Over on table four there's some very aggressive people playing poker. Hands rarely go to show down, and no flop is seen for cheap. Also, there's a lot of chips on that table as we imagine some players have already been busted at the table in the far right corner of the room.
You have the seasoned pro (Jan Sjavik, who was winning tournaments before most of his table mates were even in High School), the femme fatale (Ana Marquez), the bracelet winner (Simeon Naydenov), the qualifier (Robert Agayan) and the guy who won the Florida State Poker Championships three years a go (Connor Drinan). And all other players look like they know what they're doing as well.
We stood around for a little bit to check what was going on. Enough action, that's wat was going on!
1) Filippo Marrocolli opened the button and Jan Sjavik made the call from the big blind. Sjavik check called the 700 continuation-bet his Italian opponent made on , and checked again as the hit the turn. Marrocolli bet out 1,050, but quickly folded once Sjavik check-raised to 2,500.
2) Simeon Naydenov opened for 900 and Federico Piroddi made the call from the hijack. Marrocolli in the cut off squeezed to 3,300 and everyone folded.
3) Naydenov opened again, this time from middle position. Marrocolli in the hijack made the call and Robert Agayan made it 2,100. Both players called and it was three way to the flop; . Naydenov and Marrocolli checked to Agayan who bet 3,500. Naydenov check-raised to 7,600 and Marrocolli folded. Agayan called, but he folded after Naydenov shoved all in on the -turn.
One of the ladies in the field today hits the rail with ladies. Antonio Luft raised from early position to 1,000 and the button called. In the small blind Sofia Lovgren three-bet to 2,500. Luft then moved all in with about ~17,000 and the Swedish starlet called for less, tabling the .
She was in bad shape as Luft turned over the . After the ran out on the board, Lovgren wished the whole table "good luck guys" and exited the tournament area.
Liv Boeree opened the betting for 450 and was called by Kevin MacPhee on the button. Vizsnyiczai Zsolt then made it 1,500 from the big blind and was called by Boeree and MacPhee.
Three players saw a flop of . Zsolt bet 2,300 from the blinds, Boeree called and then MacPhee raised to 6,800. Zsolt folded and Boeree took her time to make a decision. MacPhee had about 12,000 behind and in the end Boeree moved all in, covering MacPhee who made the call.
Boeree showed for the flush draw against the of MacPhee. The turn card and river didn’t deliver the flush and MacPhee doubled up.
At the moment there are 313 people registered for Day 1B. Combined with the 175 who played yesterday, that makes for a field of 488 so far. Though that number will grow as people are able to register up till the start of the day tomorrow, it makes for a quite small field.
There are clear downsides to this as the eventual winner will receive a much smaller prize than the victor got here the last couple of years. The positive thing is that the winner won't have to beat as many people to grab the title.
There were a bunch of former EPT winners playing yesterday including Dominik Panka (35,700), Jannick Wrang (out), Julian Track (97,300), Michael Eiler (out) and Oleksii Khoroshenin (out), who were all gunning for their second title.
Here on Day 1B there are even more former champions in the field. We saw the following players who have EPT titles to their credit, though there might even be more:
Mikalai Pobal (Barcelona 2012), Dimitar Danchev (PCA 2013), Kevin MacPhee (Berlin 2010), Frederik Jensen (Madrid 2012), Remi Castaignon (Deauville 2013), Salvatore Bonavena (Prague 2008), Anton Wigg (Copenhagen 2010), Michael Tureniec (Copenhagen 2011), Roberto Romanello (Prague 2010), Zimnan Ziyard (Loutraki, 2011), Vicky Coren (London 2006), David Vamplew (London 2010), Liv Boeree (Sanremo 2010), Nicolas Chouity (Monte Carlo 2010), Ludovic Lacay (Sanremo 2012), Mickey Petersen (Copenhagen 2012), and Robin Ylitalo (London 2013).
Will this mark the first time the EPT is able to crown it's first two-time winner? Time will tell, but chances are better than ever!
The second starting day of EPT Sanremo here at the Casinò di Sanremo in Italy sponsored by PokerStars.it is about to get underway.
Day 1b will see some of the biggest names in international poker enter the field including PokerStars Team Pros Bertrand “Elky” Grospellier and Liv Boeree as well as Mickey “mement_mori” Peterson.
There were 140 players who qualified online for EPT Sanremo and among those who will sit down today are a number of EPT champions. We’ll be keeping a close eye on Kevin MacPhee, David Vamplew, Anton Wigg, Michael Tureniec, Roberto Romanello, Frederik Jensen, Nicolas Chouity and Remi Castaignon as well as Aussie Millions champ Ami Barer.
There were 175 entrants yesterday with a strong showing of local talent attempting to seize the title on the penultimate stop of this tour. Indeed it was the Italian Cristiano Guerra who ended the day atop the leader board. Day 1a also saw PokerStars Pros Vanessa Selbsts and Pier Paolo Fabretti make it through while Jonathan Duhammel failed to make the cut.
Selbst is currently number two in the EPT10 Player of the Year race, and today will see the leader of that race, German poker sensation Ole Schemion, compete for the ultimate bragging rights. He currently has 885 points, 120 points clear of Selbst.
With a starting stack of 30,000 chips equal to 300 big blinds in the first level (50/100) there is plenty of room for creative play, and with such a talented and competitive field there is sure to be plenty of action to follow for you poker fans.
There will be eight levels of 75 minutes to play today for the competing players to play their best and determine who will thrive, survive or meet their demise. Play starts at Noon local time and the PokerNews Live Reporting team will bring you all the action as it happens.
, and checked again as the 
hit the turn. Marrocolli bet out 1,050, but quickly folded once Sjavik check-raised to 2,500.
. Naydenov and Marrocolli checked to Agayan who bet 3,500. Naydenov check-raised to 7,600 and Marrocolli folded. Agayan called, but he folded after Naydenov shoved all in on the 
.
. After the 
ran out on the board, Lovgren wished the whole table "good luck guys" and exited the tournament area.
for the flush draw against the 
of MacPhee. The turn card 
and river 
didn’t deliver the flush and MacPhee doubled up.
