Pokerstars.com EPT London: Day 1B - Interactive

[NoflopsHomer]

I bigged him up big-stylie. But Albert Sapiano is out! He'd disappeared from the table and I heard a tannoy announcement for him at the cash tables.

Joining Albert on the rail is the EPT Dortmund winner of last year, Mike McDonald who'll be back off to the farm after his was no good against on a board.

[JungleCat03]

As promised, here are the Frenchies for you Jpean.

Conveniently seated next to each other, I give you Bertrand "Elky" Grospellier and Almira Skripchenko.

Elky is the better known of the two, the ex-gamer having taken down the EPT in the Caribbean for one of the biggest payouts in poker history $2,000,000 exactly.

Today, he has not fared so well, though his day was brightened somewhat by a re-assuring hug from his attractive French neighbour, Winamax member Almira Skripchenko.

Almira is of Russian descent originally, having emigrated in the 90s, before reaching her adopted home of France. Ranked in the top 10 female chess players in the world, she is a formidable opponent at the felt, and has already worked her stack up to 15,000.

Look at her effect on Elky though.

Feeling down and blue, he looks glumly down and Almira sees an opportunity to comfort a tourtured soul with a re-assuring hug.



And, as if by magic, suddenly the spring is back in Elky's step, the day seems bright, birds are probably singing in the air (though it's impossible to tell in the Vic's windowless confines) and all is rosy once more.

I can do it! I CAN!

[jpean]

Could you try to take Almira's phone number for me ?

Are the member of the Team Winamax as numerous as at Barcelona ?

[JungleCat03]

Could you try to take Almira'z cell number gor me ?

You should be careful about getting involved with chess players in my opinion Jpean.

All they want to do is watch pawn all day.

[action man]

First we have Stu Rutter, fresh from cashing in the Barcelona EPT which he was pretty happy about having battled with a shortstack for some time.

His fortunes haven't been so good here though. He lost a chunk of his stack with Aces, passing on a dangerous looking J-9-8-7 board, feeling it was too dangerous to take his one pair any further on.

So not the best of starts, but he still has 6,750 chips with which to mount a comeback.

He was kind enough to pose for a photo, although given his ropey start, the smile seemed understandably perhaps a tad forced. Good luck Stu!




Next up we have Neil Channing, who made 2 cashes at the recent WSOPE, including a 4th place in the £1,500 NLHE event. He added these 2 to the 7, yes SEVEN, cashes he made at the WSOP in Vegas.

9 cashes is something special and the man who bears a passing resemblance to the joker, but has proved his excellence time and again in poker, is currently on around his starting stack at the moment.

Here he is enjoying a glass of wine whilst entertaining a tablemate with his usual incessant stream of banter...

Is that Hurley from Lost that Neil Channing is talking too? 

no way duuuuuuuuuude, i think its the lead singer of the magic numbers

[JungleCat03]

Harvad Khan and Steve Chidwick at table Parker, not looking as dapper but dangerous nonetheless.

Steve up to 17k or so at this point.




Quick note that the chip leader appears to be close between Willie Tann who has 45k or so and Julian Thew who also has a similar amount!

Wowzer!

[booder]

Could you try to take Almira'z cell number gor me ?

You should be careful about getting involved with chess players in my opinion Jpean.

All they want to do is watch pawn all day.

sigh

[JungleCat03]

First we have Stu Rutter, fresh from cashing in the Barcelona EPT which he was pretty happy about having battled with a shortstack for some time.

His fortunes haven't been so good here though. He lost a chunk of his stack with Aces, passing on a dangerous looking J-9-8-7 board, feeling it was too dangerous to take his one pair any further on.

So not the best of starts, but he still has 6,750 chips with which to mount a comeback.

He was kind enough to pose for a photo, although given his ropey start, the smile seemed understandably perhaps a tad forced. Good luck Stu!




Next up we have Neil Channing, who made 2 cashes at the recent WSOPE, including a 4th place in the £1,500 NLHE event. He added these 2 to the 7, yes SEVEN, cashes he made at the WSOP in Vegas.

9 cashes is something special and the man who bears a passing resemblance to the joker, but has proved his excellence time and again in poker, is currently on around his starting stack at the moment.

Here he is enjoying a glass of wine whilst entertaining a tablemate with his usual incessant stream of banter...

Is that Hurley from Lost that Neil Channing is talking too? 

no way duuuuuuuuuude, i think its the lead singer of the magic numbers

Provided he's still in when I am next close to table Channing I'll get a face on shot to settle it once and for all.

For what it's worth, I reckon he has a bit of the look of blonde's own Bainn to him.

[jpean]

Could you try to take Almira'z cell number gor me ?

You should be careful about getting involved with chess players in my opinion Jpean.

All they want to do is watch pawn all day.

I didn't know anything about her, and I made a quick research on google and I'vefound that her complete name was Almira Skripchenko-Lautier, she added her husband()'s name to her own name

I've also find that she was not from Russia. She won the Russian championship of chess but she's from Moldavia.

 (if all that can be usefull for Blondepedia)

[SwanseaJack]

With Julian thew being on 45k, does this mean he has some of robertos chips? updates on roberto pls

[NoflopsHomer]

With Julian Thew being on 45k, does this mean he has some of robertos chips? updates on roberto pls

Julian just doubled Roberto up to about 20k, I think Julian had Q-T on a K-Q-T board against Roberto's K-J who turned a J. Or it might have been a K-J-T board, either way Roberto won the hand just before the break. Thewy on 35k, Roberto on 20k.

[NoflopsHomer]

As we feared, Pab is busto, haven't seen him around for a bit, but perhaps he'll post when he gets a moment.

[SwanseaJack]

thankyou, great updates

[NoflopsHomer]

Barry Greenstein looks, of the Americans, to be the one doing the best so far today. He just eliminated an opponent, holding on a board which was when the chips went in against his opponents which couldn't fill up on the river. Greenstein has circa 30k in chips now which is pretty strong at this stage.

[JungleCat03]

Could you try to take Almira'z cell number gor me ?

You should be careful about getting involved with chess players in my opinion Jpean.

All they want to do is watch pawn all day.

I didn't know anything about her, and I made a quick research on google and I'vefound that her complete name was Almira Skripchenko-Lautier, she added her husband()'s name to her own name (if it could be usefull for Blondepedia)

Thanks for that. Snoopy's worried you're after his job though.

Be careful not to upset the beagle. Behold how he takes his anger out on a recalcitrant notepad!