€7,700 + 300 German Open Main Event Day 1b | 2008 PokerStars.net EPT4 German Open - Dortmund

01-30-2008 19:57 UTC+2

Henriksson Enjoys His Surroundings

[user52009]

T6 Poker pro Anders Henriksson has had a good start here in Dortmund. Even if there are plenty of big names in today's field, Henriksson doesn't recognize anyone else at his table apart from fellow countryman Gunnar Rabe.

"So far everything looks fine. I have built my stack up to 14,000 and there are quite a few callers on the table. I had a good night's sleep and I am really ready to play some live poker since I have only played online lately," says Henriksson.

Tags: Anders Henriksson

Level: 4

Blinds: 100/200

Ante: 0

01-30-2008 19:49 UTC+2

Negreanu Fights Back

[user52009]

Daniel Negreanu came a long way to take part in the PokerStars EPT German Open.

"I was really tired after the flight, and I decided to skip the first level to be able to stay awake throughout the day. I lost 30 percent of my stack in the first three hands, but now I have gone back up to 8,800 and I can't complain", says the Canadian poker pro.

The crowd around Negreanu's table was too big and tournament announcer Thomas Kremser had to ask spectators to step back to give the players at the table some breathing room..

Tags: Daniel Negreanu

01-30-2008 19:43 UTC+2

Norinder Stays Alive

[user52009]

During the past few months, Mikael Norinder has been one of the strongest European players with final tables in Prague and Amsterdam. Now he has come to Dortmund for the first time and is aiming for another great result.

“I flopped two sets during the first half-hour, but lost them both to flushes. Being down to 5,000, I also doubled a short-stacked player up when my open-ended straight draw with a flush draw didn’t hit and my opponent's set of queens held up to bring me down to 2,200. Now I have got some chips back and I have 5,700 right now. Now I will start to play a little more aggressive,” said Norinder, with a big smile.

Tags: Mikael Norinder

01-30-2008 19:36 UTC+2

ElkY in Dominating Style

[user52009]

PokerStars pro Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier has taken over the lead through a mixture of luck and aggressiveness. He doubled up (with an extreme amount of luck) when he saw a flop of {A-Diamonds}

, while holding {A-Hearts}

against his opponent’s {J-Spades}

. ElkY check-raised to 2,200 and his opponent just called with his set of jacks.

The turn was {7-Clubs}

, ElkY’s opponent check-raised all-in, ElkY called and the river was {A-Clubs}

. Hitting one of his two outs gave the Frenchman the 30K pot.

Two hands later ElkY called a 575 raise pre-flop, called the 1,400 bet on the flop {A-Spades}

, called 3,400 when the {6-Spades}

came on turn and bet 5,000 on the {J-Clubs}

river, forcing his opponent to fold. There are many ways to win in poker, and ElkY knows them all.

Tags: Bertrand Grospellier ElkY

01-30-2008 19:03 UTC+2

Prague Champion Hot in Dortmund

[user52009]

Frenchman Arnaud Mattern had the best poker moment of his career when he won the PokerStars EPT Prague in December. Now he is back for more. After two levels on Day 1b, he is already up to 15,000.

Tags: Arnaud Mattern

01-30-2008 18:54 UTC+2

Hansen Back in Europe

[user52009]

Norway's most famous player, Thor Hansen, is in Dortmund to play the PokerStars EPT German Open. Thor has two WSOP bracelets and he might be the most experienced European poker player of them all. Thor got off to a good start and is now up to 14,500.

Tags: Thor Hansen

01-30-2008 18:50 UTC+2

“Top” Loses Half

[user52009]

Stig “Top” Rasmussen lost half his stack when a short-stacked player at his table went all-in and Stig called with top two pair. The opponent hit his flush and the former Danish handball pro is now down to 5K.

Tags: Stig Rasmussen

Level: 3

Blinds: 75/150

Ante: 0

01-30-2008 18:17 UTC+2

Obrestad Enjoys Dortmund

[user52009]

Poker prodigy Annette Obrestad entered this year’s EPT German Open on Day 1b. She has also started the day in her normal, aggressive style. On a {8-Hearts}

flop she check-raised to 1,300 when the button bet out 500. After a minute of thinking, the button laid down his hand and Annette added another couple of thousand to her stack.

“I have really been looking forward to this tournament. I hardly got any sleep last night, but I think I will be all right. As soon as I sit down at the poker table, I usually feel comfortable anyway,” says the 19-year-old female superstar.

Annette has 13,500, which at the moment is the biggest stack on Table 3.

Tags: Annette Obrestad