Raul Paez' day started off in horrible fashion for someone with a set. We caught the action when the board read and Dmitry Ponomarev bet out 3,000 from the small blind. Paez raised it up to 12,500 and Ponomarev quickly made the call.
On the river the popped up and Ponomarev checked to Paez who fired out 12,500. Ponomarev looked down at his cards, put together the right amount and casually made the call.
Paez quickly turned over and was waiting for the dealer to push him the pot. The Spaniard was expecting anything but for his opponent to turn over the best hand but Ponomarev did. The Russian player tabled his for a higher set and he took down this big pot in the first level. Paez was knocked down to 13,000 chips.
Jochum Weenink opened to 300 from the hijack seat, Sandra Naujoks called on the button, and Shannon Shorr three-bet to 1,550 from the small blind. Both Weenink and Naujoks called, and the flop fell . Shorr led out for 2,600, and only Weenink called.
The turn was the , and Shorr slowed down, checking to the Dutchman. Weenink tossed out 3,600, and Shorr made the call.
The completed the board, both players knuckled, and Weenink flipped over for top-pair-top-kicker, but Shorr had that beat with for two kings.
A lot people say that tight is right on day ones at EPTs and who are we to argue. The structure is so good that you can wait for a good spot to win a big pot, hopefully.
Kevin Williams bet into three players on a and all folded. Tim Reilly, who came second in the EPT Deauville high roller last month, was the last to fold.
Chris Brammer and George Danzer have sat down to the left of Martin Hruby to make his job more difficult today. There are still many open seats at tables so any of the tricky tables could turn into tables of death over the next two levels. Watch this space.
Team PokerStars Pro Vanessa Rousso has already lost about two thirds of her stack after she doubled up Jason Wheeler. Rousso was holding against Wheeler's - the board came to give Wheeler a double up to 45,000.
Of course there's a ton of tough tables here at Day 1b of EPT London and Sandra Naujoks is seated at one of them. The first table we've spotted contained no less than six players we were all familiar with.
Team PokerStars Pro Sandra Naujoks, Andrew Chen, Shannon Shorr, Daniel Rudd, Jude Ainsworth and Jochum Weenink are all seated together and that's looking to be quite the clash of titans! Naujoks' biggest live tournament result came back in 2009 when she won EPT Dortmund for €917,000.
Jorge Cuello, Tamer Kamel, and Olivier Busquet were three handed on a flop of . Cuello led out for 1,850, Busquet called, and Kamel folded.
The turn was the , both players knuckled, and the river was the . Cuello tossed out a blue T5,000, announcing "Four-thousand," and Busquet tank-folded.
Busquet is still floating around the starting stack, with roughly 29,000 chips.
David Vamplew has to deal with Yann Dion and another EPT champion in the shape of Anton Wigg, but the Scot is free rolling this tournament so who cares?
PokerStars opened its PokerStars Live card room at the Hippodrome Casino last Monday, and to mark the event they threw a free roll tournament that awarded an EPT London seat to the winner. Vamplew took down the win and saved the buy in for this event.
and Dmitry Ponomarev bet out 3,000 from the small blind. Paez raised it up to 12,500 and Ponomarev quickly made the call.
popped up and Ponomarev checked to Paez who fired out 12,500. Ponomarev looked down at his cards, put together the right amount and casually made the call.
and was waiting for the dealer to push him the pot. The Spaniard was expecting anything but for his opponent to turn over the best hand but Ponomarev did. The Russian player tabled his 
for a higher set and he took down this big pot in the first level. Paez was knocked down to 13,000 chips.
. Shorr led out for 2,600, and only Weenink called.
, and Shorr slowed down, checking to the Dutchman. Weenink tossed out 3,600, and Shorr made the call.
completed the board, both players knuckled, and Weenink flipped over 
for two kings.
and all folded. Tim Reilly, who came second in the EPT Deauville high roller last month, was the last to fold.
to give Wheeler a double up to 45,000.
. Cuello led out for 1,850, Busquet called, and Kamel folded.
, both players knuckled, and the river was the 
. Cuello tossed out a blue T5,000, announcing "Four-thousand," and Busquet tank-folded.
