Main Event
Day 1a Completed
2017 PokerStars Championship Barcelona
Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2017 PokerStars Championship Barcelona
Buy-in
€5,300
Prize Pool
€8,157,700
Entries
1,682
Level
41
Blinds
800,000 / 1,600,000
Ante
200,000
Xavier Carriere Leads After Day 1a of the 2017 PokerStars Championship Barcelona Main Event
Level 8
: 400/800, 100 ante
The first of two starting days of the 2017 PokerStars Championship Barcelona Main Event is in the books. The poker world has traveled en masse to Casino Barcelona in the past week, where attendance records have once again been shattered all over. With 437 players showing up for Day 1a of the €7 million guaranteed Main Event, and a multitude of that expected for Day 1b, the capital of Catalunya remains one of the most popular poker stops in the world.
After eight levels of 75 minutes, 213 players made their way to Day 2, Xavier Carriere (205,700) of France bagging the overnight chip lead. Adalfer Morales Gamarra isn't far behind with 192,900 in chips. Gamarra finished 3rd in a €550 Hyper Turbo for €31,845 earlier this week and is riding the wave. Upeshka De Silva (180,000) rounded out the top three. Dario Sammartino (141,100), Ryan Riess (113,800), Christopher Kruk (107,400), Steve Warburton (92,000), Bart Lybaert (62,200), Dan Colman (59,000), Nick Petrangelo (37,000), Pierre Neuville (14,000), and Kenny Hallaert (13,000) also made it to Day 2.
It was an exciting day in Barcelona, as no fewer than three big winners were crowned. Russia's Igor Kurganov (€50,000 Super High Roller for €1,135,000), Argentina's Pedro Cairat (€1,100 PokerStars National Championship for €432,178), and Holland's Sander van Wesemael (€330 PokerStars Cup for €127,000) all added another fantastic result to their respective careers.
The day started off with a little over 100 players taking their seats right at the start. Fatima Moreira de Melo was one of the players active in the first level, scooping up a lot of small pots in the process. The Team PokerStars lasted until level 6 when she busted with pocket kings. On a trey-six-five-six board, De Melo called a shove, only to be shown ace-six for trips.
Moreira de Melo found herself in good company, as fellow Team PokerStars Pro Daniel Negreanu also busted on Day 1a. A tired Negreanu, who cashed in the €50K Super High Roller earlier during the day, got eliminated with trip sevens against a king-high flush in the penultimate level of the day. They were joined on the rail by Team PokerStars Online Pro Jaime Staples, 2014 World Champion Martin Jacobson, Christoph Vogelsang, Steve O'Dwyer, Gaelle Baumann, Benjamin Pollak, and Linus "LLinusLLove" Loeliger.
Of the 213 players that bagged chips at the end of the night, it was Dario Sammartino rocking one of the bigger stacks with 141,100. Sammartino biggest pot came when he held up with pocket kings in a massive clash against Jimmy Guerrero, where Guerrero bricked his straight and flush draws.
2013 World Champion Ryan Riess bagged 113,800 and is also a strong contender going forward. During the last hour of the day, Riess overbet with pocket jacks on a nine-deuce-nine-seven board with two hearts. His opponent called with pocket tens and busted, which moved Riess up over the 100k mark.
On Tuesday at noon local time, Day 1b will commence. Like last year, over 1,000 players are expected to take their shot at the €7 million guaranteed prize pool. Eight levels of 75 minutes will be played, with a 75-minute dinner break scheduled after level six. All players will receive 30,000 in chips.
Survivors from Day 1b will join those from Day 1a on Wednesday, August 23rd at 12 p.m.. Follow PokerNews throughout the week and don't miss anything from the inaugural PokerStars Championship Barcelona.
End-of-Day Chip Counts (full)
Level 8
: 400/800, 100 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
205,700 | 124,700 |
 |
||
|
192,900 | 27,900 |
|
|
||
|
183,000 | 3,000 |
 |
||
|
174,200 | 115,700 |
 |
||
|
162,500 | |
|
|
||
|
149,200 | 24,200 |
|
|
||
|
149,100 | 149,100 |
|
|
||
|
142,000 | 78,000 |
 |
||
|
141,100 | 21,100 |
|
|
||
|
137,100 | 79,600 |
|
|
||
|
136,700 | 40,700 |
|
|
||
|
135,500 | 100,500 |
|
|
||
|
133,100 | 43,100 |
|
|
||
|
130,400 | |
|
|
||
|
130,000 | 15,000 |
|
|
||
|
128,200 | 55,200 |
|
|
||
|
125,100 | |
|
|
||
|
124,100 | 124,100 |
|
|
||
|
122,500 | |
|
|
||
|
121,400 | |
|
|
||
|
120,000 | 5,600 |
|
|
||
|
115,500 | |
|
|
||
|
113,800 | -6,200 |
 |
||
|
|
113,300 | |
|
|
||
|
|
107,400 | 36,000 |
|
|
||
Three More Hands
Level 8
: 400/800, 100 ante
And the day is done. We'll be back shortly with assorted end-of-day chip counts and a recap of today's action.
Riess Eliminates One
Level 8
: 400/800, 100 ante
Ryan Riess had a bet of 40,000 in front of him on the button when we got to his table, with the board reading 
. Riess' cutoff opponent was deciding whether to call the overbet — the pot was about 25,000 — for his tournament life, since he had about 35,000. Eventually, he did call with 
, but Riess had him beat with 
. The river was a 
, and the former WSOP Main Event champ dragged the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
120,000 | 81,500 |
|
|
||
Another Yaroshevskyy and Paloniemi Hand, This Time Yaroshevskyy Doubled
Level 8
: 400/800, 100 ante
On a board of 
we caught Jukka Paloniemi with 16,000 in front of him from the cutoff. Igor Yaroshevskyy, seated in early position, had 47,200 in front of him, all in. Paloniemi took his time and eventually called after the clock was called on him.
Jukka Paloniemi: 
Igor Yaroshevskyy: 
The river 
made Paloniemi two pair but that was still not good enough to beat Yaroshevskyy's set.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
114,400 | 56,900 |
|
|
||
|
84,800 | -57,200 |
|
|
||
Paloniemi Takes This Round
Level 8
: 400/800, 100 ante
Igor Yaroshevskyy (early position) and Jukka Paloniemi (button) each put in what looked like 12,000 on an 
flop. They each checked the 
, and Paloniemi bet 42,000 into about 60,000 after the 
river. Yaroshevskyy pondered a few minutes, and Paloniemi asked for time. With three seconds left in his countdown, Yaroshevskyy grabbed a stack of calling chips, but it was a final bluff as he mucked in short order.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
142,000 | 23,500 |
|
|
||
|
|
57,500 | -32,700 |
|
|
||
Paloniemi Pays Yaroshevskyy
Level 8
: 400/800, 100 ante
In a pot that boasted about 15,000 in preflop, Igor Yaroshevskyy checked in the small blind and called 5,700 from Jukka Paloniemi on the 
flop. Both checked the and Yaroshevskyy fired in 15,300 on the 
river. Paloniemi tossed in calling chips after about a minute but couldn't beat 
.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
118,500 | -500 |
|
|
||
|
|
90,200 | -7,200 |
|
|
||
De Silva Keeps Hammering
Level 8
: 400/800, 100 ante
Upeshka De Silva is up to 180,000 after winning a big pot uncontested. With around 60,000 in the pot, De Silva shoved all in on a 
board. It was effectively 45,000 to call for his opponent, who spent over five minutes agonizing before folding his hand.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
180,000 | 33,400 |
|
|
||
Haxton Rivers Hallaert To Stay Alive
Level 8
: 400/800, 100 ante
Kenny Hallaert may be on an absolute tear these past few months, even the Belgian can be susceptible to an old-fashioned bad beat. It was none other than Isaac Haxton who rivered Hallaert to keep his Main Event run going.
Haxton had raised to 1,950 in middle position, Hallaert had three-bet to 5,500 to his left and had called Haxton's four-bet shove for 40,700 to create the following showdown.
Isaac Haxton: 
Kenny Hallaert: 
The board ran out 
, giving Haxton an ace on the river to win.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
90,000 | 25,000 |
|
|
||
|
42,000 | -58,000 |
|
|
||