We mentioned it in the blog earlier today that two players were unable to make it to day 1b this afternoon.
Both Team PokerStars Pro Daniel Negreanu and Million Dollar Man Ivan Demidov were all set to play the EPT London this week, but both had a pretty good excuse for crying off.

The reason?

Well, both Negreanu and Demidov have been at the business end of the World Series of Poker Europe Main event, taking place this week. Both had bargained that, should they bust out early, they could make the short trip across London to the Vic.

But it seems some continued top form got in their way and both started the day in dominant positions on the main event final table.

For Demidov his achievement so far has already rocked the poker world, the Russian making poker history by reaching final of the WSOP main event in Las Vegas and its European equivalent here in London.

But for Negreanu he had his sights on a fifth World Series bracelet and spoke to the video blog team about the final earlier today…

Watch WSOPE Final Table Daniel Negreanu on PokerStars.tv

Poker is a game of margins, small details that can be the difference between thousands, perhaps millions, of bucks. And it pays to keep close attention to the most miniscule factors to ensure the inevitable variance is kept to an absolute minumum. In short, don’t tempt the poker gods.

But it can too far, right?

Out on the table closest to the exit door, a hand finished and the dealer shuffled, preparing the deck for the next hand. He fired one card to the player in the small blind and then the second to Max Katz in the big blind. As it hit the chips on the table, it flipped over and everyone saw the 3s. And everyone stopped.

“Misdeal!” bellowed one player.
“No, that’s just the burn card,” insisted another. “You carry on and make that the burn.”
“It’s a misdeal if it’s one of the first two cards out the deck. It’s a misdeal.”
“Come on, just carry on.” (The other players, it’s fair to assume, aren’t bothered either way.)

“Floor!” came the next inevitable shout. “Ruling.”

The tournament director was duly summoned from across the tournament floor, dodgemed his way through the tables, spectators, triangular tables of drinks and dinner, all to make what might be the most trivial ruling of his entire career. “Err,” he said. “Use it as the burn card. No. Hold on. It’s the second card out, right? Then it’s a misdeal.”

The dealer obliged, shuffled up, and on they went.

***

A few bullet points to keep you happy:

In the far corner of the tournament area, where parts of the casino restaurant have been annexed to accommodate more tables, local pro Neil Channing just moved all-in, finding no takers to tackle his ace-king. Channing has had success all over the place but the EPT has always proven illusive. This one might be the same.

Million Dollar Man Peter Eastgate

The table alongside is home to Peter Eastgate, the last of the Million Dollar Men today, who plays every hand with his brow well and truly furrowed. He raised pre-flop to 1,800 for a flop of Kc-2s-6h. He then called a raise of 3,500 before him for a 2h on the turn. Check-check. Check-check. The Jd came on the river with pocket eights shown first. Eastgate though, turned over pocket tens for the pot.

The last Million Dollar Man is worth about 24,000.

Apparently the pink jumper that Andre Akkari is wearing today is a lucky one. That’s why he bought it yesterday, or so a suspect rumour went. You can rely on luck if you want but depending on your own skill tends to take you further, and Akkari’s recent form suggests he’s done the latter, as his WCOOP results show.

The Team PokerStars Pro has been sitting next to Isabelle Mercier all day, not the easiest of places to be, but he’s maintained a stack of at least average throughout. That was until this pot came along.

Isabelle Mercier and Andre Akkari

It started with various limpers, including Mercier and Akkari in the small and big blinds. They both checked the 3c-Jh-Ah flop but when the seat six player Stefan Mattson made it 1,150, Mercier ducked out. Akkari though chose to stick around, calling the bet.

The turn came 5c. Akkari checked, leaving it to Mattsson to make it 3,525 this time. Akkari made the call. Now the river, a 9h. Again Akkari checked. Mattsson asked how much, but both preferred the option of checking instead. Ad-3d for Mattsson, enough to beat whatever Akkari had.

Shirt or no shirt, the hand sent him down to 12,000.

***

Elsewhere Million Dollar Man Ylon Schwartz was knocked out by Team PokerStars Pro Barry Greenstein.
Another player who will have to wait for EPT glory is Sverre Sondbo, who caught up with the video blog team earlier…

Watch EPT London 08 Day 1b; Svere Sundbo Interview on PokerStars.tv

We’re back from the break. The early fog of war has dispersed enough for some important numbers to emerge, mainly that the player count today is official at 309, with 175 players returning from the evening break to play on.

That makes 134 players banished to the rail, one of whom is PokerStars passport winner Dustin Mele. Still looking for his first cash passed the half way mark in his ten stop trip, Dustin had gained a slight lead earlier today but was unable to survive the knocks that would come later.

The end came with an all in with pocket sevens. All-in on the turn, Dustin was up against pocket jacks, another of which had hit the flop. The seven on the turn was too little too late for Mele.

Another player facing the abyss is one of the stars of the EPT Barcelona earlier this month Davidi Kitai.

Back then Kitai seemed doomed to a final table filled with torment, a struggle he battled with bravery. The only thing is that the demands of such a lifestyle have followed him here.

He just received some adrenaline though thanks to an all-in move for 2,750 holding Ad-Th, which held up to a speculative call with 5s-4s. Kitai was up from his chair for a board of 9d-7c-3c-7d-2c, before sitting back down again. A double up but still a small stack for the Belgian.