Pokerstars.com EPT London: Day 1A - At A Glance

[NoflopsHomer]

Welcome to the first day of the sold out EPT London, the city overly blessed with some of the greatest poker players the last couple of weeks, though sadly not blessed with the greatest poker rooms ever. The truth is that today will be an insanely tight squeeze, the Vic's pressroom is smaller than the chance of Junglecat not choosing duck on any menu. This combined with the long walk, plus the news that each media team will, at least at the start, be only allowed one press person in the media room and one on the floor at any time should make this week's reporting a little more of a challenge.

So, the cunningly scheduled event features a guaranteed first prize of £1 million pounds, which, funnily enough the WSOPE doesn't have, as Pokerstars have announced they're adding £250,000 to the prize pool. Plus on the last day, there's a £20,000 high rollers event with a £1 million guaranteed prize pool, why you'd almost think they'd scheduled these events to entice everyone to stay after the WSOPE...

In other news, I have to announce that this will be the last EPT blonde will be covering for this year, rising costs and more events have pretty much priced us out of being able to afford to cover these events. It's a real shame because, the EPT has ostensibly become the premier poker tour in the world over the last year, pretty much increasing its numbers every year while the WPT Bogota dropped percentage-wise from last year. These events are now the ones everyone wants to play and the access is also excellent, it's just a shame blonde can't be at any more this year.

Play is scheduled to start at 1.30pm today. We are in the UK though, so you may want to add several hours.

Finally, look out for October 4th, the day when we discover which reporter is 'King of the Hood'...

This thread is the 'At A Glance' one where you'll just receive all the bare facts, like you know, if you're really boring and don't want to see witty stuff posted. For super cool dude who crave interactivity with the updaters and generally want to be a better class of person, go here: http://blondepoker.com/forum/index.php?topic=37241.0

[NoflopsHomer]

Junglecat here!

Due to the Vic's insistance on one laptop per media outlet, I will be commandeering Floppy's fine machine from time to time using his log-in.

Yes, we're here at the Vic with the re-assuring sounds of a typical morning on Edgware Road echoing in the background...hurried chatter, constant engines being fired and of course sirens wailing away as the world goes about its business.

For us though, the real business is here. With its sick overlay, historic location and tough field, the London EPT is guaranteed to be a cracker.

There'll be plenty of blondites to follow, not least of which will be Maria Demetriou aka Chili, who stormed to a final table berth and big score in her last big tournament here. We'll be tracking her along with a host of others as day 1a goes someway to deciding who will be The Champ.

So, buckle up, strap in and lock down while we dive headfirst into what should prove an adrenaline-fuelled ride. Enjoy!

JC

[NoflopsHomer]

To say it's rammed in the Vic, would be an understatement.

The initial provision was for there to be 250 players today and the same tomorrow. They've already added an extra three tables, (soon to be four we think). The list of alternatives is longer than the extended edition of Lord of the Rings and so far includes Dag Martin Mikkelsen, Tom 'Durrr' Dwan and Michael Martin. The latter of these arrived last night and was desperate to play, he hoped if there was enough Germans or Italians he might get in quicker or if there was a table of Finns, they all try and take each other out (of the tournament, not like to the cinema on a date).

It looks like there will at least 600 people in this event, possibly more. It's incredibly hectic in the cardroom so player names etc are just going be so difficult to sort out, please bear with us.

[NoflopsHomer]

Packed Vic





"Hello, yes I'd like to buy 1,625 lines for this week's lottery?"





Shockwaves around the nation as UK-based tournament starts less than 15 minutes late.

[JungleCat03]

i spoke to maria about an hour before the comp and she was really excited but nervous to see who she had on her table."dont expect many updates on me for the first four hours" was what she said when i told her id be glued to the updates all day.

good luck bird have a great time and win it all pls

Yes, I caught up with Maria in the early stages and she's more excited than a moth in a cupboard-full of dusty tweed jackets. I made sure she didn't have too much fun at the opening party last night but she told me she had been on best behaviour.

"Bit of champagne, then water, then some vodka, then some water. One more vodka and that was it for me! It was a good idea really as it sent me to sleep; I often get pretty wired before these big events!"

She's clearly extremely hyped up for this and the great result she got the last time she was at the Vic - final tabling the London GUKPT - has given her a lot of confidence today.



She has an interesting table for sure. Three seats to her left is Hendon Mobster Joe Beevers, who is following up a pretty packed schedule at the WSOPE with an appearance here. Neverends!

Also, sat directly to her left, pictured, is Winamax member Anthony Roux, who, although he has yet to post a big live score, has a burgeoning reputation as an excellent player.

[JungleCat03]

The tournament's credibility and strength is only enhanced by the presence of the diminuative, but ferocious and accomplished Norwegian, Annette Obrestad.

I always find Annette a captivating character at the table. On the face of it, she is just a small, quiet young lady, but there is an intangible aura about her, some sort of presence, that magnifies her stature and transforms her at the poker tables from little girl to poker titan.

[NoflopsHomer]

Durrr and James Akenhead, I have a second, less blurry photo of these two, but Michael Martin is not doing his impression of an alien from the remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers in that photo. (The Donald Sutherland or Jennifer Tilly one).

[JungleCat03]

Nikhil Persaud (don't worry Nik, you can rely on us to spell that right ) has proved himself a consistent and skilled performer, winning score after score on the GUKPT circuit.

He has yet to nail a big one though and a win here would be, well icing on the cake is a massive understatement.

But it would be the icing on the cake.

[NoflopsHomer]

Vicky Coren, the winner of two years ago, wouldn't mind winning again I'd say.



Freddy Deeb



His son, Shaun 'Can I have one of those Intellipoker Hoodies' Deeb.

[NoflopsHomer]

Jason 'Poochie' Mercier and Pete 'Like a hoodied version of a creature from Pan's Labyrinth' Linton.



These two just actually played a pot, Mercier folding to a bet of several hundred from the Nottingham man who flipped which fitted very well on the board.

Nearby I was alert to a lot of red chips in the middle between Anthony Roux and a player a couple of seats to his right. The board was reading and the other player moved all-in for 7,600. A healthy overbet considering there was only 4,850 in the pot. Roux decided to muck and preserve the remainder of the stack.

Finally, Dave Colclough is up a couple of thousand having called a sizeable river bet on an A-2-Q-9-x board with a mere , it was good however and the blonde one has had a good start.

[JungleCat03]

Two men who have nothing to prove are Dane, Jesper Hougaard and Italian maestro Jeffrey Lisandro.

Jesper has had an amazing year, picking up a bracelet in the summer at the WSOP, only to follow that remarkable performance up with another bracelet at this year's WSOPE only a week or so ago.

This feat was record breaking, Jesper the first man to pick up a bracelet on both sides of the atlantic and clearly a man in form, he will tough to stop.

Lisandro hasn't had too shabby a year either. Runner up to Mike Matusow in the WSOP 2-7 lowball event, he managed a final table at the WSOPE and the Italian is always a tough nut to crack.

Their blind battles could proved fiery...

[JungleCat03]

Ask anyone with a modicum of poker knowhow their opinion of William Thorson and you will get a unanimous response.

The boy's got skillz.

William has made three EPT final tables and amassed almost $2,000,000 in winnings, although remarkably this has been done without ever winning a big tournament. So many deep finishes with no big win to his name as of yet may rankle with William a little and he'll be surely looking to lay that ghost to rest here.

Will the Swede remain the "nearly man" of poker? He deserves to take one down in my opinion.

[NoflopsHomer]

You've got to admire the way the floor staff don't give anyone preferential treatment here at the Vic or actually seem to know who anyone is.

One player awaiting to get a seat was asked his name, "Patrik" was the reply.

The Cardroom guy was a little puzzled..."Patrik.....?"

"Antonius."

"Ok, just wait a second then sir and we'll show you to your seat."

[JungleCat03]

Early doors, there are plenty of tired faces on show.

Whether it's because of the showcase opening party the EPT always stage before the event where the alcohol flows and the players let their hair down in style or simply because the nature of poker means the early few levels are often a touch humdrum, we are still waiting for the fireworks to go off.

For Pete Linton however, there has already been an explosive pot.



Pete looked down to find a sweet pair of cowboys in front of him, and loving the raise and call in front of him, he re-popped, only for someone he described as "a solid South African" to make the sollitary call.

The flop fell J-9-9, Pete bet out and was called (the pot was getting big now.)

The turn was a low blank...now meye-ty boi bets out...and Pete calls...

The river was a blank and the action went check, check...

Pete might have been expecting to win this pot, but was sadly mistaken as his opponent turned over a cunningly played pair of Aces!

Pete lost 2/3 of his stack here and was disconsolate as he rushed off to grab a consolatory cigarette. "I nearly passed them on the turn. I mean what's he got?!"

I tried to help by telling him he had Aces, but he was just out of earshot by this stage...

[NoflopsHomer]

Tony Cascarino, who won the Bolton GUKPT a few weeks ago, has again been putting the ball in the back of the net. He bet 1,000 on the turn and 2,000 on the river of a board with A-Q and was paid off by K-Q.

Other players spotted today:

John Phan
Chris Ferguson
Eric Liu
Craig Hopkins
John Kabbaj
Isaac Baron
Gavin Griffin
Chad Brown
Arnaud Mattern
Nicolas Levi
Henning Granstad