Guillaume Darcourt Leads the Charge. En Garde!

A total of 591 players registered for the PokerStars.fr EPT Deauville Main Event during the first two days; 199 on Day 1a and 392 on Day 1b. There might just be some latecomers registering today, you'll be able to get a seat up till the start of Day 2.

Leading the charge is French poker veteran Guillaume Darcourt with a whopping 167,800 in chips. As the tournament continues in level 9 today (400/800), that translates to 210 big blinds. PokerStars Team Pro's Jan Heitmann (126,100/158 bb) and Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier (123,500/154 bb) also amassed big stacks on Day 1.

The money won't be reached today, a champion won't be crowned. That makes today a day of pure surviving and gathering chips. We'll be sure to keep an eye on the shorter stacks as they'll be trying to get things going early on. Isaac [Removed:250] with 5,500 (7 bb) in chips is the shortest to start, while familiar faces like Marius Pospiech (8,600/11b), Olof Haglund (10,400/13bb), and Gaelle Baumann (13,700/17 bb) will also have to get into action early on. Eugene Katchalov, who finished runner up in this event here last year, ended Day 1 with a mere 16,000 (20bb) in chips and will have to get busy soon as well.

While last years winner Sotirios Koutoupas was eliminated in one of the last levels yesterday, three former Deauville champions are still in. PokerStars Team Pro Jake Cody, who won this event back in 2010 (€875,000), brings 53,000 in chips. Lucien Cohen, winner in 2011 for €880,000, bagged 85.600. Both of them are topped by Remi Castaignon who won EPT Deauville in 2013 for €770,000, bagged 91.800 late last night.

Six 75-minute levels will be played on Day 2, with no reason for a dinner break. After every two levels there'll be a 20-minute break. Bagging and tagging should start again around 8:15 pm local time. These six levels played today will mark the last of the 75-minute era, from tomorrow onwards the levels will be 90 minutes.