February 22nd, 2009
Copenhagen conclusion…
That’s all from the PokerStars.com EPT Copenhagen. The Finnish player, Jens Kyllönen, took home the 1st place prize of €878,057. Not bad considering he’s only 19 years old! It was quite a short final table with play lasting just under 5 hours! The heads-up match between the young Finn and Peter “Nalle” Hedlund was an amusing affair with “Nalle” being very talkative and generally looking like he enjoyed the situation whole-heartedly. Payouts for the final table below…
1st – €878,057 – Jens “Jeans” Kyllönen of Finland
2nd – €497,069 – Peter “Nalle” Hedlund of Sweden
3rd – €288,717 – Anders Langset of Norway
4th – €220,258 – Jussi Nevanlinna of Finland
5th – €181,564 – Petter Petersson of Sweden
6th – €142,870 – Rasmus Nielsen of Denmark
7th – €113,106 – Eric Larcheveque of France
8th – €80,364 – Jonas Klausen of Denmark
Just to round up other news that happened this week, remember the boxing event between Theo “The Thunder” Jørgensen and Gus “The Great Dane” Hansen? The fight took place last night in Copenhagens KB Hallen. Theo’s entrance was to AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck”. Whilst Gus took a more amusing approach, with Culture Clubs “Do you really want to hurt me” blaring out whilst he was brought out in a wheelchair (no doubt in reference to his “dodgy” knee). The decision went to the Judges, with the ruling going Theo’s way. As well as Jørgensen claiming the bragging rights over his poker rival, he picks up the $35,000 wager between the two, and of course…the $20,000 he also bet on himself to win! Don’t think we’ll see a change in careers though…
Hope you all enjoyed the PokerStars.com EPT Copenhagen. See you all next time on our Partners quest for glory!
February 20th, 2009Held og lykke…og farval!
For our Partners and their players, the PokerStars.com EPT Copenhagen quest for glory has ended.
We had 20 players representing 8 different Partners this week. There were EPT virgins, EPT veterans…and three EPT in the money finishes! In 40th position, RedKings player Toni Ojala took home €8,929. Jaakko Lauttamus of PAF finished in 26th place and took home €11,906. Rounding up a good 3 days work, Ramzi Jelassi of RedKings took home €16,371 for finishing in 19th.
It’s been a great ride since Day 1A with some memorable hands played by some of our Partners players. Heypoker’s Mattias Johansson’s great bluff on Day 2 was a nice memory, as was Toni Ojala’s very important double up very late on during Day 3 to get him to the money. Not to be all “doom and gloom”, watching Bestpoker’s Leo Bello’s Pocket Rockets getting cracked by a runner runner flush is something I didn’t need to see. Likewise with the harsh exit of RedKings player Ramzi Jelassi. At one point earlier today, I was sure Ramzi was going to make it to the final table…
The final table is close approaching with 9 players fighting it out for the honour of showing up tomorrow. It could take a while, as nobody wants to be eliminated now! Even though it hasn’t happened yet..I already feel the pain of the 9th place finisher!
Copenhagen has been covered in snow all week and it doesn’t exactly have the same weather as the Bahamas, but it’s been a great event in a great European destination…and there’s been great poker played throughout!
February 20th, 2009Oh the horror…
The lone player remaining from our Partner is now trying to reclaim the mountain of chips he had not so long ago.
On the button, Ramzi Jelassi of RedKings gets his chips into the middle of the table. Jonas Klausen (11th place finisher in EPT Barcelona) calls the 72,5k all in and the cards hit their backs. Ramzi shows K♦ Q♣ against the Dane’s 9♥ T♥ . The Swede is out in front. Time for the flop Q♥ 9♦ K♣ . It’s a good flop for the RedKings player as he hits top two. It’s all smiles from the charismatic Swede. The dealer pulls out the turn 9♣ . The tournament area groans and almost every expression on anyone watching, changes to one of discomfort. It was all going so well. The smiles begin to disappear and reality takes a swipe at everyone following Ramzi. The Danish player has hit a lucky, lucky turn, and now Ramzi has just 4 outs to stay in the PokerStars.com EPT Copenhagen. The river has to be a King or a Queen. I almost can’t watch! Rubbing salt into the wounds, the river comes T♠ to give the Jonas Klausen a full house. Ramzi has been “felted” (when a player has no chips left in front of them, and only the bare felt remains) and heads towards the rail. Your blogger has a sour taste in his mouth from this hand.
He does leave with €16,371 though. Many will think it should have been more…I’m one of them!
Chip count…
The action is beginning to pick up the pace now, so here’s another chip count for you folks at home!
Miikka Piikkilä of PAF – 12k
Jaakko Lauttamus of PAF – 8k
Sébastien Schahl of Winamax – 9k
Leo Bello of Bestpoker – 13k
Joao Gabriel Fernandes of RedKings – 22k
Toni Ojala of RedKings – 9,5k
Ramzi Jelassi of RedKings – 11k
Jonas “Molle” Molander of RedKings – 24k
Ivo Donev of RedKings – 5k
You may be wondering about Winamax’s Sylvain Perrin. Bad news I’m afraid, he’s been eliminated! More on that to come…I promise!
February 20th, 2009Ramzi loses a chunk of change…
RedKings player Ramzi Jelassi just lost 105,500 to fellow Swede, Christian Saxin.
From the cut-off, Ramzi bets 17k. Christian Saxin, on Big Blind, moves all in for 105,500. Ramzi asks for a count, checks out his stack, and calls the all-in. The cards get some light and Ramzi shows A♠ T♠ . His opponent shows T♥ T♣ . He’s behind and is in need some help on the flop. It comes 7♦ 8♥ 5♥ . He’s along way behind now. The turn is out quickly. 4♥ and is no help for Ramzi. The river lands J♦ . Christian Saxin doubles up through Ramzi, and now the RedKings player is left with about 125k.
Just 21 players remain and we’re at level 18, or to you and me, 3000/6000 with an ante of 500. The average stack is at 220k.
Jaakko’s all-in…again…
Just moments ago, Jaakko Lauttamus of PAF gets his chips in the middle again. The Finn has showed plenty of times today that he’s not scared of getting stuck into the action!
With the flop showing 2♥ 3♦ 5♠ . The very useful Danish poker player, Rasmus Nielsen (he came 4th in last years EPT Copenhagen!) checks it to the PAF player, who then bets 17k. Rasmus check-raises the Finn all in. Jaakko makes the call and the cards hit their backs. The PAF player shows A♣ 8♦ and Rasmus shows 9♣ 5♣ . The Dane has top pair, and is out in front…but will it be enough? Can the Finn catch something? The turn comes 3♥ . Jaakko trails even further behind. His Pokerstars.com EPT Copenhagen dream hangs on the river. He needs to catch any 4, any 8 or any Ace to stay alive. The river comes out painfully slow… Q♥ . He’s gone. However, Jaakko does leave €11,906 better off! He’s still smiling, even if it does look a bit forced. It’s his 2nd EPT cash…I’m guessing there will be more in the future!
So, the Partners’ charge for glory, now solely rests upon the shoulders of RedKings player, Ramzi Jelassi. There’s 25 people left, and the blinds are at 2500/5000 with an ante of 500. Not too long before they’re raised again…
Chip Update…
The break has just ended and the chip counts are in!
Jaakko Lauttamus of PAF – 64,5k
Ramzi Jelassi of RedKings – 195k
Ramzi is going along very nicely. His stack just keeps getting bigger and bigger. Jaakko is still short stacked, but that doesn’t stop him form getting involved!
The blinds are now a whopping 2500/5000 with an ante of 500. The average stack is around the 165k mark…that’s a lot of chips!
Searching for a double up…
Jaakko Lauttamus of PAF has been all-in about one thousand times so far today. With the blinds so high (2000/4000 ante 400) He’s doing everything he can to stay alive and try to create a bigger stack.
Ramzi Jelassi of RedKings is using his stack with great effect and now and has around 190k staring back at him. It’s quite impressive and he looks very comfortable with a stack of that size.
Both of our Partners player remaining appear to be in high spirits. Break coming up soon…that means the blinds are going up too!
February 20th, 2009Not a great start…
Day 3 has started with a bang! The very early stages has already claimed 4 victims. Unfortunately, one of them is RedKings player Toni Ojala.
There’s three-way action on the flop after Toni makes it 8,900. The flop comes Q♠ 8♠ 6♥ Chip leader, Anders Langset checks and Toni moves all in. Ola Brandborn is all in…everyone is all-in! The RedKings player has K♥ Q♥ , Swedish poker player, Ola Brandborn has a set of 6’s and Anders Langset has a flush draw. There’s no help for Toni on the turn or river as the Chip leader makes his flush and knocks out to players.
Toni’s still happy and smiling away and €8,929 richer! He tells me he leaves for Thailand on Sunday…I’d be smiling too if I were him!
Jaakko Lauttamus of PAF – 31k
Ramzi Jelassi of RedKings – 170k
Blinds are 2000/4000 with a 400 ante. There’s 36 players remaining…
“3…is the magic number”
Day 3 of the PokerStars.com EPT Copenhagen has just got under way!
With 40 players remaining, we’ll play out today until the final table today…even if it takes all night! We have 3 players still in representing our partners. Ramzi is in great shape, and Toni and Jaakko are both capable of wonderful things.
Jaakko Lauttamus of PAF – 51,900
Toni Ojala of RedKings – 49,500
Ramzi Jelassi of RedKings – 143,600
What will the day bring? I hope it’s glory!
February 19th, 2009Day 3 is upon us!…
Day 2 of the PokerStars.com EPT Copenhagen ended moments ago!
Just 3 of our Partners players made it safely through to Day 3. The day ended furiously and Toni Ojala’s recent double up, proved to be an important one. He certainly looks pleased with it! All 3 of our Partners players look relieved to have an early end to the day (I’ve actually just seen them all down in the bar…as I was passing by of course!). Here’s their chip counts.
Jaakko Lauttamus of PAF – 51,900
Toni Ojala of RedKings – 49,500
Ramzi Jelassi of RedKings – 143,600
The blinds tomorrow will continue at 1500/3000 with an ante of 300. The average stack is around 115k with the Norwegian chip leader, Anders Langset, sitting at the dizzy heights of 326,000! Things change in poker though…perhaps tomorrow we’ll see a PAF or RedKings player leading the field. You just never can tell!!
But for now, sleep well my pretties…tomorrow we play down to the final table!!
Toni is…
…involved in some action.
The RedKings player is all-in with A♦ Q♥ . His opponent holds the “Snowmen” ( 8♥ 8♣ ) . The flop is dealt out…and there’s a Queen in the window! The dealer spreads out the flop 5♦ 9♥ Q♦ . Fantastic flop for the Finnish player! The turns is sent out 5♣ . All the RedKings player has to do is dodge an attack of one of the remaining “Snowmen” in the deck. The river comes (painfully slow for some) 6♣ . Brilliant! Toni collects the 56,100 pot!
Hand for hand play now…
February 19th, 2009It’s all smiles at the break…
Maybe…but I very much doubt it! Only 3 more players need to be eliminated and Day 2 will end. The last break of the day has just passed, and the chip counts are in.
Jaakko Lauttamus of PAF – 65,100
Toni Ojala of RedKings – 18,900
Ramzi Jelassi of RedKings – 123,800
Toni’s pretty short stacked. He informs me that “It doesn’t feel so good”. In the usual fashion that we’ve become accustomed to, the friendly Finn says it with his trademark smile a and gives us a laugh at the end of his sentence Toni’s a brilliant example to anyone following poker!
Ramzi tells me he’s playing a bit tight right now and has had around 120k in chips for quite some time. He informs me he has some “pretty tough players at his table, so he’s taking it easy. There’s no need to walk into any danger”. The Swede also wears his trademark smile throughout speaking to him.
Jaakko informs me his table is pretty much all round short stacked. He says there’s “not a lot of chips on the table”. He says he’s not doing so good, but he’s also very smiley!
Our Partners players are happy…Your blogger is happy…Everyone is happy!
Time for some of Louis Armstrong’s “It’s a Wonderful Life”….
Bubble Update!…
There is now only 44 players left and the average stack is now up to 105k! The blinds are still at 1200/2400 with an ante of 300.
Jaakko Lauttamus of PAF – 81k
Toni Ojala of RedKings – 24k
Ramzi Jelassi of RedKings – 130k
Not too far away from the break now!
February 19th, 2009The “Bubble” Approaches…
Toni Ojala of RedKings is using his chips whenever he can.
There’s a bet to 7k and the Finn moves all in. He’s called and the cards get some light on them. Toni shows A♦ 9♦ . His opponent shows T♠ 9♥ . The RedKings player is quite a big favourite here. The dealer pulls out the flop T♣ K♣ J♣ . It puts Toni behind now. He still has a lot of outs…and 2 cards left to come. The dealer mercifully hands the Finn a kind turn… A♥ . There’s possibilities of a chopped pot still, but as long as there’s no ten on the river, Toni’s EPT Copenhagen search for glory is still alive. The dealer brings out the river. It’s a K♥ ! Toni Doubles up and now has around 49k looking back at him.
Still 47 players left. No one wants to go go empty handed at this stage…
Jaakko Lauttamus of PAF – 76k
Toni Ojala of RedKings – 49k
Ramzi Jelassi of RedKings – 120k
Ramzi’s table…
Everyone who likes poker, knows everyone in poker…right? This is a “word for word” conversation heard around Ramzi’s table…
Poker Enthusiast 1 – “Which one is Ramzi?”
Poker Enthusiast 2 – “Seat 2″
Poker Enthusiast 1 – “Oh yeah. He’s English right?”
Poker Enthusiast 2 – “Yeah…no, Norwegian…or Swedish”
Poker Enthusiast 1 – “It’s all the same anyway…”
There’s a high standard of spectators here watching Day 2 of the PokerStars.com EPT Copenhagen (Your blogger raises an eyebrow…).
The blinds are at 1200/2400 with an ante of 300. The average stack is now 98,2k! There’s only 47 players left…
February 19th, 2009Molle leaves us…
Molle of RedKings has just been eliminated!
With it raised to 5,500, The RedKings player moves all-in for around 50k on the Big Blind. He’s called by the original bettor. The Swede shows A♥ 8♥ . His opponent shows A♦ J♦ . He’s quite a bit behind and is in need of help if he’s to keep his EPT Copenhagen journey alive. The entire board is brick after brick and Molle leaves us in around 60th position. He’s played consistently since Day 1B started, and his exit comes as a shock.
Jaakko Lauttamus of PAF – 78k
Toni Ojala of RedKings – 31k
Ramzi Jelassi of RedKings – 120k
Toni’s managed to increase his stack a little and is hanging in there nicely. He’ll have to create some magic soon though…the blinds aren’t getting any cheaper!
“Food, Glorious Food”…
The action we’ve experienced so far has surpassed every Bruce Willis, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone movie ever made (with the exception of Arnie’s “Kindergarten Cop”). In a day that’s seen more “Bullets” than all of the “Rambo” films together, only 4 of our partners players have made it to the halfway point!
Jaakko Lauttamus of PAF – 76k
Toni Ojala of RedKings – 18k
Ramzi Jelassi of RedKings – 120k
Jonas “Molle” Molander of RedKings – 52k
As always, there’s been some pretty dramatic swings throughout the day. I’m pretty sure there will be more to come! If you’re wondering how Ramzi compares to the other big stacks in the PokerStars.com EPT Copenhagen…he’s 8th. Chip Leader at this point is Anders Langset of Norway with 230k!!
Play will stop when we reach the prize money, so with only 66 players remaining, only 26 are needed before the end of the day arrives. The blinds are now up to a stack chopping 1000/2000 with an ante of 200. The average stack is a huge 70k.
Oh dear…
Joao Gabriel Fernandes of RedKings has just gone!
After having a cold, cold day at the table, the RedKings player made a move all-in with A♦ 6♦ only to be called by A♥ 7♥ . With a seven landing on the flop, he was in dire need of some help. The turn and river blanked out and the the RedKings player was eliminated not too far from the dinner break. As he left the table, he was understandably not over the moon with joy.
It’s a real shame, as he’s played great poker throughout the tournament. Today just dealt him hands that not even Phil Ivey could use.
Drama steps up…
Heypoker’s Martin Johansson gets stuck in!
With around a 25k stack in front of him, the Swede bets 4,2k and gets a pre-flop caller. The dealer unleashes the flop A♣ A♦ 3♥ . It’s checked to Mattias who then bets 7k. His opponent then moves all-in. The Heypoker player calls for the rest of his money, and the cards are flipped over. The Swede shows A♠ 6♠ . His opponent has him covered with A♥ T♥ . Nightmare! He’s needs to hit a six or he’s heading back to Motala in Sweden. The turn blanks out. It’s down to the river. Can the dealer be kind and give Mattias one of the remaining sixes? No…the river blanks out as well and the smiley Heypoker player is eliminated.
Speaking to him after, he’s feels like his $10 online buy-in took him pretty far. He tells me he’s “really enjoyed it!”. It’s his first big event, and his first live event. With the Swede only being 18, he’s not even allowed in the Swedish casino’s yet! He tells me “it’s been fun to get the chance to be here!”. He’s played some great poker this week, and I’m sure all his friends back home will be proud of his first EPT presence.
“Ouch” and “Yikes”…
Here’s the “Ouch”…
Heypoker’s Mattias Johansson’s rush just ended. With the blinds now at 800/1600 and an ante of 200, Mattias bets 5,5k. Big Blind calls it. The flop comes out in the form of A♥ K♣ 4♦ . It’s checked to the young Swede and he bets 8k. Big Blind calls. The turn is a J♦ . It’s “Check Check” and the river lands A♠ . Big Blind moves all in for 16,3k and Mattias makes the call. Mattias shows Q♣ T♣ for an Ace high straight. Big Blind turns over A♦ A♣ for Quads! The river gives the Big Blind 4 of a kind Aces…and the Heypoker player loses around 40k in that pot. Back to square 1.
Here’s the “Yikes”…
Ramzi Jelassi of RedKings gets involved. There’s a bet to 4k, a raise to 12k and then Ramzi’s turn. He pushes all-in for 48k! The Original player folds. The raiser asks for a count of Ramzi’s stack and then goes into the tank. Eventually, he announces call and shows Pocket Queens to Ramzi’s “Big Slick”. The flop blanks out for Ramzi and doesn’t even hold a card higher than a seven. The turn lands J♠ (The original bettor had Pocket Jacks). The RedKings player’s PokerStars.com EPT Copenhagen lifeline hangs by a thread. Only 6 cards can help him. That’s less than 14%…not a brilliant situation to be in. The river is given some air… K♦ !! Amazing! He’s not only kept his EPT dream alive, he’s now got a monstrous sized stack of around 105k!
Jaakko Lauttamus of PAF has also increased his stack and sits around the 66k mark, courtesy of 2008 Swedish Poker Championship winner, Ola Brandborn.
…I love poker!!
February 19th, 2009“Heeeeeypoker!”…
(Please read the above post subject line in the Style of “Fonzie” from the classic 70’s TV show, “Happy Days”)
The young Swede, Mattias Johansson is making some great progress! The Heypoker player is UTG and raises to 3k with the blinds at 600/1200 and an ante of 100. It’s folded around to the Big Blind, who calls. The flop arrives 3h Ac 8s . Big Blind checks it to Mattias who bets 5k. The Big Blind won’t be shaken just yet, and calls. The turn comes 9s . Both players check it out to the river. The river lands 4s and Big blind comes out firing and shoots 12k into the pot. Mattias then hauls his 27,3k stack into the middle. It’s a very, very nice pot at this stage. Big Blind eventually folds and the Heypoker player collects his chips. He’s now sitting with around 57k!!
…there’s beautiful poker being played by our Partners’ players. It’s so good, your blogger has a tear of happiness in his eye!
It’s all about the money!…
With the total prize pool amounting to €2,976,465, there’s a lot at stake!
The “Bubble” will be awarded to 41st place! Everyone that passes this point will receive money…I know what I’d prefer! For the 40th place finisher, they’ll take home €8,929. First prize will take a whopping €878,057! So there’s just a bit of a difference in money depending on where you finish…
February 19th, 2009Inside thoughts…
Speaking to Toni of RedKings during the break about his stack, he tells me he was up to 68k at one point. The Finn informs me that he’s lost some small pots though since then. As always, the big cheery Finn is in a great mood!
Mattias Johansson of Heypoker has now changed table. He tells me he’s pretty happy with his stack, and I can see why. He was at 9k earlier in the day before he found a rush. The Swede qualified online for just $10! Could this be a fairy tale to rival Hans Christian Andersen?
Jaakko Lauttamus of PAF is pretty short stacked at the moment. He say he’ll “need to push them all-in…maybe every second hand!”. He gives me a big ol’ smile and a catchy laugh!
Joao Gabriel Fernandes of RedKings tells me he’s playing tight now and says it feels like everyone is trying to get in the money. The biggest event that the RedKings player has played in was the WSOP Niagara Falls. He tells me he’s still waiting for his favourite hand, 5 8 suited. If he gets it, he might make a move, although he preferred his previous table compared to this one. His lucky charm is a bright coloured pearl bracelet given to him by his daughter. He doesn’t need it yet, but if the time comes…I hope it works!
“Aaaaaand Break!”…
(If you say the post subject above like an American football team, it sounds a lot better!)
The break has come and passed and the players have been working away nicely. Just 116 players have made it to the first break of Day 2 with the average stack sitting at 39,8k.
Jaakko Lauttamus of PAF – 22k
Mattias Johansson of Heypoker – 38k
Joao Gabriel Fernandes of RedKings – 32k
Toni Ojala of RedKings – 56k
Ramzi Jelassi of RedKings – 34k
Jonas “Molle” Molander of RedKings – 55k
Looking very good indeed!
February 19th, 2009This is how every day should start!…
Well…there has been some great movement of chips in the last 30 minutes or so. Check this out!
Jaakko Lauttamus of PAF – 25k
Mattias Johansson of Heypoker – 40k
Joao Gabriel Fernandes of RedKings – 35k
Toni Ojala of RedKings – 59k
Ramzi Jelassi of RedKings – 16k
Jonas “Molle” Molander of RedKings – 40k
Mattias Johansson of Heypoker just doubled up through Bo Sehlstedt. His 6♣ 6♥ were up against his countryman’s Q♠ Q♦ . Even though he was behind, his hand improved to a set, and the young Swede now sits with a great stack of 40k! Great start to the day for our Partners players.
Chips anyone?…
Brace yourself…first chip count of the day coming in!
Jaakko Lauttamus of PAF – 25k
Mattias Johansson of Heypoker – 20k
Joao Gabriel Fernandes of RedKings – 40,5k
Toni Ojala of RedKings – 59,5k
Ramzi Jelassi of RedKings – 16,1k
Jonas “Molle” Molander of RedKings – 40,5k
There’s been some good changes to the stacks! There’s also been a shuffling of tables just to keep the blogger on his toes! Jaakko Lauttamus of PAF has joined RedKings player Toni Ojala and Finnish Poker Pro Jani Sointula over on table 6. Fellow RedKings player Ramzi Jelassi has now been moved to table 7.
February 19th, 2009Seating Draw for Day 2…
The players have all found their seats and are no doubt getting comfortable just about now.
RedKings player Toni Ojala has an interesting draw sitting on table 6 with the well-rounded fellow Finnish player, Jani Sointula. Just 2 spots down sits the the Dutch PokerStars Pro, Noah Boeken. Might be a tough table that one. Mattias Johansson of Heypoker and Joao Gabriel Fernandes of RedKings are down on table 15 alongside the well known poker player, Bo Sehlstedt. RedKings player Molle is sitting on table 4. He has position on Norwegian high stakes poker player Tore Lagerborg. Jaakko Lauttamus of PAF and Ramzi Jelassi of RedKings are seated down on the relatively quiet, table 17.
Only 45 minutes have passed and already 22 players have been eliminated! I did mention there would be quite a lot of action today!
February 19th, 2009Day 2 gets under way…
Day 2B of the PokerStars.com EPT Copenhagen has just got under way with 184 players getting safe passage through to today. Our Partners have 6 players involved in the action today. Here’s how they’re looking…
Jaakko Lauttamus of PAF – 17,100
Mattias Johansson of Heypoker – 16,000
Joao Gabriel Fernandes of RedKings – 38,500
Toni Ojala of RedKings – 40,900
Ramzi Jelassi of RedKings – 21,400
Jonas “Molle” Molander of RedKings – 34,600
The blinds are 400/800 with an ante of 100. That’s at least 2k per lap! Average stack sits at 25,1k. Today will have more action than any “Die Hard” movie you’ve seen and the atmosphere will be pretty intense. There’s going to be an overflow of emotions pouring out of the tournament area…you don’t want to miss anything today!
February 19th, 2009“Seconds Out…Round 1!”…
Anyone know what’s happening on Saturday? Well yeah…there is the small detail of the final table of the PokerStars.com EPT Copenhagen, but anything else going on? Don’t worry, your blogger will keep you in the “information loop”. There also happens to be a boxing clash of “Poker Giants”! Longtime friends and poker rivals, Gus Hansen and Theo Jørgensen will take to the boxing ring at 21:00 on Saturday night to settle a bet made by the 2 Danes early last year. There’s a handicap involved in the form of, if Gus wins, he’ll collect $25,000 from Theo. If Theo wins, he’ll take $35,000 of off Gus. Your blogger attended the press conference this morning, this is how it panned out.
Gus Hansen was weighed in at 80,5 kg’s by former Olympic boxer, Johnny De Lima. It was a light hearted affair with Gus already poking fun at Theo by saying “Nice Ass!” whilst Theo was weighing in at 86 kg’s. Both men have had different styles of training, with Theo starting way back in July and going 3 times a week. Due to knee surgery only 10 weeks ago, Gus has only had around “6 or 7 weeks intensive training”. He mentions “There will be no excuses if I lose…I should be fine to beat Theo in 3 rounds!”. Theo quipped back “When I beat him, he’ll use it as an excuse for the next 3 or 4 years!”. The bookmakers have put Theo as the favourite, and the Dane has bet $20,000 on himself to win the match. Asked if his extra weight will be an advantage in the ring Theo answered smiling “It should be an advantage, but we’re not professional boxers…so I doubt”. A voice came from the back of the room. “Is there any extra rewards for a knockout?”, both men give beaming smiles. Theo begins “Only in here…” as he pounds his heart with his fist. Gus replies “If I knock him out…it’ll be so sweet!”. Shape wise, Gus is looking a lot fitter than Theo, but Theo’s had more training over a longer period. Both men seem in high spirits, it should be a good clean fight…maybe!
It’ll be an interesting match-up come Saturday evening and I’m sure the match will be closer than most people think. Will the dodgy knee of Gus Hansen be his downfall in the ring? He’s been limping around the tournament area all week…I have a sneaking suspicion it’s just an act. We’ll find out on Saturday for sure.
The Super Six…
Day 1B of the PokerStars.com EPT Copenhagen has just come to an end!
Only 5 of our Partners players made it through the fast paced finish to the day. But there’s good news…they all have pretty useful sized stacks!
Jaakko Lauttamus of PAF – 17,100
Joao Gabriel Fernandes of RedKings – 38,500
Toni Ojala of RedKings – 40,900
Ramzi Jelassi of RedKings – 21,400
Jonas “Molle” Molander of RedKings – 34,600
They’ll be joined tomorrow by Mattias Johansson of Heypoker and his stack of 16,000 for Day 2.
If you’re a heavy sleeper, then set your alarm clock for 13:55, as tomorrow…the real action begins! In fact, I promise you that tomorrow, Casino Copenhagen will play host to some amazing poker. You heard it here first!!
Doh!…
“Will there be any more upsets before the day ends?”. I can answer that in one word…”Yes”.
Miikka Piikkilä of PAF just went all-in on the button pre-flop and got a caller. The Finn showed 5♦ 5♥ . Up against A♣ T♣ it was a coin toss situation…until the flop. The dealer showed T♠ A♠ K♦ and immediately put the PAF player in the position of praying to the gods of poker for some assistance. The turn came Q♦ . Needing one of the 2 remaining fives in the deck, the river landed a 4♣ . Close…but no cigar!
Just 5 players from our Partners remaining from the 11 that began Day 1B. We’re only a matter of hands away from Day 2…
The end is in sight!…
Level 8 has just arrived. It’s the final hour of play here on Day 1B. Our Partners players have had a long day so far…Just PAF and RedKings are left holding the torch!
Miikka Piikkilä of PAF – 6,4k
Jaakko Lauttamus of PAF – 14k
Joao Gabriel Fernandes of RedKings – 36k
Toni Ojala of RedKings – 45,5k
Ramzi Jelassi of RedKings – 19,4k
Jonas “Molle” Molander of RedKings – 43k
Molle and Toni Ojala of RedKings have been making waves and now have extremely tasty stacks! Will there be any more upsets before the day ends?
February 19th, 2009Poker is so unfair…
Picture the scene…
“Bestpoker’s Leo Bello is all-in pre-flop with A♠ A♥ . His opponent is holding T♣ A♦ . He’s so far out in front, his opponent starts putting his jacket on. The flop comes 6♣ 5♦ K♦ . The Brazilian increases his lead…his opponent has already called for a taxi. The turn lands 9♦ . Wait a minute…the runner runner! We forgot about the infamous “runner runner”. Eye brows are raised, heads are tilted. It wouldn’t…would it? The dealers spits out the river 4♦ ! Incredible timing for his lucky opponent. Leo Bello exits Day 1B in the most cruelest of fashions.”
Sometimes, just sometimes…I think the Poker Gods are fickle…
The field thins out…
Sébastien Schahl of Winamax has just gone!
After pushing all-in preflop and getting a caller, the Frenchman shows 5♥ 5♠ against his opponents K♣ J♣ . With a J♦ landing on the flop, the Winamax player found himself with an uphill struggle that would not end in his favour. The A♥ on the turn, and a Q♠ on the river, sealed the Frenchman’s elimination. He’s happy with how he played, and now has a taste for the big events. This is the first poker tournament of this stature that he’s participated in, and says he wants to play more of them now! He’s very upbeat and still smiling. Great attitude from a nice cheery guy!
Checkmate!…
RedKings player, Ivo Donev has just gone!
On the button, “The Chess Master” moves all-in for 6k and gets called by the Small Blind. The cards face the ceiling with The Austrian showing 6♥ 6♣ . His opponent show A♥ T♠ . The deals pulls out a flop with a T♦ in it. Not a great situation. The RedKings player’s fate is all but sealed when the A♣ lands on the turn. We all know how this story ends, and there’s no moves left for “The Chess Master” to make as the river blanks out.
Last break of Day 1B…
The players enjoy their last break of Day 1B of the PokerStars.com EPT Copenhagen. There’s 124 players left and the average stack sits at 19k. Our Partners players are nicely placed to make a level 7 charge! The blinds are sitting at 200/400 with an ante of 50.
Miikka Piikkilä of PAF – 13,3k
Jaakko Lauttamus of PAF – 15,6k
Sébastien Schahl of Winamax – 5,7K
Leo Bello of Bestpoker – 12,3k
Joao Gabriel Fernandes of RedKings – 36k
Toni Ojala of RedKings – 17,9k
Ramzi Jelassi of RedKings – 15,7k
Jonas “Molle” Molander of RedKings – 26,5k
Ivo Donev of RedKings – 6,9k
Speaking to Leo Bello during the break, the Bestpoker player informs me that he feels better at his new table. He’s had “Pocket Rockets, Big Slick and Big Bens”. He appears very happy. Using his 12k stack he manages to win small pots here and there. The Brazilian tells me, his previous table had “2 big stacks after him and he couldn’t raise or anything!”. The Bestpoker player says “it’s a lot better now, even though he’d like to get those recent cards with a bigger stack”. But overall, he tells me he “feels really good about the tournament…even though he lost that big pot before the last break!”.
Ramzi’s pushing chips…
With a bet to 800 and a caller, the action is around to Ramzi Jelassi. The RedKings player moves all-in for 6,725. The original bettor folds, but straight after him there’s a call. The Swede shows 3♥ 3♣ . His opponent turns over 6♦ 6♠ . It’s not looking that great for Ramzi. With his PokerStars.com EPT Copenhagen chase for glory hanging in the balance, the flop is dealt out 3♠ J♥ 4♣ . This can only be described and an awesome flop! He’s flopped a set and is now miles in front. The turn comes 4♦ . He stretches his lead a little more. The Swede’s hand holds up as the river comes a J♦ .
Joao Gabriel Fernandes of RedKings has managed to create magic by getting his stack up to around the 35k mark! His “Snow Shovels” (Pocket 7’s) were up against “Big Slick”. Gabriel’s 7♦ 7♥ looked good against his opponents A♠ K♠ when the flop arrived 7♠ A♥ A♣ . Betting ensued and the turn blanks out. More betting follows, and the river then produces another blank. The river is checked down and the RedKings player takes the massive pot of 35k! Very nice indeed!
Another Update?…
Oh go on then…
Miikka Piikkilä of PAF – 15,100
Jaakko Lauttamus of PAF – 13,775
Sébastien Schahl of Winamax – 5,650
Leo Bello of Bestpoker – 10,950
Joao Gabriel Fernandes of RedKings – 15,475
Toni Ojala of RedKings – 18,500
Ramzi Jelassi of RedKings – 8,825
Jonas “Molle” Molander of RedKings – 27,000
Ivo Donev of RedKings – 5,900
It’s been a little quiet of recent. You know what that means don’t you? It’s probably about to get crazy…
“The Chess Master” get’s involved…
RedKings player, Ivo Donev continues to struggle on. Moments ago “The Chess Master” was all-in.
The button bets 700. The RedKings player moves his 4k stack all-in, and the buttons makes the call. The cards hit their backs with the Austrian showing J♠ 9♦ against his opponents K♥ T♥ . Not exactly a brilliant position to be in. The dealer pulls out the flop… A♦ J♥ J♣ . An amazing flop for the RedKings player! That puts him nicely out in front. The turn hits the felt 8♠ . It dissolves all possible runner runners for his opponent. If he can just dodge a Queen on the river. Out it comes… K♠ . Ivo Donev pumps the air with his fist and gives off a great beaming smile. He’s clawed his way back up to around 8,5k.
Miikka Piikkilä of PAF – 10k
Jaakko Lauttamus of PAF – 8,5k
Sébastien Schahl of Winamax – 7k
Leo Bello of Bestpoker – 4k
Joao Gabriel Fernandes of RedKings – 21k
Toni Ojala of RedKings – 16,8k
Ramzi Jelassi of RedKings – 15,5k
Jonas “Molle” Molander of RedKings – 28,6k
Ivo Donev of RedKings – 8,5k
The blogger delivers!…
As promised (quite a longtime ago) your blogger has found out what happened to Sylvain Perrin of Winamax. I’ll make it brief. The Frenchman was all in pre-flop with K♥ K♠ against the A♣ Q♣ of WSOP winner, Peter Eastgate. The Danish superstar hit his flush and sent Sylvain out of the tournament. Not a nice way to go, but still, at least it came at the hands of one of the biggest names in poker.
February 18th, 2009Halftime has arrived…
The players are now on a well needed break. No doubt this will be used to refuel their body, relax themselves and get their mind off of Day 1B…(which is secret blogger language for…drinking beer, smoking cigarettes and talking of “amazing” bad beats!). Here’s how the players of our Partners are shaping up on the tables.
Miikka Piikkilä of PAF – 10,225
Jaakko Lauttamus of PAF – 10,200
Sébastien Schahl of Winamax – 8,650
Leo Bello of Bestpoker – 3,900
Joao Gabriel Fernandes of RedKings – 22,075
Toni Ojala of RedKings – 15,025
Ramzi Jelassi of RedKings – 13,925
Jonas “Molle” Molander of RedKings – 30,075
Ivo Donev of RedKings – 4,150
Molle of RedKings has been making consistent plays all day and has been rewarded going into the dinner break with a nice tidy stack. Fellow RedKings player, Toni Ojala, has been up, then he’s been down, then he’s been up (OK, you get the picture) but has now settled on a nice 15k stack going into level 5.
Bestpoker player, Leo Bello, was involved in a pot just before the break that didn’t go his way. It’s not the end of the world as he’s still got enough chips to be a thorn in someone’s side. RedKings Player Ivo Donev has a trend that no poker player wants, and also sits quite short stacked. But as we know in poker, nothing is written in stone, and with 4 levels of play left of Day 1B, there’s plenty of time to get the chip count higher.
When we return from lunch, the blinds will be 150/300. There’s 188 players left from the 236 that started the day, making the average stack of 12,5k.
A little treat for the readers…
Perhaps you’d like to see some of the “Poker Elite” and famous faces that have blessed the tournament floor of the PokerStars.com EPT Copenhagen…
There’s a casualty!…
RedKings player Per Linde has gone!
Short stacked, the Swede pushed all-in on the button with his “Ducks”. Englishman Stuart Rutter calls with “Big Slick”. The flop arrives Q♣ 5♥ 5♠ . All seemed to be fine at this point. The turn comes a 7♦ . All the RedKings player has to do is dodge any Ace or King to double up to 9k. It’s not to be, as the river lands a K♠ . His PokerStars.com EPT Copenhagen dream is over.
He mentions that the experience was good. His table was “kinda boring” with everyone keeping to themselves. He tells me he’ll be hanging around in Copenhagen for a while as this type of experience doesn’t happen so often at home in Motala!
There’s an elimination…
My “Spider Sense” never fails me!
RedKings player “Molle” got involved in a hand very recently. With 3 limpers, the Swede makes it 1,700. Big Blind then makes it 4,400. “Molle” moves his chips into the middle, and Big Blind calls the all-in. The RedKings player shows “Cowboys” against the Big Blinds “Big Slick”. The Cowboys hold up and the Swede take down the pot. That moves “Molle” to around the 24k mark!
February 18th, 2009Who want’s another update?…
I think I heard a “Yes please” somewhere, so here it is!
Miikka Piikkilä of PAF – 17k
Jaakko Lauttamus of PAF – 6,7k
Sébastien Schahl of Winamax – 12k
Sylvain Perrin of Winamax – 5k
Leo Bello of Bestpoker – 12k
Joao Gabriel Fernandes of RedKings – 28k
Toni Ojala of RedKings – 9,5k
Ramzi Jelassi of RedKings – 10,5k
Jonas “Molle” Molander of RedKings – 14,3k
Per Linde of RedKings – 3,7k
Ivo Donev of RedKings – 7,2k
There’s 226 players left with the blinds at 75/150. That would make the average stack…? Anyone? Did I hear someone say 10,4k? Give yourself a “pat on the back”.
My spider sense is tingling again…I’m sensing action!
February 18th, 2009Player comments…
With the 15 minute break comes word from our Partners players in regards to how they’re getting on.
Bestpoker’s Leo Bello tells me that he has a comfortable table, although with it being table 25, it’s sure to break very shortly. He tells me he’ll “have to start again with reading his players at his new table.” The Brazilian has around 12 in front of him. He’s looking sharp and appears quite content.
RedKings player Gabriel Fernandes has had a storming stack to his PokerStars EPT Copenhagen Day 1B, and is at the dizzy heights of 28k. He informs me that he has a nice table, “People are calling me with (almost swears)…garbage!”. Fellow RedKings player Ramzi Jelassi is smiling and looking relaxed as always. He informs me he’ll “need to be careful, as there’s a lot of Scandinavian’s at the table”. The Swede has around 10,5k.
Winamax’s Sébastien Schahl tells me his table is “alright” and “it’s going ok so far.” The Frenchman has around 12k.
PAF’s Jaakko Lauttamus has 6,7k and informs me his “table is very good. It’s a shame I can’t get my stack up though”.
Per Linde of RedKings has 3,7k left and when asked “How is it going?”, the Swede replied he’s “managed to bluff away most of his stack, but I’ve had 2 hours of EPT experience at least”. He mentions he’s not getting any cards. It’s the online players first EPT, but you never know…everything that can happen in poker, seems to happen in the EPT’s!
The first break is imminent…
Gus Hansen has just arrived as the first break approaches. Our Partners players are spread evenly throughout the tournament area, with only 4 players eliminated so far. That makes the average stack a slither over 10k. Pre-break chip count is as follows.
Miikka Piikkilä of PAF – 8,5k
Jaakko Lauttamus of PAF – 11k
Sébastien Schahl of Winamax – 12k
Sylvain Perrin of Winamax – 7k
Leo Bello of Bestpoker – 16k
Joao Gabriel Fernandes of RedKings – 23k
Toni Ojala of RedKings – 9k
Ramzi Jelassi of RedKings – 12k
Jonas “Molle” Molander of RedKings – 20k
Per Linde of RedKings – 5,5k
Ivo Donev of RedKings – 9k
1 hour in…
Only an hour has passed, and we’ve made it to level 2 without a single player eliminated! How are our guys doing? I’ll tell you how they’re doing…
Miikka Piikkilä of PAF – 12,2k
Jaakko Lauttamus of PAF – 9,6k
Sébastien Schahl of Winamax – 10,4k
Sylvain Perrin of Winamax – 7,8k
Leo Bello of Bestpoker – 14,8k
Joao Gabriel Fernandes of Red Kings – 16,9k
Toni Ojala of RedKings – 10,3k
Ramzi Jelassi of RedKings – 10k
Jonas “Molle” Molander of RedKings – 15k
Per Linde of RedKings – 9,9k
Ivo Donev of RedKings – 10,3k
Some good movement happening so far!
Seating Draw…
Anyone interested in where our players are seated?
Joao Gabriel Fernandes of RedKings is seated on table 2 alongside former professional Swedish footballer, Tomas Brolin. Sylvain Perrin of Winamax on table 3 has the pleasure of WSOP winner, Peter Eastgate. PAF’s Miikka Piikkilä is sitting nicely over at table 4. Fellow PAF player Jaakko Lauttamus is next to his countryman’s table, and sits on table 5. RedKings player Ramzi Jelassi is on table 13. Fellow RedKings player Toni Ojala is down on table 18 with Winamax’s Sebastian Schahl. PokerStars Pro Isabelle Mercier also joins them on table 18. Per Linde of RedKings is seated on table 19 alongside well rounded Dane Rene Mouritsen. Table 23 has 2 RedKings players situated there, Molle and Ivo Donev. Rounding up the 11 players from our Partners is Bestpoker’s Leo Bello. He’s located on table 25 and holds position over Norwegian PokerStars Pro, Johnny Lodden.
An interesting mix of positions and tables. Won’t be long before the first victim of the 236 starters is claimed!
February 18th, 2009Day 1B begins…
Welcome back to the PokerStars.com EPT Copenhagen! What follows Day 1A? You guessed it, Day 1B!
Today has produced a glamorous field of stars from the poker elite, and the seating draw has thrown up some very interesting tables. More on that later. We have 11 players from our Partners participating today which will surely keep your blogger busy until bedtime! Here they are…
PAF has 2 players representing them here today in the form of Miikka Piikkilä and Jaakko Lauttamus both from Finland. Frenchmen Sébastien Schahl and Sylvain Perrin are here on behalf of Winamax. Bestpoker have the well known Brazilian, Leo Bello representing them here today. Rounding up our Partners, RedKings are out in force with 6 players participating in Day 1B. EPT regulars Toni Ojala of Finland, Sweden’s Ramzi Jelassi and Jonas “Molle” Molander are joined today by fellow Swede, Per Linde, Canadian, Joao Gabriel Fernandes and Austrian poker star Ivo “The Chess Master” Donev.
It’s going to be an amazing day of poker. You really don’t want to miss anything!
February 18th, 2009The madness ends…
As the curtain comes down on Day 1A of the PokerStars.com EPT Copenhagen, just 1 player remains in the hunt for glory from the 9 players that started the day representing our Partners.
Mattias Johansson of Heypoker safely made it through and takes with him to Day 2, a stack of 16,000. Preliminary reports indicate that the average stack is 22,7k and that 99 players survived Day 1A. Asked if he was tired, the Heypoker player replied “Yeah…a little”. He appears bright and cheery and when mentioning his Ace high Bluff, I’m met with a smile stretching from ear to ear from the Swede. He’s played great all day and his solid play has awarded him with safe passage through to Thursday’s action. I’m guessing he’ll sleep well tonight and enjoy his day off tomorrow.
However, your blogger will be here bright and early preparing for Day 1B. There’s a healthy count of 11 players representing our Partners tomorrow, so make sure all you get plenty of sleep tonight…Day 1B will an exciting continuation of Day 1A!!
February 18th, 2009The Lone Soldier…
Just moments ago Heypoker’s Mattias Johansson was all-in on the river.
The board reads J♥ 9♠ 7♠ … 3♠ … 8♦ , and The young Swede moved all-in for 8,9k with the pot around the 9k mark. Big Blind goes into the tank and eventually requests a count of the bet. He counts the pot up, and returns back into the tank. After thinking long and hard, he folds. The pot is gathered in and just about to be pushed to the Heypoker player, when Mattias shows his hand… A♥ 5♥ . Yes, you’re reading it correctly…Ace high, otherwise known as a “Bluff”! Fantastic play by the Heypoker player.
He’s now sitting with 17,850 in chips. He’s under the average stack, but he’s got a decent amount of chips in front of him.
Only 15 minutes left of Day 1A…I’m holding my breath and crossing my fingers!
February 18th, 2009Just 2 players remaining…
It’s been a hectic finish to Day 1A and the fingers of your blogger are now down to the bone!
PAF’s Jukka Seppänen found himself all-in preflop with 7♦ 9♦ up against A♣ J♣ . The Finn is behind, but it’s not the end of the world. The flop lands on the felt A♥ Q♥ Q♠ . Now it’s the end of the world! Before the runner runner and split pot scenrio’s can be worked out, the turn is dealt Q♦ . It’s impossible for the PAF player to win this hand now, although the last remaining Queen in the deck will chop the pot. It’s not to be as the river spits out 8♥ . Jukka’s sent spiraling out the tournament leaving just 1 player remaining from the 9 that began the day.
It’s all about Mattias Johansson of Heypoker now. Can he dodge any dangerous situations still to come at the end of Day 1A of the PokerStars.com EPT Copenhagen?
February 17th, 2009Dane-gerous times…
There’s so much action going on now, I think I can see smoke from my keyboard!
Martin Iversen of bwin raised to 1200 from the cut-off and received a caller. The flop came 3♣ 9♣ 8♣ . The Dane moves his stack in on the flop and is called. The bwin player shows T♠ J♣ and is up against A♣ J♠ . He’s quite a bit behind, but there’s still 2 cards to come. Out pops the turn… 9♦ . No help for Martin. It’s all down to the river. He needs his open-ended straight draw to connect on the river or he’s leaving the EPT Copenhagen. The dealer flips over the river… 4♠ . No connection for the Dane and he’s out. After, he mentions that he’s had “Pocket Queens 3 times and each time they’ve not helped him.” He informs me “Ladies were not my friends today” and laughs. His EPT Copenhagen chase for glory is over.
Only 2 players from our partners remain…45 minutes left to survive the tempestuous Day 1A. Can they Hang on?
“Delivery for EPT Copenhagen”…
…”Who ordered the large slice of drama with extra action?”. I guess that would be your blogger who made that call.
Well girls and boys, your blogger is on the ball again and thanks to the tingling in his “Spider-Sense” he’s managed to foresee action happening, hours before it’s even happened!
Iisakki Ahonene of Eurobet decided to spice up the pot with a bet preflop. He was then raised all-in. The young Finn calls and turns over his K♠ K♥ . His opponent shows A♠ 3♣ . No immediate danger there. The flop saw some light 2♥ 3♦ 4♣ . Iisakki is still plenty ahead at this point and is looking in good shape to double up. The dealer pulls out the turn… 3♥ . A horrific card for the Eurobet player! Amazingly, he’s now miles behind! There’s got to be a miracle river otherwise another player from our Partners will be eliminated. No such luck, as the river blanks out and Iisakki’s EPT Copenhagen dream ends. He tells me he “never got a great deal of hands today, but still enjoyed his EPT experience.”
The blinds are about to go up to 300/600 with an ante of 75. It’s the last level of blinds and the average stack is 20,2k. I have a sneaking suspicion there’s more drama to be uncovered before the day is over!
Mattias Johansson of Heypoker – 11,5k
Jukka Seppänen of PAF – 6,8k
Martin Iversen of bwin – 7,3k
Too much action?…
Remember when Day 1A of the PokerStars.com EPT Copenhagen was silent and almost on the verge of peaceful? I do…and it seems like a million miles away!
Tuomas Sauvola of Eurobet raised it UTG. “Fold…fold…fold…” all the way around to the big blind, who then moves all-in. The Finn complies and pushes his 6k stack into the middle. The Eurobet player shows A♠ K♠ . The player to the right of him turns over his hand A♥ A♣ . Not what Tuomas wanted to see. The flop brings a Cowboy for the Eurobet player, but there isn’t a draw to be seen anywhere! Only 2 Kings left…and they don’t turn up for the party on table 2.
Tuomas tells me he’s enjoyed his first major live event and EPT birth of fire. He mentions “It’s quite different to online poker, more patience is needed”. The giant Finn still gives a smile and wanders off.
Iisakki Ahonene of Eurobet – 5,3k
Mattias Johansson of Heypoker – 12,5k
Jukka Seppänen of PAF – 7,5k
Martin Iversen of bwin – 11,7k
There’s 124 players left and the average stack sits at 18,1k. The blinds are going up very soon…I’m guessing another one or two players will get knocked out before the day is over, so don’t go anywhere…we’re just getting started!
They’re dropping like flies…
That “action” I spoke of previously…well, it didn’t take long to get here!
The EPT Copenhagen dream of Winamax player, Marc Barat, has just ended. Looking down at his “Cowboys”, he’s put his stack into the middle. There’s a caller showing “Big Slick”. K♥ K♦ Vs A♠ K♠ . The Frenchman is ahead, only for his opponent to spike a “Bullet” directly on the flop. There was no amazing turn or river, and the Winamax player leaves us. Speaking to him after, he still has his smile intact and appears to have enjoyed himself regardless of the frustrating end in his pursuit of EPT Copenhagen glory.
That leaves us with only 5 players from our Partners battling it out to reach Day 2.
Iisakki Ahonene of Eurobet – 4k
Tuomas Sauvola of Eurobet – 5,3k
Mattias Johansson of Heypoker – 16,5k
Jukka Seppänen of PAF – 10k
Martin Iversen of bwin – 11,5k
The “Thor Hansen” table…
Just moments ago, Bet24’s Stefan Raffay got into a tussle with Norwegian, Thor Hansen.
The Dane got his stack of 4,450 into the middle of the pot and was called by the Norwegian “Godfather of Poker”. The cards got to see some light with Stefan’s A♠ J♣ up against J♥ J♦ . The young Dane is going to need some help or his EPT Copenhagen dream will end. The dealer unleashes the flop 9♥ J♠ 8♣ . Disaster flop for the Bet24 player! It doesn’t take a genius to work out that Stefan’s hopes have all but died on the flop. He’s needing a “runner runner miracle” to keep him here for the rest of the evening. Will it come? Can it happen? Did it happen? The turn is cast onto the felt 3♦ . He’s gone! He’s drawing dead going into the river. The river comes Q♣ , but by this stage nobody cares. Stefan Raffay’s PokerStars.com EPT Copenhagen dream is over.
Iisakki Ahonene of Eurobet – 5,5k
Tuomas Sauvola of Eurobet – 6,4k
Mattias Johansson of Heypoker – 16k
Jukka Seppänen of PAF – 10,5k
Marc Barat of Winamax – 3,2k
Martin Iversen of bwin – 8k
Told you there would be action, your blogger never lies! In fact, I promise there will be plenty more action to come!
“Baby Stacks” are multiplying…
There’s 7 of our Partners players remaining in Day 1A of the PokerStars EPT Copenhagen. As I sit here behind my laptop, it pains me to say that only one of those players sits above the average chip count of 14,9k. The blinds are soon to be 150/300 with an ante of 25.
Stefan Raffay of Bet24 – 2,8k
Iisakki Ahonene of Eurobet – 5,5k
Tuomas Sauvola of Eurobet – 10,9k
Mattias Johansson of Heypoker – 11,8k
Jukka Seppänen of PAF – 11,5k
Marc Barat of Winamax – 5,2k
Martin Iversen of bwin – 15,8k
Tuomas Sauvola of Eurobet has done well to get himself up to the heights approaching the average stack. Marc Barat of Winamax has been in amongst the action and not come off too well for it. He’s still putting his chips to good use and continues to make moves. Remember, earlier in the day the Frenchman was down to around 2k, so I don’t think he can be written off just yet. Stefan Raffay’s “tiny” stack is seeing a lot of movement right now, as the Bet24 player tries to make something happen. Almost every time I’m near his table, the chips are pushed to the middle. No callers as of yet!
There’s now 151 players remaining. That number will shrink over the next 3 hours of play as there is an abundance of short stacks out there. Don’t go anywhere…it’s about to get messy!
February 17th, 2009The bar is open!…
In other words, the 45 minute dinner break has arrived giving the players enough time to kick back and relax away from the felt.
Shortly before the break Iisakki Ahonene of Eurobet got involved in some of the action. With a flop showing 8♠ 9♠ 8♥ , the young Finn leads out with a bet of 800. Seat 2 then raises Iisakki all-in, and the Eurobet player promptly calls. The cards get some oxygen. Iisakki shows A♣ K♠ and his opponent turns over his A♠ 6♠ . It’s pretty much a coin flip situation in regards to odds at this point. He has a lot of cards to dodge if he wants to continue his EPT Copenhagen dream. The turn is dealt Q♣ . It’s a good card for the Finn as it takes him out in front. If the board pairs again, it’ll be a chopped pot. The Eurobet player really doesn’t need to see a spade or one of the 3 remaining sixes in the deck. The turn comes J♣ . Sweet! Nice little double up just before the break…perfect timing!
“The chip count on the others?” I hear you ask…read on dear readers, read on!
Stefan Raffay of Bet24 – 6,275
Iisakki Ahonene of Eurobet – 7,400
Tuomas Sauvola of Eurobet – 4,175
Mattias Johansson of Heypoker – 17,825
Jukka Seppänen of PAF – 11,825
Marc Barat of Winamax – 13,075
Martin Iversen of bwin – 14,850
When the players return from their much needed break, the blinds will be up to 150/300. There’s 172 players left with the average stack sitting at 13,1k. As you can see, it’s starting to warm up now with a few of our players from our Partners beginning to find their feet. The action will no doubt intensify, so order a pizza in…put your feet up…and get ready for the mad dash to the Day1A finish line!
“Another One Bites The Dust”…
The famous Queen song couldn’t be more appropriate right now, as Jacob Abrahamson of Eurobet has gone!
The Norwegian is nowhere to be seen. The details of his exit from the PokerStars.com EPT Copenhagen are unclear. It was a sudden exit, as at last count the Norwegian had around a 9k stack in front of him. With no major changes in the chip counts right now, the 45 minute dinner break looms.
182 players remaining as we approach today’s halfway point. The blinds are currently 100/200 with the average stack of 12,3k.
February 17th, 2009Chip counts…
It’s not taken long for the chip counts to continue their change in directions and confuse the blogger!
Stefan Raffay of Bet24 – 6,5k
Iisakki Ahonene of Eurobet – 3k
Jacob Abrahamsom of Eurobet – 9k
Tuomas Sauvola of Eurobet – 4,2k
Mattias Johansson of Heypoker – 9,5k
Jukka Seppänen of PAF – 16,5k
Marc Barat of Winamax – 14,5k
Martin Iversen of bwin – 10k
Blinds will be going up soon…I’m sensing more casualties!
The 3rd level arrives…
The first break has just passed and the players have gone back to the felt. During the mass exodus of the tournament area when the break arrived, I spoke to Stefan Raffay of Bet24. He tells me his table is quite a comfortable one. Tuomas Sauvola, sitting opposite the Dane, also tells me it’s a “nice enough table”. Iisakki Ahonene of Eurobet has been mixing it up a little and informs me “it’s going ok, even though he’s a little short stacked”. Marc Barat of Winamax was down to 2k at one stage, and tells me he’s managed to get his stack back up to the starting amount. He gives a nice smile off, and seems quite relieved he’s clawed his way back up to a decent sized amount.
Stefan Raffay of Bet24 – 19k
Iisakki Ahonene of Eurobet – 5k
Jacob Abrahamsom of Eurobet – 5k
Tuomas Sauvola of Eurobet – 8k
Mattias Johansson of Heypoker – 7,5k
Jukka Seppänen of PAF – 15k
Marc Barat of Winamax – 10k
Martin Iversen of bwin – 9,5k
Esa Sarinnen of PAF has vanished! No news yet, but it doesn’t look good. After searching high and low, he’s not to be found. More news on that as I get it.
The first 2 hours of play has taken 24 casualties leaving 201 players remaining in Day 1A of the PokerStars.com EPT Copenhagen. The average stack sits a shaving over 11k and the blinds are now at 75/150.
February 17th, 2009Who want’s another update?…
I think I heard a “Yes please” somewhere, so here it is!
Miikka Piikkilä of PAF – 17k
Jaakko Lauttamus of PAF – 6,7k
Sébastien Schahl of Winamax – 12k
Sylvain Perrin of Winamax – 5k
Leo Bello of Bestpoker – 12k
Joao Gabriel Fernandes of RedKings – 28k
Toni Ojala of RedKings – 9,5k
Ramzi Jelassi of RedKings – 10,5k
Jonas “Molle” Molander of RedKings – 14,3k
Per Linde of RedKings – 3,7k
Ivo Donev of RedKings – 7,2k
There’s 226 players left with the blinds at 75/150. That would make the average stack…? Anyone? Did I hear someone say 10,4k? Give yourself a “pat on the back”.
My spider sense is tingling again…I’m sensing action!
February 17th, 2009Blinds up…
The first hour of play has now passed, and amazingly…not one player has yet to be eliminated! It’s all rather sombre in the tournament area, with no raised voices heard or crazy antics of any sort having developed yet.
Interesting seating arrangements for a few of our Partners’ players. Martin Iversen of bwin and Iisakki Ahonene of Eurobet over on table 12 have to play alongside the Polish PokerStars Pro Marcin Horecki, notably known for his great 3rd place finish in the £5k EPT London Main Event in October last year, collecting over half a million dollars for his troubles. Also on table 12 is Swedens retired professional footballer, Hans Eskilsson. The Swede is no stranger to the EPT with having already cashed in 5 events.
Bet24’s Stefan Raffay, has the honour of sitting next to Norways “Godfather of Poker”, Thor Hansen. The list of wins Hansen has under his belt is endless. However, as I strolled past Stefan’s table, I did see him take around a 5k pot off Hansen thanks to his nut flush on the flop.
PAF’s Jukka Seppänen also has an interesting seat draw. On table 8 sits Italian PokerStar Pro Luca Pagano (cashed 9 times in EPT’s and 3 times in WSOP’s) and 2008 EPT Warsaw winner, Joao Barbosa. Very interesting table indeed!
Chip counts coming up!
Lights! Camera! Action!
And so it begins…
We have 9 players representing 6 of our Partners today in Day 1A. Denmarks, Stefan Raffay is here representing Bet24 on table 2. Eurobet has 3 players in the action today. Iisakki Ahonene of Finland over on table 12, fellow Finn Tuomas Sauvola down on table 2, and Norwegian Jacon Abrahamson on table 3. Swedens Mattias Johansson is here representing Heypoker on table 11. From PAF we have Esa Sarinnen down at table 25 and Jukka Seppänen on table 8, both from Finland. Frenchman, Marc Barat is located over at table 9 representing Winamax. Rounding up our players today is Denmark’s Martin Iversen, representing bwin, on table 12.
It’s the usual EPT structure with a generous 10k starting stack and the blinds beginning at a tiny 25/50. The final count of Day1A players hasn’t arrived yet, but I can tell you that there is 25 tables…so far.
Won’t be long before the action starts rolling in!
February 17th, 2009Next stop…Denmark!
That’s right, it’s time for the PokerStars.com EPT Copenhagen!
Last night saw the poker world descend on the swanky Luux Nightclub for the PokerStars Scandinavian Poker Awards. There were no real surprises or upsets with the World Series of Poker Main Event winner, Peter Eastgate, taking two awards for “Rookie of the Year” and “Best Performance of the Year”. With quite a successful 2008 under his belt (understatement of the year!) the awards were always going to go to the 22 year old from Denmark.
“Best Online Player” went to Finlands, Ilari Sahamies. “Best Live Player” was awarded to fellow Finn, Patrik Antonius. With the final award of the evening for “Best Female Player” going to Sweden’s Magdalena In de Betou.
But that all happened last night…anything happening today? Oh yes… you could say that. In 90 minutes, Day1A of the PokerStars.com EPT Copenhagen kicks off, with an abundance of players representing our Partners.
Hold tight…the runners and riders are coming shortly!
January 23rd, 2009Now It’s Serious…
The cards have just hit the felt here as the action on Day 4 begins. In what arguably has to be the most important day so far in the 2009 Aussie Millions Main Event, RedKings player Christian Heich begins the day in second place with 880,000. Asked if he had a good nights sleep, he tells me that today he “basically woke up and ran out his hotel room” to get here in time!
I asked Chip leader, Michael Tureniec the same question and informs me “No…not really. I only slept 4 or 5 hours”. To which I replied, “Luckily Swede’s are so tough though!”. He doesn’t appear tired and cracks a smile “Haha…yeah!”. He’s the man to chase today, and the only player starting today with over 1 million in chips.
Christian Heich’s table for the day could be an interesting one, with the American Kelly Kim, Englishman Barney Boatman, and Canadian Sorel Mizzi all seated alongside the German.
Seat 1 – 370,000 – Hoi Cheung
Seat 2 – 318,000 – Dixon Ruecker
Seat 3 – 380,000 – Kelly Kim
Seat 4 – 153,000 – Barny Boatman
Seat 5 – 880,000 – Christian Heich
Seat 6 – 293,000 – Sorel Mizzi
It may not be as frantic as yesterday, but the stakes now are considerably higher. Can the Red Kings player keep up the fantastic poker that he’s produced over the past 3 days?
