2009 World Series of Poker Europe

Event 1 - £1,000 No Limit Hold'em
Day: 1a
1a1b23
Event Info

2009 World Series of Poker Europe

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
k♦8♦
Prize
£136,803
Event Info
Buy-in
£1,000
Prize Pool
£608,000
Entries
608
Level Info
Level
22
Blinds
8,000 / 16,000
Ante
2,000
Sort

A British Tinge

[user4144]
[user4144]
Greetings, folks, and welcome to the lavish Empire Casino in Leicester Square. It's that time of the year where we swap the Eiffel Tower, Statue of Liberty and Ancient pyramids of Vegas, for a slightly more British tinge: cue fish and chips, overuse of the word 'chap' and constant sightings of people sipping tea. We may not be exciting, but we know how to host a tournament, and this year the WSOPE is back: bigger, better and stronger than ever.

With the £1,500 event left to fester in the distant, murky past, the opening tournament this time around is a £1,000 No Limit Hold'em Freezeout, which is sure to attract both pros and amateurs alike. At time of writing, the cardroom (split into four sections/rooms on two floors - gotta work those calf muscles!) is a shadow of the hustle and bustle we can expect within the hour. Kick off for Day 1a commences at 12pm, and PokerNews will be watching with anticipation at ringside to bring you all the highs and lows that are sure to follow. "Hold onto your hollyhocks," as my mother used to say, although I still don't know what she was talking about.

Any Second Now

[user46392]
[user46392]
Players are filtering in, and to reverberations of, "I need a player release form on table 19," from Jack Effel on the mic, it looks as though things might be kicking off within mere minutes...

Pollack in the House

[user4144]
[user4144]
Jeffrey Pollack is in the house - resplendent with new look of shorter haircut and sans glasses - and is on the mic to introduce this year's WSOPE. Use of the words/phrases 'coveted', 'poker history' and 'wonderful market' confirm that he considers this to be a highly prestigious event and is bristling with excitement about the upcoming week. When Mr Pollack speaks, you know the starting whistle is just moments away...

Level: 1

Blinds: 25/25

Ante: 0

Field Exploding

[user46392]
[user46392]
...Not in terms of bust-outs, yet, but in sheer numbers of starters. We're at 534 runners right now, with our field including such luminaries as Phil Hellmuth, Roland de Wolfe, Surinder Sunar and Neil Channing. Still in the queue for registration are the fashionably late Marc Goodwin, Tristan Clemencon and Mick McCool.

Eclectic Mix

[user4144]
[user4144]
It's an eclectic mix here today with familiar names from both sides of the Atlantic taking their seat. As well as EPT Champion Sebastian Ruthenberg and Welsh chatterbox Roberto Romanello, we also have the likes of Andy Bloch and Phil Hellmuth flying the red, white and blue. Finally, I couldn't help but notice a certain Korosh Nejad, the former Late Night Poker veteran making a rare appearance after delighting audiences at the start of the Millennium with his unforgettable verbal battles and intense staredowns.

Missing Their Cue

[user4144]
[user4144]
A few latecomers have also been located in the queue to the registration desk with Michael Greco, Brandon Cantu, Andrew Teng, Karl Mahrenholz and king of the nosebleeds Richard Ashby all eager to get into the thick of the action.

A Star Among Us

[user46392]
[user46392]
No, not Phil Hellmuth -- although he is among us, a crowd obscuring his table. Who we are currently concerned with is one of the Empire masseuses, who is apparently appearing in a horror movie at the legendary Prince Charles cinema in a few weeks' time. This information was extracted from the lovely lady by the silver-tongued Neil Channing. We'll keep you up to date with any further developments on that front.

Tags: Neil Channing

Early Happiness for Tristan

[user46392]
[user46392]
Tristan Clemencon, in a lurid green hoodie by far the brightest thing on the upper level of the Empire at this early hour, is off to a good start.

He raised under the gun and picked up a call from the gentleman on the button, but expressionlessly fired out on the {5-Hearts} {Q-Diamonds} {6-Hearts} flop and {4-Diamonds} river until the button gave it up with a sigh.

Tags: Tristan Clemencon

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