The EPT Copenhagen sold out within hours of registration opening several weeks ago. Thanks to the internet it was an orderly scramble. Had the 460 had to turn up in person they would have overwhelmed the four man registration desk in the Casino and left most of them in bitter tears. Demand for a seat here is higher than anywhere else on the tour. Big scale glory on home turf comes but once a year and twice the size this place would still sell out.
But that glory moment remains a vague hope for only 84 of the 230 who started today.
Even with the crowds things still started on time, or thereabouts, just a 20 minute delay. That would stretch the day out for a couple of players who would find themselves exiled and home bound earlier than expected. Team PokerStars Pro Dario Minieri was among them. Unable to find a fighting gear he jack-knifed early, joining the likes of Sebastian Ruthenberg watching from the rope line.
The fact that this is a tourism town will please few. The Opera House, the Borson or the Danish National Gallery is scant consolation for poker heads, and most will head towards the cash games next door. But those bagging chips this evening, glancing up at the screen for proof of their first day triumph, doing the math in their heads of average stacks (a shade above 27k) and just how many will get paid. Tomorrow will be a day off for them and that can be good or bad.
Today was a certainly one of the tougher starts to an EPT. Contrary to the usual weaker day one phenomena the field looked more like an obstacle course. Team PokerStars Pro ElkY Grospellier may have thought that – not that he fears anyone necessarily but across from him sat his nemesis from last year Magnus Petersson, who at one stage seemed to hold the fate of the Frenchman in his hand before mucking – worth a moment’s pause to leave him hanging though. ElkY survived this early attack of the fears but things never seemed to pick up for him and it as Bill Chen who eventually put him out in a Team PokerStars civil clash.
Fresh from picking up two gongs at the Scandinavian Poker Awards last night was Annette Obrestad (Best Performance and Best Female). She doesn’t drink the night before playing and always appears at her best when she does, but even she suffered today, exiting in the early levels out kicked by an ace to her king.
Ola Brandborn worked his way to the front of the chip counts as play progressed beyond the dinner break. The former press room man got ahead thanks to a big pot against Russian WSOP destroyer Alex Kravchenko that saw Ola breach the 70k mark.
Meanwhile at the other end of the room the likes of Boeken and Daniel Negreanu, now sat side by side, tried to stay afloat as the blinds went north fast and the opposition closed in. Ultimately it was another case of Team PokerStars fratricide when Noah took it upon himself to see off Daniel who skipped the rope line minutes before friend and rival Gus Hansen. EPT Baden winner Julian Thew was also there.
That brought an end to the day that seemed to go by in a flash. Eight levels played with another 230 on their way to Casino Copenhagen tomorrow at 2pm local time. Towards the top of the pile tonight sit Ola Brandborn on 79,300, Denmark’s Mathias Andersen on 71,600 and young Canadian PokerStars qualifier Tommy Pavlicek on 67,000. But top of the pile is local man Peter Eastgate on 79,700.
Peter Eastgate — Denmark — 79,700
Ola Brandborn — Sweden — 79,300
Mathias Andersen — Denmark — 71,600
Tommy Pavlicek — Canada — PokerStars qualifier — 67,000
Dennis Naci Hansen — Denmark — 63,300
Allan Bække — Denmark — PokerStars qualifier — 50,900
Peter Kalsen Petersen — Denmark — 50,900
Marcin Horecki — Poland — PokerStars qualifier — 50,100
Tom Larsen — Denmark — 50,000
Mattias Ressner — Denmark — 50,000
Leroy Soesman — Holland — 46,000
Frederik Brink Jensen — Denmark — 45,700
Børge Dypvik — Norway — PokerStars qualifier — 44,200
Rasmus Hede Nielsen — Denmark — 43,100
Alexander Kravchenko — Russia — 40,500
Bill Chen — USA — Team PokerStars Pro — 40,300
Jonas Danielsson — Sweden — 39,700
Christoffer Thorsen — Norway — 39,400
Jarle Aasen — Norway — 38,000
Matin Talebi — Denmark — 35,400
Trond Erik Eidsvig — Norway — 35,400
Jesper Askholt — Denmark — PokerStars qualifier — 35,300
Jospeh Serock — USA — PokerStars qualifier — 35,200
Anders Henriksson — Sweden — 34,300
Lars Juul Madsen — Denmark — 34,200
Ulrik Pedersen — Denmark — 33,600
Jesper Hougaard — Denmark — 33,400
Kresten Nielsen — Denmark — 32,900
Thomas Christiansen — Denmark — 32,100
Bengt Sonnert — Sweden — 31,900
Wim Emo — Holland — 30,900
Martin Bjerring Hansen — Denmark — 30,800
Barny Boatman — UK — 30,000
Mathias Kuerschner — Germany — 29,200
Tobias Holmeide — Denmark — 28,400
Brian Jensen — Denmark — 28,200
Morten Erlandsen — Denmark — 28,000
Andreas Per Ragnar Davidsson — Sweden — 27,300
Anders Bekhøj Hansen — Denmark — 27,300
Joseph Morneau — USA — 26,200
Sidsel Helle Boesen — Denmark — 25,900
Nikolas Liakos — Sweden — 25,800
Runar Runarsson — Iceland — PokerStars qualifier — 25,400
Severin Hovde — Norway — 24,600
Jens Hansen — Denmark — 24,500
Andreas Hoivold — Norway — 23,600
Morten Klein — Norway — 22,200
Claus Bentzen — Denmark — 22,100
Daniel Ryan — USA — 21,400
Michele Limongi — Italy — 21,000
Roar Wang — Norway — 20,400
Thor Hansen — Norway — 20,200
Kenneth Lyons — USA — PokerStars qualifier — 19,300
Torbjörn Jonson — Sweden — 19,300
Thomas Petersen — Sweden — 17,600
Anders Martinsen — Denmark — 17,400
Marcus Friman — Sweden — 17,200
Piotr Paruszewski — UK — PokerStars qualifier — 17,100
Jesper Petersen — Denmark — 16,000
Peter Hauerslev — Denmark — PokerStars qualifier — 15,900
Morten Johansen — Denmark — 15,400
Jonas Klausen — Denmark — PokerStars qualifier — 13,800
Anthony Chatelain — Sweden — 13,600
Lasse Jeppesen — Denmark — PokerStars qualifier — 13,300
Christina Orth — Sweden — 13,000
Paul Grabowski — USA — PokerStars qualifier — 12,600
Nhi Bui — Sweden — 12,600
Ryan Badii — USA — PokerStars qualifier — 12,600
Peter Eichhardt — Sweden — 12,000
Kaj Jørgensen — Denmark — 11,400
Claus Tversted — Denmark — 10,300
Sigbjørn Mortueit — Norway — 9,900
Ulrica Skönnemark — Sweden — 9,400
Noah Boeken — Holland — Team PokerStars Pro — 9,400
Gesi Bason — Holland — 9,200
Georgios Pittas — Greece — 8,800
Jerzy Hajdamowicz — Poland — 8,300
Luca Ferrario — Italy — 7,600
Tommy Dender — Denmark — 7,400
Pehr Petersson — Sweden — 7,100
Sven Polarski — Holland — PokerStars qualifier — 7,000
Jannick Wrang — Denmark — PokerStars qualifier — 4,300
Tomorrow will see a few more big names enter the Copenhagen arena, notable Patrick Antonius, Team PokerStars Pros Tom McEvoy, Katja Thater and Luca Pagano, as well as former EPT winners Mads Andersen, Peter Jepson and tour regulars Marc Goodwin, Tony G, Andy Black and William Thorson.
For now that’s over 12 hours away. If you want to catch up on all the reports from today as well as the video blogs featuring the likes of Daniel Negreanu, Noah Boeken and Gus Hansen, click on the links below…
A changing landscape in the poker room
Three years on for Noah Boeken
Chip counts at the dinner break
Ladies and gents your hosts – the Danes
Chips and tribulations into level 7
Elimination galore on the road to day 2
A final recap on the day from the video blog team…
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