Kevin MacPhee raised to 350 from middle position and the cutoff seat called. Leandro Csome also called from the button and the three players took the flop. MacPhee continued his aggression with a bet of 725. The cutoff seat folded and Csome raised to 1,625. MacPhee called.
The turn was the and both players checked to see the fall on the river. Both players checked again.
Csome turned over the for a flopped combo draw, but lost to MacPhee's .
We've unofficially crossed the 800-player mark here at EPT Barcelona as the board tells us 455 players have registered for this Day 1b. This is indeed the largest-ever EPT Barcelona, and it has the added distinction of being the largest poker tournament Spain has ever hosted.
Registration is closing in just about 20 minutes, so we'll have some final numbers for you shortly thereafter.
We just caught the tail end of the preflop action, walking up as Fatima Moreira de Melo was making a four-bet from the hijack seat, and Kambiz Kashi was making the call next door in the cutoff. We were too late to see the exact amounts, but it looked like ~3,100 chips apiece went into the middle as the two battled toward the flop.
The dealer spread out , and de Melo continued out with a bet of 3,500. Kashi flatted, and they'd both check through the turn. On the river, the drew another check from the lady, and Kashi took his cue to make a 6,500-chip bet of his own. De Melo spent a couple minutes making sure, then slid in the call for nearly half her remaining stack.
Kashi showed up for top pair, but de Melo could beat it. Her was the best, and that pot moves her up over starting stack to about 36,000 now.
Max Silver had the cut of a tired man before play began. He was supposed to fly in yesterday but was deep in a tournament in Dublin so put his flight back to 6am this morning. He went onto soft bubble that tournament (annoying) before getting up for his red-eye flight (still annoying)
His stack has dropped to 10,350 already after he had to fold to a Eros Nastasi river raise after he flopped the nuts (really annoying). While we were there Nastasi said he had the nuts by the river and that made Silver feel better (not so annoying).
Victor Ramdin has been playing tons of hands at his table as only Ramdin knows how to do. Just recently, he got all the money in with an opponent on the turn with the board reading holding the . His opponent held the and held up as the river landed with the , missing all of Ramdin's draws.
Despite losing that pot, Ramdin still has about 15,000 in chips.
In a four-way limped pot, the flop was . The big blind, the under-the-gun limper and the middle-position limper all checked to Eddy Sabat. He fired a bet of 450 and easily won the pot as his opponents quickly released their hands.
On the next hand, an under-the-gun player raised to 350 and action folded to Sabat in the hijack seat. He three-bet to 900 and the original raiser made the call to see the flop. Both players checked and the turn brought the . Both checked again and the river completed the board with the . After his opponent checked, Sabat fired 1,275 and his opponent folded.
Sabat may not have an EPT title under his belt just yet, but he'll be looking to change that here in this event. One title Sabat does hold is a PokerStars.net APPT Macau title from 2008. He also final tabled the 2010 PokerStars.net APPT Sydney Grand Final and placed sixth. On EPT's, Sabat has cashed twice in the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Main Event. This past year, he ran very deep and placed 30th for $66,000.
A bet of 650 was fired on the paired into Victor Ramdin. He made the call quickly and the turn brought in the . Ramdin's opponent fired 1,250 and Ramdin nearly beat him into the pot with a call.
The river was the and the first player fired 2,200. Ramdin called and his opponent showed the for seven high. Ramdin tabled the for kings and threes to win the pot.
ElkY's bracelet presentation at the Rio in Las Vegas
Table 14 (already a tough one) has just picked up a new player. And unfortunately for the rest of the players, the new guy happens to be the EPT's all-time leading points earner and a new 2011 WSOP bracelet winner.
It's Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier, and he's taken his seat to the direct right of Boris Becker.
Sorel Mizzi using position well as he squeezed from the button after a late position raise and call. Evgeny Zajtsev put up resistance but check-folded to a Mizzi c-bet on an ace high flop.
Kevin MacPhee Tweeting about his good first level: "36,350 after level 1. Flopped top pair in a 3 bet pot and didn't let go... got shown Q3."
Daniel Negreanu complaining about the new EPT rules, specifically the one where players have to be in their seats when the first card is pitched.
flop. MacPhee continued his aggression with a bet of 725. The cutoff seat folded and Csome raised to 1,625. MacPhee called.
and both players checked to see the 
fall on the river. Both players checked again.
for a flopped combo draw, but lost to MacPhee's 
.
, and de Melo continued out with a bet of 3,500. Kashi flatted, and they'd both check through the 
turn. On the river, the 
drew another check from the lady, and Kashi took his cue to make a 6,500-chip bet of his own. De Melo spent a couple minutes making sure, then slid in the call for nearly half her remaining stack.
for top pair, but de Melo could beat it. Her 
was the best, and that pot moves her up over starting stack to about 36,000 now.
holding the 
, missing all of Ramdin's draws.
. After his opponent checked, Sabat fired 1,275 and his opponent folded.
into Victor Ramdin. He made the call quickly and the turn brought in the 
. Ramdin's opponent fired 1,250 and Ramdin nearly beat him into the pot with a call.
for seven high. Ramdin tabled the 
