Steve O'Dwyer is somewhat of a regular on the European poker circuit so it is no surprise to find him participating in the EPT Deauville main event. He is seated on Table 4 where he has already added to his starting stack.
Jean Philippe Roosens opened the betting with a raise to 250 from middle position. A couple of players folded before Ronan Monfort (cutoff) and O'Dwyer (small blind) called.
The dealer placed the flop onto the felt and the action passed around to Monfort who bet 475. O'Dwyer called and Roosens got out of the firing line and folded.
O'Dwyer then lead for 1,300 chips upon the arrival of the on the turn and was quickly called by Monfort. The dealer put the into play while Monfort stared down O'Dwyer. Despite having Monfort's eyes burning a hole in his head, O'Dwyer pulled the trigger again and made it 3,700 to play. Monfort looked like he was going to call, but after a recheck of his cards, he let his hand go.
Former EPT champion and tour regular, Kevin MacPhee, is off to a great start after doubling up and eliminating a player.
There was a raise and a call from Brahim Oubella before MacPhee three-bet to 1,100 from the big blind. The initial raiser called before Oubella four-bet to 2,600. MacPhee responded with a five-bet to 6,600. Only Oubella called to the flop where he faced a 5,075 bet. He had a little more than 21,000 left and into the middle they went.
“Do you really have jacks or tens?” asked MacPhee. “I call, I call.” He continued.
MacPhee opened and seemed relieved to see the appear from his Oubella’s hand. The board got a bit sweaty on the turn but the river was a safe .
It's a relatively serene scene in the poker room today, with players gathered around 50 tables at present in most cases quietly battling for small pots. The entire front half of the room is full, while the back quadrants have likewise become populated by players, dealers, and the soft riffling of chips.
We're past the halfway mark of the first 75-minute level of the day, and the big board is showing the total number of entrants for Day 1b creeping up near the 450-player mark. That's well above the 307 who came out on Sunday, although the overall total appears as though it will come up shy of the 889 who participated in the EPT Deauville Main Event last year.
Late registration remains open through the end of Level 2.
Vodka-loving Russian Vladimir Geshkenbein has just bought into the EPT Deauville main event and will no doubt be consuming several large vodka and bitter lemon drinks over the next few hours.
Dermot Blain and Fabrice Soulier were sat talking amongst themselves, laughing, smiling and generally enjoying their time here in Deauville. That was until Blain opened to 250 from the button and Soulier three-bet to 625 from the small blind, at that point there was an eerie silence.
The flop saw Soulier bet 400 and Blain call. The slowed down Soulier who checked and Blain checked behind. Soulier reverted back to betting when the landed on the river, making it 675 to play. Blain took a peak at his cards before sending them to the muck.
With Day 1b being the most popular of the two available starting days, it is no real surprise that a bunch of well-known and established pros have been seated on the same tables.
Table 21 is currently the home to the likes of Team PokerStars Pro Lex Veldhuis, Jack Ellwood and Davidi Kitai while Table 24 is hosting Team PokerStars Pro Vicky Coren, Sofia Lovgren, Michel Abecassis and Australia's James Bills.
Elsewhere, Table 28 to be exact, the trio of Aleh Plauski, David Sonelin and Luke Schwartz.
We will update you on any other pro-heavy tables we find.
Former French international football player turned poker player, Vikash Dhorasoo, was the second person eliminated today. He won 18 caps for France during a sometimes controversial career.
He joins Brahim Oubella on the rail, who was the player eliminated by Kevin MacPhee earlier.
At the end of the previous level, Xavier Detournel opened with a minimum raise to 200 from early position, then Emile Petit called from a couple of seats over. Davidi Kitai in late position next made it 700 to go, and it folded back to Detournel who called while Petit stepped aside.
The flop came . Detournel checked, and Kitai continued for 650. Detournel then quickly check-raised to 1,650, earning a look across the table from Kitai followed by a call. The turn brought the and a bet of 2,550 by Detournel, and Kitai called once more.
The river was the , and Detournel again acted without hesitation, repeating his bet of 2,550. Kitai called again, and Detournel turned over his for aces and deuces. But Kitai tabled to show a better kicker, and spotting photographer Neil Stoddart nearby grinned as he dragged the chips.
flop onto the felt and the action passed around to Monfort who bet 475. O'Dwyer called and Roosens got out of the firing line and folded.
on the turn and was quickly called by Monfort. The dealer put the 
into play while Monfort stared down O'Dwyer. Despite having Monfort's eyes burning a hole in his head, O'Dwyer pulled the trigger again and made it 3,700 to play. Monfort looked like he was going to call, but after a recheck of his cards, he let his hand go.
flop where he faced a 5,075 bet. He had a little more than 21,000 left and into the middle they went.
and seemed relieved to see the 
appear from his Oubella’s hand. The board got a bit sweaty on the 
turn but the river was a safe 
.
flop saw Soulier bet 400 and Blain call. The 
slowed down Soulier who checked and Blain checked behind. Soulier reverted back to betting when the 
landed on the river, making it 675 to play. Blain took a peak at his cards before sending them to the muck.
. Detournel checked, and Kitai continued for 650. Detournel then quickly check-raised to 1,650, earning a look across the table from Kitai followed by a call. The turn brought the 
and a bet of 2,550 by Detournel, and Kitai called once more.
for aces and deuces. But Kitai tabled 
to show a better kicker, and spotting photographer Neil Stoddart nearby grinned as he dragged the chips.
