blonde poker forum

Afternoon all.  The traditional queue at the top of the stairs down to the tournament area has formed, and players are just about to head in and restack their stacks in preparation for playing the second day of the Pokerstars.com EPT Barcelona; the biggest prize pool here EVER is on offer and the swarm of players deep and shallow stacked coming back today all want a slice of it.

Chip counts in 30 seconds...

Here are the chip counts by position - part 1, with German bracelet winner Sebastian Ruthenberg leading the charge...

Sebastian Ruthenberg   105900
Jonas Klausen   101800
Mikael Lundell   101000
Brice Cournut   87100
Michael Murra   87000
Jason Mercier   79300
Olof Jonatan Stal   78100
Nichlas Saarisilta   76100
Aniol Alcaraz Coca   74100
Pedro Pocas   73600
Rasmus Hede Nielsen   73100
Jesper Hougaard   72700
Haward Speer   72300
Voitto Rintala   71800
Nestor Ygborn   71200
David Shave Kruger   71100
Mazhar Nawab   70600
Sorel Mizzi   68500
Chad Brown   67100
Dren Ukella   65800
Glen Chorny   65500
Pasquale Braco   63900
Nils Petersson   62800
Ramzi Jelassi   62800
Hafiz Khan   59200
Kristian Ulriksen   57100
Albert Sapiano   53700
Claudio Cecchi   53100
Giorgio Bernasconi   52500
Jonathan Dwek   52500
Jerry Wong   52400
Carles Santolaria   50900
Luca Giovannone   50400
Eduardo Fernandes   49300
Peter Buermann   48700
Jens Klaning   46200
Daniel Mangas   46200
Dennis Bejedal   45900
Talal Dan Shakerchi   44500
Andre Akkari   44200
Benjamin Mirsaidi   43500
Marco Mironti   43100
Alessandro Lusso   41400
Fowzi Baroukh   41200
Alessandro Longobardi   40900
Michael Banducci   40700
Thierry Van Den Berg   40200

Forget the lights and camera (literally for the last one, sorry) there is nothing but action out there as short stacks give it a shot to double up and big stacks continue to press their advantage.  While the rest of the list is coming, here's a peek at what's going on:

Surinder Sunar doubles up right off the bat to 25,000 with Aspades Kh vs. something that didn't hit a King or hit one with a worse kicker (watch out, Poirot) on a board of Ts 6d 2d Th Kc.

Julian Thew has taken a couple of shots moving in preflop, but no callers yet...

Albert Sapiano calls Matey's bet on a 9c Ahrt 7h flop only to bet 30k when it's checked to him on th 6h turn.  Pass.  Players are wary of the Honeyman...but his table is a pretty tough one, containing also Mark Teltscher, Sorel Mizzi and Patrik Martensson. 

Chip counts part 2 - there's a higher % of brits lurking in the bottom half so you might want to peruse carefully...

Asti Ruscalla   39800
Michael Keiner   39400
Karl Nils Heilert   39100
Diego Perez   39000
Stavros Kalfas   38900
Didier Samy Pitcho   38800
Marko Tapio Vainio   38600
Anders Wessman   37300
George Danzer   37200
Robert Mizrachi   36900
Johansen Wagner   36700
Nicolas Levi   36700
Nikolaos Panopoulos   36100
Mark Dalimore   35700
Francesco Nguyen   35400
Martin Nielsen   35100
Giuseppe Festa   34900
Mark Randal Flowers   34300
Henri Koivisto   33300
Luca Pulzoni   32900
Marius Fjellbu Oi   32800
David Schnettler   32800
Kevin Macphee   31800
Malte Strothmann   31500
Alessandro Minasi   30900
Chris Verkerk   30900
Frederic Brunet   30800
Steven Silverman   30700
Frank Yuanfang Gu   30700
Morten Klein   30500
Mathieu Albano   30400
Felipe Ramos   29500
Arnaud Mattern   29200
Richard Wheatley   29100
Eduard De Haas   28900
Ohad Simhon   28200
Frank Stumpf   28000
Daniele Mazzia   28000
Fintan Gavin   27500
Cedric Rossi   27500
Benjamin Scott Stark   27400
Luis Petit   27300
Jesper Hoog   27200
Danilo Kricak   27000
Manuel Cecilia   26600
Gareth Teatum   25900
Joseph George Pelton   25800
Simone Coppari   25700
Peter Mattias Nordin   25600
Patrice Boudet   25200
Patrice Libert   25100
Steven Weusten   24700
Douglas Polk   24700
Scott Montgomery   24500
Joao Vide Barboa   24500
Per Daniel Andersen   24400
Osman Mustanoglu   23900
Isaac Haxton   23900
Tobias Reinkemeier   23700
Jose Vazquez Ortega   23400
Alan Smurfit   23300
Sheryl Lea Gershon   23100
Robert Hudson   22700
Jonas Molander   22500
Helfried Bernhardt   22100
Peter Eastgate   21100
Marcellino Terracciano   20800
Philippe Narboni   20700
Giorgio Salemi   20500
Daniele Guidetti   20300
Julien Sallin   20100
Jerzy Hajdamowicz   19900
Laszlo Pocze   19900
Denes Kalo   19700
Hans Eskilsson   19600
Davidi Kitai   19300
Wouter Bijgaart   19200
Eric Christian Saxin   19100
Ardavan Yazdi   19100
Raoul Gilmar Refos   18900
Adam York   18400
Karl Hevroy   17800
Roberto Pompei   17700
Dag Palovic   17600
Omer Shaked   17400
Diogo Borges   17200
Boris Fragin   17000
Andrey Chesnokov   17000
Patric Martensson   16900
Jean Rohr   16800
Juha Lauttamus   16700
Alexey Tkachenko   16700
Antoine Nahas   16600
Tobias Bengtsson   16600
Petre Ionescu   16200
Grzegorz Mikielewicz   16100
Sergio Bessa   16000
Clyde Foe   16000
Vitaly Lunkin   15400
Cornelis Alblas   14700
Olvedo Vinvent Heinze   14700
Stuart Rutter   14300
Eric Mizrachi   14200
Salavatore Pengue   14000
Steve Jelinek   14000
Patrick Perez   14000
David Atrubin   13900
Theodoros Aidonopoulos   13800
Stephen Chidwick   13800
Bruno Drago   13700
William Haughey   13500
Alexander Kotlyar   13500
Oleg Makovenko   13500
Maria Maceiras   13400
Mauro Corsetti   13300
Andreas Krause   13300
Mark Teltscher   13200
Andrew Lichtenbeger   13100
Roger Hairabedian   13100
Pablo Martinez   13000
Ouri Aron Cohen   12500
Damien Vidal   12100
Nunzio Lagana   11700
Benianmino Speroni   11700
Fabrice Soulier   11700
Jos Moreno   11600
Jean Amsellem   11600
Jean Pasqualini   11400
Rafael Marc Furst   11300
Surinder Sunar   10800
Julian Thew   10700
Nicklas Strom   10000
Stuart Taylor   9700
Steven Thompson   9500
Casey Kastelic   9400
Faraz Jaka   9200
Danny Ryan   9100
Alexander Grishchuk   9000
Ronny Johansen   8800
Erik Peter Tamm   8700
Johannes Strassmann   8700
Petter Solli Berg   8500
Vijay Singh   8500
Christian Grundtvig   7900
Carlos Enrique Villa   7800
Michael Greco   7700
Richard Ashby   7600
Semen Apokorin   7600
Timothy Bogue   7400
Axel Albertsson   7300
Samuel Chartier   7000
Ojan Faramarzi   5200
Dustin Mele   5100
Michel Abecassis   4700
Mehdi Keack   4200
Robert Andre Cazali   3300

Not Vijay Singh the golfer is it?

anyone know anything about these guys in the top 10?


Jonas Klausen   101800
Mikael Lundell   101000
Brice Cournut   87100
Michael Murra   87000
Olof Jonatan Stal   78100


must confess, I'm clueless!

Denmark's top-ranked online tournament player, Jonas Klausen has outstanding results. His incredible run began on December 30th, 2007, when he placed 3rd in the PokerStars $1k Sunday Million for $127k. After a win in an FTOPS $100 rebuy event in February '08 for nearly $90,000, Jonas took 3rd in the $1k FTOPS event in May '08 for a whopping $160,900!
(from pocketfives.com (http://www.pocketfives.com/profiles/Klausen))


Brice Cournut (whou a Frenchie :o ) on the Hendonmob Data Base (http://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/player.php?a=r&n=53110)

thank you!

previous post edited

for the others, I've found nothing

Yes, Jonas is a regular on the european circuit and I've seen him in good positions on several occasions. He was well chipped up at the EPT San Remo before falling away in the latter stages. Definitely a man to watch for this tournament and the future.

Mikael Lundell appears to be almost a complete unknown, although he has one of the best names in poker - his full name being Per Mikael Kyung Moo Lundell. If we weren't so busy there would be some immediate photoshopping done on his person.

Sadly I know nothing of the other players either, although wer are bound to have juicy titbits of information filter into the press room as the day proceeds and we will share these with you as they arrive...

In other news, sadly Julian (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=225) Thew (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=225) has fallen at this early stage.

In the big blind it was folded round to the small blind, who appeared to try and raise but put in half a big blind. Julian was confused and asked the dealer if it was a real raise at which point he was told it was a call.

He looked at his cards and found A-K so moved in, only for the small blind to insta-call as he had Aces!!!

A bit of a sick one for Julian, there was no escaping from that hand with his stack but he was his usual philosophical self, remarking "sometimes it just doesn't go your way..."

More trips heartache for Kristian Ulriksen now as he gets to a flop of 2c Js 2s with Steve Jelinek and one other guy - wish I could tell you if it was raised preflop, as that surely makes a difference... but I am going to opt for Probably Unraised.  Ulriksen had a bet of 4,500 in the middle (the pot about 7k) and Steve had moved his short stack all in... 
Ulriksen:  Ahrt Jd
Jelinek:  6d 2d
The turn and river were the harmles 5s Th and a double up for the Jelifish. 

SPOT PRIZE  Which other UK player with a less apt nickname wears this exact T-shirt while playing?  First correct answer gets a virtual cocktail.

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=21176&g2_serialNumber=1)

Continually built-up and knocked-back Kristian makes rude gesture and consolidates stack.

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=21178&g2_serialNumber=1)

That's not actually true - he was just throwing in his ante.  This is what he always looks like:

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=21180&g2_serialNumber=1)

is willie haughey still in?

I'm guessing since he is down as English rather than Fijian then no, but I did hear that much as Phil Ivey is described as "The Tiger Woods of Poker", Vijay Singh is heralded as "The Vijay Singh of Poker."

Yes on the list with 13,500 at the moment. If we have a moment we'll try and get a snap for you...

Kevin O'Leary

Mojito please!!

exellent cheers

After having study the list, my picks for today are

Brice Cournut   87100
Nicolas Levi   36700
Arnaud Mattern   29200

and if he is not OUT yet could you try to look at Michel Abecassis ?

Hoody of the Tournament, who I think turns out to be Dutch online qualifier Steven Weusten, just eliminated neighbour Steven Silverman, who got it all in on a flop of 3d 6d Jd, only to instamuck on seeing Weusten's smacked-as-good-as-it-gets Ad 7d. 

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=21182&g2_serialNumber=1)

---

Right at the beginning of the day, Mehdi Keack was one of the first small stackers to take the plunge, moving in with Ac Qh but finding Aniol Alcaraz Coca with Ad Aspades.  He was already out of his chair and halfway across the room before tablemate Stu Rutter and the dealer seemed to notice that he'd rivered a four-flush in hearts. 

---

Here's your start-of-day chip leader, Sebastian Ruthenberg, towering over most other stacks even now.  It does look like his neighbour Haward Speer has totally perfected the sidelong glance, though.

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=21184&g2_serialNumber=1)

              jen are you forgetting mazzer  he had a good run last year .
he has 70 k keep me updated please .
                                                        thx barry.

nawab that is .
                     thx.

No worries Barry, Jen is on the case. For some reason Maz has passed under our radar so far in the tournament but with 70k that will no longer be the case.

Updates on their way...

Ok, first off here we have the Dane who is up there with the leaders, his stack 100k+ at the moment. As mentioned before he has threatened to take down a big live tournament before and this could well be the one the way things are going.

Jonas Klausen

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=21186&g2_serialNumber=1)

Next up we have the popular Frenchman Nicholas Levi, who is almost unrecognisable without his omnipresent, famous hat.

When I asked him where it was he said "somewhere on the airplane, I definitely checked it in!" He is on roughly 20,000 at this point and looking oddly younger than usual I thought...

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=21188&g2_serialNumber=1)

Next up we have Mikael Lundell, the aggressive Swede who has been bullying his tables into virtual submission so far. He doesn't look like he's about to take his foot off the gas either as we see him here eyeing his neighbour's chip stack invidiously...

Scott Montgomery was missing from his table, and  if anything Mikael's chip stack looks to have passed the 120k mark at this point so he may well have been the executioner of the canadian WSOP final tablist.

A man to watch clearly...

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=21190&g2_serialNumber=1)

Mark "Randall" Flowers obviously had a great finish to yesterday as he managed to end the day with 35,000 in chips after grinding it out with his initial 10k for most of the day. He may have donated a few of these chips back so far though as he looks to have in the region of 30k at the moment.

I captured him at an unfortunate moment - just as that world famous beagle, Snoopy walked past his table, causing Mark to gape open mouthed at the canine legend of updating.

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=21192&g2_serialNumber=1)

Finally I captured Surinder Sunar who doesn't seem to have deviated much after doubling through to 25k, perhaps down to 23k or so at this point...

Just to his left is recent bracelet winner and part of teh accomplished Winamax team Belgium Davidi Kitai, who is on 65-70k and doing very nicely at the moment.

Despite the fame he has accrued by winning that WSOP bracelet over the summer I was pleased to see he was awe-struck by my presence, appearing to gape open-mouthed at my arrival to the table...

...then I realised his eyes were focused on Snoopy who was standing behind me. DAMN THAT BEAGLE!

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=21194&g2_serialNumber=1)

---

Stuart Taylor had been all-in several times before I joined his table to find out how it was going.

He was up to 13k although he told me he had mainly been shoving and picking up blinds so far. "I've actually had hands most of the time so was hoping for a call! I need to double up so I can play some poker..."

His chance arrived soon as he got in preflop versus a shorter stack than him and found himself in a coinflip with 8d 8h versus the other player's Ac Qc.

A flop of Kc 3s 4c looked very dangerous and the other player's railing fanclub burst into cheering as a Jc appeared on the turn to complete his nut flush.

Stuart just shook his head glumly, resigned to more grinding with a short stack...

Yes, he's dropped to around 60k but is still in great shape.  I recall him going deep in this tourney last time, and he just sort of sneaks up the chip standings.  I do remember yesterday thinking, "That guy looks a lot like Maz Nawab," but somehow failed to chat to him (the breaks are pandemonium).  A good player who could bring a surprise EPT Title out of the bag.

Maz Nawab - The Invisible Man

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=21200&g2_serialNumber=1)

Joining him in this Gambling Sideshow:

Sheryl Lea Gershon - the Amazing Tattooed Lady*

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=21198&g2_serialNumber=1)

Ed de Haas - World's Tallest Gamer

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=21196&g2_serialNumber=1)


*Not true - just a shirt.  Her actual tattoos were deemed unacceptable for entry to casino and she was sent back for something longsleeved.**

**Also not true. 

       
             thx jen ,just keep em coming .

anything on willie haughey yet?

Do you know if Michel Abecassis has succeed in coming back in the business ?

Our own George2Loose wears it as well.

Is tattoo lady the only female left in this event?  My tea bag told me in no uncertain terms yesterday we'd have a female winner. Can it be that it lied to me?

thanks for the Randal Flowers update already- fairly sure that he and David Schnettler are all that we have left (bad day yesterday for the 2+2 crowd)

I went to his table earlier Cambo but sadly his spot was filled with a random spaniard, suggesting that he had likely been eliminated.

I hope I'm wrong and I'll let you know if i find out different.

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=21208&g2_serialNumber=1)

OK here's Arnaud, with 27k just before the first break which has now ended.  He is a very serious player, whose previous EPT win in Prague hasn't in any way altered his focus, and determination to play.

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=21204&g2_serialNumber=1)

While Arnaud might be grinding up a short stack, something good has happened today to Michel Abecassis - he's gone from supershort to around 50k which must be worth half a smile...

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=21206&g2_serialNumber=1)

Fall Of The French

Two of the big French hopes have faced a rum time recently.

First off Arnaud (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=1011) Mattern (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=1011) was seen making a big re-raise all-in over the top of a Ramzi Jellasi raised from the cut off.

Ramzi made an amazing call for nearly half his stack (25,000 or so)with Ad 4d, which proved to be a good one as Mattern could only table Ts 9s and despite turning a double gut-shot and a flush draw the mono-browed young Frenchman missed on the river to end his dreams of tournament glory whilst a delighted Ramzi pulled in a 50k + pot.

It looks like the Swedish player, who has had a horrendous series of bad beats in recent EPTS may finally be running good and with his aggressive game, he will be a tough man to stop.

---

Next up, Nicholas Levi had become pretty short and was looking for unopened pots to push his stack in. He did find one, but was looked up relatively light by an opponent with Ks Th.

He couldn't spike one of his live cards, meaning another Frenchman who had high hopes must put his hopes of EPT glory on ice for now...

thakns for these informations Junglecat

But I've now to go to work and I was waiting for some better news before leaving the computer  ;yellowcard;

I hope that tomorrow morning, when I'll be back at home to sleep read the end of the day 2, you'll bring me better ones  ;slavedriver;

bye all ;)

Congratulations spot prize winner!

(http://louisa123.files.wordpress.com/2007/06/molotov-cocktail.jpg)

Don't You Just Hat It When That Happens?

The news that Nicholas Levi's hat has gone missing, presumed stolen from the local airport has sent the assembled media into a frenzy. It is his trademark and an iconic symbol of the game and the police are exploring every avenue in an attempt to recover the infamous item of apparel.

They have recently turned up some footage from the airport which they believe may be of some help in locating the thief. They have disbursed the footage amongst the media. The face looks familiar but I can't place it.

He seems to be wearing some sort of disguise...

Can you help?

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=21202&g2_serialNumber=1)

No there are a couple dotted around still - the one doing the best I am pretty sure is Maria Maceiras.  Here she is updating bloggers - good to see she's approachable by the press... sitting comfortably on around 45k.

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=21212&g2_serialNumber=1)

Also on Maceiras' table - the interesting combo of Ramzi Jelassi and Stuart Rutter, who look like they might have been bantering sotto voce about Ms. Maceiras.  Not one to sit quietly, she promptly pulled Ramzi up on that, who pointed the finger at Stuart Rutter, saying something about how she couldn't be a tight player as she was Spanish.  "Ten-Jack is a good hand here!" he said, and to be fair didn't get any argument from Maria.

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=21210&g2_serialNumber=1)

I know that dude. It's that Brad Pitt fella! I always thought he looked shifty.

Hey guys,

Didn't make it out to Barca sadly, hope you're having a good time!

What's the latest on Stuart Rutter?

- James

Oops just spotted pic of him there, chip count?

Can I have updates on Stephen Chidwick aka Stevie444 Online step6 legend

thanks Chris

End of the road for George Danzer - spotted earlier peering out here.  He pushed all in after there was a raise to 5k and a call, with a total stack of around 15k.  The initial raiser passed, but the caller, true to form, called with Ad Jh - George's Ks Qs didn't improve past King high and he's on the rail.  But only for a night - he'll be back tomorrow when the EPTLive gets into full swing, with all that live filming and multilingual commentary and that.  I heard that he's a pretty funny guy, and also has what amounts to, in Germany, a comedy regional accent  :)

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=21214&g2_serialNumber=1)

Apologies for the clock. It should actually read 800 1600 200.

As we close in on the all important latter stages, with just about 100 players left, there is some cautious play going on by many of the players, anxious not to make a mistake. I didn't witness too many contested hands as I wandered through the card room but here's some random counts and a crucial double through for one well followed american player...

First off German legend Michael Keiner is going along great guns at the moment with a nice 80k stack counted up neatly in front of him.

---

Also going well is American winner of the San Remo EPT Jason Mercier, who looks comfortable with a 70k stack. He is so relaxed he has time to have a laugh and a joke with his tablemates as the Jake Gyllenhall lookalike(in my eyes anyway!) cooly goes about his business.

---

Maz Nawab looks similarly comfortable, the UK player with a meaty 75k stack at the moment. Good show sir!

---

Michael Greco has ground his way almost into the last 100 players and has 19k to his name at the moment, which won't last him too long if he doesn't get a double through sometime soon...

Come on Beppe!

Do you have any updates on Isaac ''Ike'' Haxton?

This guy, Jens Klaning, just busted Michel Abecassis, who walked from the table, arms crossed and an expression of consternation, having had a very promising start to the day.  Klaning's hand was 9d 9c, and the board at the end Qh 4d 4h 2h xheart .  I am going to take a wild guess that the chips got in pre and that AK may have been the assassin of the Frenchman.  But I don't really know.  He is out though.

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=21216&g2_serialNumber=1)

The unstoppable Sebastian Ruthenberg adds another player's whole stack to his already near 200k... and it's Isaac Haxton, I am afraid (sorry this early picture only has his arm in HoKarlMC)

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=21218&g2_serialNumber=1)

Haxton got it all in preflop with Ac Kc, and it looks like Ruthenberg has so many chips he would feel the loss of a flip like the bite of a gnat as he was ready to take him on with 3d 3c.
Flop:  6d Qc 3h
Turn: Jd
River: Jc

Hands were shaken.  Chips were stacked into enormous towers.

The double through I promised was "Randall" Flowers!

I missed how the hand played out but joined the table with pocket Kings laid out in front of him on a board of A-A-9-2-5 and having his stack counted out so his opponent could pay him off (I'm surmising, using my all-powerful deductive skills that his opponent didn't have an ace)

It looked as though he had doubled through to roughly 60k, which sets him up nicely for another deep EPT run to mirror his efforts in San Remo, although the young gun will be looking to go better than his 10th place finish this time.

Mark has had a great year in live tournaments so far. Apart from San Remo, he only has two other lines on his Hendon Mob Database profile this year, but both are victories so he is clearly a man in form.

I caught his eye as he was stacking his chips and he gave me a big grin to signal how happy he was at his double up.

Yes, last level he was in great shape with 125,000 chips to his name.

We'll keep an eye out for the online prodigy as we skirt around.

Rumour has it he has won over 100 WSOP packages via the steps system...Is this correct Chris?

If so, that is an amazing achievement, over $1,000,000 worth of prizes.

What do you think of that Rolf???

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=6578&g2_serialNumber=1)

Rolf - "Shoooo Shick!"

Chipped Up:

Chad Brown -- 140k

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=21220&g2_serialNumber=1)

Jonas Klausen -- 190k+

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=21226&g2_serialNumber=1)

Ramzi Jelassi -- 120k

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=21222&g2_serialNumber=1)

Pasquale Braco -- 120k  Also proud carrier of Luis Vuitton manbag (check it out, Julian, the trend is international!)

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=21224&g2_serialNumber=1)

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=21228&g2_serialNumber=1)

In your eye Rolf..... Yeh over 100 seats mbfn Stevie.....

125k go go go imo

oh and tell him from me that he should sit back on those chips and nit it up like I do

weeeeeeeeeee go Randal go.

My kid thinks he's the best player ever,  here's hoping he can go deep today.

One of the players left in the tournament in the tournament is the russian Semen Apokorin.

It would be very easy to make jokes about Semen's first name, but we have decided against it as we feel it would leave a bad taste in the mouth...

---

Incidentally, we were told that one of the Spanish reporters has been accidentally mis-typing Glen Chorney's name as Glen Horney throughout the update which caused much amusement in the media room when he eventually discovered his mistake, especially as he was typing headlines like "Glen Horney Is Bigger Than Average" and "Horney Pulls It Off Again" after a successful bluff. Lolz.

---

Ok, the players are now on a one hour dinner break to refresh and re-charge. Hopefully we'll be able to put some chip counts up when the players come back but for now, it's time for the players and us to eat.

*************************ONE HOUR DINNER BREAK. BACK SOON**********************

As the dinner break commences, Omar Shaked busts out having gotten so short that neighbour Tobias Bengtsson said, "I didn't want to look as I knew he was going to push and I didn't want to have to see 7-2 and call..." That's never a good situation, and he was heading out of the tourney area - but I have no idea if there was previously a big damaging hand or if today had been a slow dwindle. 

---

Absolutely not a clue how around 40k got into a pot where Ahrt 3h beat Kd 2s on a board of 6d Td Aspades Qc 7s... but Joseph Pelton was the beneficiary and Luca Giovannone the loser. 

---

BACK IN AN HOUR, ICE CREAM BREAK

Can it be noted that I was the first to start the Pac Man t shirt wearing craze.

Surely Steve will follow me and Kevin in final tabling (hoping he's still in and I don't bok him)

jen do me a favour and tell the top PLO players that might visit london in a couple of weeks not to bother as its going to be snowing

got to try weeken the field somehow

Having tried to locate full counts after the first Post Dinner Watch and failed, going to have to settle for these Notable Counts, as Counted by Pokerstars.com.  The rest of the UK players I will find in just a moment.

Jonas Klausen   Qualifier   Sweden   220000
Sebastian Ruthenberg   Sponsored   Germany   205000
Mazhar Nawab   Qualifier   Ireland   158000
Martin Nielsen   Denmark   140000
Jens Klaning   Denmark   138000
Chad Brown   Team Pro   USA   130000
Hafiz Khan   Qualifier   USA   130000
David Kruger   USA   130000
Mikael Lundell   Sweden   123000
Ramzi Jelassi   Sweden   120000
Asti Ruscalla   Italy   115000
Kasey Castle   USA   110000
Jason Mercier   PS Player   USA   108000
Marko Vainio   Finland   100000
Stevie Chidwick   Qualifier   UK   95000
Pedro Pocas   Qualifier   Portugal   94000
Steve Jelinek   Qualifier   UK   74000
Michael Keiner   Germany   73000
Voitto Rintala   Finland   70000
Michael Greco   UK   61000
Robert Mizrachi   USA   55000
Thierry Van Den Berg   Qualifier   Holland   55000
Jonas Molander   Sweden   36000
Glen Chorny   Canada   15000

   
   
   

Here's your man, Moorman.

From humble stack beginnings, to around 55k right now, including lots of I've-been-at-the-antes black 100 chips.

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=21230&g2_serialNumber=1)

Incidentally, two minutes after taking that picture, I walked by the table again and the seat formerly occupied by Schnettler was vacant, leading me to assume at best moved and at worst Busto.

Some may be surprised to find Albert Sapiano in the latter stages of this EPT but he's still in and doing quite nicely thanks!

Up to 135k before this hand...he called a raise preflop on the button and after his opponent checked on an 8c 8h 4d board, Albert also checked...

The turn was the Th and now his opponent reached in and bet out 11k...he should have known what was coming really from The Honey Monster...

(http://images.wikia.com/muppet/images/a/a4/Honeymonster.jpg)

"I call!"

The river was the Qc and both players checked, Albert showing pocket fives which were good whilst his opponent quickly spun his hand into the muck, shaking his head as The Honey Monster's brand of aggressive call-y poker won him yet another pot and moved him past the 150k mark!

Can anyone stop him!

With 64 getting paid, it's about time that people started taking their tournament life seriously.  The odd stand-up, proper tortuous dwell, sigh of relief or despair is starting to be seen.  Here we see an example - Eduardo Fernandes standing by the table having moved in on the button over the top of an Albert Sapiano (white hair, checked shirt) raise to 8k.  He had just 16,300 in total, so while I waited, pen poised to record the cards, I was surprised to see Sapiano fiddle with his 140k or so and then pass.

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=21232&g2_serialNumber=1)

---

Elsewhere Luca Giovannone wasn't so lucky, as he moved in on the small blind over button Maz Nawab, only to be called sharpish by the big blind whose Ac Qd was in great shape against Luca's Aspades 2c, and stayed that way to bust him.  "I'm glad you called," added Maz, "Or I would have done with J-9."

After an excellent start to Day One, a dwindle through the rest of it, a worryingly low stack through the early stages of today, he's stabilised on 45k at the moment.  Still looks like he's having fun.  Sorry you couldn't make it to Barca, where summer actually arrived and stayed, where wifi is still something of a luxury but where it is actually a pleasure to walk to work in the sunshine... Saw Dan Carter and DaMatrix last night coming to the Casino to see Stu, but really just to try to grab him for round two of the beachside bar hopping they were doing ;)

        I didnt know maz was irish ,he doesnt look like one .
wish him luck plz .
                           thx barry.

how many left in plz .

Assorted chip counts from around the arena...

Jason Mercier - 114k

The San Remo champ has been steadily accumulating and has his chips arranged in a neat pyramidal structure which I found useful as it enabled me to easily tot up his chip stack.

Snoopy however, normally so positive in his outlook, was not such a big fan.

"I wish he'd take those towers down...I mean there's no need!!" - No double thumbs up from the beagle then. Can Mercier recover from this damning indictment of his chip stacking skills?

Chad Brown - 90k

Chad lost quite a few chips after doubling through the tattoo lady, otherwise known as Sheryl Hershon, a fellow American, whose K-K held up versus Chad's big slick A-K...

She is up to 60k or so...

Michael Greco - 80k

Michael has made a sterling comeback from his shortstack and now boasts a couple of rather tall towers in his stack and is looking poised to make a big impression on this EPT.

Maz Nawab now has about 165k, comfortably cruising through the day and looking good to top last year's placing.  The gent in red on the right of the pic is the busted Luca Giovannone, while the guy in green I confused briefly with a stackless Ruthenberg, but my list says he's Theodoros Aidonopoulos.  Anyone confirm?  Either way I was standing behind him in the queue to get in the casino this morning and they were taking serious issue with his tracksuit trousers.  Greg Raymer learned the hard way about shorts on Day One, but this guy wasn't giving up without a fight.  He just kept saying "I am playing in five minutes!" until they gave up and let him downstairs.

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=21234&g2_serialNumber=1)

Prize Pool Time!

Here are the giant rewards for those players who can battle through to the final 64 spots.

1 - €1,361,000
2 - €792,000
3 - €455,000
4 - €351,000
5 - €292,000
6 - €227,000
7 - €178,000
8 - €119,000

9-10 - €74,400
11-12 - €49,600
13-14 - €37,200
15-16 - €29,700
17-24 - €24,700
25-32 - €19,800
33-40 - €17,300
41-48 - €14,900
49-56 - €12,400
57-64 - €10,200

It's so exciting here as we approach the bubble. The press are milling round the playing arena like little ants scavanging pieces of information like little sugar particles before carrying them back and forth to the press room in a continuously moving column.

Who will it be!!!

Michael Greco was lost in thought as I snapped him and seems to be a little shorter than the last time I caught him...down to 63k at this point...

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=21236&g2_serialNumber=1)

As I joined Stu Rutter's table,he was on a relatively short stack of 50k, and he gave me one of his trademark cheesy grins...

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=21240&g2_serialNumber=1)

More excitingly, he was quickly involved in a hand...

I saw Stu raise to 7k from late position.

However, if he was after the blinds, he was not going to find them uncontested as portuguese player Diogo Manuel Sampaio Pereira Soares Borges (yes incredibly he does somewhat greedily own ALL those 6 names) shipped his entire 60k stack into the middle.

Facing a call for his tournament, he looked uncomfortable and removed his shades to take a better look at the excessively long winded-ly named man form Portugal...

Eventually he mucked his cards before giving the man a look that suggested he was about to go off to the deed pole office to rename himself Stuart Not Going To Pass To Your Re-raise Next Time Rutter...

Here is his nemesis from that hand Diogo Manuel Sampaio......(gulp for breath)....Pereira Soares Borges.

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=21242&g2_serialNumber=1)

More Chip Counts, seeing as the remaining 76 players don't seem in a huge hurry to get their cards on their backs right now and bust themselves...

Steve Jelinek -- 73k
Thierry van der Berg -- 68k
Jonas Molander -- 47k
Jonas Klausen -- 230k
Maria Maceiras -- 110k
Michael Greco -- 78k
Ramzi Jelassi -- 100k
Stuart Taylor -- 32k
Stuart Rutter -- 35k
Shephen Chidwick -- 120k
Asti Ruscalla -- 118k
Henri Koivisto -- 73k
Benjamin Mirsaidi -- 110k
Ronny Johansen -- 28k
Nichlas Mattsson -- 74k
Axel Albertsson -- 80k
David Kruger -- 95k

Ramzi Jelassi still in the hunt with 100k to his name.

Here is the Swedish pro...

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=21244&g2_serialNumber=1)

And didn't manage to get a snap but the news of Stephen (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=1501) Chidwick (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=1501) is that he is on 120k at the moment which is an improvement from dinner break so he is on the way up...

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=21246&g2_serialNumber=1)

Any chance u guys can gather some upates on the 2k side event today?

Also, I think Mercier would make a terrible architecht.  While his pyramid is nice to look at, it has no structure to it.  It's just one level up as opposed to having the solid foundation it needs to stand.  It's like the slightest gust of wind and he's got like 300 chips to restack and make sure none of his opponents hoodwink him.  IS IT WORTH IT, JASON?

With that said, I'll send any of u $10 on Pokerstars if u knock it over and take pics.

according to cardplayer there is no 2k side event today, but a $3k side event stars 2moro

Players approaching the bubble go through periods of what can only be described as Intense Patience.  I just watched a hand which started in summer, and the leaves were brown and dropping by the time it reached its conclusion.  Even though your curiosity may be piqued and then left unsatisfied, here it is, as it took 20 minutes to watch:

Johansen Wagner raises to 7,500 preflop, called by small blind Salvatore Pengue.
Flop: Ac 8c 7s  Dwell. Check.  Dwell.  Check.
Turn: 8d Check.  Dwell.  Wagner places hands under chin, rests head on hands, stares from behind shades as dark as night.  A couple of other players at the table stand, stretch, stare into the middle distance, but show no interest in the proceedings speeding up.  He bets 15k at last, three reluctant-looking yellow chips.  A dwell surpassing that one comes from Pengue, but he makes the call.
River:  2c  A slow check, and I think Wagner might have actually fallen asleep.  The dealer looks almost entreatingly at the clock, the faces of the opponents in the hands, back to the clock.  Wagner has actually somewhere along the line announced all in.  Pengue thinks, and thinks.  To be fair, this is now his tournament on the line, and having spent a valuable 20 minutes of his life on this hand he is obviously reluctant to give it up.  But he does, and Wagner rakes in the pot - I have to go and sit down.

72 left Barry. 8 off the money spots...

There are a lot of tables in the middle of the room which I thought were cash tables but might be worth a second look.  Not to knock cardplayer's info which is probably correct but you never know... 

PS Your $10 up for knocking over the Mercier tower has been recorded by SikTilt for posterity :)

Where's a drunk Thomas (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=877) Wahlroos (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=877) when you need him?

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqGENkVpHV0

cheers m8ty ,keep an eye on muz plz ,its a good job colchester isn't doing the updates or i wouldn't be able to say that.

Annette told me 2 days ago the 2k euro event was Friday, but then again she thought she was playing day 1b and ended up on 1a, so who knows if she has a clue what shes talking about?

I would like to see this video.  Is it sad that I already know Rury's Stars name?

;bp;

Short stack Stavros Kalfas shoved in the cutoff for 20,400, but probably wasn't expecting serious interest from both blinds... first off, small blind Peter Nordin moved in a stack of yellows, enough to put the only other player still in the hand to the test for his whole stack too.  A genuine decision, one that required standing up and looking pained, followed for big blind Benjamin Stark.  He eventually decided against it, and folded his Ac Qc face up!
Kalfas:  Ac 5d
Nordin:  Ks Js  (when this hand went over some excited French railers transmitted the happy news to those without press passes behind the rail:  "Roi et Valet!  Roi et Valet!"

The board emerged:  Qh 8d 9s 9d 9h and Kalfas got the double through while the one really hurt by this hand was Stark, now short and on the bubble and ruing his decision.

With 69 players now remaining, the play has slowed to a crawl with time wasting, needless dwelling and all sorts of stalling tactics being employed as the dreaded bubble approaches.

There's been lots of dwelling up and slow play on Michael Kiener's table. The german is just about handling it with his 60k stack, but his next door neighbour appears to be close to a nervous breakdown...

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=21248&g2_serialNumber=1)

"Just hurry up for god's sake!!!!"

Here's some of the players who don't look in danger of missing out on the money...

Stephen Chidwick, one of the chip leaders at this point with close to 200k...

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=21250&g2_serialNumber=1)

Maz Nawab, who picked up the blinds with a raise JUST as I got to his table...

The english player is doing just dandy at the moment with 160,000 chips to his name...

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=21252&g2_serialNumber=1)

Recent Belgium bracelet winner, Davidi Kitai, who has 140,000.

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=21254&g2_serialNumber=1)

Mark Flowers, with over 150k is lin excellent shape as the run in to the title continues...

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=21256&g2_serialNumber=1)

But he should be careful of this chap to his right, the all powerful Sebastian Ruthenberg, yet another bracelet winner and the German has been attacking his tablemates all day with his aggressive play. He has a whopping 250k.

Just to HIS right, Albert Sapiano must be wishing he didn't have two such big stacks in position and you can see the stress on his face, but he is hanging in there with 110k...

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=21258&g2_serialNumber=1)

I didn't mention your name in case you didn't want people asking for money to destroy things... they are editing day and night, who knows when this footage will see the light of day.  And Rury is a welcome addition to anyone's Buddy List... he's sitting right opposite me so I should say no more.  The power of video crushes that of text.

I thought it must be a tournament going on in the middle of the room since in a matter of minutes the whole place filled up, but it's just cash games.  Lots of cash games.  This place is absolutely HEAVING - residents and visitors alike just can't seem to tear themselves out of the basement and on to the seafront.  You should have seen the rail on the blackjack yesterday.  For real.   ;D

Yes, def don't tell him it was me.  If I can get myself out of paying $10 that would be sweet.

(http://data1.blog.de/media/037/488037_f0049c77c4_m.jpg)

It's been long, but the drop from 65 to 64 was just 11 minutes.  I was not expecting this.  In fact, in the Press Poll on how many minutes the bubble would take to burst, I picked the longest time.  However, Brazilian Felipe Tavares Ramos has the dubious honour of being crowned bubble boy, his AK running into QQ which cemented victory by flopping a Queen.

This means the very next/first player out in the money stage gets a tidy €10,200.

SICK HAND

Thierry Van Der Bergh just shoved when it was folded round to him in the small blind. He had the big blind's remaining 40k covered and must have expected to have picked up the pot 95% of the time.

When the BB wakes up with Q-Q though, he's going nowhere (unless he's tightend) so he made the insta-call and found Van Der Bergh with the expected random hand, J-3 in this case.

With no overcards the BB must have been lookign forward to a 85k double through and when the board fell BLANK BLANK BLANK that looked a virtual inevitable.

A 3 on the turn opened a crack in the window of opportunity, but there was just a sliver of darkness at the end of the tunnel of double up light.

The absolutely sick three on the river though turned the lights out completely for Van Der Bergh's unfortunate victim though, completing the runner runner outdraw and sending him to the rail with a genuine bad beat story to tell...

(http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com/2007/02/1168702253-11674885811774361.jpg)

What does Shane McMahon have to do with it?

I was a little confused too but I think it might have somehting to do w/ "here comes the money."

...I don't think it's nerdy that I know that

Quite honestly I thought there would be one person and one person only to know that - Snoopy.  You can literally type anything into google image search and get results.  This proves that point nicely.  Congratulations on your astoundingly geeky trivia knowledge.

how many levels are they playing tonight .

Ruthenberg isn't the only German player wielding an impressive stack now, as Michael Kiener has just doubled through...Aces against T-9.

I joined the hand as all the chips were in the middle of a T high board but when and where they went in was unclear.

What was clear however was that Kiener was now the proud owner of a six figure stack that will make the experienced German a threat to win this EPT...

Stuart Rutter is one of those to be getting the just-in-the-money €10,200 - finishing 62nd right as I got to the tournament area.  He was both happy and sad - happy to have made the money with what was a pretty short stack - and unhappy that he got it in with A-K after A-2 had raised enough not to fold pre.  Of course, the Deuce came through and he exited stage left where they appear to be paying people in €500 notes immediately.   :o

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=21260&g2_serialNumber=1)

I was gunna post a picture of someone bowing or something to accept this gracious praise, but I really couldn't find any pics to my liking so ull just have to take my word on it.  I knew watching pro wrestling would help me with random trivia questions someday.  That day is today.

Well, they are due to play down to 32 or failing that we were initially told they would play 8 levels, although now they are saying they might play 9 levels if things are going a bit slow.

I'm very happy about an hour of my precious sleep potentially being cut into.

(http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1319/995290158_9229681083.jpg)

le riviera closes late jungle .

I think ur tournament clock is off.  PN reports them at being at the 1500/3k level, which given the avg stack size would make a lot more sense.

I just found a bit of paper under my laptop with some chicken-scratchy scrawling on it - it's Interesting Hands from Right Before the Bubble.  While slightly out of date, I think they're relevant, as the recipients of chips still have them, and I like the title I was going to give it:

Swedes Mash It Up

While Ramzi Jelassi hasn't had a wavering moment (I eavesdropped on a SikTilt video of his talking about his nice first day, replete with good cards, and second day, what with calling with raggy Aces good against Arnaud) building up to over 135k on the bubble, another young Swede Jonas Molander had an excellent twenty minutes in which he doubled up and then won one of the biggest pots going during that unexpected lull between losing player 77 and player 76.

First up it was David Kruger who doubled him up, raising with Ad Qd and calling his all-in with what turned out to be a victorious Ac Kc.  "I didn't think you had A-K there," admitted Kruger.  "Two hands in a row..."  Fortunate timing, and a nice stack now. 

I bet Asti Ruscalla didn't put him on the hand he had here either:  He called Jonas' raise to 7,500 in the small blind, seeing a 7c 5c 2h flop.  Ruscalla bet out what looked like just 6,500, and Jonas raised him to 16,700.  Call.
Turn: 4s  Both players checked
River:  Check to Jonas who bet 16,900.  After a good think about it, this got called too, and his Ks Js was good to take down the pot.

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=21073&g2_serialNumber=1)

NB Pic from yesterday, stacks not accurately represented currently....over 120k

Ad Ks

any chip counts on maz and greco plz.

love the Randal Flowers updates, thanks!  Apparently David Schnettler is still in. Can you check out his chip count please?

We're about to get the official chip counts, taken at the end of level 16, but I can tell you that Chad Brown is the chip leader at the moment.

Davidi Kitai is in 2nd place with 320k or so, the winamax player well poised for further success after his excellent performance at the world series.

Maz Nawab is also well in the reckoning with 233k, which puts him in the top 10 spots.

lovely jubbly

Still in the €10,200 payout bracket, these players are busted:

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=21262&g2_serialNumber=1)

Not sure what happened to Steve Jelinek, but Casey Kastle had the last of his stack in with Q-T vs. K-Q and Alessandro Lusso got it all.  Possibly this wasn't the crucial hand though as while he walked away figuratively leaning on the strong shoulder of Thomas Kremser he said something like, "I've never been in a hand like that..."

Meanwhile Sheryl Gershon moved her <60k in preflop with Ahrt 3c, called by neighbour Benjamin Mirsaidi with 8c 8s.

Flop:  Aspades...3s...  .. 8h  Turn and river 5d Qs. 

TABLE BREAK.  Chip counts from right before this flurry of eliminations coming.

With 26 minutes left to play for the day, five tables remain.

Full chip counts will be done tonight, and posted as soon as they can get from paper to tinternet...

The last big hand I saw involved Asti Ruscalla (top, pictured with his 45k all in the middle) who re-raised the guy in the bottom photo whose name for the moment escapes me but who reminds me of Andy Warhol.

It was 22k more to the other guy, who'd already raised to 20,500, and eventually he called.
"It's a coinflip," he noted as he flipped Ad Jh to Ruscalla's 6s 6h.  "A coinflip."

The coin landed Ruscalla up as he doubled through, even spiking the 6d on the river for emphasis.

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=21274&g2_serialNumber=1)

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=21272&g2_serialNumber=1)

Maria (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=1550) Maceiras (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=1550) hits the rail at the 11th hour (OK the 9th, but that's pretty late)... her Jacks no good against the AA of David Kitai...she does get a reasonable €17,300 for her efforts, however.


Ty benjo.

And the frenetic finish to the day continues apace!

First off, we had Albert Sapiano, who has confounded his critics with a sterling performance that sees him busted just inside the top 50, falling victim to Chad Brown, who flipped his A-K against Albert's pocket Jacks successfully.

Then there was the last remaining lady in the competition, Maria Maceiras, who busted out at the hands of Davidi Kitai, Jacks also signing her death warrant, although she was in worse shape against the Belgium, who held rockets this time to send the popular Spaniard to the rail...

No more honey monster, no more ladies...BYE GUYS!

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=21276&g2_serialNumber=1)

And these were the official chip counts from the end of level 16. Go Maz Nawab!

Bear in mind some of these players have busted in the last 50 minutes.

Dren Ukella  Germany                             360,000 
Chad Brown Team PokerStars Pro USA                             330,000 
Davidi Kitai  Belgium                             320,000 
Daniele Mazzia  Italy                             315,000 
Michael Keiner  Germany                             300,000 
Jason Mercier PokerStars player USA                             283,000 
Joseph George Pelton  USA                             280,000 
Sebastian Ruthenberg Sponsored Germany                             245,000 
Mazhar Nawab  Ireland                             230,000 
Jonas Klausen PS qualifier Denmark                             200,000 
Mark Randal Flowers PS qualifier USA                             173,000 
Ramzi Jelassi  Sweden                             160,000 
Cornelis Hendrik Alblas  Holland                             160,000 
Salvatore Pengue  Italy                             155,000 
Mikael Lundell  Sweden                             140,000 
Voitto Rintala  Finland                             138,000 
Nichlas Mattsson PS qualifier Sweden                             130,000 
Maria Maceiras  Spain                             130,000 
Jonas Molander  Sweden                             120,000 
Stephen James Chidwick  UK                             120,000 
Hafiz Khan PS qualifier USA                             100,000 
Samuel Chartier PS qualifier Canada                             100,000 
Henri Juho Kristian Koivisto  Finland                               95,000 
Fintan Gavin PS qualifier Ireland                               95,000 
Joao Vide Barboa  Portugal                               85,000 
Albert Sapiano  Ireland                               81,500 
Benjamin Mirsaidi  Germany                               73,000 
Martin Nielsen  Denmark                               70,000 
Steven Weusten PS qualifier Holland                               70,000 
Malte Strothmann PS qualifier Germany                               63,000 
Raoul Gilmar Refos  Holland                               60,000 
Kevin Macphee PS qualifier USA                               60,000 
Noel Nordquist  Sweden                               55,000 
Andrey Chesnokov  Russia                               55,000 
Marko Tapio Vainio  Finland                               50,000 
Jose Vazquez Ortega  Spain                               45,000 
Pasquale Braco  Italy                               45,000 
Dennis Fredrik Bejedal  Sweden                               43,000 
Stavros Kalfas PS qualifier Greece                               43,000 
Casey Kastle  Slovenia                               37,000 
Alessandro Lusso  Italy                               33,000 
Sheryl Lea Gershon  USA                               33,000 
Mauro Corsetti  Italy                               28,000 

Last Five Hands bring another UK exit - one we definitely weren't expecting - Maz Nawab is OUT right before the end of Day Two...

The majority of his chunky stack went in doubling up Stephen Chidwick.  I didn't see this hand from the beginning, but a good proportion of the chips went in what looked like a big old move from Nawab holding 6s Kd on a 4d Jc Ahrt 2d 5c board.  Perhaps this may have been effective, who knows, if Chidwick hadn't held Aspades 5h...

Then the very next hand, he got it all in in the big blind (surely less than 30k) with 2c 2s against small blind Samuel Chartier's Ac Kc.  This race, too, he was destined to lose.

Maz Nawab, winner of €17,300, looking confused at his own hand as it flops faceup on the table...

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=21278&g2_serialNumber=1)

Chartier
(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=21284&g2_serialNumber=1)

The Long Walk (to the guy handing out money on one of the side tables)

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=21282&g2_serialNumber=1)

Stephen Chidwick, however, ends the day on a triumphant 350k or so!

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=21280&g2_serialNumber=1)

And with those exciting final bits of information, we reach the end of the day.

We'll be putting up the final chip counts when we receive them later but for now at least, it's all over.

The press room is an amiable place, full of warm, freindly characters and one of those sent us on our way with a touching message of farewell.

I feel obliged to share this with you, so it's goodbye from myself and Jen and it's goodbye from this fellow...

(http://blondepoker.com/gallery/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=21270&g2_serialNumber=1)

Join us tomorrow at 3 o'clock as the exciting race to crown the first EPT champ of the season continues here in Barcelona but for now ;stickaforkinme;

Ahhh, Owen Laukkanen - Consummate Professional.

And they're up!  Thanks to team Pokerstars for their speedy paperwork.  The players still competing are:

Davidi Kitai     Belgium    544,500
Dren Ukella    Germany    374,500
Daniele Mazzia    Italy    374,000
Stephen Chidwick    UK    355,000
Jason Mercier    PokerStars player    USA    345,000
Steven Weusten    PS qualifier    Holland    332,000
Sebastian Ruthenberg    Sponsored    Germany    326,000
Michael Keiner    Germany    293,000
Chad Brown    Team Pro    USA    259,000
Jonas Klausen    PS qualifier    Denmark    237,000
Joseph George Pelton    USA    226,000
Voitto Rintala    Finland    171,500
Fintan Gavin    PS qualifier    Ireland    164,000
Mikael Lundell    Sweden    155,000
Malte Strothmann    PS qualifier    Germany    138,500
Ramzi Jelassi    Sweden    133,000
Cornelis Hendrik Alblas    Holland    133,000
Asti Ruscalla    Italy    123,500
Helfried Bernhardt    Germany    123,000
Claudio Cecchi    Italy    120,500
Mark Randal Flowers    PS qualifier    USA    119,000
Jonas Molander    Sweden    113,300
Noel Nordquist    Sweden    109,000
Salvatore Pengue    Italy    105,500
Alessandro Longobardi    Italy    102,000
Samuel Chartier    PS qualifier    Canada    95,500
Martin Nielsen    Denmark    95,000
Alexander Grishchuk    Russia    93,000
Henri Koivisto    Finland    81,500
Alessandro Lusso    Italy    70,500
Jose Vazquez Ortega    Spain    68,500
Marko Tapio Vainio    Finland    68,000
Mauro Corsetti    Italy    64,500
Ronny Johansen    Norway    62,500
Benianmino Speroni    Italy    59,000
Andrey Chesnokov Russia    17,500

Play restarts at 3pm (I seem to remember that's 2pm in the UK).  To get a full 12 hours sleep I need to sign off right now.  ;stickaforkinme;

back at home and what a lot of surprises !!!!!!!

Where are the Frechies ?? OUT

Where are the Luca (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=995) Pagano (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=995), Gino (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=1488) Alacqua (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=1488) and other Arnaud (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=1011) Mattern (http://www.blondepoker.com/blondepedia/blondepedia_view_player.php?player_id=1011) ? OUT... There are well known pros still in, but they are few...  >:( We'll have to learn some new names a think....

Whatever, thakns updaters, great job