Main Event Dia 1b | 2018 PokerStars.es EPT Barcelona

2018-08-28 11:05 UTC+2

Time for PokerStars EPT Barcelona Main Event Day 1b!

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Yesterday, on Day 1a of the PokerStars European Poker Tour Barcelona €5,300 EPT Main Event, a total of 554 unique players entered the Main Event, with 44 re-entering. This brought the total number of entries to 598.

Today looks like being an even bigger starting flight than that, with a lot more than the 202 who made it through yesterday expected to bag up at the end of Day 1b. The tournament allows for up to two entries maximum; those that busted yesterday and haven't reentered yet have the chance to do so at Day 1b. Team PokerStars Pro Randy Lew will be among those to try a second time, while fellow teammates Daniel Negreanu, Andre Akkari and Jeff Gross are expected among those to try and make it through today.

A total of three $30,000 Platinum Passes will be awarded as well during the Main Event. Logically, the winner of this event will receive the first one on top of his victory. The second one will be awarded to the longest lasting PokerStars qualifier, both live and online. At PokerNews, we will track and keep you up to date on who the remaining qualifiers are as the tournament progresses. The third and final Platinum Pass will be up for grabs in the Crazy Pineapple Flipout at the start of Day 2.

Today will see ten levels of 60 minutes each being played out, with a 20-minute break scheduled after every two levels. A 75-minute dinner break is scheduled after level 6. A single reentry is allowed for those that run out of chips during their first attempt. The shot clock will be in play later this tournament, shortly before the money is reached, after which each player receives six time bank cards of 30 seconds each. PokerNews will be on the floor to provide start-to-finish coverage of this popular event over the next seven days, so don't go anywhere!

Day 1b Blind Structure

Level	Time	Small Blind	Big Blind	Big Blind Ante
1	60 min	100	100
2	60 min	100	100	100
BREAK 20 min
3	60 min	100	200	200
4	60 min	100	300	300
BREAK 20 min
5	60 min	200	400	400
6	60 min	200	500	500
DINNER BREAK 75 min
7	60 min	300	600	600
8	60 min	400	800	800
BREAK 20 min
9	60 min	500	1000	1000
10	60 min	600	1200	1200

PokerStars EPT Barcelona Main Event Champions

#	Month	Year	Players	Buy-in	Winner	Country	Prize
1	September	2004	229	€1,000	Alexander Stevic	Sweden	€80,000
2	September	2005	327	€4,000	Jan Boubli	France	€416,000
3	September	2006	480	€5,000	Bjørn-Erik Glenne	Norway	€691,000
4	August	2007	543	€8,000	Sander Lyloff	Denmark	€1,170,700
5	September	2008	619	€8,000	Sebastian Ruthenberg	Germany	€1,361,000
6	September	2009	478	€8,000	Carter Phillips	United States	€850,000
7	November	2010	757	€5,000	Kent Lundmark	Sweden	€825,000
8	August	2011	811	€5,000	Martin Schleich	Germany	€850,000
9	August	2012	1,082	€5,000	Mikalai Pobal	Belarus	€1,007,550
10	September	2013	1,234	€5,000	Tom Middleton	United Kingdom	€942,000
11	August	2014	1,496	€5,000	Andre Lettau	Germany	€794,058
12	August	2015	1,694	€5,000	John Juanda	Indonesia	€1,022,593
13	August	2016	1,785	€5,300	Sebastian Malec	Poland	€1,122,800
PSC	August	2017	1,682	€5,300	Sebastian Sorensson	Sweden	€987,043

2018-08-28 12:45 UTC+2

2016 Winner & Runner-Up in the Field

will_shill

Nível 1 : 100/100, 0 ante

The last time the European Poker Tour Main Event was held in Barcelona, there was a memorable final hand between Sebastian Malec and Uri Reichenstein, with Malec emerging triumphant.

Two years later, the pair are back for the latest EPT Barcelona Main Event and are sit just one table away from one another.

Malec opened to 400 from the cutoff and the player on the button three-bet to 1,400. Malec called and check-called 1,500 on the flop. The turn was the and both players checked.

The river was the . Malec tanked before checking, and his opponent bet 2,000. Malec snap-called.

His opponent turned over but Malec had rivered two pair with and he took down the pot, taking him back above starting stack after having lost a pot previously.

Jogador	Fichas	Progresso
Sebastian Malec	32,000 32,000	32,000

Uri Reichenstein	30,000 30,000	30,000

Tags: Sebastian Malec Uri Reichenstein

2018-08-28 13:28 UTC+2

Guilbert Gets it Right; Negreanu "Crushing"

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Nível 2 : 100/100, 100 ante

Daniel Negreanu opened to 300 and got calls from David Archibald Douglas on the button and Johan Guilbert in the big blind.

Guilbert checked to Negreanu on the flop and the Canadian continued for 300 and got two calls. Guilbert bet 600 on the turn and Negreanu folded and Douglas called.

The river was the and Guilbert checked. Douglas bet 1,800 and Guilbert tank-called.

Douglas showed for a missed flush draw and Guilbert showed with a cheeky smile.

"Dammit," said Negreanu. "I had the best hand...until the river."

Negreanu sits on around 52,000 as the tournament clock ticks into Level 2. The secret to his big stack? "Small-ball poker," he said.

"Small-ball!" said Douglas, "He bets every flop; makes houses..."

Jogador	Fichas	Progresso
Daniel Negreanu	52,000 22,000	22,000

Johan Guilbert	35,000 5,000	5,000
David Archibald Douglas	25,000 25,000	25,000

Tags: Daniel Negreanu Johan Guilbert

2018-08-28 14:29 UTC+2

How Do You Become Friends With Neymar? Start By Being His Poker Idol

KaleGozer

Nível 2 : 100/100, 100 ante

Neymar being here this week naturally got people curious. He attracted crowds wherever he went, and turned heads across the tournament room. But while it's one thing to see him walk by your table, it's something else to know a little more about the man himself. The poker player that knows him best, and who arguably taught him everything he knows (at the poker table at least), is Andre Akkari.

Want to know more about Neymar the footballer, well, there are plenty of other places you can find that. But for a glimpse of Neymar the friend, poker player, dog owner, and CounterStrike opponent, read more on the PokerStars Blog.

Tags: Neymar Jr.Andre Akkari

2018-08-28 15:10 UTC+2

PokerStars Championship Barcelona Winner Sebastian Sorensson Sits Down

KaleGozer

Nível 3 : 100/200, 200 ante

Last year's winner Sebastian Sorensson from Sweden has shown up on Day 1b to try and defend his title. Online qualifier Sorensson won €987,043 by conquering a 1,682-player field in the PokerStars Championship Barcelona Main Event. To this day, this is Sorensson's only live cash recorded on the Hendon Mob, and the Swede hasn't been really spotted in live tournaments ever since.

Last year, the Swede was inseparable from his lucky scarf and he's sporting the same trusty neckwear today as well. We'll keep an eye on Sorensson's progress today as he's trying to achieve a back-to-back here in Casino Barcelona.

Jogador	Fichas	Progresso
Sebastian Sorensson	30,000 30,000	30,000

Tags: Sebastian Sorensson

2018-08-28 15:19 UTC+2

Garcia Loses Some to Banfi

will_shill

Nível 3 : 100/200, 200 ante

On a flop Pablo Banfi bet 900 and professional golfer Sergio Garcia called. The turn was the and both players checked.

The river was the and Banfi checked. Garcia bet 1,200 and Banfi tank-called.

Garcia turned over for a pair of nines, and Banfi showed for an overpair and took down the pot.

Jogador	Fichas	Progresso
Sergio Garcia	34,000 8,000	8,000
Pablo Banfi	29,000

Tags: Sergio Garcia

2018-08-28 15:51 UTC+2

Glaser Calls Down Kovalyuk; Up to 70k

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Nível 4 : 100/300, 300 ante

Benny Glaser limped under the gun and got three calls before Franck Makaci raised to 1,400 from the big blind. Glaser called, as did Mikhail Kovalyuk and the three saw a flop.

Makaci bet 800 and Glaser raised to 2,800. Kovalyuk called and Makaci folded.

The turn was the . Glaser check-called 3,200 from Kovalyuk. The river was the and Glaser checked again, and Kovalyuk bet 7,000. Glaser tank-called and Kovalyuk showed for a missed straight draw.

Glaser showed for a missed flush draw, but more importantly a pair of eights and he took down the pot.

Jogador	Fichas	Progresso
Benny Glaser	70,000 15,500	15,500
Franck Makaci	40,000 40,000	40,000
Mikhail Kovalyuk	40,000 40,000	40,000

Tags: Benny Glaser Franck Makaci Mikhail Kovalyuk

2018-08-28 16:10 UTC+2

Aces vs Aces featuring Will Kassouf

will_shill

Nível 4 : 100/300, 300 ante

William Kassouf in action earlier at EPT Barcelona

Giulio Mascolo raised to 1,000 on the button and Will Kassouf - quieter than usual - called in the small blind. Jean Zaffran three-bet to 3,500 from the big blind. Mascolo then four-bet to 8,500.

Kassouf surveyed his opponents - still not saying a word - before folding. Zaffran counted out his stack, looked at his opponent's stack before five-betting to 18,500 with barely 5,000 behind. Mascolo moved all in and Zaffran called.

Giulio Mascolo:
Jean Zaffran:

Kassouf burst into life.

"*Les noix de coco!" he said joyously to Frenchman Zaffran. "Any sweats about?"

The flop came with Mascolo needing running diamonds to eliminate Zaffran. Luckily for Zaffran the board completed and left Zaffran relieved and Kassouf annoyed he didn't see more fireworks.

"**Où est le diamond, diamond?" he said to Zaffran, but whether Zaffran understood Kassouf's French accent or not, Zaffran could only shrug in response.

*The coconuts
** Where is the diamond, diamond?

Jogador	Fichas	Progresso
Giulio Mascolo	40,000 40,000	40,000
Jean Zaffran	26,000 26,000	26,000
Will Kassouf	25,000 25,000	25,000

Tags: Giulio Mascolo Jean Zaffran Will Kassouf

2018-08-28 17:40 UTC+2

From Fairway to Broadway; Sergio Garcia in Action at PokerStars EPT Barcelona

will_shill

Nível 5 : 200/400, 400 ante

Every cloud has a silver lining; Sergio Garcia admits that he didn’t have his best year in golf, resulting in him just missing out on the 2018 FedEx Cup Playoffs but this did mean that he got to play at the PokerStars European Poker Tour in Barcelona.

“I love playing here [in Barcelona],” said Garcia on break from the EPT €5,300 Main Event. “Usually I can’t come because I’m in the US playing in the Playoffs, but this year it worked out; it’s been a nice way to disconnect a little bit.”

While he may be playing the Main Event today, yesterday Garcia took part in an eight-handed €25k Charity tournament alongside several other sports stars, including Neymar and Gerard Pique. Each player had a chosen charity, with Garcia playing for the Sergio Garcia Foundation.

“The Sergio Garcia Foundation was founded in 2002,” said Garcia. “It mainly focuses on helping children; from donations for cancer research to building a new X-ray hospital in Madrid.”

Sergio Garcia competing in the €25,000 Charity Tournament with Gerard Pique, Neymar and Andre Akkari (l-r)

Unfortunately, Garcia didn’t win but he says that the event was “good fun for a good cause.”

“It was a really fun table. Neymar was running really well. You’ve got to thank PokerStars for making it happen and letting us have some good fun while we’re here.”

Golf’s fallow months tend to fall between December and January, which is when we usually see Garcia on the poker circuit; playing at the PCA in the Bahamas.

“Barcelona is definitely different, but both stops are amazing. I know that the PCA is going to be incredible with some of the new events they’re going to have next year. It’s going to be even more packed than it is usually!

“If nothing happens it looks like I will be there, so that will be fun.”

With the Main Event attracting over a thousand entries today alone, the tournament room is packed with players.

“I know that EPT Barcelona has been growing for the last eight or nine years, and that’s down to what a great job the whole team does while they’re here.

“The number of players is just amazing. I think that they could add two more rooms and they’d fill them up too!

Garcia has been playing poker since 2008 and admits that he does have plans to potentially play more poker as his golf career begins to wind down

“I’d love to say that I’ve improved [since 2008] – I hope so! Unfortunately, I just don’t play enough. As I get older and maybe begin to play a little less golf, then maybe I’ll get more into it.

“The great thing about playing poker is that if your mind is fresh then you can play it. You don’t need to be in good shape physically to play well! But to me it’s more about the challenge; I love competing in everything I do.

“Whether it’s golf or poker, or even football or tennis, whenever I play I love the competition side of things and I love a good challenge.”

This week saw the announcement of “The Match,” a heads-up golf match between Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. Along those lines, we asked Garcia who he’d like to go heads-up with at the poker tables.

“Even though my chances wouldn’t be great [laughs] I’d love to go up against a poker player. Playing a guy like Daniel Negreanu – I know he loves his golf – that would be fun.

“Juan Manuel Pastor is a good friend of mine, or Fatima [Moreira de Melo]. I’ve made some really good friends, so any one of them would be amazing to play against.”

Garcia has said previously that the patience required in golf can aid him at the poker tables.

“You’d have to find someone that doesn’t show too much emotion,” said Garcia, when asked which golfer would excel as a poker player. “When you’re really patient you usually do really well; maybe guys like Adam Scott or Rory [McIlroy]; I think they’d both be good poker players.

“I know some of them probably don’t even think about [poker], so they’d probably be sneakily good if they got the chance to play!”

Patience on the table is as good as patience off the table, with Garcia now playing the waiting game until Ryder Cup selection.

“Everything is going to depend on if I get picked or not,” said Garcia ruefully. “Hopefully I will, but after that, I’ve got tournaments in Spain, South Africa Dubai and Hong Kong; a little bit of travelling to end my year.”

Travelling the world and playing in different countries, maybe Garcia’s more of a poker player than it seems!

Tags: Andre Akkari Daniel Negreanu Fatima Moreira de Melo Manuel Pastor Sergio Garcia

2018-08-28 20:24 UTC+2

Akkari Hero Calls

will_shill

Nível 7 : 300/600, 600 ante

Adrian Lopez opened to 1,500 and got calls from Andre Akkari on the button and Renan Aziz Alves in the big blind.

The three players checked the flop and the turn was the . Alvez bet 4,000 and Akkari was the only caller.

Alvez shoved for 14,300 on the and Akkari tanked. He eventually called and Alvez winced before showing for a stone-cold bluff. Akkari showed and took down the pot.

Jogador	Fichas	Progresso
Andre Akkari	65,000 25,000	25,000
Renan Aziz Alves	Eliminado

Tags: Adrian Lopez Andre Akkari Renan Aziz Alves