2015 PokerStars EPT Season 12 Prague

The 2015 PokerStars.com European Prague Season 12 festival, which began this past weekend, will feature 97 tournaments at the Hilton Prague. Today, the most expensive buy-in on the schedule, the €50,000 Super High Roller, kicked off as 42 unique entrants took to the felt.

In addition, either reentries were accounted for, to bring the total field size up to 50. With reentires and late registration open until the start of Day 2, that number is sure to go up, and will likely surpass last year's field of 51 entries (42 unique; 9 reentries).

As for Day 1, 33 players survived the night with the Netherlands' Luuk Gieles and his stack of 1.020 million leading the way.

Gieles got off to a hot start by scoring the first elimination of the day. It happened in Level 4 (1,000/2,000/300) when Gieles raised to 5,000 from early position and defending champ Leonid Markin three-bet to 12,000 from the button. With action back on Gieles, he four-bet to 40,000, and Markin called to see the flop.

Gieles checked, Markin moved all in for 125,500, and Gieles thought for a bit before calling with the . Markin was behind with the , and neither the turn nor river helped him.

Markin ended up reentering and finished the night as the second-shortest stack with 76,000.

Of course, not everyone was able to advance out of Day 1. Among those to bust were Yingui Li, Adrian Mateos, Juha Helppi, Henrik Hecklen, Anthony Zinno, and EPT Barcelona champ John Juanda.

Regarding Juanda, he bluffed off a large portion of his stack early on, but managed to work it back up. Unfortunately, his comeback came crashing down in the last level of the night. It happened when Joni Jouhkimainen opened for 11,500 from the hijack seat and was met by a three-bet to 30,000 from Juanda in the cutoff seat. Sylvain Loosli then four-bet to 76,000 from the small blind, Jouhkimainen folded, and Juanda thought for a bit before making the call. When the flop came down , Loosli led out for 42,000 and called when Juanda moved all in for approximately 260,000.

Juanda had the for over cards and a flush draw. Loosli had the and was ahead with his kings, but Juanda was drawing plenty live. The turn was no help to the Poker Hall of Famer, and neither was the river. With that, Juanda was eliminated from the tournament.

Among those who advanced to Day 2 are Ole Schemion (757,000), Sylvain Loosli (725,000), Igor Kurganov (666,000), Mustapha Kanit (593,000), last year's runner-up Paul Newey (384,000), and the sole PokerStars Team Pro in the field, Jason Mercier (94,000).

Official numbers and prize pool information will be available when Day 2 kicks off at 12:30 p.m. local time on Wednesday (late registration closes at 12:15 p.m.). Be sure to join us then for all the latest and greatest straight from the floor of the EPT Prague €50,000 Super High Roller.

While you wait for Day 2 to roll around, check out the following "Would You Rather" video with Mercier:

At 10 o' clock tonight (in 20 minutes) a no limit hold'em hyper turbo single rebuy super satellite to the €50,000 Super High Roller starts. Event number 19 has 10 minute blind levels and a starting stack of 10,000.

So if you're in Prague, have €5,100 left, and ready for a little bit of a gamble, come to the satellite room in the Hilton Hotel and you might just win a ticket so you can start tomorrow's Day 2 with 41 big blinds.

The action has been fast and furious these last couple of hands, with someone all in every other hand it seems. This time it was Tobias Reinkemeier all in again, this time for 208,000. Mercier was the one putting him at risk but Reinkemeier was in the lead with against . The board came and Reinkemeier doubled, leaving Mercier with just 119,000.

Anthony Zinno opened the pot with a raise to 12,000 from middle position. He was called by his neighbor Dario Sammartino and the two took a flop of . Zinno continued for 14,000 and Sammartino called.

The hit the turn and Zinno shoved all in for 90,000. Sammartino didn't hesitate and called with . Zinno tabled and could only hope for a chop. The on the river wasn't the king he was looking for and with just a couple hands to go for the day, Zinno departed.

He still has the option to re-enter till start of play tomorrow, so we might just hear more from the American all star.

The clock has been paused and the tournament director announced there were 6 more hands to be played. We'll report back to you with end of day chip counts and a recap of todays action.

Reinkemeier had worked his stack up to 105,000 again before doubling up once more. He shoved all in holding and got called by Jason Mercier who had . The flop came helping Reinkemeier well in front. The on the turn brought the possibility of a spoiled party for Reinkemeier, but the on the river was safe and he doubled up. Mercier still has 320,000 left, Reinkemeier up to over 200,000 again.

If Mike McDoanld wants to be crowned the Super High Roller champion he is going to need to reenter on Day 2 because Igor Kurganov has sent him to the showers.

Kurganov raised to 12,000 from under the gun, Anton Astapau called from the next seat along, Oleh Okhotskyi called on the button and Mike McDonald called from the big blind.

The flop fell , McDonald checked, Kurganov led for 30,000, Astapau called, Okhotskyi folded, and McDonald called. The turn saw McDonald check, Kurganov bet 90,000, and Astapau tank-fold. McDonald then check-raised all-in, and Kurganov beat him into the pot with a call.

McDonald:
Kurganov:

McDonald needed a heart for a flush otherwise his tournament was over, which it was when the river came the to send McDonald into the cold Prague air.

Fedor Holz made it 12,500 from early position and action folded to Leonid Markin in the small blind. Last years champion shoved all in for 67,500 and Holz made the call.

Markin was the owner of the best hand with , but he was by no means home safe as Holz tabled . The flop came helping Holz in front, but the German was left drawing dead after the hit the turn giving . The on the river was there just to make things official.