Another action-packed day of the PokerStars European Poker Tour is upon us here at Casino Barcelona, and the finish line for the PokerStars Estrellas Poker Tour (ESPT) Main Event is now within sight.
Leading the way is Argentinean pro Alejandro Lococo, who ended up far and away the chip leader on Day 2 after bagging up over 5,190,000 in chips. Lococo is no stranger to success in EPT events, having taken down three titles so far — including a win last year in a six-handed No Limit Hold'em event for $102,292 at EPT Cyrpus.
Not far behind him is fan-favorite Ren Lin, who managed to bag up 3,650,000 before play ended last night. Lin was on the brink of elimination during his Day 1 flight and made an incredible comeback to bag amongst the chip leaders. Lin continued to build his stack throughout Day 2 with his aggressive, unpredictable style and will be looking to add another deep run here in Barcelona, having already placed second in the Mystery Bounty event a few days ago.
Start of Day 3 Top Ten Chip Counts
| Place | Name | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alejandro Lococo | Argentina | 5,190,000 |
| 2 | Magnus Persson | Sweden | 3,730,000 |
| 3 | Rafael Coutada | Brazil | 3,700,000 |
| 4 | Kacper Pyzara | Poland | 3,700,000 |
| 5 | Ren Lin | United States | 3,650,000 |
| 6 | Julien Brecard | France | 3,495,000 |
| 7 | Martin Zamani | United States | 3,400,000 |
| 8 | Yurii Zabrodotskyi | Ukraine | 3,370,000 |
| 9 | Mustapha Amaouche | France | 3,285,000 |
| 10 | Parker Talbot | Canada | 3,250,000 |
Of the 7,138 entrants who took their shot at poker glory across eight starting flights, just 136 have kept their main event dream alive as we head into Day 3. Other notables still in contention include PokerStars ambassador Parker Talbot (3,250,000), Alexandre Reard (2,165,000), and Robin Ylitalo (1,395,000).
They will all be competing for the lion's share of the €6,852,480 prize pool, with first place taking home €625,000 along with the coveted PokerStars "Spadie" trophy.
Remaining Payouts
| Place | Prize | Place | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | € 625,000 | 16-17 | € 30,530 |
| 2 | € 430,000 | 18-20 | € 26,540 |
| 3 | € 302,000 | 21-23 | € 23,060 |
| 4 | € 227,000 | 24-27 | € 20,050 |
| 5 | € 173,000 | 28-31 | € 17,430 |
| 6 | € 136,400 | 32-39 | € 15,140 |
| 7 | € 104,500 | 40-55 | € 13,420 |
| 8 | € 79,400 | 56-71 | € 11,470 |
| 9 | € 61,680 | 72-95 | € 9,960 |
| 10-11 | € 50,590 | 96-119 | € 8,650 |
| 12-13 | € 42,130 | 120-136 | € 7,600 |
| 14-15 | € 35,120 |
Play is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. local time and will resume on Level 26, which features 25,000/50,000 blinds with a 50,000 big blind ante. Levels will continue to last 60 minutes each and the duration of Day 3 will be determined by tournament staff a while after play has begun.
Be sure to stick with PokerNews as we continue to bring you the all the action leading to the next Estrellas Poker Tour Main Event champion!