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€5,300 EPT Main Event
Day 1a Completed
2024 PokerStars EPT Barcelona
€5,300 EPT Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info
2024 PokerStars EPT Barcelona
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1a
Buy-in
€5,300
Prize Pool
€9,578,750
Total Entries
1,975
Level
37
Blinds
300,000 / 600,000
Ante
600,000
Entries
697
Players Left
223
Players Left 1 / 1,975
Filter
Level 10
: Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante
Twenty years ago it all started here in Barcelona. The PokerStars European Poker Tour Barcelona has only gotten bigger and better since then, and a packed room filled up the Casino Barcelona today on Day 1a of the €5,300 Main Event to ring in the party.
A total of 697 players entered the opening flight of the EPT’s 20th anniversary, with 223 surviving to make it to Day 2. Yevhenii Kuzmin was one card away from elimination, but a rivered flush on the river allowed him to take in a massive three-way all in against Justin Saliba’s set and Youness Ait Hssain’s flopped straight as he ended up with 300,500 and among the chip leaders after Day 1a.
Day 1a Top 10 Chip Counts
| Place | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joost Hollak | Netherlands | 364,500 | 243 |
| 2 | Ram Sanati | Australia | 303,000 | 202 |
| 3 | Yevhenii Kuzmin | Ukraine | 300,500 | 200 |
| 4 | Andrea Salamone | Italy | 275,000 | 183 |
| 5 | Sean Jazayeri | United States | 237,500 | 158 |
| 6 | Pablo Ubierna | Spain | 222,000 | 148 |
| 7 | Preben Stokkan | Norway | 207,500 | 138 |
| 8 | Ian Hunter | United Kingdom | 203,000 | 135 |
| 9 | Toni Kaukua | Finland | 203,000 | 135 |
| 10 | Claudio Gordon | Brazil | 199,500 | 133 |
Preben Stokkan also ended up in the top 10 after taking out Espen Sandvik in a big pot with a pair of queens, ending up with 207,500. Other top stacks include EPT champion Mark Teltscher (199,000), Jack Hardcastle (181,500), Kenny Hallaert (164,000), and 2022 fourth-place finisher Fabiano Kovalski (127,000).
EPT Monte Carlo champion Derk van Luijk (122,000), PSPC champion Aliaksandr Shylko (118,000), Maria Ho (107,000), and Sam Greenwood (101,000) also survived the day, as did Peter Jorgne (91,500), Marle Spragg (66,000), two-time EPT champion Mike Watson (47,000), and PokerStars Team Pro Elias Gutierrez (33,500).
Reigning champion Simon Wiciak made an appearance in defense of his crown today but was unable to make it through the day and will have to try again on a second bullet. Lex Velduis burned through both of his bullets today, while Barny Boatman, Benjamin Spragg, and Fintan Hand also hit the rail. Alexander Stevic started it all here 20 years ago when he won the first-ever EPT title. He hasn’t cashed in an EPT event in more than a decade but he couldn’t miss the milestone celebration. His run proved short-lived, however, as he busted early in the day.
Day 1b begins tomorrow at noon when what is expected to be an even bigger field takes their shot at the title. Late registration remains open until the start of Day 2 on September 3, with players allowed one reentry.
Stay tuned as PokerNews returns tomorrow to provide all the action from another starting flight here at the EPT’s 20th-anniversary celebration in Barcelona.
Level 10
: Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante
Level 10
: Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante
Day 1a has ended with 223 players remaining out of 697 total entries.
Stay tuned for chip counts and a recap of the day's action.
Level 10
: Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante
Tournament officials announced that players will see three more hands before bagging up for the night.
Level 10
: Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante
Action was on the flop on a board of 6♣10♠2♣ when the chips went into the middle. Jose Maria Lamarca Capa was all in for 27,000 against Steven Jones, who had him covered.
Capa had A♣3♣ for a flush draw and Jones had Q♦10♥ for top pair.
The turn came 7♠ and the river was the 9♣. Capa made a flush on the river to win the pot and double his stack.
Level 10
: Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante
Stoyan Madanzhiev raised to 2,500 in early position before Viktor Jensen three-bet to 9,000 in the hijack. Benjamin Pollak four-bet to 20,000 on the button and Madanzhiev folded, but Jensen moved all in and Pollak called for his last 30,000.
Benjamin Pollak: A♥K♣ 
Viktor Jensen: A♠Q♠
Pollak had Jensen dominated as the flop came J♠6♠6♣. The 3♦ turn kept him in the lead, but the 4♠ river gave Jensen a flush and sent Pollak to the rail on one of the last hands of the night.
Level 10
: Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante
Action folded around to Adrian Kyiak who opened from the button for 2,800. Fiodor Martino defended the big blind.
Martino then check-called a bet of 2,000 on the J♠K♣6♥ flop. The K♠ river was checked by both players. Martino then led the 2♠ river for 3,700. Kyiak took a moment before calling. Martino had K♦Q♦ for trips which won him the pot.
Level 10
: Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante
Bryan Paris raised to 2,600 in the hijack and received a pair of calls, from Luigi Minfoli in the cutoff, and Josef Snejberg on the button.
The flop came A♥10♥8♣ and Paris checked. Minfoli did as well before Snejberg bet 6,600.
Paris responded with an all-in check-raise which quickly shed Minfoli, and then with potentially his last 34,000 at risk as well, Snejberg released his cards instead of his chips, sending the pot to Paris.
Level 10
: Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante
Casimir Seire open raised to 2,500 and Panagiotis Grigoriou called in late position and Andreas Antoniou three-bet to 14,500 from the small blind. Seire folded and Grogoriou called all in for 14,000. Players turned their cards.
Panagiotis Grigoriou: 9♣9♠
Andreas Antoniou: A♥A♣
Grigoriou was at risk and dominated, but the board ran out K♦2♦9♦4♥2♠ to give him a set of nines. He won the pot and doubled his stack.
