady called. Eames turned over a pair of nines for the turned full house and the lady mucked her hand.
Then someone in the room shouted "Yessss!" Negreanu said it was cold again and Minieri raised and then raised again to take down two uncontested pot.
We understand that Team PokerStars Pro Angel Guillen, the man who was arguably the real bubble at this year's WSOP Main Event (the actual bubble gets a ticket for the following year's Main Event, but Guillen got his aces cracked on the bubble bubble), has suffered some misfortune here in Barcelona as well - kings into aces, we hear, and he's gone.
Team PokerStars Pro, Nacho Barbero has just lost a substantial pot after betting all three streets into a better hand.
The player in middle position opened with a raise to 500, Barbero three-bet to 1,300 and the intial raiser quickly called.
Flop:
First to act, the initial preflop raiser now checked, Barbero took a stab at the pot with a 1,400 bet and after twenty seconds or so, his opponent called.
Turn:
Once again the action went check, bet, call but this time the amounts were twice what they were on the flop, topping the scales at 2,800.
River:
With the board now double-paired it was unsurprising that our middle position player checked, but Barbero was in no mood to give a free showdown and quickly bet 5,000. His opponent looked as if he was contemplating a raise but finally decided that a call was better and he put the yellow chip in to make the call.
Barbero:
Middle position player: and the winning hand
We arrived tableside to find the board reading and the gentleman in the big blind betting out 8,000 into the already hefty pot. Johnny Lodden in mid position gave it some thought and then made the call.
The dealer dropped the on the felt by way of a river, and this time the big blind bet out 12,000. Lodden paused briefly again before making the call - and was rewarded by his opponent turning over for a flopped flush draw and a turned gutshot draw that never came in. Perhaps it says something about Mr. Lodden's reputation that the look on his opponent's face suggested that he thought there was a chance he could be ahead - but Lodden revealed for just a pair of eights and a very good call.
Here is some action from table 20 where we have Team Pokerstars Pro Max Lykov doing battle.
There were two limpers up front before the cut off made it 500 to play. The button called the raise before Lykov squeezed from the small blind making it 2,275 to play. The limpers and original raiser folded but the button called making it a two man flop.
The flop was and Lykov bet 2,750 and after a long pause the button made the call. Both players stared intently at the flop never once averted their gaze to each other.
The turn was and Lykov checked and again the button took a long time to deliberate his decision before betting 3,8000 and this time Lykov took a pause before making the call. The river was the and both players checked. Lykov showed for to pair and his opponent mucked his hand.
Team PokerStars Pro, Dario Minieri has been on life support from an early stage in this tournament but has just bought himself a little more time after cracking kings to double up.
Finding himself with around seven big blinds, he moved all-in under the gun and picked up the 450 blinds.
The very next hand a player in late position limped in, the cutoff also limped and the small blind completed. Minieri then looked at his cards and instantly moved all in, with only the cutoff coming along for the ride.
Minieri:
Cutoff:
The flop was no real help to Minieri, though he did pick up some outs to a gutshot straight draw. However, they were not needed as the breautiful, for him anyway, peeled off on the turn to flip this hand right on its head. The on the river completed the hand and saw Minieri double to 3,850, which will be just short of ten big blinds when the players return from a break.
While we here wonder at the logistics of around 500 (mostly male) poker players all trying to use the bathroom at once, you at home have 15 minutes to go make a cup of tea or whatever it is you do when we're not bringing you live updates.
![[user46392]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
board, and then folding to a 2,525 bet on the 
river. This pot was not exactly small for Level 2, but it looked as though most of the damage to his stack had been done in an earlier hand - he's down to 16,000 already.
and the big blind checked and Minieri bet 425 before the big blind made the call.
and Minieri pushed all-in. His opponent folded showing an exposed 3 for bottom pair. Minieri exposed both of his cards to show a pair of deuces.
and Eames threw a yellow chip worth 5,000 into the middle and for the third time the lady called. Eames turned over a pair of nines for the turned full house and the lady mucked her hand.
and the winning hand
and the gentleman in the big blind betting out 8,000 into the already hefty pot. Johnny Lodden in mid position gave it some thought and then made the call.
on the felt by way of a river, and this time the big blind bet out 12,000. Lodden paused briefly again before making the call - and was rewarded by his opponent turning over 
for a flopped flush draw and a turned gutshot draw that never came in. Perhaps it says something about Mr. Lodden's reputation that the look on his opponent's face suggested that he thought there was a chance he could be ahead - but Lodden revealed 
and Lykov checked and again the button took a long time to deliberate his decision before betting 3,8000 and this time Lykov took a pause before making the call. The river was the 
on the river completed the hand and saw Minieri double to 3,850, which will be just short of ten big blinds when the players return from a break.