Main Event
Day 1a Started
2011 PokerStars.com EPT Tallinn
Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2011 PokerStars.com EPT Tallinn
Buy-in
€4,000
Prize Pool
€1,071,600
Entries
282
Level
25
Blinds
15,000 / 30,000
Ante
4,000
Hello, Season Eight of the European Poker Tour
![[user169505]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
As we wave bye, bye to a very enjoyable and successful World Series of Poker (WSOP) we welcome, with open arms, Season Eight of the European Poker Tour (EPT). Our first stop is the magnificent Swissotel, located in the heart of Estonia's capital - Tallinn.
The plan is to play nine sixty minute levels today with a 75-minute dinner break to be taken after level six. There are some minor tweaks to the structure this year with antes being introduced earlier (level 4), an extra 250/500 level included as level seven and a change in level nine with the ante jumping to 100 instead of the usual 75.
Over the next two days we are expecting to see defending champion Kevin Stani, EPT Qualifier of the Year (season 7) Martin Jacobson, recent WSOP bracelet winner Joe Ebanks and Team PokerStars Pros J P Kelly, Arnaud Mattern, Sebastian Ruthenberg, Marcin Horecki, Luca Pagano, Dario Minieri, Ville Wahlbeck and Team PokerStars SportStar Fatima Moreira De Melo.
Shuffle Up And Deal
The tournament director has just given the instruction to the dealers to shuffle up and deal and with that EPT Tallinn is underway!
Level: 1
Blinds: 50/100
Ante: 0
Table Draw
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
There are not too many notables spotted do far, meaning no table of death has emerged. There are two tables though where a couple of stellar names have been drawn together.
EPT champions, Arnaud Mattern and Rupert Elder are facing off on table five while EPT Season 7 Player of the Year, Fernando Britto, has to deal with British hotshot Matthew Frankland in the far corner of the room.
Frankland Draws First Blood
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
Mathew Frankland had a deep run in this years World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event when he finished 121st place for a $54,851 cash. He is here in Tallinn, although feeling a little bit under the weather, and he is sharing table space with Fernando Brito. Despite being unwell he has started well as this following hand demonstrates.
The table was short-handed when there was a raise from early position to 350 and Frankland called. The flop came down 
and the raiser continued his aggression with a bet of 400 and Frankland just called. The turn was the 
and Frankland called the second barrel of 950. The river was the 
and the aggressor fired his third barrel of 1,850 and Frankland flicked in a call before turning over 
. His opponent mucked his cards and after a little bit of confusion (the dealer handed the pot to Franklands opponent) Frankland welcomed his new chips into his open arms.
Neuville Fast Out of The Blocks
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
Pierre Neuville, the official serial qualifier for European Poker Tour events, has started well by picking up a nice 2,500 chip pot.
On a flop reading 
Neuville initially checked but when his opponent, on the button, bet 300, the Belgian check-raised to 700. After a moment or two to consider his options, the button decided calling was the best. The turn brought the 
into play and Neuville wasted no time in firing out a bet of 1,100, which was enough to fold out his opponent.
Neuville had qualified for a record 23 consecutive EPT Main Events but he will not be increasing this total as he failed to qualify for EPT Tallinn and has had to buy in directly.
Big Blind Special For Brito
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
Fernando Brito, the Player of the Year from EPT Season 7, has already had a full house in this tournament, despite us only playing 20 minutes so far.
On a board reading 
the small blind check-called Brito's 700 bet but instantly mucked as Brito turned over 
for a turn full house.
Vamplew Hits Two Pair
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
There are a few former EPT winners in the day 1a field today and one of them is the young Scot David Vamplew. He is currently seated to the direct left of Jesper Hoog who had a 5th place finish at a recent WPT event. We caught some action involving Vamplew midway through level one.
There was a dead big blind when Vamplew opened from the cut-off making it 300 to play and his opponent on the button three-bet to 800. Action back on Vamplew and he made the call.
Flop: 
Both players checked.
Turn: 
Vamplew bet 1,150 and his opponent called.
River: 
Vamplew bet 3,100 and after a short pause his opponent called.
Vamplew showed 
and his opponent mucked his hand.
Sepman Leave Rupert Bare
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
Yulius Sepman has just helped himself to a massive pot worth more than 30,000 chips after tangling with European Poker Tour San Remo Champion, Rupert Elder.
Sepman opened the betting with a raise to 250 from middle position, one player folded and Elder raised to 700 from the cutoff seat. The action folded back around to Sepman and he paused for 30 seconds beforfe put in a raise of his own, this one to 1,975. Elder counted out the necessary chips and quickly called.
Flop: 
Sepman sat staring at the wall opposite for close to a minute before making a bet of 2,575. Within ten seconds Elder had made the call and it was off to the turn.
Turn: 
Again, Sepman sat for well over a minute, chewing incessantly on his chewing gum, before betting 3,700. Just as he had on the flop, Elder quickly called.
River: Sepman sat riffling his yellow 5,000 chips for close to 90 seconds before he announced "9,900" and placed two of the yellow chips into the middle of the felt. On previous streets Elder had quickly called but he gave this decision much more thought. After a minute of thinking time he made the call.
Sepman: 
- for a rivered set
Elder: *mucked*