Main Event
Day 1a Started
2012 PokerStars.com EPT Madrid
Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2012 PokerStars.com EPT Madrid
Buy-in
€5,000
Entries
477
Level
31
Blinds
60,000 / 120,000
Ante
10,000
Welcome to the PokerStars.com EPT Madrid!
![[user76023]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
We're back in Madrid for the first time since last year's Grand Final which was won by Ivan Freitez. It was shown in a delayed live-stream final which saw the Venezuelan bulldoze his way to the title and a first place prize worth €1,500,000. Once again we're here at the Grand Casino just outside the city centre, but this time it's just a regular EPT as players from all over the world arrive in the Spanish capital in the hope of winning a prestigious EPT title.
It's a second stop in Spain again this season after Martin Schleich won €850,000 in Barcelona, besting a field of 811 ahead of Dragan Kostic and Team PokerStars Pro Eugene Katchalov. The latter of these is on his way here, still attempting to complete poker's 'Triple Crown' - perhaps it will be second time lucky in Spain for the Ukrainian?
Team Pros playing today include Arnaud Mattern, Marcin Horecki, Henrique Pinho and Alex Kravchenko. We're expecting to be playing eight or nine levels today starting in around half an hour. We'll be here all day with all the news and action as well some top quality videos from Kristy Arnett and Laura Cornelius!
Level: 1
Blinds: 50/100
Ante: 0
Let's Play
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
We've got a sparse crowd today as the Sunday action on PokerStars has kept most of the notables tucked away in their hotel rooms to catch up on sleep.
With just a handful of tables in play, the cards are in the air on Day 1a!
Players Registered But Not Seen
These are the players that have registered so far that we recognise. We expect today's field to be the much smaller of the starting flights. That might have some to do with some special online tournaments that played out last night.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
30,000 | |
|
30,000 | |
|
30,000 | |
|
30,000 | |
|
30,000 | |
|
|
30,000 | |
|
30,000 | |
|
30,000 | |
|
30,000 | |
|
30,000 | |
|
30,000 |
A Few More Actually Seen
Another smattering of notables, including a former EPT Champion. Michael Eiler took down EPT Vienna last season, and he's here looking for trophy number two this week. Also joining up in the last couple minutes were November Niner Eoghan O'Dea and WSOPE Main Event finalist Dermot Blain.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
30,000 | |
|
30,000 | |
|
30,000 | |
|
30,000 | |
|
30,000 | |
|
30,000 | |
|
30,000 |
Scheduling Notes
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
We've just heard word from the staff that we're going to play eight levels with no dinner break today, which means we should bag up just before 9:00 P.M. local time.
There are just about 80 players registered for this opening flight so far.
Staszko Loses a Little
Martin Staszko just dropped a couple of thousand, he called a 1,225 bet on the turn of a 
board against the big blind to see the :Kd on the river. His opponent wasted little time in putting out a bet of 2,525. Staszko stared down his opponent but didn't appear to get much of a read, he then opted for a fold.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
28,000 | -2,000 |
Staszko Rebounds
Five players saw the flop for 250 chips apiece, including big blind Martin Staszko. It checked all the way through the 
, and Staszko led out with 700 when the 
turned. Only one player called him, and the landed on the river. Staszko's last bet of 1,600 was paid off quickly, and he tabled 
to win the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
31,000 | 3,000 |
Table Buddies
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
WSOP Main Event finalist Eoghan O'Dea has sat down on the same table as Erich Kollmann and Juha Helppi while bracelet winner James Dempsey is sitting next to another WSOP Main finalist, the runner-up and Team PokerStars Pro Martin Staszko. Finally Barny Boatman is joined by English pro David Gent at the far end of the table.