£5,300 EPT Main Event
Day 1a Completed
2022 PokerStars EPT London
£5,300 EPT Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1a
2022 PokerStars EPT London
Buy-in
£5,300
Prize Pool
£3,632,650
Entries
749
Level
34
Blinds
150,000 / 300,000
Ante
300,000
Entries
261
Players Left
83
Balakrishna Patur Bags Big After EPT London Main Event Day 1a Field; Coren Mitchell Busts After Aces Cracked
Level 9
: 600/1,200, 1,200 ante
The first PokerStars European Poker Tour London Main Event in over eight years got underway at the Hilton Park Lane today, with 262 players joining the first of two starting flights.
The Day 1a field was whittled down to just 83 players over the course of ten levels, with Luis Pinho ending the day as chip leader with 260,000.
He leads Balakrishna Patur (233,500) and Sergio Coutinho at the top of the counts, with EPT regular Ognyan Dimov also bagging a top-five stack ahead of Day 2.
Patur thought he'd grabbed the overnight chip lead for himself after winning a healthy pot in the last hand of the night, and said that he'd enjoyed himself at the tables.
Other notables who bagged healthy stacks included Roland Rokita (197,500) and Anton Wigg (175,000).
| Rank | Name | Country | Chips | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luis Pinho | Poland | 260,000 | 173 |
| 2 | Belakrishna Patur | United States | 233,500 | 156 |
| 3 | Sergio Coutinho | Malta | 205,500 | 137 |
| 4 | Ognyan Dimov | Bulgaria | 200,500 | 134 |
| 5 | Roland Rokita | Austria | 197,500 | 132 |
| 6 | Frederik Brink | Denmark | 197,500 | 132 |
| 7 | Alexandre Vuilleumier | France | 188,000 | 125 |
| 8 | Alan Pham | Australia | 183,500 | 122 |
| 9 | Alexis Laroche | Canada | 182,500 | 122 |
| 10 | Patrick Brooks | England | 182,000 | 121 |
Day 1a Recap
Plenty of familiar faces were in action on Day 1a including British players Jamie Nixon, Guy Taylor, Tom Middleton, Jack Sinclair and Barny Boatman, but there were plenty of international stars joining the field such as Kenny Hallaert, Paulina Loeliger, Joao Vieira and WSOP Main Event champion Espen Jorstad.
Several of these managed to survive through to Day 2, but it wasn't such a good day for former EPT London champion Victoria Coren Mitchell who survived until the eighth level of the day before being eliminated holding pocket aces by Lawrence Brandt, fresh from securing his first cash on English soil in the UKIPT Main Event.
During the latter stages several High Roller regulars joined the field including Ben Heath, Daniel Dvoress and Timothy Adams — all of which secured a place in Day 2 at the first opportunity.
The second starting flight in the EPT London Main Event starts at 12:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 23. Just like today, they will play ten 60-minute levels with 20-minute breaks every two levels. There will be a 75-minute dinner break after Level 6.
Any player who has not played yet, or any player who has busted and is yet to re-enter, can join the field before late registration closes at the start of Day 2.
Stay tuned to PokerNews for all the action from the EPT London festival.
End of Day 1a Chip Counts (full)
Level 9
: Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
260,000 | 90,000 |
|
233,500 | 23,500 |
|
205,500 | 5,500 |
|
200,500 | 70,500 |
|
197,500 | 197,500 |
|
197,500 | 197,500 |
|
188,000 | -7,000 |
|
183,500 | -1,500 |
|
182,500 | 12,500 |
|
182,000 | 77,000 |
|
180,500 | 45,500 |
|
175,500 | 149,500 |
|
170,500 | 10,500 |
|
170,500 | 10,500 |
|
169,500 | 169,500 |
|
165,000 | 165,000 |
|
163,000 | -7,000 |
|
162,000 | -3,000 |
|
150,500 | 150,500 |
|
142,000 | 2,000 |
|
136,000 | 1,000 |
|
126,000 | 126,000 |
|
|
125,000 | |
|
124,000 | 74,000 |
|
124,000 | 44,000 |
Four More Hands
Level 9
: 600/1,200, 1,200 ante
Tournament officials have drawn for the number of hands to be drawn tonight, with players playing four more hands before bagging up for the night. Stay tuned for a full recap right here on PokerNews.
Patur Dodges Bitar's "Many Outs" to Double Up
Level 9
: 600/1,200, 1,200 ante
Balakrishna Patur raised and a player flat-called before Ghassan Bitar three-bet from the blinds. Patur four-bet and only Bitar called.
The flop landed 
and Bitar opted to lead out for 16,500. Patur called. The turn brought the 
and Bitar moved all in for 66,700, sending Patur into the tank and he eyed the tournament clock on the wall.
"I hate to do this. I don't think I can fold. Alright, buddy," Patur said before calling with slightly less.
Balakrishna Patur: 
Ghassan Bitar: 
Bitar tabled his holding, top pair and a turned straight draw, and Patur proudly slammed down ace-king to show himself to be ahead. He still had to dodge a seven, jack or queen to avoid being eliminated. He was able to do so as the 
bricked off on the river and he let out a triumphant "YES!" as the river card peeled off.
"Many outs," Bitar said glumly as he was left with crumbs.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
165,000 | |
|
2,000 |
Big Stacks Tangle
Level 9
: 600/1,200, 1,200 ante
Action was on a river where Jack O'Neill was facing a 6,000 bet from Giovanni Petroni into a pot of over 35,000.
The board was 
and O'Neill was agonizing over his decision.
"I feel like you have ace-jack," said O'Neill. "Which would be a fold, but I'm getting such a good price."
He eventually called with Petroni showing 
for a set of fours and O'Neill mucked.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
165,000 | -25,000 |
|
140,000 |
Trotter Check-Raises Beresford
Level 9
: 600/1,200, 1,200 ante
Paul Trotter opened in middle position and Conor Beresford three-bet from the button. Trotter called.
Trotter checked on the flop of 
and Beresford continued for 6,200. Trotter responded with a check-raise to 16,000 and Beresford, who finished second in the £1,100 UKIPT Main Event earlier today for £145,120, quickly folded.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
135,000 | |
|
52,000 | -8,000 |
Checking in on the Big Stacks
Level 9
: 600/1,200, 1,200 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
190,000 | 100,000 |
|
|
185,000 | 115,000 |
|
|
170,000 | 110,000 |
|
|
170,000 | 100,000 |
|
|
170,000 | 70,000 |
|
|
160,000 | |
|
|
160,000 | -10,000 |
|
|
135,000 | 45,000 |
|
|
125,000 | -60,000 |
|
|
120,000 |
Pyke Takes from Maekelberg
Level 9
: Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante
Karim Maekelberg and Danny Pyke were in an early position confrontation on a board of 
with an array of chips already in the middle.
Maekelberg put out a turn bet of 35,000, which was enough to get Pyke to fold for Maekelberg to scoop the big pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
75,000 | 75,000 |
|
65,000 | 65,000 |
Ace-High Good for Hallaert
Level 9
: Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante
On a 
board Kenny Hallaert checked out of the small blind and Balakrishna Reddy Patur bet 2,000 from the button. Hallaert called.
The two players checked the 
turn and 
river and Hallaert showed and took down the pot.
"Good thing hearts did not come," said Patur showing the 
.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
105,000 | 105,000 |
|
|
80,000 | 8,000 |