Podovei Storms Into Overall Lead on Day 1b of the 2022 888poker LIVE Barcelona €1,100 Main Event
The second starting day of the 2022 888poker LIVE Barcelona €1,100 Main Event has concluded. Albeit competing in a smaller field than Day 1a, a new overall chip leader has been crowned as Gabriel Podovei stormed to a massive stack in the final stages. The marquee tournament on the scheduled attracted another 72 entries on Day 1b of which 24 players punched their tickets for Day 2.
Romanian-born and Spain-based Podovei has been regularly participating in live poker events in his new home country including the previous stops of the 888poker LIVE tour at Casino Barcelona. Once the final hand had wrapped up, he bagged and tagged a massive 327,500, which is more than three starting stacks ahead of the Day 1a chip leader Alex Baena (213,300).
Jose Manuel Gonzalez bagged the second-biggest stack of 190,900 and Adria Colomina Guitart advanced with 167,700 despite seeing his stack reduced to just 1,500 at the end of level two. Other big stacks at the end of play included Ewen Trevidy, Mariona Canela Riba, Gyeong Byeong Lee, and Jordi Corominas.
Day 1b Top 10 Chip Counts
| Place | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds for Day 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gabriel Podovei | Romania | 327,500 | 273 |
| 2 | Jose Manuel Gonzalez | Spain | 190,900 | 159 |
| 3 | Adria Colomina Guitart | Spain | 167,700 | 140 |
| 4 | Ewen Trevidy | France | 141,500 | 118 |
| 5 | Pablo Battista | Spain | 127,300 | 106 |
| 6 | Mariona Canela Riba | Spain | 122,500 | 102 |
| 7 | Sandro Hauser | Italy | 121,700 | 101 |
| 8 | Gyeong Byeong Lee | South Korea | 119,900 | 100 |
| 9 | Kevin Nader | Lebanon | 105,000 | 88 |
| 10 | Jordi Corominas | Spain | 101,200 | 84 |
The day started with more than 40 players registered but never gained much traction thereafter while the live poker action at Casino Barcelona was buzzing with plenty of cash tables running. On top of that, the Friday evening schedule also included the €165 Mega Knockout Side Event which drew 294 entries for a €44,100 prize pool.
Among the surviving players was also a former 888poker LIVE Main Event champion as Adrian-Eugen Constantin advanced to Day 2, albeit with a stack of just 27,700. He will join Bhavin Khatri and attempt to become the first two-time winner of the popular mid-stakes live poker tour.
Adan Soler Fernandez was in the spotlight in the opening stages after he first scored a knockout with aces versus queens and then sent two players to the rail when his eight-deuce out of the big blind turned a straight. The Spaniard stayed near the top of the leaderboard for an extended period until Jose Manuel Gonzalez arrived with his super aggressive play to take over the reigns.
Shah Athar was one of the casualties of Soler Fernandez' rise to the top and re-entered to run up a stack himself. Among others, he prevailed with an overpair against the straight draw of Lucia Martinez Ibanez. However, the Brit didn't make it all the way as the second bullet came to an end when Mariona Canela Riba turned the nut flush.
Just when a tight race for the Day 1b lead was to be expected, the biggest pot of the tournament unfolded between Podovei and Ricard Gonzalez Cabau. It was Podovei who was trailing with queens versus kings when the chips trickled in throughout the streets but a fourth spade arrived on the river. After showing some tells and moving all-in, Gonzalez Cabau was caught with a move holding naked kings.
"I would have never called if he didn't tank so long there and act this way," the Romanian said after the end of the hand. His queens had improved to a flush and that secured the far largest pot in the entire event so far, vaulting Podovei into a commanding lead for Day 2.
Another two chances remain for poker enthusiasts from near and far to join the action at Casino Barcelona. What can certainly be expected is a far bigger field for the third starting day, which will be the last one with a 45-minute level duration on Saturday, May 22, 2022, as of 5pm local time. There will also be a turbo heat with 20-minute levels ahead of the restart on the following day and the late registration will remain open for the first two 60-minute levels and break on Day 2.
The PokerNews live reporting team will be back on the floor for what promises a busy day at one of the hottest destinations for live poker in Europe.