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* The first EPT Dublin Main Event for eight years
* 114 players so far on Day 1A
* Click here for live updates from the €25K High Roller
3:40pm: Big scores in the Bahamas drive players to Dublin
Level 3 - Blinds 100/200
Players continue to arrive as the day's second level continues. Mike "SirWatts" Watson, fresh off his Main Event victory in the 2016 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Main Event, is among the latest to take a seat.
Also here and trying to spin up the 30,000-chip starting stack are two more players who enjoyed success in the Bahamas last month. LAPT Bahamas champion Georgios Sotiropoulos of Greece is here and sitting just below the starting stack at present, while Knut Karnapp -- who finished third in that event -- is also part of today's field. The German has about 32,000 at present. --MH
3:30pm: Koivurinne conquers Sammartino, then Simpson
Level 3 - Blinds 100/200
It's been a great orbit for Finnish player Riku Koivurinne - actually, forget the orbit; even just the last two hands have seen his stack increase substantially.
The first hand was against Dario Sammartino, fresh from a deep run in the High Roller last night. With the flop showing the [th][8h][2c], Sammartino and Artem Litvinov checked over to Koivurinne, who put out a bet of 1,050. Both players called and the [3c] landed on the turn. It was checked to Koivurinne once again and now he made it 2,200, which was called by Sammartino (Litvinov gave it up). To the river, which was the [kd]. There were no flushes or straight draws on the board, but now Sammartino chose to take control with a bet of 6,600. Koivurinne tanked for a minute or so and made the call. Both players had two pair, but Koivurinne's [kc][ts] was best against Sammartino's [kh][2h].
Sammartino slipped to 18,000 in that hand, but Koivurinne was right back at it in the very next hand. After Ian Simpson had opened and Koivurinne called from the big blind, the two saw a flop of [3c][7s][4h]. Simpson continued for 1,750, which was called, and then bet 2,500 on the [7d] turn, which was called once more. The [ad] landed on the river, and now Simpson put out 4,500, only to be met with a raise to 11,000 from the Fin. Simpson gave it up and Koivurinne has now almost double the starting 30,000 starting stack. --JS
3:21pm: Forks in the road for Silver and Daly
Level 3 - Blinds 100/200
A poker tournament is full of "forks in the road." Every hand presents several of them, with the choices made by players endlessly affecting not only their own tourney journeys but others', too.
Just now we saw Ireland's John Daly make one decision by raising to 400 from the button, then the UK's Max Silver make another by three-betting from the big blind. Daly then made it 3,300 to go, and after hemming and hawing a bit Silver at last called the reraise.
Both chose to check the [9s][Tc][4d] flop, then Silver decided a 2,700 bet was in order following the [Ts] turn. Daly tanked for a couple of minutes, rechecking his cards while reconsidering all of the prior decisions each had made. He finally let his hand go, and Silver began talking as he collected the pot.
"I was sure I was going broke," said Silver, and Daly smiled as he speculated what that might have meant about Silver's hand. "I should have just flat-called pre," added Silver, lamenting he nearly had gotten involved in a bigger pot that he'd have liked. Sounded a little like a driver who'd swerved at the last moment, luckily heading down the less dangerous of two paths.
Silver's driving a stack of 24,000 at the moment, while Daly has about 38,000. --MH
3:20pm: Sapiano lets it go
Level 3 - Blinds 100/200
Albert Sapiano has a reputation for playing a lot of pots and he was involved in one as I passed by his table. He opened to 650 from middle position and picked up a call from Sven Magirius.
On the [Jh][4d][6h] flop Sapiano c-bet 700 and Magrius stuck around. The [6s] fell on the turn and Sapiano check-folded to a bet of 1,000. -NW
Albert Sapiano, 33,000
Sven Magrius, 40,050
3:15pm: Charity Event tonight at 6pm
There's more taking place today than the final of the €25K High Roller and the Main Event. The EPT will be hosting a charity event in support of Right to Play, here at the Royal Dublin Society.
It starts at 6pm with a buy in of €150. What's more you can have unlimited rebuys for €50.
Previous versions of this event have proven hugely popular, with a mix of amateur, professional and even celebrity players taking part. That typically guarantees a good atmosphere, while a selection of great prizes, including trips away, iPads and tournament buy-ins ensure there's something to play for. - SB
3:10pm: Another one gone
Level 3 - Blinds 100/200
Scott Montgomery is out. The Canadian, who made the final table of the WSOP Main Event in 2008, is the second player out today. --NW
3pm: Pagano takes one from Silver
Level 3 - Blinds 100/200
In a blind on blind hand Luca Pagano and Max Silver had reached the river of a [4c][4d][Ks][As][3h] board. Silver had bet 3,200 only for Pagano to check-raise to 10,000 total.
Silver had the calling chips in his hand and looked pained as to what to do. He then put the chips back down and took a look back at his cards. It looked like he was about to fold but he then changed his mind and called.
Pagano showed [Ah][4s] for a full-house, "did you have a four too," asked another player at the table. "No I had jack high and thought it was good," jested Silver in return. -NW
Luca Pagano, 42,000
Max Silver, 14,000
2:45pm: Break time
After two levels players are now on the first break of the day.
2:35pm: Finneran makes a big fold
Level 2 - Blinds 75/150
I arrived at the table to see 5,875 in front of Thomas Finneran (small blind) and an all-in bet of 29,150 in front of Tomasz Raniszewski. Finneran had cut out the calling chips from his stack and he'd have about 7,000 back if he called and lost.
He tanked for a few minutes before folding and said: "Kings hey?" to Raniszewski as he did so. Sven Magirius asked Finneran if he'd folded queens and the Irishman nodded. --NW
2:30pm: Man down
Level 2 - Blinds 75/150
It took longer than usual for the first exit of the day. Nikolaos Iliakis is the unfortunate player who can lay claim to that honour.
Ian Simpson's at the table that Iliakis was seated at and told us about the Greek's exit hand. He was down to 15,000 by this point and Kamran Aliyev flopped the nuts with [6][5] on a [2][3][4][A][2] board.
Apparently Iliakis didn't show his hand so what he had will remain a mystery. --NW
2.15pm: Roses are red, 5K chips are blue
Spending Valentine's Day with @natashabarbour doing what we both love to do.. Playing the #EPTDublin main! pic.twitter.com/rpwdo6HTsp
— Jason Mercier (@JasonMercier) February 14, 2016
2:10pm: Boatman with a river decision
Level 2 - Blinds 75/150
"Set of fours?"
This was Barny Boatman, looking across at Dominykas Karmazinas who had just bet 4,800 into a large pot, and with the board already showing [ks][4d][js][th][5c].
We didn't know it at the time, but Boatman was sitting with a set, but couldn't quite place Karmazinas's hand. He called.
Karmazinas flipped over [qd][9s]
"They never listen," he said. "That's my card."
He thought it was funny, but Boatman didn't.
"I was listening all right," replied Boatman. "But I had a set of jacks."
A drop for Boatman, down to around 20,000. - SB
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2:05pm: All (still) in
Level 2 - Blinds 75/150
Amazingly everyone who has entered this event is still in. There's usually an early bust out or two in the Main Event but not this time. Perhaps it has something to do with the bar not opening until 3pm. --NW
1:50pm: Mercier arrives
Level 2 - Blinds 75/150
The numbers are steadily trickling upwards. One of the latest players to arrive is Team PokerStars Pro Jason Mercier.
Elsewhere in the field Rocco Palumbo and Jarred Jaffe are at the same table and a tough table at that as it also contains Rasmus Agerskov, Joao Vieira and Victor Ilyukhin. --NW
1:40pm: Nothing to see here
Level 2 - Blinds 75/150
Given that everyone was looking at a phone or tablet, it was easy to forget that there was a hand taking place on table eight. But the board of [ks][8s][5h][as] was a giveaway.
Alfie Adam looked up long enough to bet 1,650 after the small blind Dominykas Karmazinas checked. They both checked the [8d] on the river, at which point Adam was showed pocket kings. It was enough to others look up for a moment, but only briefly. - SB
1:25pm: Gustavson up, Silver down
Level 2 - Blinds 75/150
Aaron Gustavson and Max Silver both checked the river of a [Th][Kd][2d][Ac][Td] board and Gustavson immediately rolled over [Ad][4d] for the nut flush. He might not have got anything out of Silver on the river, but the pot was worth about 6,000 in total. -NW
Aaron Gustavson, 34,000
Max Silver, 23,000
1:15pm: Reiss reels one in from Fish
Level 2 - Blinds 75/150
I joined the action to see Ryan Reiss betting 1,200 on the turn of a [8s][3d][Jc][7s] board, there was one fold and then Daryll Fish called on the button. On the [5h] river Reiss bet again, this time the calling price for Fish was 2,100. The American went into the tank but eventually folded.
"Did you feel like you were being bluffed?" asked Kevin MacPhee to Fish. "I misread the turn, but it was too late to make up for it," replied Fish. -NW
Ryan Reiss, 32,000
Darylll Fish, 29,000
1:00pm: Early gains
Level 1 - Blinds 50/100
It's an admittedly slow start in the Main Event today. We expect the field to fill up as play continues.
Making early progress though is Ryan Reiss. He just won a hand against Carmen Ebus. On a board of [ts][8h][3d][ah][jh] Reiss got paid off on the river, showing [3h][5h]. - SB
12:50pm: More arrivals
Level 1 - Blinds 50/100
Joao Vieira has already won one €5,000 event in Dublin this week and he's now trying to win a second, taking his seat in the Main Event. He's at the same table as Rasmus Agerskov and Victor Ilyukhin.
Phil Helmuth once famously berated an opponent by saying "you can't even spell poker," well Andrew Hulme certainly can. He's a Countdown Octochamp (ink: ) and a regular on the UKIPT and EPT.
Meanwhile Ian Simpson has also taken his seat, the Geordie knows what it's like to win a big tournament in this city as he took down the Irish Open in 2013. --NW
12:40pm: Distractions on stage
Level 1 - Blinds 50/100
Players are still taking seats in the Main Event, slowly filling in gaps. Two of those include Ryan Reiss and Kevin MacPhee, who share a table.
A few steps away from their table the High Roller event is about to get started. It's something of a distraction so Main Event players who watch photographer Neil Stoddart choreograph the pre-match photo, and asking Mustapha Kanit to sit up straight. Like a good boy, he complied. -- SB
12:25pm: Name dropping
Level 1 - Blinds 50/100
There are a number of familiar faces among the early arrivals. Like WSOP Main Event champion Ryan Reiss for instance. Thomas Finneran has a UKIPT title to his name and made another deep run in Dublin in the UKIPT Main Event. He busted in 20th place yesterday and has stuck around for the EPT Main Event. He's at the same table as Albert Sapiano and Tomasz Raniszewski.
Ryan ReissDotted around the room you'll find the likes of: Adrian Mateos, Kyle Frey, Jeremy Knock, Luca Pagano, Barny Boatman and Georgios Zisimopoulos. --NW
12:10pm: Introductions complete
Level 1 - Blinds 50/100
The welcomes have been made, and cards are in the air. As the introductory film showed a short while ago, this is the first time the tour has been to Dublin since Season 4. We saw footage of those days, with wins for Ram Vaswani, Mats Gavatin, Roland de Wolfe and Reuben Peters. Then we flashed forward to the modern era of the EPT, to the likes of Cody and Mercier, players I'm not entirely certain had been born the last time we were here.
Regardless, the plan today is much the same as the plan was back then. Eight levels, with a dinner break after level six. We're under way. - SB
11:45am: Main Event players begin to arrive
It's Day 1A of the EPT Dublin Main Event, the first for eight years. Already there's a sense that it's good to be back. The High Rollers have been in action for the past two days (they're now down to eight), and before them the UKIPT kicked off the festival in grand style. It's now time for the main feature.
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Take a look at the official website of the EPT, with tournament schedule, news, results and accommodation details for the rest of the season.
Also all the schedule information is on the EPT App, which is available on both Android or IOS.
PokerStars Blog reporting team on the EPT12 Dublin Main Event: Stephen Bartley, Nick Wright, Jack Stanton and Martin Harris. Photography by Neil Stoddart. Follow the PokerStars Blog on Twitter:@PokerStarsBlog
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