Boatman may need help to get back in the upper limits of the leaderboard after an early setback on Day 1e
Barny Boatman and Anton Bertilsson played out a dramatic early hand here on Day 1e of the £6 million guaranteed partypokerLIVE MILLIONS Main Event.
We joined the action on the final street as a completed board had played out and with a pot of 920,000 in the middle.
Bertilsson bet 215,000 and Boatman was the one with a decision. Only sat behind 900,000 and more than 1.1 million in the middle, Boatman elected to call and was shown by Bertilsson, a flopped straight good enough to win a big pot. Boatman was full of praise for his opponent.
"You bet exactly the right amount on each street. Well played." said Boatman.
The young Swede Bertilsson thanked his more decorated opponent. Boatman of course, has a WSOP bracelet to his name, along with over $3.5 million of live tournament cashes. Bertilsson is no slouch, however, and already has $1.2m in live results in the bank. He also has the chip advantage over Boatman at their table here on Day 1e.
The first of 10 levels is in the books, and with players getting comfortable at the Dusk Till Dawn Nottingham, the unavoidable eliminations have started rolling in.
So far 10 players have been knocked out of contention, and both Kevin Houghton and Morten Bonde has been sent packing from table #36 - the table of Jack Salter. More eliminations are sure to follow as the blinds go up and the shorter stacks from the many Phase 1-tournaments are forced into getting a move on.
Dominik Panka has busted in the first level of the day here in Nottingham, but has re-entered, so his many fans across his native Poland and indeed Europe can still cheer on their man.
Panka moved all-in pre-flop with and he was flipping for his life against Smires Fahd Bennani's pocket jacks. Panka could find no help, and while Bennani leaps to the top 10% of the chipcounts in one of Europe's most popular cardrooms, the Dusk Till Dawn Casino, Panka must try again.
"We can re-enter, right?" he asked immediately after being busted. "We can try again."
He took it extremely well and will be right back in the action just as soon as he's popped to the cash desk.
Dutch player Govert Metaal made a deep run in the £10,300 High Roller last night, and ended up cashing £20,000 for his 11th place finish. Some of those money are now being recirculated into the poker economy, as Metaal have bought into the Main Event.
Metaal hasn't had the best start so far though, as he's lost about a fifth of his 1 million chips starting stack.
Whether Jason Wheeler is a fan of Will Kassouf's is a matter of opinion and e're nothing but impartial. However, we'd be willing to bet a hefty amount that the two didn't exchange Valentine's Day cards.
During a hand Kassouf wasn't even involved in, he was clearly still the focus of Wheeler's table-talk, with Kassouf sat idling on his mobile phone.
"You're too busy with your fans these days." said Wheeler. "You were famous for, what, a week? You've taken a month."
"It's dealing with fans. They made me this t-shirt." quipped back Kassouf, who is wearing a shirt emblazoned with his catchphrase. Yes, that one.
"It's a scary thought that there are actually fanboys out there supporting you, Will."
"We've got a game now!" exalted Kassouf to nobody in particular.
Wheeler played out the hand. A three-bet to 52,000 pre-flop, and a c-bet post-flop to 62,000 and he had taken a pot, putting himself marginally ahead of a grinning.
"Welcome to the game." said a stony-faced Wheeler.
Jack Salter faced a bet of 75,000 on a board of , and gave it a good long thought before engaging in a bit of conversation with opponent Kevin Houghton.
"I've got a full house", Salter proclaimed.
"Like a pair of fives", Houghton asked.
"Better, I've got jacks", Salter replied, looking like a man who was ready to make the fold.
Whether the British pro picked something up on Houghton remains unknown, but ultimately he threw in the call, getting the obligatory good call-nod from Houghton.
"I've got a flush", Houghton said, but never revealed his hand as Salter instantly tabled for a full house. Salter is off to a good start at this day 1E of partypokerLIVE Millions Main Event.
partypoker ambassador Tony Dunst rarely dips below his starting stack early and true to trend, he's started as he means to go on, by winning chips.
We joined Dunst's latest hand as he was making another winning bet. On a board showing he bet 75,000 into 110,000 and got two layers to fold. That puts him above 1.1 million and might well make him feel omnipotent. Stay tuned to the live reporting from partypokerLIVE MILLIONS Main Event to find out why that might be relevant when talking to Tony in an interview with the traveling pro later on this afternoon.
Some of the match-ups at the partypokerLIVE MILLIONS Main Event tables are very intriguing .
Boris Becker will be hoping for plenty of aces against Ian Simpson, who will be serving up his usual brand of high quality professional poker. Who will pass the other? We look forward to finding out.
Kelly Saxby and partypoker ambassador Natalia Breviglieri do battle in the company of High Roller crusher Steve O'Dwyer, while Tony Cascarino and James Akenhead have been reunited as table neighbours.
Finally, Niall 'Firaldo' Farrell takes on Keith Cummins, who enters the tournament on the back of his best year in poker since his career began.
and with a pot of 920,000 in the middle. 
by Bertilsson, a flopped straight good enough to win a big pot. Boatman was full of praise for his opponent. 
and he was flipping for his life against Smires Fahd Bennani's pocket jacks. Panka could find no help, and while Bennani leaps to the top 10% of the chipcounts in one of Europe's most popular cardrooms, the Dusk Till Dawn Casino, Panka must try again. 
, and gave it a good long thought before engaging in a bit of conversation with opponent Kevin Houghton.
for a full house. Salter is off to a good start at this day 1E of partypokerLIVE Millions Main Event.
he bet 75,000 into 110,000 and got two layers to fold. That puts him above 1.1 million and might well make him feel omnipotent. Stay tuned to the live reporting from partypokerLIVE MILLIONS Main Event to find out why that might be relevant when talking to Tony in an interview with the traveling pro later on this afternoon.
and was called by her heads-up opponent throughout the hand, Paul Henson. 
made both players check, and while Duffy turned over 
she was beaten by Henson's 
