Players on the old EPT and UKIPT tours are used to arriving to the table to find a PokerStars gift waiting for them and the first PokerStars London Festival is no different.
Instead of the usual cards or T-shirts though they have been given a PokerStars branded hip flask with a twist. Tap the logo on the from and out pops a collapsible cup.
Reactions ranged from delight to bemusement but most seem to agree that it is a special memento of the occasion and it seems highly unlikely any will be left kicked beneath the table.
"I'd rather have this than a hoody." was the seal of approval from Niall Farrell when he opened his.
Cards are in the air with 66 players seated so far in a buzz of expectation.
There was an announcement to remind players that this is a freezeout tournament and if you bust any of the Day 1s the only second chance is the Day 1D on Friday at 10pm which is a turbo.
The PokerStars Festival London got underway at the Hippodrome Casino in the heart of London’s theatre land on the 22nd of January kicking off eight days of poker. So far the festival has been a huge success in terms of numbers through the door including a record breaking High Roller that plays down to a winner today.
Event #10, Day 1a of the Main Event, begins today. This is a £990 freezeout with a starting stack of 30,000and the Hippodrome is once again expected to be packed to the rafters.
There will be an array of top poker pros including PokerStars Team Pro Jake Cody, Felipe ‘Mojave’ Ramos, Aditya Agarwal, and Luca Pagano in attendance. Liv Boeree is currently one of the big stacks in the High Roller so will hope to delay her entry by at least a day.
It’s always fun to have a celebrity at these events and this time it is seven-time World Snooker Champion Stephen Hendry.
"I'm really looking forward to being a part of the PokerStars Festival London,” Hendry said. “The anticipation is much like that of a snooker tournament really - the adrenaline, the eagerness to size up your opponent, and the desire to be on your best game. The strategic thought, patience and focus needed isn't dissimilar to what I'm used to. Although, at least with poker you can practice online. I can't wait to get out there and give it my best in the Main Event; it's going to be a lot of fun."
Cards are in the air at 2pm with 12 levels of 45-minute each set to be played before the survivors can bag up chips. You can follow live updates here on the PokerNews blog
and a check from xxxx saw a bet of 5,000 which was good enough to take the pot.
