Home / Poker News March 2010 / PokerStars EPT Berlin- Day 1A report
PokerStars EPT Berlin- Day 1A report
Posted by: James Carter. - Thu, 2010-03-04 03:45
With the German leg of the EPT moved from Dortmund to Berlin, expectations were high regarding the number of participants, the resulting prize-pool and the general feel of the Main Event. For once, these expectations were fully justified. A much more happening place than Dortmund, Berlin proved to be a real magnet for poker players, professionals and amateurs alike, who were hungry for a shot at the fabulous €1 million top prize. Though initially planned for another venue, the PokerStars
EPT Main Event eventually got squeezed into the ballroom of the Hyatt, right next door to the casino. No fewer than 389 players showed up for Day 1A, following a monster of a hospitality party, PokerStars had organized the previous day.
Team PokerStars pro had a massive contingent present on Day 1A. Vicky Coren, Tom McEvoy, Sebastian Ruthenberg and Arnaud Mattern were all there, together with a bunch of other
PokerStars pros. Interpoker’s Juha Helppi was there as well, together with Praz Bansi and Barny Boatman.
Martin Kabrhel, one of the EPTs regulars, known around the circuit as the king of side events, had an excellent start to his day. He had an early double up but then ran into problems later, and by the time the day the day wound down, he was not in contention anymore.
Due to the high concentration of name pros on Day 1A, there were many well known players who bite the dust: Anthony Lellouche, Jan Skampa and Ludovic Lacay all failed to make it to day 2.
Kfir Yamin of Israel had an excellent day from start to finish though. He played well during the day and hung in there, but towards the end he exploded, amassing a 213,000 chip stack through the last levels, to clinch the provisional chip lead.
Carlos Oliveira and Albert Iversen finished near the top too. 196 players made it past the hurdle, Thomas Bichon, Jeff Sarwer and Nasr El Nasr among them. Juha Helppi survived day 1A too, albeit on a relatively small stack.
Because subsequent Day 1 flights always attract more players than the first ones, judging by the Day 1A starting field’s size, Day 1B will probably fulfill all the dreams the organizers had nurtured about making this the largest ever live poker event on German soil.
