As Day 1a continues, the number of stellar names buying in does the same.
German superstar Ole Schemion has entered and now finds himself sat with Charlie Carrel and Mike Watson, while Dario Sammartino, Alex Kravchenko, Simon Higgins, Mike "Timex" McDonald and the man affectionately known as "Mad Turk," Yucel Eminoglu, have all arrived fashionably late to the party.
We missed the elimination of Pierre Neuville, but learned after the fact that the 2015 World Series of Poker November Nine, who finished seventh in that tournament a month back for $1.2 million, fell at the hands of World Poker Tour champ Andy Hwang.
It happened when the flop hit both players hard, giving Neuville a flush draw and Hwang a straight. The chips wound up getting in, and Neuville came up empty.
A raise from Tomas Paiva in early position was three-bet all-in for 3,725 by Rui Milhomens in the next seat along, before Viatcheslav Ortynskiy cold-called the all-in bet from the big blind. Paiva made it 10,000 to go, but then folded when Ortynskiy four-bet all-in.
Milhomens:
Ortynskiy:
Milhomens paired his jack on the flop, but couldn't find another on the turn or river, and he became another early casualty here in the EPT Prague Main Event Day 1a.
It is usually Day 1b that is awash with the best poker players in the world, but with the $25,500 buy-in Single-Day High Roller scheduled to run at the same time as Day 1b some of those players are starting their Main Event quest today.
Team PokerStars Pros Andre Akkari and Jason Mercier are now in their seats, as are Mustapha Kanit and Juha Helppi.
We've also spotted the UK's Iaron Lightbourne, who recently won the 2015 World Poker Tour Nottingham Main Event at Dusk Till Dawn. The field just keeps getting tougher and tougher.
Mike Watson, who shed his luscious mustache from the €50K Super High Roller, opened for 500 from the cutoff and received a call from Slovakia's Adrej Kostka in the small blind. Charlie Carrel came along from the big, and it was three-way action to the flop.
Two checks saw Watson bet 800, only Kostka called, and the dealer burned and turned the , which both players checked. When the completed the board on the river, Kostka, who qualified for this event via a live satellite, bet 875. Watson thought for a minute before tossing in a call, but mucked just as soon as Kostka tabled the for a pair of aces.
Meanwhile, it appears Carrel, who took the early chip lead when he sent Craig McCorkell home as the first elimination of the day, is trending downward as he's lost a big chunk since the last time we checked in on him.
Adrian Mateos, who became the first Spaniard to ever win an EPT Main Event title when he took down last year's Grand Final, opened for 600 from the hijack and was immediately met by a three-bet to 1,200 from Aleksandr Denisov in the cutoff. The button and both blinds folded, Mateos called, and the flop came down .
Mateos check-called a bet of 1,200, and then led out for 2,600 on the turn. Denisov called and then called a bet of 2,500 on the river. Mateos tabled the for a turned two pair, and Denisov showed his hand, which was the , had been outdrawn.
As players late register, new tables are opening up. In turn, other players are being moved accordingly. One such player is Rhys Jones, who was moved to a new table with Konstantin Puchkov.
In the first hand, which took place with just three players at the table, Puchkov opened for 400 under the gun and Rhys called from the small blind. The player in the big came along, and then two checks on the flop saw Puchkov continued for 550.
Both his opponents called and then all three players checked the turn as well as the river. Jones tabled the for a pair of queens, and it was good as the other two players mucked.
flop, but couldn't find another on the 
turn or 
river, and he became another early casualty here in the EPT Prague Main Event Day 1a.
completed the board on the river, Kostka, who qualified for this event via a live satellite, bet 875. Watson thought for a minute before tossing in a call, but mucked just as soon as Kostka tabled the 
for a pair of aces.
.
river. Mateos tabled the 
, had been outdrawn.
flop saw Puchkov continued for 550. 
for a pair of queens, and it was good as the other two players mucked.
