€5,300 Main Event
Day 1a Completed
2015 PokerStars EPT Season 12 Prague
€5,300 Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2015 PokerStars EPT Season 12 Prague
Buy-in
€5,000
Prize Pool
€5,063,400
Entries
1,044
Level
36
Blinds
250,000 / 500,000
Ante
50,000
EPT12 Prague Main Event Day 1a: No One Bags Bigger Than Astapau
Level 8
: 300/600, 75 ante
Day 1a of the 2015 PokerStars.com EPT Season 12 Prague €5,300 Main Event saw 254 players take to the felt, but after eight 75-minute levels of play, 144 punched their ticket to Day 2, including EPT regular Anton Astapau, who leads the pack with 190,600 in chips.
Others to make it through the day were Ghattas Kortas (151,200), EPT11 Grand Final champ Adrian Mateos (150,200), Rainer Kempe (137,400), Donnacha O'Dea (72,400), and Byron Kaverman (67,900).
Of course not everyone was lucky enough to bad chips. World Series of Poker bracelet winner Craig McCorkell was the first elimination of the day after running kings into the pocket aces of Charlie Carrel in the first level. Before long, he has company on the rail including Pierre Neuville, who was fresh off his seventh-place finish in the 2015 WSOP Main Event; WSOP Millionaire Maker champ Jonathan Dimmig; 2014 WCOOP champ Fedor "CrownUpGuy" Holz; and WSOP Europe champ Kevin MacPhee.
Shortly before the dinner break, a big four-way hand went down that involved Team PokerStars Pro Andre Akkari and resulted in a double elimination.
It began when Antonio Costa Alfaia opened for 650 and [Removed:30], a former footballer for Crystal Palace FC, called from the hijack. The player on the button came along, Akkari did the same from the small blind, and a short-stacked Muzaffer Akin called from the big to make it five-way action to the 
flop.
Akkari checked, Akin shoved all in for 5,575, and Alfaia moved all in over the top for 12,875. Kebe thought for a moment before making the call, the players on the button folded, and Akkari hit the tank before also calling. Akkai and Kebe then checked the 
turn, and then Akkari checked for a third time on the 
river. Kebe fired out 20,000, and Akkari thought for a bit before releasing the 
for a flopped set.
Kebe then tabled the 
for the nuts, which of course bested the 
of Akin and 
of Alfaia.
Others who fell before the end of the day were Martin Finger, Dominik Nitsche, Dario Minieri, Davidi Kitai, Jonathan Little, Mustapha Kanit, and Team PokerStars Pro Jason Mercier.
On the flip side, some of the players who will return for Day 2 at Noon local time on Saturday are Charlie Carrel (120,500), Team PokerStars Pro Martin Hruby (58,200), Andre Akkari (34,600), and Liv Boeree (14,600), as well as Friend of PokerStars Natalie Hof (15,700)
Tomorrow, a whole new flight of players will visit the Hilton to take their shot at poker glory. Cards will be in the air at Noon local time, and the PokerNews Live Reporting Team will be on hand to capture all the action. Until then, check out this video from last night's EPT12 Prague Player Party:
Big Stacks and Notables
Level 8
: 300/600, 75 ante
With play having ended for the night, we've scoured the tournament floor for the biggest stacks in the room, and those not so large but that belong to household names. Is your favorite player on the list?
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
190,600 | 75,600 |
|
151,200 | -8,800 |
|
150,200 | 42,200 |
|
137,400 | 137,400 |
|
129,900 | 29,900 |
|
120,500 | 35,500 |
|
116,000 | 116,000 |
|
99,200 | -40,800 |
|
90,000 | 12,525 |
|
85,000 | 85,000 |
|
79,800 | 79,800 |
|
74,400 | 14,400 |
|
72,400 | 4,400 |
|
72,100 | -27,500 |
|
70,700 | 70,700 |
|
67,900 | 30,500 |
|
64,200 | 25,200 |
|
64,200 | 19,200 |
|
62,400 | 40,400 |
|
59,700 | -10,300 |
|
58,200 | |
|
47,100 | -26,900 |
|
42,500 | 42,500 |
|
35,000 | -5,000 |
|
34,600 | 20,600 |
Three More Hands
Level 8
: 300/600, 75 ante
The tournament staff just announced the remaining players will play three more hands before bagging and tagging for the night. We're headed down to the floor to capture any last-minute action and to compile a list of chip counts. Stay tuned for those as well as a full recap of the day's action.
Ung Among Late Night Eliminations
Level 8
: 300/600, 75 ante
Senh Ung was just eliminated from the tournament after a player in early position raised and Ung three-bet jammed for his last 7,000 from the button. Both blinds folded, the original raiser called with pocket jacks, and they held against the ace-queen of Ung.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
Busted | |
|
Busted | |
|
Busted | |
|
Busted | |
|
|
Busted | |
|
Busted | |
|
Busted | |
|
Busted | |
|
Busted | |
|
Busted | |
|
Busted | |
|
Busted |
Jaka Loses a Sizeable Pot Late in the Day
Level 8
: 300/600, 75 ante
Hady El Asmar raised to 1,300 from late position and Faraz Jaka three-bet him to 3,400 from the small blind. El Asmar called, and the dealer placed the 
flop onto the felt.
Jaka bet 4,100, El Asmar raised all-in for 18,825 in total, and Jaka called.
Jaka: 
El Asmar: 
Jaka needed a club or jack to avoid doubling El Amsar's stack, but it was El Asmar who improved, catching the 
on the river after the turn fell 
.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
55,000 | 26,000 |
|
39,000 |
Machado Aggression Pays Off
Level 8
: 300/600, 75 ante
Ivan Luca made it 1,500 to go from late position, a bet that Keith Johnson called from the next seat along. Next to act was Luis Tavares Machado and he squeezed all-in for 11,500. This was enough to fold Luca out, and Johnson mucked his hand soon after.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
56,000 | 26,000 |
|
34,000 | 4,000 |
A Pair of Eliminations
Level 8
: 300/600, 75 ante
On our way back up to the media area, we passed through the lobby where two familiar faces were lounging about. This led us to believe they'd been eliminated from the tournament, and sure enough a check with them confirmed it.
Dominik Nitsche explained that he had run queens smack dab into kings to bust in a pot of 80 big blinds.
Meanwhile, Rob Schiffbauer was the victim of a set-over-set flop. According to him, he raised under the gun with pocket sixes and his opponent in the small blind just called with pocket kings. The 
flop saw the small blind check-call a bet, and then check for a second time on the turn. Schiffbauer bet again, his opponent check-raised, and Schiffbauer shipped.
A call was made and the 
river was not the case six Schiffbauer needed to stay alive.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
Busted | |
|
|
Busted |
Blomlie Pushes Kurganov Off the Hand
Level 8
: 300/600, 75 ante
Igor Kurganov limped from the under-the-gun position and Mikal Blomlie did the same from the cutoff. The player in the big blind checked his option and three players saw a flop of 
. The big blind checked, Kurganov bet 1,500, and only Blomlie called to see the 
turn.
Kurganov bet again, this time 4,500, and Blomlie thought a bit before moving all in. Kurganov, who has 10,300 behind, snap-folded.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
55,000 | |
|
10,300 | -19,700 |
New Life for Newey?
Level 8
: 300/600, 75 ante
It appeared Paul Newey, who has been nursing a short stack most of the day, got his last 4,825 all in preflop against Thomas Muehloecker, who was fresh off his fifth-place finish in the €50,000 Super High Roller.
Newey:
Muehloecker: 
Newey was in need of some help, and he got it on the 
flop. The 
turn improved him to trips, and the 
river a full house for the double.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
26,000 | -4,000 |
|
10,000 | 5,200 |