Main Event
Day 1b Started
2010 PokerStars.net EPT Vienna
Main Event
Day: 1b
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2010 PokerStars.net EPT Vienna
Buy-in
€5,000
Prize Pool
€2,935,000
Entries
587
Level
32
Blinds
150,000 / 300,000
Ante
0
Groundhog Day
![[user46392]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
Good morning and welcome back to the refined 19th century interior of the Kursalon where Day 1b of the PokerStars.net EPT Vienna is about to get underway.
After yesterday's Day 1a produced a 234-strong field, we are looking to get pretty close to 600 players in total by the time registration closes at the end of Level 2.
Yesterday's field was tough, but today's will if anything be even tougher, with the likes of ElkY, Fatima Moreira de Melo and Boris Becker expected to take their shot at Viennese EPT glory today. Play is due to start at noon, around an hour from now, so pull up a coffee and a slice of viennoiserie, and we'll be bringing you all the action right from the shuffle-up-and-deal.
Crowded House
Today's fire safety instructions and welcome to the Kursalon is being heard by a good few more players than yesterday's. So popular is the B version of Day One that they're going to start off playing 10-handed and drop to the traditional nine when the field thins slightly (we expect around the second level). Of course for the first two levels you can still buy in to the Main Event, so if you have the Euro lying around and fancy a pop at one of the most exciting tournaments of the EPT, now is your last chance...
Level: 1
Blinds: 50/100
Ante: 0
Negreanu Has Found the Casino and Elky has Found Some Cards.
According to Team Pokerstars Pro Daniel Negreanu's twitter feed this morning he was lost and couldn't find the fabulous Kursalon Palace. Well luckily for you he did find his way here and is sat in seat 1 of table 18 wearing a baseball cap and sipping from a bottle of water. Also on his table is Team Pokerstars Pro Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier.
ElkY has found himself in seat 4 and has also found himself some cards as he found himself involved in the first 3 or 4 hands.
In this particular hand ElkY asked Negreanu if it was his first visit to Vienna while a player in early position opened for 250, ElkY made the call and so did the cut-off and button. Negreanu told ElkY that it was his second trip to Vienna, he had been here before almost ten years ago for a head up tournament. The flop was a monotone 
and everyone checked. The turn brought a 
and it was checked around to the player in the cut-off who made a a bet of 550, the action folded around to ElkY who made the call in order to see a 
river. ElkY again checked before his opponent made a bet of 1,500 and ElkY's hand hit the muck.
Already In Action
While empty seats lurk here and there, the room is already packed to the chandeliers with players competing over the first level. Among them:
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
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30,000 | |
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30,000 | |
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30,000 | |
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30,000 | |
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30,000 | |
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30,000 | |
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30,000 | |
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30,000 | |
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30,000 | |
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30,000 | |
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30,000 | |
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30,000 | |
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30,000 | |
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30,000 | |
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30,000 | |
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30,000 | |
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30,000 | |
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30,000 | |
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30,000 | |
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30,000 | |
|
30,000 |
Boris Becker is in the House
Seated over at table 12 is Team Pokerstars Sportstar Boris Becker. We caught up with him as he was involved in this early hand.
Becker opened under the gun for 325 and there were three callers. Is this an occupational hazard? I played a hand with Becker? We had a flop of 
. Becker was dressed in a red shirt underneath a smart blazer type of jacket. He has a scarf draped around his neck and a baseball cap on his head. During the hand his head remains bowed downwards and his hands laid out on front of him one lapped over the other. The big blind checked and Becker made a bet of 850. The hijack raised to 2,375 and the action folded around to Becker who said, "Call - How Much?" The dealer announced the amount and Becker paid his dues.
The turn was the 
and Becker, who had not looked at his opponent at all throughout the hand, tapped the felt to indicate a check. His opponent in the hijack bet 5,700 and Becker folded before tapping the felt to acknowledge his opponents play.
A Few More
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
30,000 | |
|
30,000 | |
|
30,000 | |
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30,000 | |
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30,000 | |
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30,000 | |
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30,000 | |
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30,000 | |
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30,000 | |
|
30,000 | |
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30,000 | |
|
30,000 |
Fashion
When I grow up I want to be Team Pokerstars Pro Thomas Bichon! The guy is just too goddam good looking. We caught up with the supermodel over at table 35 and the middle of this rather interesting hand.
We arrived with a board of 
and a pot of 2,225. There were three people in the hand and I wasn't sure if I was watching a poker hand or a fashion shoot. The Dealer flipped over the 
and the player in the big blind who was dressed all in white including white headphones and white watch checked over to player in middle position who also checked. Bichon with his customary black jacket, stubble and baseball cap made a bet of 1,450 and both players called.
The river was the rather interesting 
which had now filled anyone holding a flush draw. The guy dressed in white checked as did the guy in middle position - over to Bichon. Bichon took his time before counting out 5,500. He then carefully and neatly stacked the rest of his chips before putting the 5,500 into the middle. The guy dressed in white thought for a while before folding and the guy in middle position made the call. Bichon turned over 
to win the hand and the fashion contest!
Kelly: Check. Eames: Check. Lehmann: Check.
It's all about the out of position pots for these three players in Level One (well, at least one hand was one by each of them this way, and we were there to see it).
First up was Team PokerStars Pro JP Kelly in the small blind vs. big blind Yves Boschetti who raised a 
flop and then bet 575 on the turn, not shaking Kelly and giving up on the 
river at which point the UK player's 
won the pot.
Next a more dramatic finish for John Eames who check-called 800 on a 
flop before checking twice more and getting a reluctant turn over of 
from his opponent, who'd hit a pair of Nines on the river. Eames, however, having received the information he was after, turned up 
for a surprise for the table and a small pot for him.
Last up in our check-call-athon is Markus Lehmann who got involved in a threeway raised pot preflop, seeing 
on the flop. Two checks to the button Florian Bussmann who bet 2,700. Lehmann called and Rainer Meyer folded.
The turn was the 
and the river the 
- no betting on either street - and Bussmann was made to show a sheepish 
. Lehmann's 
took the pot.