The 2023 EPT Barcelona Estrellas Poker Tour Main Event champion has just joined the field. Lucien Cohen from France triumphed in the largest EPT event ever, outlasting an incredible 7,398 players to claim the first-place prize of €676,230. He currently sits with just under the starting stack and will undoubtedly be looking to replicate that success in this year's event.
Julien Brecard raised from hijack to 1,300 and found three callers, one of which was Julien Sitbon out of the big blind.
When it checked to Brecard on the J♠A♦10♠ flop, he fired out a bet of 1,300 which only Sitbon called.
The board-pairing 10♣ turn got checked through for the Q♥ to come on the river. Sitborn checked and then faced a bet of 4,500 from Brecard. Sitbon didn't long to fold his hand and showed a Qx as the pot was pushed over to Brecard.
The PokerStars ambassador is already over the six-figure mark with 105,000 in the early going of Day 1e.
Darko Percic had opened from early position and was called by Daniel Merino, Yuksel Tok, and Francis Guillaume. Oleg Vayman three-bet to 6,900 from the big blind. Percic, Merino and Guillaume called.
With roughly 30,000 chips in the pot on a flop of Q♥9♠7♠, Vayman was first to act and opted to shove for 28,000. Only Percic called for his remaining 20,000.
Darko Percic: K♠K♦
Oleg Vayman: A♥Q♦
Percic was ahead with his pair of kings against the top pair of Vayman. Percic managed to stay in front on the 9♣ turn and J♠ river, earning himself more than a full double up.
Welcome back to the PokerStars Estrellas Poker Tour (ESPT) Main Event at Casino Barcelona, part of the 2024 PokerStars European Poker Tour Barcelona. With four starting flights completed and four remaining, the action continues today with Day 1e of Event #1: €1,100 Estrellas Poker Tour Main Event, kicking off at 11 a.m. local time.
The first four starting flights drew a total of 1,782 entrants, with 267 players advancing to Day 2 and into the money. Spain’s Jose Nadal still leads the pack as the overall chip leader, having amassed an impressive 882,000 chips in the first flight. Latvia’s Maksims Uskovs is closely trailing in second place, having brought through a stack of 853,000 for Day 2.
Current ESPT €1,100 Main Event Top Ten Chip Counts
Place
Player
Country
Chip Count
1
Jose Nadal
Mexico
882,000
2
Maksims Uskovs
Latvia
853,000
3
Robert Bull
United Kingdom
724,000
4
Kacper Pyzara
Poland
605,000
5
Erik Marasco
Brazil
597,000
6
Jakup Breckmann
Faroe Islands
540,000
7
Emmanouel Lianopoulos
Greece
517,000
8
Valentino Konakchiev
Bulgaria
512,000
9
Ivan Karatayeu
Belarus
514,000
10
Brian Battistone
United States
510,000
Some other notables to have secured their spot on Day 2 include Marle Spragg (488,000), Jesse Lonis (434,000), Alexandre Reard (432,000), Michel Molenaar (333,000), Barny Boatman (300,000), Pol Vela (229,000), Maria Konnikova (75,000), and Kenny Hallaert (72,000).
Players will begin the day with 30,000 chips. Each blind level will last 40 minutes, starting at 100/100 with a 100 big blind ante. Late registration will stay open until the beginning of Level 11. Play will conclude when 15% of the field is left, at which point all remaining players will bag up their chips for Day 2 and be guaranteed at least a min-cash.
Bronze Pass
During the second break of the day in all ESPT Main Event starting flights, players can dive into some extra poker action with the All In ShootOut events, courtesy of PokerStars.
These events are free to enter, but players must link their PokerStars Live Card to their online PokerStars account to participate. This can be done through the PokerStars Live App or the Sign-Up Desk.
Players must ensure their accounts are linked and meet their country's regulatory requirements to be eligible for the prize.
All In ShootOut winners will receive an envelope containing a mystery Power Path prize. Each flight guarantees at least two Silver Bundles, with prizes that include:
$2,500 WCOOP Silver Bundle or €2,300 Galactic Series Silver Bundle
$109 WCOOP Bronze Bundle or €100 Galactic Series Bronze Bundle
Stay tuned to PokerNews as we continue to provide live updates from the Main Event and many others here at the 2024 PokerStars European Poker Tour Barcelona.
