4.35pm: End of the level
That’s the break. Play will resume in 15 minutes.
4.30pm: Lodden unloaded
Johnny Lodden is the next faller, six-bet shoving with Aâ™ K♣ against a pair of aces. The board ran 10♥ 7♥ 2â™ 3♦ 4♣ to send Lodden to the rail. — SB
4.20pm: One out, Macieras flying
Tobias Reinkemeier is on the rail, the second player to bust from the high roller event. Juan Maceiras meanwhile has bought in and just won a tense hand against WPT Paris winner Matt Waxman.
On a board of 5♥ 3♣ 2♠J♥ 7♠there had been betting and calling all the way, led by Maceiras. Waxman, a very clean looking man called with consideration each time, then watched as Maceiras made it 8,500 on the river, a final blast from the hijack.
Waxman, in the small blind, tanked. After several minutes he apologised for forcing the others to wait and then called. Maceiras showed 5♦ 5â™ which Waxman shrugged at, as if he’d known all along. He’s down to 40,000 while Maceiras moves up to 125,000. – SB
4.10pm: Grub’s up
Just to be clear there will be a 75 minute dinner break at the conclusion of level 6 in the high roller event. — SB
4pm: That’s the Trickett
Sam Trickett is enduring a “massage” position that makes him look like a hostage being subjected to the Heimlich manoeuvre against his will. His table mates look on, wondering at what stage they should step in.
A table away, and with a flop of 8♥ 2♣ 5♦ , Jonathan Duhamel bet 1,225 which was called by Anders Ando, who looks menacing when he plays. Ando called from the cut off for a 9♥ turn. There was a bet and a call – the exact amount missed owing to the announcement that players will go on a dinner break after level six for 75 minutes – for a A♣ on the river. Duhamel checked, leaving it to Ando to bet 4,500. With a look of intense irritation, Duhamel passed. – SB
3.45pm: Level up…
… but not the blinds. Not only does the player number go up rather than down, the blinds don’t go up either, at least not until level 5. — SB
3.40pm: Progress delayed
It would be nice if the number of the board started going down instead of up. We now have 72 players registered for the high roller.
3.35pm: Kalashnikov misfiring
Georgy Kalashnikov has received a one round penalty. The tournament director asked him to step away and Kalashnikov grabbed his chips, ready to leave. Then he was told to leave his chips, which he did. Kalashnikov had just acted out of turn and had done so repeatedly. The tournament director decided it was the time to act. If he could only find someone who can say all that in Russian all will be fine.
Eventually Eugene Katchalov was called on to explain things and he gladly stepped up, explaining the situation to Kalashnikov. — SB
3.25pm: Rousso a winner
Vanessa Rousso opened for 800 which Joseph Cheong raised to 2,200. Rousso called. The flop came J♣ J♦ 9â™ . Rousso checked to Cheong, then called his bet of 2,500. On the A♦ turn card, Rousso checked again, then calledCheong’s bet of 4,000. On the river card [9] nether players fancied putting more chips in, Rousso showing Kâ™ Jâ™ to take the pot. – SB
Vanessa Rousso
3.10pm: One down
Andrew Pantling opened for 700 in middle position which Theo Jorgensen raised to 1,900 in the cut off. Eugene Katchalov then re-raised, making it 5,000 to play, winning the pot.
There’s a gap at this table owing to the departure of Artem Litvinov, the first player to bust from the High Roller. Even so, the number of entrants rather than falling, continues to go up instead, with 69 players now registered. — SB
2.50pm: Bonomo bon voyage
Justin Bonomo has bitten the dust, a river victim of Masa Kagawa. On a flop of K♣ 4â™ 7♥ , Bonomo was all in with aces and up against Kagawa’s K-Q. All looked good on the 3♦ turn, but the river was Q♣ to send the American home. The pot sent Kagawa, a high stakes player from Japan, up to 62,000. — SY
2.20pm: Break time
Players are on a 15 minute break.
2.10pm: Barbero claws some back
As the first break arrives Nacho Barbero managed to pull a few chips back after dropping to around 35,000.
On a flop of 5♥ 10♦ 7♣ Barbero bet which Vanessa Selbst called for a J♦ turn card. Both checked this time for a 9♣ river. More checking. Barbero showed A♠J♠to win the hand, back up to around 40,000.
Elsewhere, on a flop of 10♣ J♥ 4♣ , Daniel Smith bet 5,100 from the big blind which Scott Seiver called in early position. Tobias Reinkemeier was on the button and passed. The turn came 2♣ . Smith checked this time, using a kind of Kruschev fist to bang the table. Seiver looked on intently before betting 11,000 to take the pot. – SB
1.50pm: Jorgensen three-barrel bluffs
Theo Jorgensen has just been picked off by Joseph Cheong after firing three volleys into a A♦ 7â™ 9â™ K♥ 10♥ board. Cheong check-called every street, Jorgensen insta-mucked the river but was shown Aâ™ Jâ™ for good measure. Jorgensen fired 1,200, 3,000 and then 7,000. It didn’t work and he was left with 25,000 with which to nurse his wounds.
Theo Jorgensen
Jorgensen, we’ve heard on the grapevine, is engaged in a prop bet where he must run one mile at the average speed of the current world record for the marathon (3 hours 43 minutes). That would mean running a mile in about five minutes, we reckon. Doesn’t sound like much fun to us… — RD
1.32pm: Coren beats Bord
“What terrible hand did you call a four-bet with pre-flop?” Vicky Coren asked James Bord.
The board read A♦ 8♣ 7♦ Q♣ 9♦ and Coren had bet 8,000 into the river. Bord didn’t look happy, he sighed signalling that there would be no check-raise, just a call or a fold. Bord eventually passed tabling 9♣ 7♣ face up. Coren then accused Dan Shak of not understanding British sarcasm. Why? Some comment that had been made on the flop before we arrived. Shak, sporting some new specs, gave a nod of ‘Ahhh, right, I’ve heard of that.’ — RD
1.25pm: Final word
Things are gradually beginning to settle down with the field in the high roller levelling off at 60 – that’s how many names are on the list. We’re into the second level of the day however the blinds will remain the same. — SB
1pm: Pushing 60
We’re up to 56 players with only a few pots of note taking place. Eugene Katchalov has since arrived and there are more changes as a new table is opened which will be home to Katchalov, Vanessa Rousso, Theo Jorgensen and Eric Seidel.
As soon as the man who knows the answer to the question “How many levels are we playing today?” begins to look less distressed, we will endeavor to find out how many levels we’ll be playing today. — SB
12.40pm: A new look High Roller
Well, having originally said there were 36 players registered in the high roller that number is now up to 54 following the arrival of Barry Greenstein, Eric Seidel, Michael Tureniec, Luke Schwartz and number others.
It also means a few changes here and there. Vanessa Selbst has been moved to a new table, along with Mike McDonald, Seidel, Jonathan Duhamel and Nacho Barbero.
In admin news players start with 50,000 chips and play one-hour levels. — SB
12.20pm: Who’s Who
It’s largely a field of the usual suspects in the High Roller which has 36 players registered so far.
Theo Jorgensen, Vicky Coren and Vanessa Selbst share a table; Johnny Lodden, John Duthie and Vanessa Rousso share another.
Vicky Coren and John Duthie share a moment
Jonathan Duhamel and Joe Hachem are sitting side by side while Nacho Barbero and Viktor Blom are also among those playing. — SB
12.15pm: Cards in the air
Play begins.
12pm: Slow start
We’re going to have a delayed start.
11.45am: High Rolling
Welcome to EPT London, again, where this time the High Rollers take centre stage, albeit if you ignore the massive television table at the end of the room, for what is usually one of the most entertaining battles of the festival.
As of now details are a little sketchy, although the official name for the event is the High Roller “8 Max”, meaning play will be eight-handed all the way. There’s also the small matter of the entry fee, which is a very reasonable £20,000, plus £500 for postage and packaging.
The Houses of Parliament, with life belt for emergencies
Play is set to begin at 12 noon, running alongside the main event, coverage of which you can find here, or at the top of the PokerStars Blog home page.
PokerStars Blog reporting team for the High Roller: Stephen Bartley. All photography by Mickey May.
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