It was another busy day here at the InterContinental Hotel on Day 1B of Eureka6 Bucharest; and yet, it was actually not as busy.
You see, normally Day 1B is the day that everyone turns out to play, figuring that they don't need to have a day in between playing if they make Day 2. It turns out though that Day 1A was the busier of our two starting flights so far.
A total of 223 players entered today (compared with 253 yesterday) and 94 players made it through to tomorrow's Day 2 (compared with 98 yesterday). We've got still the turbo Day 1C flight to go tonight, so the actual field size isn't determined yet.
The player who finished with the biggest pile in front of him was Poland's Grzegorz Taranko with 146,200. The young player has several final table finishes from side events at previous Eureka stops, but a deep run in this tournament would surely be the biggest of his career to date.
Close behind him in the chip counts were Aurelian Valentin Croitoriu (138,500), Alin Petrisor Pandilica (131,800), Florin Vasile Haiduc (123,900), Catalin Dragomir (120,500) and Tiberiu Cornel Diaconescu (107,400).
Excitement was in the air as Team PokerStars Pro Daniel Negreanu took his seat shortly after the start of Level 6. He got off to a great start - doubling his stack in just two of the first hands he played - but it all went wrong after he returned from the next break.
It's a long story (scroll down to 7:30pm to read his demise in its entirity) but let's just say some cruel luck cost Kid Poker his stack. However, he did suggest he was going to return at 9pm to play the turbo Day 1C - even going so far as to call it genius:
The Eureka turbo 1C idea is just genius. Others should adopt it for people who bust 1A and 1B. 10 20 min levels and on to day 2!
— Daniel Negreanu (@RealKidPoker) May 19, 2016
Other players who fared better and made it through include "the biker" Cornel Pazara (44,800), Blazej Przgorezewski (117,300), and the man who will forever be known to his friends as "the guy who busted Negreanu" - Sason Erez (115,800). Check out all of the End of Day 1B chip counts here.
Day 2 action starts at 1pm tomorrow local time, and we'll be playing 60-minute levels from Level 15 onwards.
That's all for now, but we'll be back later with a recap of how Day 1C went. Maybe Negreanu will make it to Day 2 after all...
Until later then. Bye!
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8:15pm: That's a wrap
Level 10 - Blinds 600/1,200 (200 ante)
Day 1B is in the books. We'll be right back with all the news and action that went down today.
7:55pm: Almost done
Level 10 - Blinds 600/1,200 (200 ante)
102 players remain with 20 minutes left on the clock, which is about to be paused. Stick around to find out who's chip leader, and to get a full recap of the day.
7:36pm: Last level
Level 10 - Blinds 600/1,200 (200 ante)
There's just 45 minutes of play left on Day 1B.
| LEVEL | SMALL BLIND | BIG BLIND | ANTE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 600 | 1,200 | 200 |
7:30pm: Daniel's Day 1B demise
Level 9 - Blinds 500/1,000 (100 ante)
I know I promised I'd tell you Daniel's official chip count when we returned from the break. Well, I have some unfortunate news.
Negreanu's out.
His end wasn't an instant pain, like ripping off a plaster/band-aid. It was slow, spread across four hands each more punishing than the last.
The first one? Negreanu got a player all-in with Ace-King against Queens. A classic race. The Queens held up.
The second? Negreanu got a player all-in with Ace-King against their Ace-ten for a 50,000 chip pot. The Ace-ten sucked out.
Then, on a flop of [7h][5h][4c], Sason Erez bet 10,000 (the pot was already sizable) and Negreanu jammed having Erez just covered. "Just so I can say I was busted by Negreanu!" said Erez as he called, but it was actually a bit of a slowroll as he had flopped a set with the [4s][4d].
Negreanu had the [9c][9h] so needed a nine or running cards to come. Instead, it came the [3d] and [8c] and he was crippled down to just 3,000.
"Would you play later?" I asked Negreanu. "I'm not sure, how long are the levels?" He replied.
When I told him they were 20 minutes and he'd be done by around 12.45am-ish, he seemed happy at the idea.
He'd get it in not long after when Nukul Insuwan opened to 2,300 and got a call, before Erez made it 9,000 to play. Negreanu looked at his cards and put his last chips in - this was clearly a good spot to possibly quadruple up. Insuwan called, as did the other caller. "OK. I'm going to need a lot of help," said Negreanu as the crowds began to gather.
The flop came the [7h][6c][2s]. "YES!" Daniel shouted jokingly. "These pocket Kings are going to hold up. Oops!"
It checked to Erez and he made it 14,000 to go. "This is good for you," he told Negreanu. "Well, you can win the side pot at least," the Team PokerStars Pro responded.
Insuwan called and the other player got out of the way. The turn was [4c] and when Insuwan checked Erez moved all-in and was called. The cards were on their backs:
Erez: [kh][ks]
Insuwan: [8c][8s]
Negreanu: [ad][6s]
An Ace or six would save Daniel, while Insuwan needed an eight to eliminate Erez. Instead, the river was the [3c] and Daniel hit the rail.
"I'll be back in an hour!" he said as he made his way out the room, tweeting this shortly after:
The Eureka turbo 1C idea is just genius. Others should adopt it for people who bust 1A and 1B. 10 20 min levels and on to day 2!
— Daniel Negreanu (@RealKidPoker) May 19, 2016
6:55pm: Two more levels
Level 9 - Blinds 500/1,000 (100 ante)
There's just just two more 45-minute levels of play left on Day 1B, but don't think you're getting away that easy.
At 9pm the turbo Day 1C starts, so make sure you stick around.
| LEVEL | SMALL BLIND | BIG BLIND | ANTE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 500 | 1,000 | 100 |
6:35pm: Take a break
Players are on a 15-minute break.
6:32pm: Aces for Negreanu
Level 8 - Blinds 400/800 (100 ante)
Right before the break, Nukul Insuwan opened to 1,600 and it folded to Daniel Negreanu in the small blind. He made it 4,200 to play and Insuwan came along.
The flop was the [tc][6s][7d] and Negreanu instantly led for 5,500. Well, that was enough to take it down and Kid Poker flipped over his [ac][ah] to show the table the goods.
We'll have his official chip count shortly as players are going on a break.
6:25pm: Crying call after a clock
Level 8 - Blinds 400/800 (100 ante)
Bogdan Petru Petrascu opened to 1,600 and it folded around to Catalin Dragomir in the small blind. He made the call, as did Maksim Prokhorov from the big.
An [ac][7c][td] flop fell and it checked to Petrascu who continued for 3,100. Dragomir asked for a glance at Petrascu's chips, and when he saw he had 16,725 behind he raised to 7,800. Prokhorov's time in the hand was done, but Petrascu called.
The turn was the [2s] and Dragomir moved all-in, putting Petrascu to the test. He thought for a long time before the clock was eventually called, and he waited until he had just seconds left to make the call.
It was a crying call though; Dragomir turned over the [ah][ts] for two pair which bested Petrascu's [jh]th]. The river was the [2h] and Petrascu was felted.
6:15pm: Us? Again?
Level 8 - Blinds 400/800 (100 ante)
You sometimes end up forming a relationship with the players at your table - and it's not always the good kind, especially when you keep playing pots against each other.
Sabin Valeriu Olariu and Catalin Marcel Popa are sat right next to one another and after Olariu opened to 2,200 under the gun and Popa called - the only player who did, by the way - the two looked at each other and laughed, as if to say: "Me and you? Again?"
Anyway, the flop came the [3d][9h][3s] and a bet of 2,700 took it down for Olariu. This must have been one of the dullest of their frequent encounters.
6:05pm: Who did we have?
Level 8 - Blinds 400/800 (100 ante)
Here's a look at how the field breaks down by nationality:
5:55pm: Sorry. We're closed.
Level 8 - Blinds 400/800 (100 ante)
Entry for Day 1B was open right up until the end of Level 7. Well, we've moved into Level 8 now, so that means there'll be no more players on this flight.
In total there were 223 players in action today - less than we had on Day 1A (that almost never happens!) and 162 remain right now.
But don't forget about the turbo Day 1C flight which kicks off at 9pm tonight.
| LEVEL | SMALL BLIND | BIG BLIND | ANTE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 400 | 800 | 100 |
5:45pm: Negreanu's new table
Level 7 - Blinds 300/600 (75 ante)
Daniel's Negreanu table broke just after the last break - which was a shame for Yogev Kudadi. However, now nine new excited players are sat with Kid Poker. Here's a hand from that table I just caught.
Nukul Insuwan opened to 1,200 and Cristian Marcel Iordan, Catalin George Pacala, Negreanu (on the button), and Marius Craciun (the big blind called to see a flop.
It came the [7c][8s][7s] and it checked to Pacala, who took a 2,000 stab at the pot. Negreanu gave it up, as did Craciun and Iordan, but Insuwan - the original pre-flop raiser - stuck around.
The turn was the [3c] and Insuwan checked again. Pacala took his time and put out a bet of 2,500, which would be enough to get a fold.
5:30pm: Pazaria still riding strong
Level 7 - Blinds 300/600 (75 ante)
Cornel Pazaria - the helmet guy from earlier - is ticking along quite nicely in this main event. He's got up to around 45,000 in chips right now, having just taken down this pot.
He opened to 1,300 and Nicolae Buse made the call from the big blind. The two saw a [qc][9c][8h] flop and Buse checked to the raiser, who continued for 1,600. Buse then clicked it back with an insta-raised to 3,200 and Pazaria called.
The turn was the [ts] and Buse slowed down again, checking it before Pazaria led for 3,500. That was enough to get the job done and Buse folded, showing the [qs] as he did. Pazaria turned over the [qh] as he raked in the chips.
5:15pm: To those we've lost...
Level 7 - Blinds 300/600 (75 ante)
The players have re-taken their seats, but spare a thought for this bunch who have been eliminated recently:
Daniel Galla, Roy Panivlov, Tel Aviv Koko, Georgios Papanagnou, Dan Pavel, Nima Alam Zad, Sebastiano Leonetti, Michal Roman Kadziela, Omer Knafo, Iosif Sfetsas, Elvis Petcu, Alexander Schilt, Petre Bogdan Ionescu, Vasile Gotca, and Halfa Shalev.
| LEVEL | SMALL BLIND | BIG BLIND | ANTE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 300 | 600 | 75 |
4:51pm: Take a breather
Players have gone on a 15-minute break.
4:50pm: What a start! Negreanu up to 47,000
Level 6 - Blinds 200/400 (25 ante)
Even the best players in the world get a bit of luck every now and then. It's been a dream start for Daniel Negreanu thanks to some fantastic run-outs.
The first hand saw Cosmin Constantin Cimpeanu open to 1,000, which Cristian Grecu, Negreanu (sb) and Sason Erez (bb) called. The flop came [qc][5h][3d] and it checked around to the [8h] turn. Negreanu now led for 2,400 and only Grecu called.
The river was the [6s] and Negreanu bet again, this time 7,000. Grecu took his sunglasses off to think.
"It's too dark with those glasses, huh! You can't see the cards!" Negreanu said playfully, and Grecu would eventually fold.
"Which card do you want to see? Pick one," Kid Poker offered. Grecu said he didn't want to see either, so Negreanu opened the offer up to the table.
"It doesn't matter, they're both the same anyway!" Negreanu said, as the [6d] was shown. He flipped over the [6h] too to show his rivered set. "I was greedy, I bet too much!"
The very next hand saw Negreanu in action again. Dan Pavel opened to 1,200 and it folded to D-Negs on the button. He made the call, as did the big blind. The flop came the [5d][9s][3d] and Pavel continued for 2,300 which Negreanu called.
The turn was the [4h] and Pavel led again for 5,000. Negreanu raised to 10,000, and Pavel called.
Finally the river was the [ts] and Pavel jammed for around 16,000. Negreanu couldn't have called quicker.
He turned over the [ac][2c] for a wheel, and that was way ahead of Pavel's [qd][qc]. Negreanu has taken his stack to around 47,000 after just a few hands.
Stick around to see how he fares throughout the rest of the day.
4:30pm: Well look who decided to join the party...
Level 6 - Blinds 200/400 (25 ante)
This is a big deal.
Daniel Negreanu has now arrived, and it's causing quite a stir.
A crowd has gathered around his table, while other players are getting out of their seats to snap a photo of him on their phones.
Yogev Kudadi, who is sat two seats to Daniel's right, even looked around and waved at a friend of his playing on another table across the room. His friend waved his arms in the air, as if to say: "Why do YOU get to play with Negreanu and I don't! That's not fair!"
Arguably the most iconic poker player in the world has returned to his homeland and is about to play his first hand of poker on Romanian soil.
Oh, it's a big deal alright.
4:10pm: Huge pot for Ciocov sends Shalev home
Level 6 - Blinds 200/400 (25 ante)
This was certainly the biggest pot we've seen played today so far. It began with a pre-flop raising war between old rivals Catalin Ciocov and Halfa Shalev (see our 2:35pm post). First Ciocov opened, then Shalev three-bet to 3,000, only for Ciocov to four-bet to 7,000, and Shalev made the call.
The flop was the [9h][4s][2h] and both checked, taking us to the [5d] turn. Ciocov put out a delayed continuation bet for 10,000, and Shalev thought for a minute before calling.
The river was then the [8d], and Ciocov jammed for 22,500. Shalev had an almost identical stack size, and he'd end making the call. But when Ciocov turned over his [ah][ad] Shalev's tournament was over. We never saw his hand, but our money would be on a big pocket pair.
Ciocov now has upwards of 72,000, while Shalev was sent packing.
| LEVEL | SMALL BLIND | BIG BLIND | ANTE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 200 | 400 | 50 |
3:55pm: Hey you - yes you! Have you seen Negreanu?
Level 5 - Blinds 150/300 (25 ante)
Word on the street is that Daniel Negreanu is going to be arriving any minute. Stay tuned.
3:45pm: Luck for Or
Level 5 - Blinds 150/300 (25 ante)
Or Amitai is in a great mood right now, and here's why.
He made it 600 to go from early position, and got calls from Avishai Shitrit and Moshe De Leon, the latter of whom was in the big blind. The flop came [ks][5s][5d] and it checked around to the [ad] turn. De Leon checked again, and now Amitai put out a delayed c-bet of 1,100. Both called.
To the turn we went, and it came the [3c]. Amitai bet 4,400 when it checked to him, Shitrit got out of the way, and De Leon made the call. He'd muck though when he saw Amitai's [kh][5h] for a flopped boat.
"I have good luck!" he announced to the table. And good luck is certainly a good reason to be in a good mood.
3:30pm: The deepest of tanks
Level 5 - Blinds 150/300 (25 ante)
Excuse me for the length of time between this and my last post. You can blame Simon Eugen Andrei for that.
You see, he was in the tank. Like, really far in. If his poker tank was an actual shark tank, he would be so far in said tank that the [9c][7d][8d][kc][jc] board would just be a speckle of light on the surface while he'd sunk to the deep end.
Tolga Ismen had put Andrei all-in after it was checked to him, and the minutes were slowly going by. Andrei had just 5,100 behind, and there was little over 12,000 in the pot. Ismen had him covered with his stack of 20,000.
And so we waited. Andrei's shades had slid off his face. His headphones fell out his ear almost like a dying plant's leaves shedding. He looked defeated. And so we waited.
After around five minutes the clock was called. But even that went slowly. The floor staff was busy at the time attending to another issue, so by the time the floor arrived Andrei had snagged another minute of thinking time.
He waited right until the clock ran out to fold. And we went back on with our lives, as Andrei attempted to swim to the surface and catch a breath.
| LEVEL | SMALL BLIND | BIG BLIND | ANTE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 150 | 300 | 25 |
3pm: Checking in on the biker
Level 4 - Blinds 100/200 (25 ante)
Cornel Pazara, the helmet-wearing Californian from Bucharest (see our 1:20pm post), is still in the mix. After Mitev Yulian and Johny Jabra limped and Gabriel Petrica Popescu called from the small blind, Pazara checked his big blind option.
The flop came the [9c][kd][3d] and it checked to Pazara who led for 600. Only Jabra called and the [7c] hit the turn. Now the bet was 1,200, which Jabra called again. The [6h] river completed the board and the final bullet was 1,800, which Jabra picked off.
He showed the [kh][9d] for a flopped two-pair, and that was very good against Pazara's [as][jc].
2:45pm: Double-gutter gets there, and gets paid
Level 4 - Blinds 100/200 (25 ante)
After the big draw in our last post didn't get there, here's a hand in which a draw hit and got paid off.
Simon Eugen Andrei opened to 425 and got three callers in Viorel Chelariu, Alin Petrisor Pandilica, and Carmen Zainescu on the button - one of only a handful of female players who have entered this event.
The flop came the [9c][5h][7h] and Andrei continued for 1,025, which everyone called. Everyone would check on the [ts] turn too. That took us to the [3d] river and it checked to Pandilica who made it 6,075 to go - about the size of the pot. Only Andrei called, but mucked when Pandilica turned over his [6h][4c] for a rivered straight.
2:35pm: Nice call from Shalev
Level 4 - Blinds 100/200 (25 ante)
Catalin Ciocov opened to 425, which Halfa Shalev called on the button, as did Vladislav Donchev and Darren Fuller from the blinds. The four saw a [9c][4c][th] flop hit the felt, and it checked to the raiser. Ciocov continued for 750, and Shalev and Donchev came along.
The dealer put out the [6d] turn and Donchev checked again. Ciocov fired another bullet, this time worth 1,700 and again both players called to see the [3d] on the river. Donchev checked a final time and Ciocov fired another bullet for 3,500. Shalev called pretty quickly, while Donchev gave it up.
Ciocov didn't look happy, and that's because he had squadoosh with the [qc][jc]. His straight draw and flush draw hadn't come in, and Shalev made a great call with the [kd][9d] for second pair to take it down.
2:30pm: Chips at the break
You can view all of the chip counts from the end of Level 3 here. Below are the biggest stacks right now:
| PLAYER | CHIP COUNT |
|---|---|
| Jordan Mitev | 76000 |
| Asher Dahan | 69000 |
| Teodor Adrian Suciu | 51500 |
| Olivian Zoltan Balint | 50000 |
| Aurelian Valentin Croitoriu | 48550 |
| Epure Andrei | 48500 |
| Krzysztof Gluszko | 48000 |
| Iulian Lucian Dragan | 46400 |
| Razvan Lucian Cetanas | 45300 |
| Cristian Marcel Iordan | 45000 |
| LEVEL | SMALL BLIND | BIG BLIND | ANTE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 100 | 200 | 25 |
2:18pm: Break time
Players are taking their first 15-minute break of the day.
2:12pm: What's his Strong point?
Level 3 - Blinds 75/150
LAPT9 Chile winner Rodrigo Strong is among those shooting for the Eureka6 Bucharest title here on Day 1B. The Brazilian took down the event in Vina Del Mar for $121,575, and qualified for this event on PokerStars.
You can win your seat to one of countless PokerStars live events around the world. Click here to open an account and get started.
Strong also took down a $1K event in Kyrenia, Cyprus last month for $33,000, so he's had quite a year so far. One unusual trait of Strong's is that he often talks into his mobile phone in between hands; recording notes on his play that he can go and listen through later in a bid to keep improving.
It might be unusual, but that might just be his strongest point. We look forward to seeing how he gets on here today.
1:56pm: Same but different
Level 3 - Blinds 75/150
It's funny how an identical bet size changes from street to street. Take this hand for example.
Kostandin Mustaka limped from under the gun plus one, and it folded to Vasile Duciuc on the button who made it 500 to go. Adrian Corneliu Lazar then raised from the big blind to 1,950, Mustaka folded and Duciuc called.
The flop was the [kh][8c][td] and both checked to see the [tc] on the turn. Now Lazar led for 2,025, which Duciuc called quickly. The river was the [7s], and Lazar bet the exact same amount - 2,025. But now Duciuc snap-folded.
It was only for a quarter of the pot, giving Duciuc good pot odds (presuming he had anything). But there was something about that same amount on the river that smelled of strength to Duciuc. Anyway, the pot slid Lazar's way.
1:46pm: Chips are flying
Level 3 - Blinds 75/150
A big pot was building over on Table 8 so I stopped by to see what was going down. There was around 6,000 in the pot already and the flop showed the [3d][4h][tc].
Omer Knafo led out for 3,900 and the action was on his only opponent, Florian Dimitrie Duta who made the call. That took us to the [3h] turn, which both checked, and eventually the [3s] river. Knafo decided to check and after a minute or so Duta counted out a bet of 6,700 and slid it over the line.
Knafo went into the tank. It's not easy to wave goodbye to pot that big at such an early stage of the tournament, but he did just that by folding.
| LEVEL | SMALL BLIND | BIG BLIND | ANTE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 75 | 150 | 0 |
1:34pm: More names for your list
Level 2 - Blinds 50/100
Igor Untilov (Eureka5 Prague ninth place finisher), Michal Kadziela (well-known Polish player), and Ioan Mihai Taizs (a well-known Romanian player) have all joined the field.
1:20pm: Pazaria's an easy rider
Level 2 - Blinds 50/100
Cornel Pazaria, an American from California who presumably lives here in Bucharest if his latest live cashes are anything to go by, turned up today in a rather unusual garb. Take a look for yourself:
Pazaria has several live cashes including a deep run in the 2008 WSOP main event. He arrived for today's tournament on his motorcycle, and must have decided to go for a Phil Laak-esque method for covering up any potential tells. Try getting a read through that helmet!
Nah, of course Pazaria isn't actually playing with that thing on. He eventually took it off after his brief photo shoot with Tomas Stacha.
He just took down a pot after three-betting a raiser and two limpers. The raiser folded showing pocket nines, while Pazaria had the goods, showing pocket Kings.
1pm: Local loses one
Level 2 - Blinds 50/100
Ervin Kuglis is a name that might be familiar to anyone who follows the Eureka tour or Romanian poker. He's a popular local who's in the action today.
He kicked off a pot with an open to 250 and got calls from Catalin Dragomir, Boyko Boychev from the small blind, and Stefan Lucian Albu from the big. The flop came the [2d][6d][2h] and it checked to Kuglis who continued for 400. Dragomir then three-bet to 850, and Kuglis was the only caller.
The turn was the [7c] and Kuglis checked it before folding to a 1,000 bet.
12:49pm: Growing in the field
Level 2 - Blinds 50/100
We're up to 146 entries now - will be beat the 253 who played yesterday?
| LEVEL | SMALL BLIND | BIG BLIND | ANTE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 50 | 100 | 0 |
12:40pm: A few notable names
Level 1 - Blinds 25/50
Here are a few names you might recognise:
Erik Scheidt - Eureka4 Vienna finalist
Antonio Karman - a Hungarian player with just shy of $300,000 in live earnings (see the post below)
Niko Koop - plenty of cashes across various live tours
Vladimir Velikov - Eureka5 Prague finalist with almost $400,000 in winnings
They're all playing today. We'll keep you updated with any new arrivals, including a certain Kid Poker...
12:25pm: Straight to the point
Level 1 - Blinds 25/50
Players are still arriving and taking their seats, but that doesn't mean those sat down are taking it slow. We've already seen plenty of raising and re-raising taking place, and on Table 9 after a raise, three-bet, call, two players found themselves staring at a [9d][8c][6h] flop.
Those players were Catalin Dragomir and Antonio Karman, the latter of which checked. Dragomir bet 375 on the button and got a call. The turn was the [9c], and both players checked the paired board.
That took us to the [th] river, which completed the straight for any player who held a seven. Now Karman led for 500, and Dragomir chucked in a single pink 500 chip to call.
Karman didn't have a seven; he had the [js][qd] for the higher end of the straight draw. Dragomir mucked.
12:15pm: Well-hidden
Level 1 - Blinds 25/50
Poland's Blazej Przgorezewski is in the action today. He finished third in the Eureka4 Vienna main event, and will be looking for another deep run here in Bucharest. He hasn't got off to the best start however, losing 27 big blinds in one of the very first hands.
It folded to Sorin Drajneanu in the small blind, and he made it 175 to go. Przgorezewski called from the big blind and the two saw an [ah][jh][td] flop fall. Drajneanu continued for 150, which was called, taking us to the [4d] turn. Play slowed down with both checking.
The river came the [2d] and now Drajneanu over bet the pot for 1,025. Przgorezewski looked a little confused by his opponent's play, but after a minute he made the call.
Drajneanu confidently turned over his [ks][qd]. He'd flopped the nut straight.
"Oh...nice," said Przgorezewski as he mucked his cards. "You hid it well!"
12:05pm: Waiting in line
Level 1 - Blinds 25/50
Even when the dealers were told to "Shuffle up and deal" a few seconds ago, there were still only a few tables who could actually start playing. That's because of the huge queue outside of the registration area.
Day 1B looks set to be a big one.
11:58am: On your marks, get set...
Level 1 - Blinds 25/50
Play is about to begin on Day 1B, so get comfortable.
11:10am: Day 1B kicks off in an hour!
Morning all, and welcome back to the InterContinental Hotel for Day 1B of the €1,100 main event of Eureka6 Bucharest. We had a great day of poker yesterday with 253 entries for the first of the Day 1 flights, and 98 of them bagged chips when play was over. Today, it's going to be even bigger.
The player we know you'll all be following is none other than Mr Daniel Negreanu. The Team PokerStars Pro has made the journey to his homeland specifically for this event, and he'll be taking his seat in the field when play begins at midday. It's English only at the tables during hands, but Negreanu speaks fluent Romanian, so he's sure to be chatting away to the locals when he's not in a pot.
Everyone who sits down today will be hoping to end the day like Bucharest-local Emanuel Victor Beteringhe did last night. He had a surge in the last level and ended the day as chip leader with a massive stack of 202,425. Considering everyone starts with 25,000 in chips, that's pretty impressive. You can check out all of yesterday's action here, and view the End of Day 1A chip counts here.
You'll find all the key tournament info below. Play starts at 12pm, and the plan is to play 10 45-minute levels. Then there's the little matter of Day 1C - a turbo flight with 20-minute levels which begins at 9pm tonight. It's only available to those players who have busted from 1A or 1B.
So bookmark this page. Make it your homepage. Don't take your eyes off it. Do whatever it takes to ensure you don't miss any of the action. We'll see you shortly!
Key Eureka6 Bucharest Facts:
- 25,000 starting stack
- Blinds starting at 25/50 for 500 big blinds
- Levels are 45 minutes on Day 1 and they'll be 10 of them. On Day 2 from level 15 onwards levels increase to 60 minutes.
- Late registration is open until the start of level seven.
- Day 1B is today, and a special Turbo Day 1C takes place this evening at 9pm local time. That's only open to players who have busted either Day 1A or 1B. The field will then combine for the first time on Friday. Players will reach the money on Day 2 and then play down to a final table on Day 3. The final table will play out on Sunday.
- Full Eureka6 Bucharest schedule here.
PokerStars Blog Reporting Team at Eureka6 Bucharest: Jack Stanton. Photos by Tomas Stacha. Follow the PokerStars Blog on Twitter: @PokerStarsBlog
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