€1,100 Estrellas Poker Tour Main Event Day 1e | 2023 PokerStars EPT Barcelona

08-23-2023 07:58 UTC+1

Estrellas Poker Tour in Barcelona Continues with Day 1e

Ryan Lashmar

Welcome back to the Pokerstars Estrellas Poker Tour (ESPT) at Casino Barcelona during the 2023 PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) Barcelona. With four starting flights down and four more to go, the action continues today with Day 1e of Event #1: €1,100 Estrellas Poker Tour Main Event beginning today at 11 a.m. local time.

The first four starting flights attracted a total of 1,928 entrants, with 289 advancing to Day 2 and making the money. Pavlos Xanthopoulos of Greece currently holds the overall chip lead after bagging an impressive 799,000. Other notables to advance to Day 2 so far include Jack Salter (410,000), Carl Shaw (322,000), Antoine Saout (219,000), Uri Reichenstein (213,000), Team Pokerstars Pro Arlie Shaban (206,000) Andres Korn (192,000), Martin Jacobson (103,000) and Alexandre Reard (75,000).

Top Ten Chip Counts After Four Starting Flights

Rank	Player	Country	Chip Count
1	Pavlos Xanthopoulos	Greece	799,000
2	Theodoros Ampelikiotis	Greece	772,000
3	Jose Rodriguez Zurita	Mexico	610,000
4	Jeremie Zouari	France	606,000
5	Dragos-Florin Anton	Romania	595,000
6	Alex Baena	Spain	559,000
7	Mathias Siljander	Finland	544,000
8	Juhani Rantala	Finland	541,000
9	Sam Tropez	Netherlands	537,000
10	Ankit Ahuja	India	498,000

Players will start with 30,000 chips and play 40-minute levels. One reentry per flight is permitted, and late registration closes at the end of Level 10. Play will continue until only 15% of the field remains and at that point, all remaining players will advance to Day 2 and make the money. There will be a 25-minute break every three levels with a 75-minute dinner break scheduled after Level 10 (at approximately 6:40 p.m. local time).

Stay tuned to PokerNews for all your live coverage needs from Day 1e of the €1,100 Estrellas Poker Tour Main Event as this gargantuan field continues to grow.

Tags: Alex Baena Alexandre Reard Andres Korn Ankit Ahuja Antoine Saout Arlie Shaban Carl Shaw Jack Salter Jeremie Zouari Jose Rodriguez Zurita Juhani Rantala Martin Jacobson Mathias Siljander Pavlos Xanthopoulos Sam Tropez Theodoros Ampelikiotis Uri Reichenstein

08-23-2023 11:21 UTC+1

Max Pressure from Channell

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 3 : Blinds 100/300, 300 ante

With the board reading A♦6♣J♥2♣5♦ and about 12,000 already in the middle, Alexandru Mitrus bet 8,000 only for Thomas Channell to move all in, covering Mitrus' remaining stack of about 17,000. Mitrus took some time to consider his options.

"You're really strong?" he asked his opponent after about 90 seconds. "Or is it just nine-high like a boss?"

"I'm not as good as Will (Kassouf)", Channell jokingly replied.

After another minute Mitrus opted to fold. "Show me nine-high" he asked his opponent. Channell did not oblige, sliding his cards face-down into the muck as he took down a respectable pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Thomas Channell	56,000 56,000	56,000
Alexandru Mitrus	16,800 16,800	16,800

Tags: Alexandru Mitrus Thomas Channell

08-23-2023 13:33 UTC+1

Margolin Holds to Score a Double Knockout

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Connor Richards

Level 5 : Blinds 200/500, 500 ante

In a three-way pot on a flop of K♦10♦5♥, Timur Margolin checked from the small blind and Deddi Or-Paz checked in middle position.

Eugen Pop moved all in for 6,000. Margolin called before Or-Paz raised to 15,100, with Margolin calling.

Margolin checked on the Q♥ turn and snap-called as Or-Paz moved all in.

Eugen Pop: A♦6♦
Deddi Or-Paz: K♣Q♠
Timur Margolin: A♥J♣

Margolin had the nuts but both of his opponents had full house outs with two pair and the other player had the nut flush draw. Margolin's Broadway held up as the 7♣ bricked off on the river to earn him a big pot and eliminate two opponents.

Player	Chips	Progress
Timur Margolin	110,000 110,000	110,000
Deddi Or-Paz	Busted
Eugen Popa	Busted

Tags: Deddi Or-Paz Timur Margolin

08-23-2023 13:42 UTC+1

Rossi Can't Shake Sandberg

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Connor Richards

Level 5 : Blinds 200/500, 500 ante

In a four-way pot on a flop of 6♥Q♣2♥, Oscar Rossi bet 2,500 from middle position and two player folded before Marte Sandberg called in the big blind.

Sandberg checked on the 10♦ turn and Rossi bet 4,000. Sandberg called. Sandberg checked once more on the Q♠ river and Rossi took some time before checking back.

Sandberg tabled 6♠4♦ for a pair of sixes and Rossi gave a pained smile before mucking his cards.

Player	Chips	Progress
Marte Sandberg	38,000 38,000	38,000
Oscar Rossi	28,000 28,000	28,000

Tags: Marte Sandberg Oscar Rossi

08-23-2023 14:07 UTC+1

Four-Bet From Van Der Walle

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Connor Richards

Level 6 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Remigiusz Wyrzykiewicz opened to 1,400 in middle position and Peter Tordai went deep into the tank from the next seat before three-betting to 4,500.

Action folded to Marinus van der Walle in the cutoff, who himself went in the tank behind a pair of dark sunglasses. Eventually, van der Walle four-bet to 13,000. Wyrzykiewicz quickly folded and Tordai followed suit, leading van der Walle to show A♦K♠ as he took in the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Remigiusz Wyrzykiewicz	50,000 50,000	50,000
Marinus van der Walle	35,000 35,000	35,000
Peter Tordai	16,500 16,500	16,500

Tags: Peter Tordai Remigiusz Wyrzykiewicz

08-23-2023 15:06 UTC+1

Pitzanti and Rodrigues Face Off

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Ollie Garland

Level 7 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

Sandro Pitzanti raised in early position to 2,000, Fabio Le Rose to his direct left called, as did Giuseppe Ruocco in the small blind. Vinicius De Paula Rodrigues in the big blind squeezed to 9,500. Only Pitzanti and Le Rose called.

Three-ways to a flop that came 8♣3♣2♣. Rodrigues tanked for some time before eventually continuing for 5,500. Only Pitzanti called.

The J♣ slowed down Rodrigues who checked and then folded to a bet of 7,000 from Pitzanti.

Player	Chips	Progress
Sandro Pitzanti	80,000 80,000	80,000
Fabio Le Rose	32,500 32,500	32,500
Vinicius De Paula Rodrigues	22,100 22,100	22,100
Giuseppe Ruocco	22,000 22,000	22,000

Tags: Fabio Le Rose Giuseppe Ruocco Sandro Pitzanti Vinicius De Paula Rodrigues

08-23-2023 15:26 UTC+1

Gonzalez Picks Off Kassouf's Bluff

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Ollie Garland

Level 7 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

Fahad El Mechraa in early position opened to 2,000, Ramiro Gonzalez in middle position called, as did both Will Kassouf in the small blind and Andrea Dominica in the big blind.

All four players elected to check down to the river as the full board now read 6♣8♥8♦K♣K♠.

Kassouf decided to take the lead with a bet of 7,100. Dominica and El Mechraa folded while Gonzalez tossed in the call.

"Queen high" Kassouf announced as he flashed the Q♠ to the table. Gonzalez showed A♥J♥ for just ace-high, winning him this pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ramiro Gonzalez	175,000 175,000	175,000
Andrea Dominica	56,100 56,100	56,100
Will Kassouf	48,000 48,000	48,000
Fahad El Mechraa	25,000 25,000	25,000

Tags: Andrea Dominica Fahad El Mechraa Ramiro Gonzalez Will Kassouf

08-23-2023 16:08 UTC+1

Tran Doubles Through Colillas

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 8 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

Do Chung Tran moved all in from the button for approximately 30,000 and Ramon Colillas called from the small blind with a covering stack.

Do Chung Tran: A♦10♠
Ramon Colillas: 6♣6♥

The board ran out A♠5♠7♥2♥3♠ allowing Tran to collect a full double up with top pair while Colillas was left short-stacked.

Player	Chips	Progress
Do Chung Tran	61,500 61,500	61,500
Ramon Colillas	17,000 17,000	17,000

Tags: Do Chung Tran Ramon Colilas

08-23-2023 20:36 UTC+1

Lococo Busts With Top Pair

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Ben Weiss

Level 13 : Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante

It was blind v blind, as Alejandro Lococo open-limped into Gabriel Nobrega, who checked in the big blind.

The flop came 2♦A♥8♠, and the PokerStars Pro led for 2,000. His bet was raised by Nobrega, who made it 6,500 before seeing a call.

Lococo slowed down, checking the 9♥ turn. In contrast, Nobrega continued the aggression, betting 13,500. Lococo, who was the stack at risk, quickly moved all in and the Brazilian snap-called.

Alejandro Lococo: A♣7♠
Gabriel Nobrega: A♠2♥

Lococo's tournament life was at risk, with his top pair running into Nobrega's two pair.

There was no salvation for Lococo on the river, with a 6♦ completing the board and sending the Argentinian to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Gabriel Nobrega	165,000 165,000	165,000
Alejandro Lococo	Busted

Tags: Alejandro Lococo Gabriel Nobrega

08-23-2023 23:26 UTC+1

Smadga Smashes the River in Sick Cooler

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Ollie Garland

Level 16 : Blinds 2,000/5,000, 5,000 ante

The pot stood at 31,500 with two players looking at a board that read 10♠4♣10♣5♥.

The action was on Pierre Gineste, in the small blind, who over-bet the pot with a wager of 55,000. Avihai Smadga in early position called.

The Q♣ fell on the river and Gineste moved all in, putting Smadga to the test for his remaining 159,000. Smadga snap-called

Pierre Gineste quickly showed 4♠4♥ for a flopped full house, while Smadga tabled Q♥Q♠ having hit a perfect river to scoop a huge pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Avihai Smadga	459,500 459,500	459,500

Pierre Gineste	245,000 245,000	245,000

Tags: Avihai Smadga Pierre Gineste