Live updates from day 1A, level two of the EPT London Main Event event brought to you by Stephen Bartley, Marc Convey, Howard Swains, Brad Willis and Simon Young.

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Blinds: 75-150

2.15pm: Full straight
You’d be forgiven for walking straight past table 36 without thinking it was worth paying attention to it but at a closer look it’s definitely worth hanging around. Good friends and online cash game sensations Rory Mathews and Luke Schwartz are two seats apart from each other and stuck right in the middle of the two is EPT Kiev champion Maxim Lykov.

In the hand that I witnessed a short-stacked Luke Schwartz raised it up to 350 from early position and was only called by the big blind to see a 6♦ K♥ 8♠ flop. Schwartz continued with a 800 bet when checked to him and was called before he bet 1,700 on the 5♠ turn. Call. The river came 3♥ before Schwartz moved all in for his last 10,000 when checked to him. The big blind thought for a long while before making the call but mucked upon seeing Schwartz’s 4♥ 7♥ for the straight. Schwartz back up to 26,000 now.

That’s the end of level 2 folks. Players are on a 15 minute break.

2.10pm: The Kronwitter revival
On a flop of 3♠ 5♥ 2♠ Jonas Kronwitter was starting his fight back. He’d made it 3,150 and had a caller from the small blind in Chris Jurdsz. Jurdsz pointed out that this was technically his name, but in his native language it might look completely different, in which case there can be no spelling mistakes. Regardless they checked the 5♦ on the turn before Kronwitter moved in on the 3♥ river. Jurdsz sat back in his chair momentarily, his hands on his head as Kronwitter looked at him. “I call,” he said. Kronwitter showed A♠ 6♠ , Jurdsz showed A♣ Q♠ for a split pot.

2.05pm: To the tune of Luske
Three players saw the flop of 9♦ A♥ 4♦ but only Marcel Luske and Teddy Sheringham saw the 9♠ turn after Luske made it 400 from the cut off. On the turn Luske added another 1,200, good for Sheringham to think about but not call. Queue a few suggestions from the table as to what Luske had.

Marcel Luske

“They always know my hand. If I show it they know it!” he exclaimed before adding. “I saw myself having ace-king.”

2:00pm: A video interlude

Watch EPT 6 London Day 1A: London calling on PokerStars.tv

1.55pm: Friends will be friends
Friend of PokerStars Darus Suharto, who you might remember from the main event of the World Series in 2008, just took a pot from Team PokerStars SportStar from Holland Fatima Moreira de Melo. On a 4♠ K♣ J♦ flop Suharto re-raised to 2,500 which De Melo called. After the originally raises left them to it De Melo and Suharto checked down the 2♦ turn and 8♣ river. Suharto’s A♣ K♦ good for the pot.

Fatima Moreira de Melo

1.45pm: Lucky Ludo
Another player feeling the benefit of the turn was Frenchman Ludovic Lacay. He was heads-up with a player in the big blind and the river was already out giving us a 2♠ A♣ A♥ 5♣ 9♣ board. The big blind check-called Lacay’s 4,800 bet to be shown 5♠ 5♦ for a turned full-house. A big smile came across Lacay’s face and he asked his foe if he had an ace. The big blind nodded and flashed ace-queen. Lacay on 40,000 now.

1.40pm: Set over set
Team PokerStars Pro Brazil Maria Mayrinck saw a 5♣ 3♦ 2♣ flop that was raised pre-flop. She led for 1,200 when it was checked to her and then called a raise to 4,000 by the small blind player. The initial raiser got out of the way before the small blind bet out 6,000 on the Q♥ turn. Mayrinck called quickly as she did when the small blind bet 12,000 of the J♥ river. “You have ace-four?” asked the Brazilian but she was happy to see him open 5♥ 5♦ for the flopped set as she had turned a bigger set with Q♣ Q♦ . That juicy pot puts her up to 56,000.

1.30pm: The flip side
It wasn’t easy interrupted Kronwitter’s misery to confirm his name so it’s a delight when players volunteer the information and few are more delightful in this situation that Team PokerStars Pro Maria Maridu Meyricnk who happily informed us she’s up to 56,000.

1.20pm: Raising and calling
The board was already reading 9♦ 3♣ 10♥ 5♦ but this pot had some history. Four bet pre-flop it had involved Michel Abecassis but now left just Victor Ramdin and Jonas Kronwitter who had made it 7,100. Ramdin had called for a river card J♦ . Now Kronwitter moved all-in and Ramdin called immediately showing 7♣ 8♣ to Kronwitter 5♠ 6♠ .

“Calling with seven eight?” asked Kronwitter, visibly irritated and just 9,000 to the good.

“Raising with five six?” replied Ramdin before Kronwitter nipped off to tell his story to a friend.

1:15pm: Playing higher (not high, but higher than we were)

Where does an hour go? With the room smelling delightfully of curry (apparently the fare at the nearby lunch bar), we are already up to our second of nine levels. Now, the players who started with 30,000 chips are playing 75-150.

And we’re hungry for curry.

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