In just under two hours from now at 2 p.m. local time, the 2017 PokerStars Festival London £2,200 High Roller will see 47 players out of a 178-entry strong field return to the tables of the iconic Hippodrome Casino in the center of the English capital. A return on investment is in sight, as the top 34 will share a portion of the juicy £345,320 prize pool and a minimum cash is worth £3,110. The will can look forward to a payday of £67,290 and the event is scheduled to play down to a winner today.
Best-positioned to engrave the name into the history of the series as first-ever PokerStars Festival High Roller champion on European soil is Ireland's Yuriy Boyko with 245,500. He is followed by 2015 Unibet Open Cannes winner Julien Sitbon (227,500) and PokerStars Team Pro Liv Boeree spun up a late entry right after the dinner break to a top three stack of 209,500.
Plenty of other big names made it through to Day 2 including Javier Zarco (207,500), Robert Heidorn (192,000), James Akenhead (171,500), David Urban (165,000), Nicolas Cardyn (115,000), Chris Moorman (101,500), Philipp Gruissem (99,000) and Matthew Ashton (95,000). Serial qualifier and former November Niner Pierre Neuville (51,000), Michel Abecassis (50,500) and Slaven Popov (37,500) have some catching up to do, as they are towards the bottom of the counts.
The action will recommence in level 14 with blinds at 1,500-3,000 and a running ante of 500, the level duration increases to 60 minutes for the remainder of the tournament. Since Day 1a of the £990 Main Event kicks off at the same time, the High Rollers will move from the main area to the top floor of the Hippodrome and can oversee the entire casino. The PokerNews live reporting team will provide updates until the last river card for both events, so stay tuned and check back regularly.
Michel Chen limped in and Michel Abecassis then shoved from the button for 38,000. Valentin Frunze called from the small blind and Neophytos Neophytou reshoved from the big blind to get Chen and Frunze out of the way. Once all other tables were done, the showdown took place.
Michel Abecassis:
Neophytos Neophytou:
The board ran out and neither player had a club, crowning Abecassis as the bubble boy of the event.
Chris Moorman moved all in for his last 49,500 from under the gun and Nathan Manuel called in the cutoff, as did Julien Sitbon in the big blind. On the flop, both players checked. Sitbon then bet the turn for 52,000 and Manuel called before the Frenchman fired another 75,000 on the river. Manuel called and the dealer announced "all cards turn over please," as it was an all in showdown after all.
Chris Moorman:
Julien Sitbon:
Nathan Manuel:
Moorman had gotten it in with the worst hand but turned a flush, only to see his triple up denied on the river as Manuel filled up to the better flush. The hand cost Sitbon a fortune and he lost almost two third of his stack.
At almost the same time, another two players were eliminated and it was game over for Julien Sitbon and Robert Heidorn.
Julien Sitbon open-shoved for 14 big blinds from the cutoff and Tiago Da Silva Freitas Branco just flat-called from one seat over on the button.
Julien Sitbon:
Tiago Da Silva Freitas Branco:
After a board of , Sitbon was eliminated in 28th place.
Heidorn was the next only moments later. Liv Boeree had raised and Harry Lodge three-bet on the button. Heidorn four-bet shoved his last 90,000 and Boeree folded, Lodge snap-called. Upon seeing the showdown, Boeree said "you saved me."
Robert Heidorn:
Harry Lodge:
After a board of , the German was eliminated and will be looking for another deep run in the Main Event.
James Akenhead opened from the button and short stack Mikhail Drozdov, who had barely played any hand since the bubble burst, got his last few big blinds in from the big blind. Akenhead quickly called.
Mikhail Drozdov:
James Akenhead:
Despite picking up an additional flush draw, the board of bricked and Drozdov was sent to the payout desk.
Nathan Manuel then raised from the cutoff and David Urban called in the small blind. Matthew Ashton pushed from the big blind for around 100,000 and Manuel folded, Urban called.
Matthew Ashton:
David Urban:
The board came and that was it for Ashton as well.
Valentin Frunze opened to 18,000 from under the gun and Neophytos Neophytou called from one seat over. The action folded to James Akenhead and he pushed for 128,000 in the big blind. Frunze reraised all in and Neophytou quickly folded.
James Akenhead:
Valentin Frunze:
After a blank board of , the next big name was sent to the rail as Akenhead had to settle for 22nd place.
After a raise by Joe Johnson from the hijack, David Urban shoved his last 100,000 or so from the cutoff and the action reached Tiago Da Silva Freitas Branco in the small blind. The Portuguese announced all in for around 200,000 and Johnson called.
David Urban:
Tiago Da Silva Freitas Branco:
Joe Johnson:
The flop improved Johnson to a set and the turn and river kept the Brit in the lead to eliminate two opponents. Johnson jumped in the lead and there were suddenly just 19 players left.
The last two tables were barely set when Nathan Manuel opened from under the gun. Mikael Guenni from one seat over moved all in for what looked like 180,000 and the action folded back to Manuel. The American called and Guenni found himself on the wrong end of a cooler.
Mikael Guenni:
Nathan Manuel:
The board ran out and Guenni, who was all in on the bubble for just five big blinds and survived, was drawing dead on the turn only to river the worse set. For his efforts, Guenni takes home £4,340 and there is now a pay jump, as all remaining players have £5,200 locked up.
Enzo Del Piero didn't play many hands as of late and opened the action with a raise to to 27,000. Jonathan Therme moved all in for his last 157,000 and Del Piero called after some consideration.
Jonathan Therme:
Enzo Del Piero:
Neither the flop nor the turn helped Therme and he was drawing to a jack or ace only. A blank river failed to improved the Frenchman and Therme had to settle for 15th place and a payday of £5,200.
Chipped down to just 60,000, Firas Nassar faced a raise to 22,000 by Nicolas Beker and moved all in. Beker tossed in the few extra chips and Nassar had a flip.
Firas Nassar:
Nicolas Beker:
After the flop, Nassar was left with just two outs and the turn and river sent the Lebanese to the rail in 14th place for £5,200.
and neither player had a club, crowning Abecassis as the bubble boy of the event.
flop, both players checked. Sitbon then bet the 
turn for 52,000 and Manuel called before the Frenchman fired another 75,000 on the 
river. Manuel called and the dealer announced "all cards turn over please," as it was an all in showdown after all.
, Sitbon was eliminated in 28th place.
, the German was eliminated and will be looking for another deep run in the Main Event.
and that was it for Ashton as well.
flop nor the 
