Kenny Hallaert Hunting First EPT Trophy as PokerStars Ambassador on Final Day of €550 Estrellas Cup
The €550 Estrellas Cup has been nothing short of a roaring success at the 2024 PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) Barcelona . The lines for late registration slithered throughout Casino Barcelona on Day 1 of the event, eventually resulting in a total entry number of 2,175, nearly double that of last year's event.
At the end of the day, 326 players made it through to the second and final day of the tournament, which is due to begin today at 11 a.m. local time.
Among those returning today is the newest PokerStars Ambassador, Kenny Hallaert. Hallaert's unique influence as a PokerStars live events advisor has already brought forth some changes at EPT Barcelona, but the Belgian proved he is also still more than competent at playing the game by bagging 283,000 chips on Day 1, an above-average stack.
Hallaert is still some ways away from being the chipleader, however, as that honor was bestowed upon Brazil's Edgar Ishida, who amassed a whopping 888,000 on Day 1, good for 111 big blinds at the start of Day 2.
Ishida is closely followed by Kian Kiani from the United Kingdom, who will start today with 865,000, while Portugal's Diogo Simoes occupies third place on the leaderboard with 859,000. The best Spanish player was Jose Herrera in fourth with 674,000, while Josep Ruiz (566,000) and Juan Gonzalez Suarez (489,000) also made the top ten in their efforts to keep the trophy at home soil.
Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Edgar Ishida | Brazil | 888,000 | 111 |
| 2 | Kian Kiani | United Kingdom | 865,000 | 108 |
| 3 | Diogo Simoes | Portugal | 859,000 | 107 |
| 4 | Jose Herrera | Spain | 674,000 | 84 |
| 5 | Nils Veipans | Latvia | 583,000 | 72 |
| 6 | Axel Hamou | France | 571,000 | 71 |
| 7 | Josep Ruiz | Spain | 566,000 | 70 |
| 8 | Mihai Costiuc | Romania | 562,000 | 70 |
| 9 | Juan Gonzalez Suarez | Spain | 489,000 | 61 |
| 10 | Jukka Hopearuoho | Finland | 487,000 | 60 |
Other notables who captured a seat on Day 2 were British grinder Scott Margereson (393,000), runner-up in the 2023 EPT Barcelona Main Event Joao Sydenstricker (277,000), rising star Bixi Yao (180,000), and Triple Crown winner Jake Cody (155,000).
Day 1 played until the money, so they have all guaranteed a slice of the massive €1,044,000 prize pool. Although each player can add the sum of €840 to their bankroll, the grand prize of €155,840, the only six-figure payout of the tournament, will only be awarded to the eventual champion.
Final Table Payouts
| Place | Price |
|---|---|
| 1 | €155,840 |
| 2 | €97,170 |
| 3 | €69,410 |
| 4 | €53,390 |
| 5 | €41,070 |
| 6 | €31,590 |
| 7 | €24,300 |
| 8 | €18,700 |
| 9 | €14,390 |
Day 2 will restart in Level 18: 4,000/8,000 with an 8,000 big blind ante. All levels will remain 30 minutes in length, with a break after every four of them. A long day is ahead of the players as the tournament will conclude only when a winner is crowned.
Stay tuned as the final day of the €550 Estrellas Cup promises nothing but explosive action throughout the day. Meanwhile, do not forget to check out the other EPT Barcelona events PokerNews is live reporting, including the prestigious €100,000 Super High Roller, over at the EPT Barcelona hub.