button in Safari332 Players Back on Day 2 of Estoril Poker Fest
The inaugural Estoril Poker Fest will go down as a landmark event in Portuguese poker history after attracting a huge field of 2,011 entries in the €500 Main Event, making making it one of the bigges poker tournament ever held in the country by far.
Now, attention turns to the battle for the title, with 332 players set to return to Casino Estoril this Saturday, May 16, for Day 2.
Following the four starting flights, six players managed to bag seven-figure stacks, with Benjamin Legrusley leading the way after turning his Day 1a run into a massive stack of 1,830,000. The Frenchman is followed by Day 1c chip leader Bastien Riviere (1,122,000) and Winamax Team Pro Gus Hansen, who ended his flight with 1,063,000.
Also joining the millionaire’s club are Marek Holer (1,047,000), Jimmy Irlat (1,044,000), and Moundir Zoughari (1,020,000). All six players will return with strong ambitions as the full payout details are set to be announced at the start of play.
Top 10 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Benjamin Legrusley | France | 1,830,000 | 229 |
| 2 | Bastien Riviere | France | 1,122,000 | 140 |
| 3 | Gus Hansen | Denmark | 1,063,000 | 133 |
| 4 | Marek Holer | Czechia | 1,047,000 | 131 |
| 5 | Jimmy Irlat | France | 1,044,000 | 131 |
| 6 | Moundir Zoughari | France | 1,020,000 | 128 |
| 7 | Hugo Blaison | France | 970,000 | 121 |
| 8 | Dylan Patanchon | France | 970,000 | 121 |
| 9 | Thomas Betourne | France | 967,000 | 121 |
| 10 | Kendji Charles | France | 960,000 | 120 |
After finishing 15th in the last EPT Monte-Carlo Main Event, Hugo Blaison bagged 970,000, the same amount as Dylan Patanchon. They both finished ahead of Jose Quintas (930,000), Omar Lakhdari, who bubbled Day 1a before bagging 678,000 in Day 1b, Manuel Borges (636,000), Hugues Mazerolle (500,000), and WSOP Main Event finalist Malo Latinois (478,000).
Poker streamer Jean Salaun (361,000), fresh off his victory in the Darts Open, and his friend Hadrien Gallois (162,000) also advanced to Day 2, alongside Sylvain Berthelot (286,000), WSOP bracelet winner Jonathan Therme (232,000), and Ilan Cukrowicz (232,000).
Following in Hansen’s footsteps, fellow Winamax teammates Bruno Lopes (286,000), Joao Vieira (276,000), Romain Lewis (266,000), Pierre Calamusa (185,000), and Davidi Kitai (86,000) also made the money, along with Gaelle Baumann (112,000) and Lucia Martinez (67,000).
Ferdinando D’Alessio, however, will need a quick double-up after bagging just over one big blind with 12,000. Still, that’s three times more than Lucien Cervettaz, who will return with only 4,000 at the restart.
Play resumes at noon local time with blinds at 4,000/8,000 and an 8,000 big blind ante, while levels will now increase to 35 minutes. The payout structure will be revealed at the restart, and the day is expected to conclude around the final two or three tables, depending on the pace of eliminations.
PokerNews will be on the floor at Casino Estoril to bring you all the updates until a winner is crowned!