There's no doubt about it, poker truly is a global game. A universal language in which bet, raise, fold and flops come as easily as yes, da, oui and ja. Check out this funky heat map of the growth of poker that PokerStars produced earlier this month if you don't believe me.
But what of Eureka3 Bulgaria specifically, what's the breakdown of the 407 runner field? Unsurprisingly the biggest slice of the field is Bulgarian, 121 players are hoping to keep this trophy on home soil, given equal skill that gives them a 29.7% of doing so. Next in line are Romania with 54 players entering the fray over the two starting flights (13.26%), whilst with 30 players Russians make up 7.3% of the field.
Next comes Israel with 26 players, then Hungary with 20, whilst Poland (19), Greece (17), Lithuania (15) and Germany (14) are the only other countries in double figures when it comes to participants.
There are 10 nations with just one player flying their flag, Dallas Thornton from the USA made it through Day 1A with 95,600, as did Dmitrijs Kohanovskis from Latvia who scrapped through with a stack of 12,900. Whilst Alberto Fiorilla, who finished fifth in Croatia, is once again flying the flag for Italy. It's a flag that's made day two as he ended Day 1A on 46,200 and Estonia's Mati Soo is another safely through to Day 2, he'll have 27,700 when play starts tomorrow. But sadly Spain's Iglesias Andres was a casualty on Day 1A.
As for those in Day 1B Dan Williams from Canada is still in he has around 43,000, amazingly he's sat to the left of Orxan Allahverdiyev, who is the only player from Azerbaijan in this event, he's got 40,000. Bosnia And Herzegowina's Alen Bilic has just above starting stack with 21,000 and Alain Zeidan from Lebanon is grinding a stack of 13,000. But, Denmark's Soren Jensen is a post-dinner casualty on Day 1B.
Tournament Update: The players are on their last break on the evening as eight levels have been completed. Just 123 players of the 222 who started remain, the average stack is 32,200.