€175 Main Event - Road to PSPC Day 1a | Moneymaker's Road to PSPC 2020 - Dublin

11-22-2019 15:14 UTC

Dublin Hosts Latest Moneymaker's Road to PSPC 2020

Will Shillibier

Yesterday it was Chris Moneymaker's birthday, but come Monday players will be hoping that he will be the one giving not receiving a gift, as the latest leg of Moneymaker's Road to PSPC 2020 Tour reaches Dublin.

For just €175, players will be in with a chance of winning a coveted Platinum Pass (worth approx. $30,000), thereby punching their ticket to PokerStars Players Championship in Barcelona next year.

The Dublin leg features a €175 buy in and boasts three Day 1 flights

Day 1A - Friday 22nd November, 16:00
Day 1B - Saturday 23rd November, 13:00
Day 1C - Saturday 23rd November, 20:00

Registration is open for nine 30-minute levels, and there will be 14 levels on each Day 1. Day 1c is a turbo flight with 15-minute levels. Day 2 gets underway on Sunday at midday.

So far in the UK and Ireland stage of the Tour, Andrew Barham, Daniel Stancer and Valdir Santos (pictured) have won Passes but who will have the luck of the Irish this weekend to join them? Stay tuned to find out!

Each Platinum Pass (worth approx. $30,000) includes:

Buy-in to the €22,500 PSPC 2020 event
Six nights’ hotel accommodation for two people in a 5* Barcelona Hotel
Airport transfers
Bespoke PSPC Merchandise
€1,250 to cover expenses
Platinum Pass winner experiences during the event

Tags: Andrew Barham Daniel Stancer Valdir Santos

11-22-2019 16:02 UTC

2020 Platinum Pass Winner Parsons in the Field

Will Shillibier

Level 1 : 100/100, 0 ante

The Belfast student won his Platinum Pass at Lex Live back in May. Known as 'Predator410' online, he was one of six players that won a flip to be entered into a special Sit and Go.

Visitors to Lex Live were given a scavenger hunt-esque card with tasks on it. If you managed to complete ten out of fourteen tasks you were given a special stamp that entered you in a flip.

Twenty-four players got ten stamps or more and Parsons was one of the lucky ones. He then won a quick sit and go that was streamed live to secure a Platinum Pass for the 2020 PSPC in Barcelona.

Player	Chips	Progress
Tom Parsons	30,000 30,000	30,000

Tags: Tom Parsons

11-22-2019 16:57 UTC

Four Platinum Pass Winners in the Room

Will Shillibier

Level 3 : 100/200, 200 ante

There are currently three 2019 Platinum Pass winners in the field. Shaun Lennon won as the nominated #TeamIreland player and he was joined in the Bahamas by Blair Payne and Chris Martin. None of the three cashed so are back again to try and win their way to Barcelona in 2020.

One player already assured of a seat there is Tom Parsons. Scroll down to see how he won his way at Lexto the PSPC after winning a special sit and go at Lex Live!

11-22-2019 17:09 UTC

Moneymaker Joins the Field

Will Shillibier

Level 3 : 100/200, 200 ante

"A warm welcome to the Bonnington Hotel and Moneymaker's Road to PSPC 2020," Tournament Director Nick O'Hara announced over the microphone. "And a special Dublin welcome to Chris Moneymaker himself."

Moneymaker has joined the field recently, and a warm round of applause rippled through the field in appreciation. The former world champion was busy taking selfies and exchanging pleasantries with players at his table.

He'll be hoping that he gets as deep as possible and that handing over the Platinum Pass isn't the only action he has at the final table of this event!

Player	Chips	Progress
Chris Moneymaker	30,000

Tags: Chris Moneymaker

11-22-2019 18:45 UTC

Platinum Pass Secured; Parsons Looks for More Practice Ahead of PSPC 2020

Will Shillibier

Level 5 : 200/400, 400 ante

Tom Parson has already secured himself a Platinum Pass to the 2020 PSPC in Barcelona, but says that the allure of the live felt and the desire to get as much practice in before next year was just too much.

"I can't win another one," said Parsons on the first break of Day 1a of Moneymaker's Road to PSPC here in Dublin. "But live experience is always a good thing, especially with me looking forward to going to Barcelona. But it's also about meeting up with people again. It's really nice to have a little break, especially in the middle of my term time."

After emerging victorious in a special Lex Live sit and go, Parsons says that the live bug had bitten, leading him to travel and play more in preparation for next year.

"It was a ridiculous, ridiculous tournament. It was an amazing festival. It makes you want to travel and play more, even if it's not to a Lex Live. If it's just to one of these Moneymaker events, you're still going to see familiar faces and you're still going to meet people who you want to talk with.

"It gives online players like myself live experience that they don't usually get. They can still love the game of poker that they know but in a different context of playing live. It gives you then the rail, the social interaction. You can actually have a beer and a chat instead of talking in Twitch chat if you're streaming. I couldn't wait to get down here and I can't wait to try and play as many live events as possible."

Tags: Tom Parsons

11-22-2019 19:00 UTC

Up and Down for Martin

Will Shillibier

Level 6 : 200/500, 500 ante

We caught a glum-looking Platinum Pass winner from last year, Chris Martin on a downswing when he called with the nut flush draw with his on a flop of . One player held and Michal Janeczko had top set with

A safe turn and river saw Chris drop to 8k.

He then had an upswing as his rivered a straight against a set and two pair to treble up, before doubling up when his nut flush got paid by the second nut flush on a five-heart run out.

Player	Chips	Progress
Chris Martin	70,000 70,000	70,000

Tags: Chris Martin

11-22-2019 19:27 UTC

Over 250 Entries on Day 1a

Will Shillibier

Level 7 : 300/600, 600 ante

The tournament field has moved up above 250 players. They include Irish poker regular Vytautas Aganauskas along with Janos Jeszek who missed out on a Platinum Pass last year finishing as runner-up in the 2019 Mammoth.

One player who is no longer in the field is 2019 Platinum Pass winner Shaun Lennon who got it in with against of an opponent, however, the queens turned a set and rivered quads to eliminate Lennon.

Player	Chips	Progress
Vytautas Aganauskas	30,000 30,000	30,000
Janos Jeszek	30,000 30,000	30,000
Shaun Lennon	Busted

Tags: Janos Jeszek Shaun Lennon Vytautas Aganauskas

11-22-2019 20:19 UTC

Moneymaker Still in Approaching Dinner Break

Will Shillibier

Level 8 : 400/800, 800 ante

Just short of the halfway stage of Day 1a, Chris Moneymaker is sat on the feature table and says he's been enjoying himself.

"Not optimal. I'm sitting at 70,000 and I'm enjoying myself. I'm having a blast. It's a fun table. I've been trying to splash maybe a little bit too much.

"The numbers are great and there's a real buzz around the poker room."

Player	Chips	Progress
Chris Moneymaker	70,000 20,000	20,000

11-22-2019 21:46 UTC

Mazilu Runs into Aces; Harding Soaring

Will Shillibier

Level 9 : 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

Michael Mazilu opened to 2,700 and got one caller before Ektor Strumi three-bet to around 12,000. Mazilu four-bet all in for around 40,000. The caller folded and Strumi called putting Mazilu at risk.

Michael Mazilu:
Ektor Strumi:

The board ran out and Mazilu was eliminated, moving Strumi up above 100,000 in chips. Meanwhile Aaron Harding is the chip leader at his table with 170,000.

Player	Chips	Progress
Aaron Harding	170,000 37,000	37,000
Ektor Strumi	120,000 88,000	88,000
Michael Mazilu	Busted

Tags: Aaron Harding Ektor Strumi Michael Mazilu

11-22-2019 22:25 UTC

Follow the Road to PSPC 2020 Livestream!

Will Shillibier

Level 11 : 800/1,600, 1,600 ante

Fintan 'EasyWithAces' Hand and Georgina 'GJReggie' James

Over the next three days a rotating cast of commentators including PokerStars Ambassadors Fintan 'EasyWithAces' Hand and Georgina 'GJReggie' James will be on hand to broadcast coverage of Moneymaker's Road to PSPC 2020 from the Bonnington Hotel, Dublin.

Stay up to date by following PokerStars on Twitch and YouTube to find the link for each day's coverage.

Tags: Fintan Hand Georgina James