Main Event
Day 1a Started
2018 partypoker LIVE UK Poker Championships
Main Event
Day: 1a
Welcome to Day 1A of the UK Poker Championships £1,100 Main Event
After an exciting couple of days of action in the partypoker LIVE UK Poker Championships £5,300 Super High Roller, today is the turn of the £1,000,000 GTD £1,100 Main Event. With four flights scheduled over two days, the action looks set to be frantic as players look to start a journey to what could potentially be for some life-changing money.
In a field full of live and online satellite winners, PokerNews will keep you up to date with all that's going on at Dusk Till Dawn Casino in Nottingham, and bring you live updates from the very first card in the air from noon later today, until the winner is crowned some time on Sunday the 25th February.
Today there are 12 levels of 40 minutes scheduled, with 15-minute breaks after every three levels. Players will start with 100,000 in chips.
Today's Structure
| Small Blind | Big Blind | Button Ante | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 500 | 1000 | 500 |
| 2 | 500 | 1000 | 1000 |
| 3 | 600 | 1200 | 1200 |
| 4 | 700 | 1400 | 1400 |
| 5 | 800 | 1600 | 1600 |
| 6 | 1000 | 2000 | 2000 |
| 7 | 1000 | 2500 | 2500 |
| 8 | 1500 | 3000 | 3000 |
| 9 | 1500 | 3500 | 3500 |
| 10 | 2000 | 4000 | 4000 |
| 11 | 2500 | 5000 | 5000 |
| 12 | 3000 | 6000 | 6000 |
Day 1b starts at 17:00 and PokerNews will bring you concurrent updates from both flights.
Level: 1
Blinds: 500/1,000
Ante: 500
Cards in the Air
Level 1
: 500/1,000, 500 ante
Without much ceremony, cards are in the air here at Dusk Till Dawn for Day 1A of the partypoker LIVE UK Poker Championships £1,100 Main Event.
Early Faces in the Field
Level 1
: 500/1,000, 500 ante
With 69 players registered, there are several well-known players in the field including Martyn Frey and Keith Johnson,both of whom were unsuccessful in the Super High Roller along with former top-flight footballer [Removed:30].
Also present is Christian Thiry, who is sixth on the Luxembourg all-time money list. As one might expect there's not a lot of competition, and Thiry is just $50,000 away from taking over top spot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
100,000 | 100,000 |
|
100,000 | 100,000 |
![[Removed:30]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
|
100,000 | 100,000 |
|
100,000 |
Frey First Elimination of the Day
Level 1
: 500/1,000, 500 ante
With barely half of the first level of the day gone Dritan Arapi raised from under the gun and Martyn Frey three-bet from the next position. Arapi called and the flop came 
. Arapi bet 8,000 and Frey raised to 35,000. Arapi moved all in and Frey called.
Dritan Arapi: 
Martyn Frey: 
The board bricked out and Frey found himself sent to the exit as the first elimination of the day.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
200,000 | 100,000 |
|
|
Busted |
Thiry Chips Up; Middleton and Breviglieri Join the Field
Level 1
: 500/1,000, 500 ante
On a board of 
one player checked to Christian Thiry who bet 10,000 into a pot of around 50,000. His opponent called and Thiry turned over 
for two pair. His opponent mucked with a disgusted look on his face.
Meanwhile Tom Middleton joined the field, and had already chipped up to well over starting stack. "I made a set," said Middleton when asked.
Also joining the field is partypoker Ambassador Natalia Breviglieri, fresh from her deep run in the Open where she finished 14th.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
138,000 | |
|
|
125,000 | 25,000 |
|
100,000 |
Stanway Doubles Through Stannard
Level 1
: 500/1,000, 500 ante
"What a Hollywood," said Thomas Stannard as we were approaching his table. He was facing an all-in bet of 29,500 from his opponent Dan Stanway on a flop of 
.
"If you're three-betting king-ten you're probably three-betting ace-six," mused Stannard aloud before calling. Eventually he did so and Stanway turned over 
. Stannard was forced to show 
.
"Nice float on the flop," said Stannard as Stanway stacked his chips. He now is back to around starting stack.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
105,000 | 50,000 |
|
|
51,000 | -49,000 |
Level: 2
Blinds: 500/1,000
Ante: 1,000
Field Already Over 100 Players
Level 2
: 500/1,000, 1,000 ante
With one level in the books, the tournament clock shows 122/125 players remaining, with two of three eliminations having already opted to use their single re-entry per day.