€25,500 Single-Day High Roller Dia 1 | 2015 PokerStars.com EPT Season 12 Barcelona

2015-08-25 10:30 UTC+2

Who's Going to be the One?

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Mustapha Kanit won the last One-Day High Roller

It's a one-day event, and the buy-in is a staggering €25,000. Let that just sink in for a bit. Players will flock the tournament room in Casino Barcelona today to play this event, and it's going to be done in a single day. Someone is going to win hundreds of thousands of euro's, and still be done in time to play Day 2 of the Main Event tomorrow.

During the EPT Grand Final of last seasons EPT, the one-day €50,000 Super High Roller was a huge succes with 66 entries. Mustapha Kanit had the Italian anthem play at 3:30 in the morning when he came out victorious, taking home €936,500. A bigger field is expected here in Barcelona Season 12 as just about every tournament has been breaking records so far this week.

Handing in €25,000 will get you 100,000 in chips. Levels will be 30 minutes long and the first two of them will be 500/1,000 with a 100 ante. Play starts at 12:30 pm (in about 120 minutes) and PokerNews.com will be on site for all of your coverage needs.

2015-08-25 12:34 UTC+2

Football Star Neymar Jr. Makes EPT Debut; Enters €25K High Roller

He's one of the hottest names in the game of football, or soccer if you will, but today he'll be facing some of the world's greatest poker players in the €25,500 Single-Day High Roller.

Brazilian football superstar Neymar Jr. signed with PokerStars during the European Poker Tour Grand Final last season, and today he makes his debut in a real-money live event on the tour. And, it comes with a hefty price tag of €25,500.

Neymar's taking a day out of his busy schedule, after his team FC Barcelona beat Athletic Bilbao 1-0 on Sunday. The squad will get ready to face Malaga at home this upcoming Saturday night, but for the meantime it's a little poker. As of right now, the only person in the field who could possibly put a stop to Neymar is Barcelona defender Gerard Piqué, as he's also in the field, but the top poker talent in this event will surely provide several obstacles for Neymar on the felt.

It's widely known that Neymar's a huge poker enthusiast, and just yesterday we received word that he hit a royal flush in an online tournament on PokerStars.es. In that event, Neymar managed to make the final table, and we'll see if he can do the same in this one.

Be sure to stay tuned to these pages for continued coverage of Neymar Jr. and Piqué from this event.

Tags: Gerard Piqué Neymar Jr.

2015-08-25 14:08 UTC+2

Ace-King Boosts Neymar's Stack

Nível 3 : 600/1,200, 200 ante

Neymar Jr. with André Akkari before the start of the tournament

"How is he doing?" Gerard Piqué asked one of the PokerStars staff members about his friend and teammate Neymar Jr.

"He's fine," she responded.

"How many chips?" Piqué enquired.

The staff member walked over to Neymar's table and found out that he was sitting on 87,000.

"He was lower," Piqué said with a smile, who himself got off to a better start with 115,000.

We then found out through Dani Stern how Neymar trended back up to 87,000. According to Stern, Neymar won a hand off of Belgian poker pro and Triple Crown winner Davidi Kitai.

Neymar raised from the cutoff seat to 2,500, and Kitai called from the small blind. The flop was rainbow, and both players checked. The turn was the , and Kitai led with a bet of 1,700, Neymar called. The river was a blank, and Kitai checked to Neymar. The Brazilian opted to bet 6,600, and this sent Kitai into the tank.

Kitai tanked for a while before he made the call. Neymar tapped the table with a defeated look on his face before he showed the . Kitai showed an even sadder face, and mucked his cards as the table burst out in laughter.

A little bit later, we approached the table again to check in on Neymar. This time, the flop showed in a hand between the football star and Steve O'Dwyer. Neymar bet 3,000 on the flop, and O'Dwyer called in position, which brought out the on the turn. Neymar bet another 3,000, and O'Dwyer swiftly raised it up to 14,000. Neymar called quickly.

On the river, the hit and Neymar checked to the former European Poker Tour Grand Final winner. O'Dwyer bet 40,000, and Neymar made the call. O'Dwyer turned over the , which was promptly mucked when the Brazilian showed the for top two pair.

The same PokerStars staff member from before quickly walked over to Piqué to inform him of Neymar's winnings, and he jumped out of his seat right away. Piqué quickly walked over to Neymar and gave him a fist bump, the two exchanged some words before they continued the tournament with big smiles.

Jogador	Fichas	Progresso
Neymar Jr.	146,000 46,000	46,000

Tags: Gerard Pique Neymar Neymar Jr

2015-08-25 15:10 UTC+2

Piqué Pulls Off a Big Bluff

Nível 4 : 800/1,600, 200 ante

Gerard Piqué just raised in early position to 3,200 and Viacheslav Buldygin three-bet from the button to 9,500. Both blinds folded and Piqué made the call, after which the flop brought out .

Piqué check-called a bet of 11,5000 and the hit on the turn. This time both players checked and the river was the .

Piqué bet 25,500 and smiled, as Buldygin went into the tank. After a while he folded and with a much bigger smile Piqué flashed for king-high.

The entire table started laughing, Piqué included, and he chips back up to the starting stack.

Jogador	Fichas	Progresso
Gerard Piqué	100,000 19,500	19,500

Tags: Viacheslav Buldygin Gerard Pique

2015-08-25 16:00 UTC+2

Neymar Eliminates Kitai with Aces

Nível 6 : 1,200/2,400, 300 ante

David Peters raised from middle position to 5,200 and Neymar Jr. called from the hijack, after which Dani Stern called in the cutoff. Former EPT Berlin winner Davidi Kitai raised all in for 45,000 and Peters folded.

The action was now back on Neymar, and he decided to re-raise all in for 75,000 total. Stern folded and the showdown was as following.

Neymar turned over pocket aces, and he was well ahead against Kitai's sixes. Kitai did not manage to crack the Brazilian's aces and he was knocked out. Neymar meanwhile sits on 132,000 and looks very comfortable.

Jogador	Fichas	Progresso
Neymar Jr.	132,000 42,000	42,000

Davidi Kitai	Eliminado

Tags: Neymar Neymar Jr

2015-08-25 16:13 UTC+2

The Pressure's on For Pique as Neymar Has Him Covered

Nível 7 : 1,500/3,000, 400 ante

Gerard Pique sits just three tables away from his friend and teammate Neymar Jr., and the two have been checking up on each other constantly.

After writing up a hand with Neymar, Pique looked over at your reporter on the scene indicating he wanted to know what happened.

"He has about 190,000," yours truly said.

"Oh, I have 160,000," Piqué said, "But I have to beat him."

After a short pause Piqué laughed, "If not, in the dressing room I'll be dead."

Piqué has much more experience on the poker felt, and he even played in the World Series of Poker Main Event this year, and losing to Neymar today will for sure make for some great banter in the Barcelona F.C. dressing room.

Tags: Gerard Pique Neymar Neymar Jr

2015-08-25 17:34 UTC+2

Neymar Jr. Crippled, Stern Soaring

Nível 9 : 2,500/5,000, 500 ante

First we saw on the flop when Dani Stern checked from the small blind after which Neymar Jr. bet 20,000. Stern made the call and on the turn the hit, and Stern checked again.

Neymar bet 35,000 and Stern moved all in, to which the Brazilian football star had no answer. Neymar folded and Stern raked in the pot.

A few hands later it was Neymar who limped in the cutoff and Stern raised from the button, only to get called by Neymar. The flop brought out and Neymar check-called a bet from Stern.

On the turn the hit and Neymar checked once more after which Stern bet 35,000. Neymar check-raised to 70,000 and Stern tanked for a bit before making the call.

The river brought the and Neymar fired out 80,000. Stern gave it some thought before announcing he was all in. Stern's shove was for 179,000 total and Neymar called after about five seconds.

Stern showed for a full house and Neymar tabled his for a pair of aces. Stern raked in a massive pot and Neymar is now in danger of getting eliminated.

Jogador	Fichas	Progresso
Dani Stern	550,000 450,000	450,000
Neymar Jr.	60,000 -290,000	-290,000

Tags: Dani Stern Neymar Neymar Jr

2015-08-25 18:14 UTC+2

Neymar Jr. Eliminated

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Nível 10 : 3,000/6,000, 1,000 ante

Neymar Jr. got up in utter disappointment, he had just lost his last chips in a big hand where it was hard to avoid for the chips to go in. With his shoulders hanging he made his way to the exit, a sad look on his face after a disappointing end to a fun day at the poker table. "What? He's out?" Piqué said with an unbelieving face. The two of them had bantered all day long and Piqué certainly wanted to beat his friend, but now that Neymar Jr. was actually out, you could tell he felt sorry for him.

Neymar Jr. first lost a big pot against Tobias Reinkemeier. On a flop of Reinkemeier and Neymar Jr. both checked. The fell on the turn and Reinkemeier bet 30,000. Neymar Jr. didn't waste much time calling. The river came the and again Reinkemeier bet 30,000. Neymar Jr. frowned and called, only to be shown from Reinkemeier. Neymar Jr. showed his and now the rest of the table frowned. You could see Stern and Reinkemeier stare at each other in disbelief that a set versus runner runner top two played out without everything going in.

The next hand Neymar Jr. limped in for 6,000. Jeff Rossiter behind him over limped, Tobias Reinkemeier limped in from the small blind, and Jose Carlos Garcia in the big blind checked his option. The flop came and both blinds checked to Neymar Jr. The Barcelona star made it 12,000 and just Rossiter called, both blinds folded. The fell on the turn and Neymar bet out 15,000. Rossiter raised to 55,000 and Neymar Jr. pushed all in for about 170,000. Rossiter instantly called.

Neymar Jr:
Jeff Rossiter:

With both players having flopped a flush, there was no card in the deck that could save him, and so Neymar Jr. just sat there while the dealer dealt the on the river. With a disappointed face Neymar Jr. started to count his stack, and soon found out he had slightly fewer chips than Rossiter.

And just like that the dream was over, no fairy tale story for Neymar Jr. here in his first ever live poker tournament. But what a ride it was!

Jogador	Fichas	Progresso
Neymar Jr.	Eliminado

Tags: Jeff Rossiter Neymar Jr

2015-08-25 19:26 UTC+2

Gerard Piqué Eliminated

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Nível 12 : 5,000/10,000, 1,000 ante

Action folded to Gerard Piqué in the small blind and the Spanish soccer star pushed all in for his last 80,000 or so. Austrian player Manuel Blaschke called from the big blind.

Gerard Piqué:
Manuel Blaschke:

The flop came , giving Piqué a gut shot to go along with the sixes and tens he was looking for. The dealer wasn't into any drama though and rapidly brought out the and the on the river.

The end of the road came for Piqué with his ten six, no money finish for the F.C. Barcelona star.

Jogador	Fichas	Progresso
Gerard Piqué	Eliminado

2015-08-25 20:46 UTC+2

McDonald Runs Kings into Lebedev's Aces

Nível 14 : 6,000/12,000, 2,000 ante

Mike McDonald raised from the button to 41,000 and Sergey Lebedev three-bet from the small blind to 93,000. Juha Helppi folded from the big blind and McDonald four-bet to 180,000.

Lebedev gave it some thought before moving all in, and McDonald called right away.

McDonald:
Lebedev:

The board ran out and McDonald was left with just a few big blinds.

Jogador	Fichas	Progresso
Sergey Lebedev	1,100,000 655,000	655,000
Mike McDonald	150,000 -450,000	-450,000

Tags: Mike McDonald Sergey Lebedev