Level: 3
Blinds: 100/200
Ante: 25
2017 PokerStars Festival London
Main Event
Day: 1c
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2017 PokerStars Festival London
Buy-in
£990
Prize Pool
£824,112
Entries
944
Level
32
Blinds
100,000 / 200,000
Ante
25,000
Will Kassouf Sits
![[user252447]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
Level 2
: 75/150, 0 ante
Will Kassouf has not ling taken his seat. In an early hand the action folded round to him on the small blind and all eyes were on him, not least the player in the big blind.
What would the controversial Kassouf do? The “Nine high like a boss.” man. The heads up grudge match man. The guy bringing speech play either back in fashion or into disrepute. What verbal wizardry would be unleashed on his hapless opponent?
Kassouf looked at his hole cards.
“First walk of the day” said Kassouf and folded.
The big blind showed 
.
One of the other players called Kassouf’s play there, “Jedi mind tricks.”
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
30,000 |
Hendry Misses Pot
Level 2
: 75/150, 0 ante
Stephen Hendry opened under the gun for 150 and picked up four callers including the blinds.
The flop was 
and it was checked to Hendry who bet 350. This time he got two callers as the blinds folded.
The turn card was the 
and Hendry checked. A bet of 700 from the player on the button took the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
29,500 | -500 |
Notables In the Field So Far
Level 2
: 75/150, 0 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
30,000 | |
|
30,000 | |
|
30,000 | |
|
30,000 | |
|
30,000 | |
|
|
30,000 | |
|
30,000 | |
|
30,000 | |
|
30,000 |
Level: 2
Blinds: 75/150
Ante: 0
Day 1a Leader Mihaita Croitoru Sets the Bar
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
Mihaita Croitoru, a PokerStars qualifier from Romania, has the biggest stack of the Main Event so far, finishing top of Day 1a with a whopping 340,000.
Lam Van Trinh from the UK is second with 291,300 and third is Lucian Tartan, again from the UK, with 216,500 all from Day 1a. There were 169 players with 45 survivors.
No one from Day 1b could top the 200k mark with [Removed:16] from France on 199,100 but only just ahead of Naoufel Bennani-Smires who bagged 199,000. Day 1b saw 164 players and 51 survivors.
Put Your Money On Hendry
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
A delighted Stephen Hendry won the Media Tournament last night beating names such as PokerStars Team Pros Jake Cody, Liv Boeree, Felipe Ramos.
That shorted his odds considerably with BetStars to 150/1 to win the Main Event he will be playing today. You can also get 20/1 to make a top 10 finish and 7/4 to make day 2.
Room For More
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
There are 259 players seated now. With 31 poker tables dotted around the Hippodrome that means there is a soft cap of 310. Players will then join a list to await a vacant seat. It’s great to see such an appetite for live poker in London continuing the success for this inaugural PokerStars Festival London.
PokerStars Player Party Tonight
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
Tonight at 9pm it is time for another fabled PokerStars Players Party. After ten hours at the felt what could be better than blowing off some steam at a Friday night party? Whether you’re reveling in a successful day gathering chips or drowning your sorrows while looking for someone to listen to your bad beat, make sure you don’t miss out.
The party will be in Lola’s Underground Casino in the basement of the Hippodrome and it has a fascinating history as described on their website.
“Lola McGuire was a chorus girl at the Hippodrome from its opening in 1900 right up until the outbreak of WW1. Savagely beautiful with a captivating charm described by one theatre critic as ‘close to hypnotic and wholly irresistible’, she was a favourite of the older and wealthier gentlemen who would come to The Hippodrome purely on the chance of sharing an after show drink with her. Wherever Lola went, scandal went too.
But it was only when Lola suddenly disappeared in September 1914 that the full truth emerged. The London Evening News picked up the story and ran with it well into the early part of 1915. Apparently Lola was no ordinary show girl. She was a true Edwardian entrepreneur and understood that all societies – no matter how underground – needed administration. She created and ran the under-stage after parties at The Hippodrome, organising gambling, money lending through her own makeshift bank and operated the cellar bar using gin salvaged from the barges making their regular trips up the Thames from bankside distilleries. It was even rumoured she offered every customer owing her money a chance to win it back on the turn of a card. She never lost and the whisper was that Lola had made some powerful friends on the other side.
No trace of Lola McGuire was ever found. Some believe she was the victim of a disgruntled gambler or jealous wife: others that she simply vanished into the London smog to avoid the increasing attentions of the Metropolitan police. Reports of sightings in different parts of the world continued until as late as 1950. Others still, believe she never actually left The Hippodrome.”
Mix the Cards Up and Pass Them Out!
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
Cards are in the air and there are an amazing 236 players seated for the “Shuffle up and deal!”
This is going to be a big one.
Updates and chip counts will be here for the 12 levels with play scheduled to finish at 8:45.