Friday, 29th March 2024 00:54
Home / Uncategorized / Eureka Croatia: Day 1B, levels 1, 2, 3 & 4 updates (blinds 100-200)
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6.40pm: Break time
That’s four levels done and dusted and players are on a 15 minute break. You’ll find level five updates in a new post.

6.30pm: Chip counts
You might remember Milan Rakic from his second place finish at Eureka Bulgaria. The entrepreneur still has his trademark sunglasses in tow, they’re aren’t proving quite as lucky here though as he’s down to 9,300. Also struggling is Dragan Galic who has 5,600, the Croat is top of the Croatia all-time money list by almost a million dollars.

Slovenian TV presenter Peter Poles has slipped to 11,750, Pitic Radu is up to 21,000 and illusionist Luka Vidovic has made almost all of his chips disappear as he’s down to 2,050.

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Milan Rakic

6.15pm: Kadziela out
One of the latest exits in Michal Kadziela from Poland. He’s a familiar face on this tour and went deep in Prague before busting out just before the money in Nova Gorica.

He’s had a somewhat shorter run here in Croatia he told me: “I lost a big pot with a set against a turned flush. I was then grinding 20-30 big blinds for a long time. On the last hand I check-raised all-in with pocket sevens on a [10][5][2] flop and my opponent had [A][10].

6pm: Exits
There’s been a whole raft of exits in the last 45 minutes or so, abour 115 players remain and some of those to have be pushed towards the door marked busto are: Gabor Szabo, Drazen Kapusta and Buka Dalibor.

5.45pm: Some chip counts
Playing today is Dan Williams, who’s from Canada and is a Supernova on PokerStars. He’s doing a little bit of a European Tour at the moment having played in PokerStars events in Cork and Alicante. After he’s done here he’ll also take in Dublin, he’s up to 19,800 at present.

The winner of yesterday’s woman’s event – Hana Soljan – has carried her good form into this event and is up to 34,725. Also going well is Damir Alidzanovic who’s up to 23,700.

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Dan Williams

LEVEL UP: BLINDS 100-200

5.35pm: Good Medesan
Alain Medesan, who final tabled EPT Snowfest in 2010, is off to a good start here in Zagreb. I joined the action to see him check calling a bet of 1,000 on a board of 10♦ 3♦ 7♣ 8♣ before then leading for 2,000 on the 8♥ river and getting his opponent to fold, he’s up to around 21,000.

5.25pm: Numbers confirmed
It’s been confirmed to me that the total number of entrants for Eureka Croatia is 253, hopefully a full payout structure will be with me before the dinner break which is after level six.

5.10pm: Rawnsley out, Layher leads
Neil Rawnsley, who seemingly qualifies to every stop of every regional PokerStars tour is an early casualty. He told me: “I had K♥ 10♥ and bet every street of a [3]4♣ 10♣ [5][6] board and my opponent had called down with [10][7] to river the straight.”

His opponent in the hand was Thomas Layher who now has around 39,000 and looks to be chip leader.

4.50pm: Chip leaders
The current chip leaders are K. Spliid Hansen (34,575) and Sinisa Grmusa (30,100).

4.35pm:Back from the break
The players, including Peter Poles are back in their seats for the start of level three.

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Peter Poles

LEVEL UP: BLINDS 75-150

4.20pm:Break time
The players are on their first 15 minute break of the day.

4.10pm:Five not alive
So far today five players have been eliminated. They’re Alexandru Ratu, Igor Jursic, Ivan Culjak, Hot Besim and Jaroslav Urban – he finished fifth at Eureka Prague.

The total number of entries today is 137 making 253 in total so far.

3.50pm: More chip counts
A sweep of the other half of the room unearthed the following chip counts: Radu Pitic (25,300), Michal Kadziela (17,500), Dragan Galic (11,600), Peter Poles (15,100), Luka Vidovic (13,050) and Dorde Jovanovic (15,100).

3.35pm: Chip counts
In the opening level of play here’s how some of the notables have got on: Neil Rawnsley (14,000), Dan Williams (21,000), Jaroslav Urban (16,700), Milan Rakic (13,900), Hana Sojan (19,900), Damir Alidzanovic (15,600) and Alain Medesan (16,400).

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Neil Rawnsley

LEVEL UP: BLINDS 50-100

3.20pm: Approaching 250
The tournament board is saying that there are 133 players in the field so far today, add them to the Day 1A field of 116 and that’s 249 in total. Might be a few people out there sweating under/over bets of 250 then.

3pm: One down, one almost down
The first exit of today was Alexandru Ratu, I didn’t catch the hand but a look at his table suggests his chips went to Hüseyin Arkan.

Then I heard a loud bang over on table four and rushed over to see that Igor Jursic had lost a huge pot holding pocket fours to Damir Ovcina’s A♥ Q♥ on a 8♥ 3♥ K♥ 4♣ 7â™  board. A near double up for Ovcina and just a few chips left for Jursic.

2.43pm: Don’t you know who I am?
There are a few Croatian and Slovenian celebrities in the field today. There’s Peter Poles who is the presenter of the Slovenia’s Got Talent, we have Luka Vidovic who’s a famous illusionist in Croatia. There’s also Damir Alidzanovic who was in a reality TV show called Dream Man, where he had to choose a suitor.

Ironically he’s sat next to Hana Soljan, one of only three women in the field, she won the ladies event which took place last night.

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Hana Soljan

2.30pm: Spotted
On my first lap of the room I spotted serial satellite qualifiers Neil Rawnsley, Dan Williams and Michael Kadziela. As well as the extremely tall Croatian pro Dragan Galic, he might find it a bit cramped at the tables they’re using here.

2.20pm: Shuffle up and deal
Tournament director Thomas Lamatsch is just running the players through the rules and regulations, play is just about to start.

2.05pm: Slight delay
From my perch on media row I can still see a stream of players registering including Milan Rakic who was runner up at Eureka Bulgaria. Looks like we won’t be starting just yet.

1.40pm: Day 1B set to start
Hello and welcome to Day 1B of Eureka Croatia, here in Zagreb. Yesterday 116 players started and 40 made it through to Day 2 including Team PokerStars Pro Chris Moneymaker.

We’re expecting an increase on numbers for Day 1B and I’ve spotted Jaroslav Urban and Alain Medesan who’ll both be taking to the felt today.

Nine levels of play will be the order of the day, it should get underway at 2pm.

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The Antunovic Hotel, Zagreb

PokerStars Blog reporting team at Eureka Poker Tour Croatia: Nick Wright. Photos courtesy of Manuel Kovsca

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