Main Event
Day 1b Started
2011 PokerStars.com EPT Barcelona
Main Event
Day: 1b
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1b
2011 PokerStars.com EPT Barcelona
Buy-in
€5,000
Prize Pool
€4,055,000
Entries
811
Level
34
Blinds
120,000 / 240,000
Ante
30,000
Second Verse, Bigger Than the First
![[user66118]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
Welcome back to the Casino de Barcelona for Day 1b of the eighth annual EPT event here.
Yesterday's kickoff welcomed 346 players to the felt, and that was the small half. Today's flight could approach 500 players, and smashing last year's record attendance of 758 seams like a near-lock. We've got another great crowd of the Team PokerStars family slated to join up today, including 2011 bracelet winners Eugene Katchalov, Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier, and Jason Mercier. Liv Boeree was just spotted walking around the hallways, and we also expect to see the likes of Daniel Negreanu, Viktor Blom, Jonathan Duhamel, and the local favorite, Juan Manuel Pastor.
The players are swarming into the building right now, and the chairs are filling in one-by-one. The start time is just ten minutes away, and we'll be back then with the shuffle-up-and-deal!
Level: 1
Blinds: 50/100
Ante: 0
Game Time
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
The shuffle-up-and-deal came so quietly today, we almost missed it. The call was nearly lost in the scramble of announcements and paperwork, but the clock is indeed running, and the cards are in the air for Day 1b!
The Kid and Kid Poker
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
Daniel Negreanu tweeted a few minutes ago about his favorable starting table, indicating that he didn't recognize anyone he was seated with. We knew better, though, after a quick look at the table draw. Very soon after his tweet, Kid Poker was joined by none other than Viktor "Isildur" Blom, and we also spot the familiar face of the former LAPT champion Dominic Nitsche over there, as well. That's certainly a table we're going to be watching intently over the course of the first few levels.
Man Down Already
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
It took over an hour to lose a player yesterday but today it took a total of two hands. The player in question was sat at table 51 and that is the only table without media ID cards. Understandably the player in question bolted from the room before anyone could get his name.
Tough Starting Table
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
Almost right in the center of the room is what could easily be considered one of the toughest starting tables in this tournament. Looking at the first four seats to the left of the dealer you have Liv Boeree, Allen Bari, Ivan Demidov and Anton Wigg. In the seven seat sits Jon Spinks who had four cashes at the World Series of Poker this year including two final tables. That's quite the starting table with those two Team PokerStars Pros (Boeree and Demidov), two former EPT champions (Boeree and Wigg) and one WSOP gold bracelet winner (Bari). Good luck at that table.
Good Game Blengino
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
Silvio Blengino is the third player to fall today after he gave up his stack to Alex Sanchez.
Sanchez made it 300 to go before Blengino three-bet to 1,200 and then moved all-in for 25,000 after Sanchez four-bet to 4,300. Sanchez took about ten minutes before calling with 
. It was good as Blengino tabled 
, and it stayed good through the 
board.
The Corner of Death
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
Tables 5, 6, 13, and 14 are the four corner tables on the far side of the room, and they're arranged together in a square. To be honest, we could probably stand right in the middle of those four tables all day and fill this blog to the brim.
Table 5 has Sorel Mizzi (Seat 1), Juan Manuel Pastor (2), Jason Mercier (4), and PokerStars Challenger Alexis "J0hnny_Dr@m@" Zervos playing larger-than-average pots early, it seems.
Table 6 is really the one to watch, containing Dominic Nitsche (1), Viktor Blom (3), Daniel Negreanu (6), and Dmitry Vitkind (8).
Table 13 is where we find Chris Moneymaker (3) and EPT standout Dimitry Stelmak (8).
At table 14, Boris Becker (6) will have to deal with the fourth-place finisher from the last EPT Grand Final, Andrey Danilyuk (2).
If they'd let us set up a lounge chair out on the floor, we wouldn't have to move all day.
Bari Flops Flush Draw, Rivers Two Pair
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
Action folded to Allen Bari in late position and he raised to 250. The player in the small blind called and then Jon Spinks called from the big blind. Before the dealer could deal the flop, the player in the small blind asked, "Can we bet any amount?" Some of the players at the table seemed confused by the question, but the dealer went on to explain that as long as you bet the amount of the big blind, you can bet whatever you want.
The flop came down 
and action checked around to see the 
fall on the turn. The small blind checked and Spinks bet 425. Bari made the call and the small blind folded.
The landed on the river and Spinks fired 750. Bari took some time and then fired back with a raise to 1,900. Spinks called.
Bari tabled the 
for a flopped flush draw that turned into two pair on the river, kings and nines. Spinks mucked and Bari took the early pot.