Sander Berndsen was briefly the chip leader on around 190,000, but is now back down a still-tying-for-the-lead 170,000 after doubling up Team PokerStars Pro Jude Ainsworth. We couldn't catch much of the hand owing to there being kind of a queue of dealers, waiters etc. to get to that table, but we managed to get that Ainsworth had been holding 
on a 
board and doubled to 45,000.
Sebastian Ruthenberg and one other player saw a 
flop, which Ruthenberg checked. His opponent bet 17,500 and Ruthenberg now shoved for around 50,000. Call.
Gentleman opponent: 
for an overpair
Ruthenberg: 
for a set
Turn: 
River: 
Ruthenberg is now firmly back in the game - he's at 115,000 or thereabouts.
Serious contender for the top chip count when the last seven hands have been played out Johann Rösnick was the first to top the 200,000 mark, but may not be the last. He probably thought he was on to another big winner holding 
in the small blind vs. the big blind and a mid-position preflop raiser on a 
board. But when he check-raised the big blind's 10k river bet, he found him moving all in! He quickly called and they chopped it up - the big blind held 
!
Just before the end of the day, Team PokerStars Pro Jan Heitmann found pocket aces to knock out a gentleman holding pocket jacks. Heitmann's rollercoaster of a day ended on a high - he's at around 100,000 going into Day 2.
Across the room, EPT Snowfest winner Vladimir Geshkenbein won an enormous pot right at the death as well - he finishes the day on 181,500, among the bigger stacks.
And a more modest bit of good luck for Salvatore Bonavena as well - his queens came good against a lady opponent's aces when the board ran out 
and he doubled to 40,000.
Today was the end of the beginning. The players returning tomorrow at midday local time will have already battled through nine hour-long levels and many of them will return with short stacks looking for a double up and a real shot at the prize money here in Berlin. A total of 353 players will take to the felt tomorrow (202 survived Day 1b).
That won't be the problem facing Day 1b chip leader Sander Berndsen, however, who ends the day with a whopping 242,900, one of only a few to top the 200k chip mark over the course of a single day. Robert Flink, sat on the very same table as the final cards fell, also held a big stack - 203,400 - and will be returning along with Vladimir Geshkenbein and Nima Ahary in good shape.
Team PokerStars Pros Sandra Naujoks and George Danzer will return tomorrow without much ammunition, but Jan Heitmann came back from an early knock to top the 100,000 mark in the last level.
The total number of entrants in this year's PokerStars.net EPT Berlin is 773 (458 today and 315 yesterday) while Germany makes up 31% of the field with 240 entrants.
Return with PokerNews tomorrow as the money creeps closer and the action continues on Day 2 at the Spielbank, Berlin.
202 players remain from today. Along with the 151 from Day 1a, that makes 353 players comingback for Day 2.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
242,900
72,900
|
72,900 |
|
|
210,000 | |
|
|
203,400 | |
|
|
200,200 | |
|
|
182,600
71,600
|
71,600 |
|
181,500
129,500
|
129,500 |
|
||
|
180,500
13,500
|
13,500 |
|
||
|
|
174,000
36,000
|
36,000 |
|
166,600 | |
|
|
156,900 | |
|
156,200
26,200
|
26,200 |
|
152,400
17,600
|
17,600 |
|
|
||
|
|
151,700 | |
|
|
150,100 | |
|
|
149,200 | |
|
147,600 | |
|
|
146,900 | |
|
|
146,600 | |
|
|
140,800 | |
|
|
139,200 | |
|
|
135,000 | |
|
132,000
68,000
|
68,000 |
|
|
||
|
131,400 | |
|
129,900
27,400
|
27,400 |
|
|
||
|
126,400
36,400
|
36,400 |
|
|
||
Main Event
Day 1b Completed
