€5,300 Main Event Day 1b | 2015 PokerStars.com EPT Season 12 Barcelona

08-26-2015 00:44 UTC+2

Bernabeu Bags Overall Lead in Record-Breaking Main Event; Piqué Can't Survive

Josh_Cahlik

Level 8 : 300/600, 75 ante

Gerard Piqué among the Day 1b casualties

On Tuesday, Season 12 of the European Poker Tour continued with Day 1b of the EPT Barcelona €5,300 Main Event. After eight 75-minute levels of play, it was Spain's Samuel Bernabeu who bagged the overall chip lead with 203,000.

The second starting flight drew a staggering 1,214 entries, bringing the total runners to 1,673. This number is likely to increase by a few digits as well, as registration will remain open until the start of Day 2. This impressive turn out was enough to break the record for largest-ever EPT main event, besting the previous record from Season 7's PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (1,560 entries).

Bernabeu's stellar showing on Day 1b moved him into the overall chip lead heading into the second day of play. Bernabeu bested Day 1a chip leader Imad Derwiche who finished the opening flight with 170,000.

The day began with an electric excitement about the tournament room, as staff and players alike anticipated a record-setting day. While the Main Event was cause for much of the excitement, the €25,000 Single-Day High Roller was also taking place in the main tournament room. This prestigious and unique format tournament drew the likes of professional footballers Neymar Jr. and Gerard Piqué. While both players were eliminated from that event, Piqué opted to try his luck in the Main Event.

Unfortunately for the FC Barcelona centre-back, his life in the Main Event was relatively short-lived. After becoming short-stacked, he moved all in before the flop for his last 2,200 and was called by two players. Piqué flopped bottom pair, but was ultimately unable to best Robert Zipf's middle pair. He was eliminated during the seventh level of the day.

Piqué was not the only familiar face to fall, as many of poker's elite were also denied the opportunity to win the largest EPT main event in history. Some of those to hit the rail throughout the day include Benny Spindler, Tom Middleton, Sam Grafton, Vanessa Selbst, Ari Engel, Barny Boatman, Yann Dion, Artur Koren, and Jannick Wrang.

On the flip side, several notable poker were able to thrive throughout the first eight levels and build sizable stacks heading into Day 2. The likes of Jude Ainsworth (155,800), Gaelle Baumann (107,700), Ryan Riess (103,500), Jan Heitmann (67,400), Fatima Moreira de Melo (65,400), and Johnny Lodden (48,200) will all return for the second day of action.

Speaking of that second day, it will all kick off on Wednesday at 12 p.m. local time inside the illustrious Casino Barcelona. As always, be sure to tune into PokerNews for all of the latest updates from the tournament floor.

08-25-2015 22:34 UTC+2

Piqué Falls

Josh_Cahlik

Level 7 : 250/500, 50 ante

A short-stacked Gerard Piqué was all in and at risk before the flop for just over 2,200. Both Nikolay Sharkov and Robert Zipf called, leaving the latter two heads up for a side pot.

The flop came out and Zipf fired out a bet. Sharkov quickly got out of the way, allowing the hands to be rolled on their backs.

Piqué:
Zipf:

Both players flopped a pair, but it was Zipf's tens that were out in front. The board finished with the and the , failing to improve Piqué's hand. He was sent to the rail for the second time today in Barcelona.

Player	Chips	Progress
Gerard Pique	Busted

Tags: Gerard Piqué

08-25-2015 20:03 UTC+2

Neymar and Piqué Not the Only Professional Footballers at the EPT

donpeters

Level 6 : 200/400, 50 ante

Neymar Jr. and Gerard Piqué aren't the only professional footballers to compete in the European Poker Tour, as we happened to find French player Camel Meriem seated in the back corner of the room.

At 35 years old, Meriem is a bit older than Neymar (23) and and Piqué (28), but he is still playing "the beautiful game" professionally. He made the most appearances for AS Monaco in Ligue 1 (110) while playing with the squad from 2005-2009, but most recently was involved with Apollon Limassol in the Cypriot First Division, where he made 61 appearances. According to reports, Meriem opted to leave Cyprus at the end of the 2014-2015 season.

From 2004-2005, Meriem appeared three times for the French National Team. His first national cap was in November 2004 against Poland. He scored 37 goals at the professional level, but none in his three national caps.

Meriem is currently playing the €5,300 Main Event, but looked to be down under 10,000 in chips when last laid eyes on him. We'll see if he can mount a counterattack going forward.

Player	Chips	Progress
Camel Meriem	8,000	8,000

Tags: Camel Meriem

08-25-2015 09:26 UTC+2

Are You Ready for a Huge Day 1b? 1,000+ Expected

donpeters

Welcome back for another day of poker from the fascinating city of Barcelona. Casino Barcelona, positioned beautifully along the Mediterranean coast in the Head and Hearth of Catalonia, will play host to another day of intense action on the felt, which includes Day 1b of the €5,300 Main Event.

On Monday's Day 1a, 459 entries were generated. Following the completion of the first eight 75-minute levels, 273 survived and France's colorful Imad Derwiche was on top with a stack of 170,000. Derwiche famously finished second in the European Poker Tour Grand Final €25,500 High Roller last season and will be looking to ride the early rush to a deep run.

It's no secret that the final starting day of an event usually draws the largest field. That has held true throughout the Season 12 EPT Barcelona festival, and we guarantee the same thing will happen in this one. With attendance records being shattered all over the place at this series, it should be expected that this event sees no different and over 1,000 players will be in action today.

Last year, 1,496 entries were tallied and a prize pool of €7,255,600 was generated. Germany's Andre Lettau won the event for €794,058.

Along with PokerNews' live coverage of the €5,300 Main Event, you can catch reporting from the €25,500 Single-Day High Roller that many of the high-stakes A-listers will be partaking in. And if you've missed out on some of the early winners from EPT Barcelona, be sure to check out the following three event recaps involving a few notable winners.

Be sure to stay tuned right here to PokerNews for continued live coverage of EPT Barcelona. Day 1b of the Main Event will kick off at 12 p.m. local time.