It is a rather slow start so far with just about 150 players for Day 1a, and the action on the tables is similar.
We just saw Jan Bendik check-calling 625 on the four-way flop before his opponent checked behind the turn and the river. Bendik turned over the for two pair and his opponent mucked.
Recent additions to the starting field include Jakub Michalak and Angel Guillen.
We happened upon the action with around 9,000 in the pot and a board reading . Both Jorma Nuutinen and Pius Heinz had checked, which meant it was time for the showdown.
Nuutinen tabled the for tens and sixes, which was good as Heinz doubled checked his cards and then sent them to the muck.
Benjamin Nicolas-[Removed:372] from France has eschewed the usual trappings of the modern poker player. No tablet and headphones for him. Instead he has in front of him a well-thumbed copy of the classic English novel by Kingsley Amis, Lucky Jim.
We haven’t seen him reading it yet so it may just be a lucky charm. Let’s see if it works.
On a board, Douglas Souza from Brazil checked it over to Sergio Castelluccio on the button. The Italian player checked behind and the two of the saw the river; .
Souza, seated in the hijack position, bet out 2,500. After a little thinking Castelluccio raised it up to 8,100. Souza didn't waste much time before calling.
Castelluccio showed for a straight, while Souza tabled for a turned flush. Castelluccio lost that pot but still has well over starting stack to play with.
We see a flop of and Rasmus Agerskov in the big blind tosses in a red T1,000 chip after Louis Salter had bet 550. The Dane didn't announce anything and then added another 50 to indicate it was a call rather than a raise; however, the floor was called and it was ruled as min-raise.
Agerskov had to put in another 50 to make it 1,100 and Salter called. On the turn, the Dane check-called 1,400 before quickly checking again once the appeared on the river. Salter fired 2,800 and that was enough to avoid a show down as Agerskov folded.
Recent additions to the field on Day 1A: Mario Adinolfi and Dominik Panka.
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Vanessa Selbst raises to 400 from early position and Simon Ravnsbaek makes the call on the button, the blinds behind him fold. On the flop Selbst check-raises from 450 to 1,200 and the Dane calls to see the turn. This time Selbst leads for 1,700 and gets called before checking the river. She stares solely on the board, Ravnsbaek stares at her ... and after about 2 minutes he bets 4,650. It was no snap call but Selbst tossed in a blue 5k chip to discover on the other side of the table to muck her cards.
Jonathan Duhamel has joined the fray just before the first break of the day. He is sat on a table of players plucked from other tables around the room, including Mathew Frankland, as the floor balances the tables.
After a preflop raise, we see the five-way that gets checked through. On the turn, two players check, Cataldo Valletta leads for 250 and Christopher Lachave calls. Conor Beresford check-raises to 2,000 and Valletta folds, Lachave now reraises to 12,000 and the Brit sits there pondering. "Wow, that is a big raise. I get what I deserve huh?" and then open folds . Lachave doesn't show his cards ...
Vincenzo Scarcella is playing on home soil and he is by far the most elegantly dressed player in the field. Scarcella is and older gentleman with slicked back hair, a well-tailored suit, white shirt and silk tie.
When he sat down at the table he also had a pile of cash chips and some dark sunglasses which he was asked to remove, but the four aces card protector remains. He has slipped a little but from his starting stack but remains ice cool.
flop before his opponent checked behind the 
turn and the 
river. Bendik turned over the 
for two pair and his opponent mucked.
. Both Jorma Nuutinen and Pius Heinz had checked, which meant it was time for the showdown.
for tens and sixes, which was good as Heinz doubled checked his cards and then sent them to the muck.
board, Douglas Souza from Brazil checked it over to Sergio Castelluccio on the button. The Italian player checked behind and the two of the saw the river; 
.
for a straight, while Souza tabled 
for a turned flush. Castelluccio lost that pot but still has well over starting stack to play with.
and Rasmus Agerskov in the big blind tosses in a red T1,000 chip after Louis Salter had bet 550. The Dane didn't announce anything and then added another 50 to indicate it was a call rather than a raise; however, the floor was called and it was ruled as min-raise.
turn, the Dane check-called 1,400 before quickly checking again once the 
appeared on the river. Salter fired 2,800 and that was enough to avoid a show down as Agerskov folded.
Selbst check-raises from 450 to 1,200 and the Dane calls to see the 
turn. This time Selbst leads for 1,700 and gets called before checking the 
river. She stares solely on the board, Ravnsbaek stares at her ... and after about 2 minutes he bets 4,650. It was no snap call but Selbst tossed in a blue 5k chip to discover 
on the other side of the table to muck her cards.
turn, two players check, Cataldo Valletta leads for 250 and Christopher Lachave calls. Conor Beresford check-raises to 2,000 and Valletta folds, Lachave now reraises to 12,000 and the Brit sits there pondering. "Wow, that is a big raise. I get what I deserve huh?" and then open folds 
. Lachave doesn't show his cards ...