€5,300 Main Event Day 1b | 2025 PokerStars EPT Barcelona

08-25-2025 19:05 UTC+1

Geci Flips Picone to the Rail

David Salituro

Level 7 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

Benjamin Jones raised to 2,000 in early position and Oleksandr Shevchenko called in middle position. Igor Picone then moved all in for 21,000 in the cutoff, Endrit Geci reshoved in the big blind, and both Jones and Shevchenko folded.

Igor Picone: A♣10♥ All in
Endrit Geci: 9♠9♥

Picone needed to overcome Geci's pair to stay alive, but he missed the 4♦3♣4♣2♥3♠ board and was sent to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Endrit Geci	60,000
Benjamin Jones	30,000

Oleksandr Shevchenko	20,000
Igor Picone	Busted

Tags: Benjamin Jones Endrit Geci Igor Picone Oleksandr Shevchenko

08-25-2025 19:03 UTC+1

Uenomachi Continues to Accumulate

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Kai Cocklin

Level 7 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

Husam Kchok raised to 1,600 from the hijack and Sumire Uenomachi called on the button. Sim Kok Wai also called from the big blind.

All three checked the 6♣5♦8♣ flop to the 2♣ turn, where when it got to Uenomachi, she bet 2,800. Wai called, but Kchok folded.

A 9♠ hit the river and after Wai checked, Uenomachi bet 7,000. Wai let it go.

Player	Chips	Progress
Sumire Uenomachi	75,000
Sim Kok Wai	60,000
Husam Kchok	60,000

Tags: Husam Kchok Sim Kok Wai Sumire Uenomachi

Level: 7

Blinds: 400/800

Ante: 800

08-25-2025 18:53 UTC+1

Chip Counts at Break

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David Salituro

Level 6 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Rifat Palevic	195,000 40,000	40,000
Fabian Bartuschk	190,000 190,000	190,000
David Taieb	190,000 67,000	67,000
Martin Tsvetanov	165,500 45,500	45,500
Joao Leao	151,000 1,000	1,000
Cesar Garcia	140,000 79,000	79,000
Emmanuel Lopez	126,000 126,000	126,000
Francesco Di Profio	116,000 4,000	4,000
Mario Colavita	111,300 700	700
Ramon Colillas	110,900 51,900	51,900
Sonny Franco	108,000 108,000	108,000
Mengshi Tian	108,000 53,100	53,100
Ouassini Mansouri	107,000 27,000	27,000
Arnaud Enselme	106,000 106,000	106,000
Jon Kyte	104,000 24,000	24,000
Leo Worthington-Leese	104,000 19,000	19,000
Steve O'Dwyer	102,500 74,500	74,500

Maria Konnikova	93,500 48,300	48,300

James Carroll	93,000 22,000	22,000
Nicolas Tytgat	93,000 93,000	93,000
Ren Lin	91,800 46,800	46,800
Ahmad Abdelhadi	87,000 49,800	49,800
Aristidis Theodoridis	86,800 10,500	10,500
Timo Kamphues	85,000 85,000	85,000
Dominik Panka	83,700 42,900	42,900

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08-25-2025 18:00 UTC+1

Negreanu & Hellmuth Missing from National Heads-Up Poker Championship | PokerNews Podcast #911

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Kaelaine Minton

Level 6 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

In the 911th episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway and Mike Holtz are joined by special guest cohost Ben Ludlow to talk about all the latest poker news, gossip, and stories from the poker world. That includes diving into the bracket of the National Heads-Up Poker Championship, which was missing several big names like Phil Hellmuth and Daniel Negreanu. They offer their thoughts on some of the more interesting matchups as well as who they think might do well.

They then take a look at the legal troubles of former NBA star Gilbert Arenas, who was recently arrested and charged with illegal gambling, ClubWPT Gold acquiring Doug Polk's Upswing Poker, and the "beloved" Poker Palace closing in Las Vegas after more than 50 years in operation.

Finally, the crew shows some photos from Kyna England's recent adventure to the Cat Con in California. Speaking of Kyna, don't forget to check out her new show, MSPT Podcast Presented By PokerNews, which she is co-hosting with Chad to talk all things Major Series of Poker: The Tour. The first episode is out now!

A new PokerNews Podcast drops every Thursday at 8a PT / 11a ET / 4p UK time. Remember to subscribe to our YouTube channel so you do not miss an episode!

Click here to listen to the new PN Podcast!

08-25-2025 17:40 UTC+1

Dinner Break

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Maxime Taldir

Level 6 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

A total of 710 players reached the end of Level 6 and are now on a 75-minute dinner break. Play is set to resume at 7:55 pm local time.

08-25-2025 17:35 UTC+1

Pre-Dinner Bustouts

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David Salituro

Level 6 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Thomas Muehloecker	Busted
Alessio Isaia	Busted
Adrian Cazacu	Busted
Faraz Jaka	Busted

Rutger Hennen	Busted
Mateusz Moolhuizen	Busted
Florian Vogel	Busted
Ermanno Di Nicola	Busted
Ian Bradley	Busted
Fillipe Santos	Busted
Traian Stanciu	Busted
Imad Derwiche	Busted
Kimmo Kurko	Busted
Justin Zaki	Busted
Antoine Saout	Busted
Tom Talboom	Busted
Mitchell Hynam	Busted
Maksim Bura	Busted
Muhamet Perati	Busted
Nacho Barbero	Busted

08-25-2025 17:30 UTC+1

Second Pair Good for Hand on Scary Board

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Kai Cocklin

Level 6 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Fintan Hand and Leo Worthington-Leese had built a pot of around 20,000 on an all-club board of J♣Q♣8♣3♣. Hand was in the small blind and checked it over, and Worthington-Leese also knuckled back.

The 5♠ on the river was also checked down, and Hand flipped A♦J♥ for a pair of jacks. Worthington-Leese didn't have that beat as his cards hit the muck, which gave Hand a boost to his stack as the dinner break approached.

Player	Chips	Progress
Leo Worthington-Leese	85,000 30,700	30,700
Fintan Hand	55,000 20,400	20,400

Tags: Fintan Hand Leo Worthington-Leese

08-25-2025 17:30 UTC+1

Glaser Runs Into a Monster

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David Salituro

Level 6 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Giorgio Donzelli raised to 1,500 under the gun and James Carroll three-bet to 4,800 on the button. Benny Glaser then moved all in for 17,200 in the big blind and Donzelli gave it some thought before folding, but Carroll snap-called to put Glaser at risk.

Benny Glaser: A♠K♠ All in
James Carroll: K♥K♣

Glaser was left looking for an ace against Carroll's kings, but no help arrived on the 7♣2♠5♣7♥J♣ board and he was sent to the rail.

Glaser had taken the seat of Axel Hallay, whose "chip-and-a-chair story" did not have a fairy tale ending after all.

Player	Chips	Progress
James Carroll	115,000 15,000	15,000
Giorgio Donzelli	15,000 15,000	15,000
Benny Glaser	Busted
Axel Hallay	Busted

Tags: Benny Glaser Giorgio Donzelli James Carroll

08-25-2025 17:29 UTC+1

Franchi Hero-Calls

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Maxime Taldir

Level 6 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

The action was picked up on a board of Q♦6♣9♣7♦Q♣ after Peter Csecsetka in the small blind bet 4,300.

Malcolm Franchi in early position went deep into the tank. "I don't know what to do," he said before eventually making the call with A♠J♥ for ace-high.

Csecsetka flipped over K♦8♦ for a missed flush draw, caught by Franchi who scooped the pot.