There's no stopping George Danzer
Picture the scene: you get up from fitful slumber, activate a laptop and open up your emails. And there, beaming at you prefer a bright shard of sunlight during the blinds, is the face of George Danzer hoisting a trophy aloft.
Danzer's was the primary face I saw this morning within the first email I opened. Within the early hours of Wednesday night, he won the €2,000 High Roller event at Eureka Hamburg and that email carried his customary winner's picture.
But--what do you know?--Danzer's face can also be the last that almost all people gaze upon tonight. This irrepressible Team PokerStars Pro is the large chip leader on the end of Day 1B of the principle Event.
Having turned up around Level 4 today, he quickly set about building a stack. By the tip of Level 12, it was worth 275,700, and never even Rifat Palevic, who led for far of the evening, could match it. Palevic finished with 210,400.
Rifat Palevic: Second overnight
Both Danzer and Palevic sat at probably the most toughest tables the Eureka Poker Tour has ever seen today, featuring those two monsters in addition to Charlie Carrel, David Yan and Dinesh Alt. Those five would make for a fearsome line-up in an EPT High Roller, not to mention a €1,000 event on a regional tour. There have been only 98 players within the field in total, so for all of them to be together was one of the vital cruellest quirks of the random table draw.
By the tip of play, Carrel was no more, but all the others remain and can get back on Saturday to play Day 2. (Yan has 116,400 and Alt has 58,000.) The whole list of remaining players is below and it shows Danzer and Palevic because the only men with greater than 200,000. Gisle Olsen is third, with 194,300.
| George Danzer | Germany | Team PokerStars Pro | 275700 |
| Rifat Palevic | Sweden | PokerStars qualifier | 210400 |
| Gisle Arne Olsen | Denmark | PokerStars qualifier | 194300 |
| Marco Topic | Germany | 124100 | |
| David Dong Ming Yan | New Zealand | PokerStars qualifier | 116400 |
| Tobias Peters | Netherlands | 107800 | |
| Tobias Schmidt | Germany | PokerStars player | 94000 |
| Alaettin Keles | Germany | 88000 | |
| Phong Thanh Pham | Vietnam | 87100 | |
| Stephan Van Den Wyngaert | Belgium | 87000 | |
| Jan-Ludwig Meinberg | Germany | 85400 | |
| Zlatibor Dujkovic | Germany | 69700 | |
| Vallo Maidla | Estonia | 64200 | |
| Terje Sirnes | Norway | 61300 | |
| Dinesh Alt | Switzerland | PokerStars player | 58000 |
| Diego Casco Del Riego | Uruguay | 57200 | |
| Miroslav Forman | Czech Republic | 53500 | |
| Karim Mansour | Germany | PokerStars qualifier | 53200 |
| Peter Jakob | Germany | 53200 | |
| Eike Koehler | Germany | PokerStars qualifier | 53000 |
| Andreas Majchrzak | Germany | 48800 | |
| Davor Bendin | Germany | 48000 | |
| Martin Mulsow | Germany | PokerStars qualifier | 45900 |
| Alexandro Postel | Germany | 43900 | |
| Thomas Pedersen | Denmark | 43000 | |
| Andre Haneberg | Germany | 41000 | |
| Dara O'Kearney | Ireland | PokerStars qualifier | 37800 |
| Jaroslaw Kamil Kosmaty | Poland | PokerStars qualifier | 34700 |
| Tilmann Ebeling | Germany | 34500 | |
| Pavel Ignatov | Russia | 34300 | |
| Fabian Schmidt | Austria | PokerStars qualifier | 31500 |
| Johannes Wassmuth | Germany | PokerStars player | 26000 |
| Daniel Horst Peche | Austria | PokerStars qualifier | 10400 |
Tomorrow is the last chance both for newcomers and for returning players. It's Day 1C, starting at noon on the Casino Schenefeld and playing through another 12 levels.
Scroll through this page for all of the action from today. Then join us again tomorrow.
10:05pm: Clock paused, three more handsLevel 12 - Blinds 1,000/2,000 (300 ante)
The night is drawing in and tournament officials have said there'll be only three more hands to play today. We'll have full stacks and an end-of-day report shortly.
9:45pm: Bonke bouncedLevel 12 - Blinds 1,000/2,000 (300 ante)
Enrico Bonke, who won the €200 Turbo late last night, could be free to play another one tonight if he likes. He have been sent packing from the primary Event by Phong Thanh Pham.
Bonke got the pot started with a raise to 6,000 from early position. Pham three bet the button, making it 13,500 and Bonke was the one player to name.
The two of them saw the flop of 3♣2♥4♥ and Bonke immediately shoved. (They used to call this the "stop-and-go".) It was 36,400 and it put Pham, with 51,000 behind, to the test. "Do you could have a couple"? Pham said, but got just a chuckle in response.
After a few minutes, Pham called and was possibly relieved to look Bonke's J♥T♥. He was drawing. Pham also did not have a couple. He had A♦K♥. After which the gods played a cruel little trick, giving Bonke the flush at the turn, with the 9♥, but Pham a larger one at the 6♥ river.
Pham clutched the dealer's arm in gratitude, while Bonke searched for the exit.
9:30pm: Last levelLevel 12 - Blinds 1,000/2,000 (300 ante)
Thirty-six players remain as we head into the last level of the night.
9:15pm: Palevic hits back at Del RiegoLevel 11 - Blinds 800/1,600 (200 ante)
Rifat Palevic has found someone to play against. It's Diego Del Riego, who won that pot with aces described below. But Palevic just got some back from Del Riego and showed him the bluff, simply to be sure that he knew who's boss.
Palevic opened to 3,600 from the cutoff and Del Riego raised to 8,000 from the small blind. Dara O'Kearney, within the big blind, searched for a moment as if he may well be tempted in, but he folded. Palevic called.
The flop came 4♠3♣7♥ and after Del Riego checked, Palevic bet 7,000 after which slapped down K♥2♦ after Del Riego folded.
9:10pm: Georgie, Georgie and more GeorgieLevel 11 - Blinds 800/1,600 (200 ante)
There are few more appealing sights than George Danzer in full flow. It's like watching a thoroughbred racehorse within the early-morning gallops, or the sun setting over the Grand Canyon. (And, really, the Canyon has nothing on Danzer.)
The only Team PokerStars Pro on this week's field now has by far the largest stack within the room, almost 270,000, having just sent Imad Fakhro out the door. It was brutal.
Martin Mulsow began proceedings when he raised to 3,500 from early position. Danzer three-bet the hijack to 9,000 and Fakhro called at the button. Mulsow also called.
All three players checked the A♦7♣2♥ flop, then Mulsow also checked the K♦ turn. Danzer bet 14,000 and Fakhro called.
After the J♠ came at the river, Danzer gave probably the most nonchalant of checks. It gave the impression of he was done with the hand. Fakhro bet 35,000 and, with 7♥7♠ in his hand, he should have thought he was value-betting.
Danzer, however, then came visiting the highest for 65,000 more and Fakhro called. Danzer then revealed his A♠A♣ for a larger set. And that's the reason how Georgie does it.
9:10pm: Koehle flips, wins, doublesLevel 11 - Blinds 800/1,600 (200 ante)
Eike Koehler's tournament life trusted him winning a flip against Daniel Peche. And the god decided Koehler could hang out some time longer to peer what he could do with a 60,000 stack.
Peche opened to 3,500. Koehler shoved for 27,500. Peche called and the starter's pistol sounded. Peche had T♥T♦ to Koehler's A♠K♠.
There was assistance on the flop. It came K♥2♥J♦ and the 4♦ turn followed by the A♣ river kept Koehler alive.
9:05pm: Del Riego's aces good against PalevicLevel 11 - Blinds 800/1,600 (200 ante)
Rifat Palevic is mortal in any case. He just lost a minimum of 20,000 of his stack in a pot against Diego Del Riego.
I didn't see any of it except what happened at the end, in which point there has been easily 15,000 within the middle (probably more) and the 2♦5♠7♠5♦9♠ beside it. Palevic, who would was within the hijack, checked and Del Riego, the button, bet 14,500.
"Oof," Palevic said. He then pondered his options. Eventually he called and Del Riego turned over A♥A♣. Palevic seemed stung and tabled his smaller two pair, with 7♥9♦.
Palevic probably still leads the tournament, with around 165,000. But George Danzer has made an excellent comeback recently too and has 160,000.
8:50pm: Mansour folds out twoLevel 10 - Blinds 600/1,200 (200 ante)
Christian Kennepohl opened to 2,500 after which Martin Mulsow three-bet to 6,200 from the hijack. Action got to Karim Mansour and he positioned his cards very deliberately in front of him, as if for an RFID reader on a television table. He then moved all-in for 35,300.
Kennepohl quickly folded to the squeeze, but Mulsow took some more time about his decision. But then he too folded and Mansour's cold four bet got the job done.
8:45pm: Non stop PalevicLevel 10 - Blinds 600/1,200 (200 ante)
Rifat Palevic continues to barrel, barrel, barrel and is the dominant force on Table 4. Dara O'Kearney has recently joined that table too, but has lower than a 3rd of Palevic's 160,000 stack and so might want to do what O'Kearney does best: pick his spots.
I watched three hands and Palevic played all of them. He picked up two uncontested pre-flop and the opposite after betting the flop. On that one, he made it 2,500 to play and was called by Thorsten Holst, within the hijack one seat to Palevic's left, and Peter Jakob within the big blind.
After the J♣3♥K♥ flop, Jakob checked and Palevic bet 4,600. Both opponents folded and Palevic had the nice manners to turn them a king.
8:30pm: Wassmuth stumbles into Yan's trapLevel 10 - Blinds 600/1,200 (200 ante)
David Yan's stack is now worth about 110,000 after he took Johannes Wassmuth for greater than 35,000 of his chips.
Yan opened to 3,200 from UTG+1 and Wassmuth called from two seats around, persuading Waldermar Kopyl to name from the massive blind too.
David Yan, only a chilled out guy
The three of them saw the flop of 2♥8♥8♣ and after Kopyl checked, Yan bet 3,200. Wassmuth was the one one to name. The 9♥ came at the turn and Jan flicked out 10,000 chips. Wassmuth called again, which took them to the 4♣ at the river.
Yan speedily threw 22,000 into the center and Wassmuth, agonising, delved into the tank, counting his chips and realising that he would have 25,000 behind if he called and lost.
Miroslav Forman ended up calling the clock, forcing a call out of Wassmuth, and at last he called. Yan liked it. He turned over 4♥6♥ for a turned flush and Wassmuth mucked.
8:20pm: Hupfer humpedLevel 10 - Blinds 600/1,200 (200 ante)
Benjamin Hupfer is out. He open-shoved for his last 11,200 and Stephen Van den Wyngaert, with not much more, reshoved. Everyone else got out of the wy and Hupfer needed help with A♥5♥ to Van den Wyngaert's 9♥9♦.
He didn't get it. The board ran 8♥J♣J♦7♠5♠ and that was the top of that.
8:10pm: Luedecke bustsLevel 10 - Blinds 600/1,200 (200 ante)
There's nothing just like the old limp/shove under the gun to get the heartbeat racing, but it surely didn't work for Alexander Luedecke, who has now hit the rail.
Luedecke matched the large blind of 1,200, first to speak, but then Andre Haneberg raised to 4,200 from one seat to his left.
Action folded back to Luedecke and he carried through a pre-planned manouevre, moving his full stack over the road (about 20,000 give or take). Haneberg called.
Luedecke had a pleasing suited ace. It was A♠J♠. But so did Haneberg and his was A♣K♣. After the king at the flop, Luedecke prepared to go away. And nothing on turn or river persuaded him to stay.
Haneberg has about 70,000 now.
8pm: Three more levelsLevel 10 - Blinds 600/1,200 (200 ante)
Players have returned to their seats and can now play three more 45-minute levels before bagging for the night.
7:45pm: Break timeLevel 9 - Blinds 500/1,000 (100 ante)
That's the tip of Level 9 and time for a 15-minute break. Listed here are some selected stacks of the rest 53 players:
Rifat Palevic -- 205,000Phong Thanh Pham -- 136,000Tobias Schmidt -- 96,000Marco Topic -- 74,000George Danzer -- 68,000Vallo Maidla -- 66,000David Yan -- 59,000Dara O'Kearney -- 56,000
Rifat Palevic: Last to go away because the table of stars broke
7:35pm: The thrill endsLevel 9 - Blinds 500/1,000 (100 ante)
The ridiculous table, featuring all of today's superstars, has now broken, scattering the players across the remainder of the sector. Rifat Palevic with regards to had time to win another pot from George Danzer, boosting his stack to 170,000 and cutting the Team Pro's to about 60,000. And now Palevic is sitting to the left of Dinesh Alt on Table four. I DO NOT know what Alt has done to deserve it.
7:20pm: Double for JaroszLevel 9 - Blinds 500/1,000 (100 ante)
It's got to that time, with the large blind now 1,000, that the quick stacks are open-shoving. Pawel Stanislav Jarosz had 12,900 and open-shipped, with action folding around to Zlatibor Dujkovic within the big blind.
Dujkovic had about 36,000 and decided to name. But he had to hit with A♦7♦ against Jarosz's 9♣9♥. He didn't hit. The board ran 4♣Q♠2♠5♥4♦.
That leaves Dujkovic with about 23,000 and Jarosz with somewhat more.
7:10pm: Carrel bustsLevel 9 - Blinds 500/1,000 (100 ante)
The constellation of superstars has lost one in all its leading lights. Charlie Carrel is at the rail (but there is a good chance he'll come again tomorrow).
George Danzer filled within the details (is there nothing he can't do?). David Yan opened, Carrel shoved, Yan called and Carrel's king-queen didn't beat ace-jack on an ace high flop. Yan has about 56,000.
A Danzer's eye view of Charlie Carrel
6:55pm: Palevic joins the partyLevel 9 - Blinds 500/1,000 (100 ante)
More from Table 7, where Rifat Palevic has now joined the fray, sitting to George Danzer's immediate right. Palevic, from Sweden, has nearly one million in live tournament winnings and far more online and was a much-feared EPT regular for a couple of years.
Palevic has probably the most chips too. He has about 110,000 now, that's a shade above Danzer's 105,000.
The chip leader at this stage, however, is Phong Thanh who should have won another huge pot after the skirmish with Eke described below. He has 130,000.
6:40pm: Trouble with seven-four offLevel 8 - Blinds 400/800 (100 ante)
You can't just fold every big blind. That may be a highly exploitable play. But you ought to be slightly selective, or you can end up hitting the rail thinking, "Yeah, perhaps seven-four off wasn't the neatest idea."
That's the location for Mehmet Eke, who defended his big blind with a decision after Phong Thanh opened to 1,800 from mid-position.
The two of them saw a flop of 5♥7♥2♦ and Eke check-called Thanh's bet of 2,200. The 2♥ came at the turn and Eke checked again. Thanh bet 4,100 but as opposed to just calling, Eke tossed in one 25 denomination chip and said, "All-in."
Thanh didn't stay up for a count. He double-checked his cards after which called. (The shove was for approximately 17,000.) Eke tabled 7♣4♦ which was in trouble against Thanh's A♥Q♥.
Neither of the 2 remaining sevens appeared at the river and Eke went home. Thanh has about 65,000.
6:30pm: O'Kearney misses turnLevel 8 - Blinds 400/800 (100 ante)
Dara O'Kearney was playing well and running well during the last few weeks and was to four final tables at four different festivals (albeit two being hung on the similar day within the same venue). He was at another final here in Hamburg last night, at which point his friend David Lappin observed that he had found a leak in O'Kearney's game. "Over-emphasis on mathematically correct decisions in this purple period of never missing flops," Lappin tweeted.
O'Kearney has had an even begin to today and was up beyond 50,000 quite early. He's dropped back slightly now and just lost a small pot when he sort-of hit the flop, but totally missed turn and river.
Karim Mansour started it when he raised to 1,8000 from under the gun. Claas Segebrecht called from the small blind and O'Kearney also known as from the large. The flop came 8♣4♣7♥ and after O'Kearney checked, Mansour bet 3,600. Segebrecht folded and O'Kearney called.
They both checked the A♣ turn. And so they both checked the 5♣ river. O'Kearney showed first. He had missed his straight draw together with his T♥9♥ (and may have struggled to bet it even supposing he'd hit, what with four clubs in the market.) Mansour couldn't beat any club, but he could beat O'Kearney. He had A♦8♦ for 2 pair.
6:15pm: Lappin takes his leaveLevel 7 - Blinds 300/600 (75 ante)
As Level 7 drew to a close, David Lappin was seen wandering out of the room, his chair now officially open. I AM NOT sure if Lappin got above his starting stack today. It was a little a miserable grind if his increasingly helpless expression was any indication.
The scowling visage of David Lappin. He's had better days
6:10pm: And their stacks...Level 7 - Blinds 300/600 (75 ante)
George Danzer remains to be the table captain and tournament captain despite being surrounded by bosses. He has about 115,000. David Yan, who has only been with us about 45 minutes, has 45,000 already, while Charlie Carrel has about 27,000 and Dinesh Alt has 23,000.
Some of Alt's chips came from a up to date small pot he played against Yan. Alt raised to 1,500 from mid-position and Yan called from the cutoff. Alt bet 2,200 after the flop fell 9♣2♠Q♥. Yan called. Then Alt bet 4,200 after the turn of 8♣. This time Yan folded.
6:05pm: And more for Table 7Level 7 - Blinds 300/600 (75 ante)
It's getting slightly silly on Table 7. Not long ago, I walked past and glimpsed a brand new player who I briefly thought appeared like David Yan. (I DID NOT look closely and thought nothing of it.) Now, on closer inspection, the player who seems like David Yan is definitely David Yan. He will need to have sat down through the break. That implies we have George Danzer, Charlie Carrel, Dinesh Alt and Yan in four of the nine seats. There are easier tables to be found deep within the money in an EPT Main Event, not to mention on Day 1B of a Eureka Poker Tour tournament.
6pm: One for Pedersen, after which one for KozuchLevel 7 - Blinds 300/600 (75 ante)
Thomas Pedersen opened back-to-back pots from cutoff after which hijack. He won the primary and set the ball rolling on a large clash for the second, but sat back and watched others duke it out.
The first one:
Action folded to Pedersen and he raised to 1,300. Miroslav Forman called from the massive blind and the 2 of them went to the 3♠J♣8♦ flop. Forman checked, Pedersen bet 1,500 and Forman called.
The 6♠ came at the turn and Forman checked again. Pedersen's bet of 3,400 took it down.
Next hand:
Action folded to Pedersen and he raised to 1,300. One seat to his left, Mateusz Kozuch moved all his chips over the road and the action passed to Johnny Hansen within the big blind. He wanted a count.
He discovered it was a raise to 10,400 and Hansen, with greater than 55,000, made the decision. Pedersen got out of the way.
Hansen: K♦Q♦Kozuch: A♠J♦
The board brought the A♥ among others and that was enough to double Kozuch. Hansen still has greater than 45,000.
5:45pm: Getting tougherLevel 7 - Blinds 300/600 (75 ante)
With registration now closed, we now have maxed out at 99 players for Day 1B. The entire gaps on the various tables have now been closed and Table 10 was broken previous to the restart. Dinesh Alt was on that table, but he has now joined George Danzer, Charlie Carrel and Sergej Barbarez at the undisputed toughest slab of felt within the room. Danzer has greater than 100,000 now and by far the most important reputation of them all.
Charlie Carrel and George Danzer
5:30pm: Some counts
As players enjoy their slap-up feed, we've been counting their chips. Listed below are a couple of selected counts, with George Danzer already putting clear air between him and the remainder of the field.
Selected counts:
George Danzer -- 90,000Enrico Bonke -- 80,000Johnny Hansen -- 65,000Michael Oswald -- 64,000Terje Sirnes -- 57,000Davor Bendin -- 56,000Peter Jakob -- 48,000Tobias Schmidt -- 43,000Dara O'Kearney -- 43,000
I could have also misreported Gareth Chantler's count below. He has about 27,000 now and never nearly 50,000 as previously stated.
4:45pm: Dinner timeLevel 6 - Blinds 200/400 (50 ante)
And at the very stroke of 4:45pm, that's dinner. That's dinner time, right? We'll be back in 45 minutes.
4:30pm: Chantler chipping upLevel 6 - Blinds 200/400 (50 ante)
Gareth Chantler is building a stack here this afternoon and just made a gigantic call in a pot against Enrico Bonke and Andrew Pierz. I only arrived at the river, at which point the scary-looking board read K♥T♠T♥6♦T♣.
Gareth Chantler: Chipping up
Bonke bet 3,000 and Pierz called. That left the verdict on Chantler. After a temporary pause he put the chips forward and was rewarded when Bonke tabled 5♦5♥ and Pierz mucked. Chantler's K♦4♦ was good. The lone Canadian in today's field (albeit one that was based around and about Europe for a short time) stacked up about 50,000.
4:20pm: Cold five-betLevel 6 - Blinds 200/400 (50 ante)
Johnny Hansen opened to 900 from UTG+1 but he can't have known what he was about to start out. Rifat Palevic three-bet to 2,600 from two seats along, but that only prompted a four-bet to 7,000 from Claus Carstensen within the small blind.
And it wasn't done yet. Hanno Offen, within the big blind, cold five-bet to 20,000, which quickly removed Hansen and Palevic. Carstensen wasn't so sure. From behind, Carstensen is the precise spitting image of Erik Seidel (from the front, not at all, but they're the similar build and feature the similar monkish hair). He was monkish about his decision-making too, pondering long and hard.
Eventually he folded and Offen picked up a tight pot without even attending to a flop.
4pm: It's George's world, we just live in itLevel 6 - Blinds 200/400 (50 ante)
There's no messing around with George Danzer within the building. The lone Team PokerStars Pro up here in Hamburg is already as much as about 50,000, taking about 1/2 that during a up to date pot against Sebastian Homann.
We only caught it at the river with Danzer creating a more-than pot-sized bet on a board of 4♠9♣7♦9♦6♣. It was 12,000 from Danzer, into about 10,000.
Homann tank-called and Danzer opened T♥9♥. It was good.
3:50pm: Big-ish stackLevel 5 - Blinds 150/300 (25 ante)
I can't see a stack within the room in this day and age bigger than Enrico Bonke's. He has around 64,000 and is within the seat adjacent to the only occupied yesterday by Anastasios Mastroudis, who led throughout the first eight levels of play.
Other big-ish stacks sit with Dara O'Kearney (50,500), Andreas Majchrzak (50,300) and Tobias Schmidt (50,000).
3:35pm: Ebeling elbowed by FreeseLevel 5 - Blinds 150/300 (25 ante)
There's not been much to jot down home about for David Lappin thus far today. He has about 17,500 chips on the moment, below the 25,000 starting stack, but still with regards to 60 big blinds.
He can take some credit for buying the next pot under way, although his participation was minimal (and it ended up truly fizzling out anyhow).
Lappin opened to 750 from under the gun and Sven Freese, two seats to his left, raised to 1,450. Tilmann Ebeling then cold four-bet to 3,200 from the cutoff and that was enough to steer Lappin he had seen enough.
Freese still desired to play. "Raise. Six. Two," he said. Ebeling called.
The flop came J♣5♠4♦ and Freese bet 3,200. Ebeling called. Then the 7♣ came at the turn and Freese had another stab. He bet 10,000 this time. Ebeling joined Lappin in mucking.
3:25pm: Feature tableLevel 5 - Blinds 150/300 (25 ante)
Fresh from his High Roller victory last night, George Danzer has taken his seat within the Eureka Hamburg Main Event. What's more, he has joined the similar table as Charlie Carrel and Sergej Barbarez making that by some measure essentially the most interesting within the room.
3:10pm: Three-wayLevel 4 - Blinds 100/200 (25 ante)
"I was lucky," Tobias Schmidt said as he began stacking up just in need of 60,000 chips. Both Nicole Kohlmoos and Pierre Kauert will likely concur as they were heading to the exit.
I have no idea the entire betting, but they were all all-in by the turn, with the board reading T♥J♥2♥J♠. Kohlmoos's K♠T♠ was already dead against Schmidt's T♦T♣ by this stage and Kauert's A♥A♣ was in serious trouble too.
The 7♥ wasn't one in all Kauert's two outs and that ended this big hand, leaving two seats open.
3pm: Within the Posto for EirosiusLevel 4 - Blinds 100/200 (25 ante)
Rosmundas Eirosius desired to see a flop for inexpensive. After action folded to him within the small blind, he completed after which chuckled when Alexandro Posto, within the big blind, raised to 600. Eirosius called anyway.
So, two to the flop of Q♠K♦2♦ and Eirosius checked. Posto bet 600 and Eirosius called.
The A♦ came at the turn and both players checked. But by the point the J♥ came at the river, Eirosius had completed a 180 degree about-turn on his interest on this pot. He now bet 1,200.
Posto desired to know why. He called and was quickly shown J♦9♦ for the turned flush. Posto mucked.
2:55pm: Alt bosses OlsenLevel 4 - Blinds 100/200 (25 ante)
Dinesh Alt smelt a rat and punished Arne Gisle Olsen. There has been 3,500 within the middle, with a board of Q♦A♣4♥5♠A♦ exposed. Alt checked and Olsen bet 1,325.
Alt didn't seem interested at this stage, but neither did Olsen. He was looking concentratedly into the center distance, apparently more concerned by just about anything than the real pot in hand.
Alt looked as if it would think this feigned indifference perhaps concealed weakness and raised to 6,325 to look if his hunch was right. It was. Olsen folded quickly.
2:45pm: An EPT Champion arrivesLevel 4 - Blinds 100/200 (25 ante)
Thang Duc Nguyen has taken a seat, bringing the choice of EPT Main Event champions within the field to...one! Nguyen won in Baden in Season 3, but appears to be on home turf here in Hamburg. He was greeted like a king when he arrived yesterday prior to Day 2 of the High Roller event.
Thang Duc Nguyen
Nguyen is on Table 3 and watched the next small pot play out. Dirk Volquardsen opened to 500 from UTG+1 and Waldemar Kopyl called from the large blind. Those two took a flop of Q♠5♦3♦ and Kopyl check-called Volquardsen's c-bet of 625.
The A♥ came at the turn and it went check, bet (1,225), call again. Then the A♠ completed the board and now it went check, check. Kopyl waited for Volquardsen to turn his hand, but ran out of patience pretty quickly when his reluctance clearly suggested he did not have an ace.
Kopyl just flipped over his Q♣K♦ and that was good.
2:35pm: Past 80Level 4 - Blinds 100/200 (25 ante)
We're into Level 4 now, with 84 players having registered and 82 of them remaining. Registration is open for one more three levels today, after which six tomorrow too.
2:15pm: First breakLevel 3 - Blinds 75/150
That's the tip of the primary three levels, so that they players are warding off on their first break of the day.
2:05pm: Aggressive callLevel 3 - Blinds 75/150
Vanessa Rousso once got numerous stick for claiming she had made an "aggressive call". The denizens of the web poker chat-rooms took a couple of minutes clear of dating supermodels and winning $10K tournaments to hammer out a couple of thousand words of vitriol when she did that, Cheeto crumbs bouncing off their keyboards along the way.
Anyway, I WILL let you know right now, and without fear of contradiction, that Naser Nowrozi just made an aggressive call. It was very aggressive. Nowrozi was just exiting the smoking room at the side of the tournament area in Casino Schenefeld when he saw the dealer getting with regards to finishing a round of card-pitching. He sprinted during the door, ducked athletically beneath the rope and landed himself in his chair the very moment the last card came off the deck. He was under the gun, peeked at his cards almost within the same motion, then...called.
He nearly rent asunder a few railbirds and a waitress or two en path to making this call, so it was the very definition of aggressive.
It also started the type of limping epidemic that we saw yesterday, with Enrico Bonke and Andrew Pierz also calling from the 2 seats to his left. However that each one ended when action made it to Tomislav Trefil. He threw out 1,650 to present everyone something to think about, and so they all decided that folding was the most productive option, including the agressive caller.
1:50pm: Double for HolkeLevel 3 - Blinds 75/150
The defending champion Tom Holke was all the way down to little greater than 2,000, but scored a fortunate double up through Peter Jaksland to maintain his hopes alive. Holke had J♦7♦ and was up against Jaksland's jacks. But three diamonds at the flop soon swung things in Holke's favour.
Tom Holke
1:45pm: No shifting Offen's acesLevel 3 - Blinds 75/150
Hanno Offen just won a sizeable pot with aces, but needed to make a superior call on the end to pick out it up. Rifat Palevic got things going, raising to 350 from UTG+1. Alexander Bontemps, within the hijack, three-bet to 1,100 after which Offen four-bet the button to 2,400.
A cold four-bet at this stage certainly suggests strength, but neither Palevic nor Bontemps were scared. Both called, meaning three players saw the flop of Q♠T♦3♥. Palevic checked but Bontemps bet, this time 2,600. Only Offen stuck around.
The turn brought the T♥ and Bontemps continued betting, this time 4,600. Offen called and the river brought the K♠. Bontemps had another go at dislodging Offen, pushing 7,500 over the line.
But Offen went nowhere and, after Bontemps flipped over his K♦Q♥, showed his A♥A♣ and collected this sizeable pot.
1:35pm: About that hard field...Level 3 - Blinds 75/150
Charlie Carrel, fresh from a up to date WCOOP success and with just about $2.5 million in live tournament earnings, is likely one of the recent clutch of players to take a seat on this tournament. I DO NOT know what brings a €25,000 EPT High Roller champion to Hamburg for a €1,000 event, but everyone here's more than happy to have him.
Charlie Carrel: Fresh from WCOOP success
Peter Jaksland and Miroslav Forman have both also now bought in again. They were both eliminated yesterday but are giving it another spin.
1:30pm: Strasse gegen flushLevel 2 - Blinds 50/100
Yun Ho Choi is out and my German colleagues have just reported the hand details as "strasse gegen flush". I WILL let you know that "gegen" means "against" or "versus" and you'll figure the remaining out for yourself.
1:20pm: Tough fieldLevel 2 - Blinds 50/100
We're still not breaking any attendance records here in Hamburg, with 72 players now registered. However the field is getting tougher. Dinesh Alt, the reigning TCOOP champion, has now taken his seat, as has Soenke Jahn, who took down the Barcelona Main Event of the Estrellas Poker Tour in Season 4.
Dinesh Alt
1pm: Nicole Kohlmoos, a womanLevel 2 - Blinds 50/100
Of the 69 players who showed up yesterday, there wasn't a single woman within the field. It's nothing to be pleased with given the gradual increase in women players over the years, but there it is.
It's not lots of better today, no less than so far, but it is not a complete whitewash. Today, Nicole Kohlmoos has taken her seat and is representing half the human race.
Kohlmoos is getting busy early on. She took a small pot from Michael Lewis when her jack-ten beat Lewis's 6♣4♣ on a double-paired board (queens and kings) but Lewis earned some more back at the next hand.
In that, Kohlmoos opened to 300 from under the gun and collected three callers: Ansgar Moller, one seat to her left, then Lewis within the small blind and Pierre Kauert within the big.
They saw a flop of 9♥Q♥J♠ and all four players checked, taking them to the A♥ at the turn. Lewis led for 400 and Kauert and Kohlmoos called, with Moller folding after them.
Then the 3♠ came at the river and Lewis bet 1,200. Kauert and Kohlmoos both now folded.
12:55pm: Busting out the check-raiseLevel 2 - Blinds 50/100
David Lappin dismissed our attention in the course of the first level of play today, correctly stating that the early levels don't often produce too many fireworks. But just because the tournament clock ticked into Level 2, Lappin was eager about another pot--although it still didn't amount to a complete bunch.
Christoph Neuerer opened to 250 from early position and Lappin called from the small blind, followed by Fabian Schmidt within the big. The flop fell 9♠7♦9♣ and, after two checks, Neuerer continued for 275.
"Eight-hundred," Lappin said, busting out the check-raise. Schmidt and Neuerer folded, and that was another one for the file marked, "We're Only Writing About It Because There isn't Much Else Happening On the Moment".
12:35pm: Holke probes with eights, losesLevel 1 - Blinds 25/50
Four players on Table 4 had invested 850 between them to look a flop. They were Davor Bendin and Pavel Ignatov, who were within the blinds, and Tom Holke and Jens Moysich, who hadn't.
All checked the 7♦8♦J♥ flop, but then after Bendin and Ignatov checked the J♣ turn, Holke bet 400. Only Moysich, to his left, called.
After the K♦ came at the river, the defending champion threw out 375 chips. Moysich announced a decision. Holke reluctantly turned over the 8♠ and knew he was beaten. Moysich exposed his T♣T♠ before Holke showed his other hole cards. Moysich took that one.
12:20pm: Barbarez finding his feet earlyLevel 1 - Blinds 25/50
Sergej Barbarez made greater than 170 appearances for FC Hamburg in a six-year spell on the club, and likewise played for Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen. He also scored 17 goals in 47 appearances for Bosnia. The lad could play. He's 45 years old now and is taking things more gently on the poker tables, although he can still sniff out a chance in front of goal, because it were.
He just found some very thin value in a hand against Andreas Majchrzak getting a worse hand to name him on a scary board. Barbarez raised the button and Majchrzak called within the small blind. They saw a flop of A♦A♣Q♣. Majchrzak checked, Barbarez bet 125 and Majchrzak called.
Both players checked the 2♠ at the turn after which after Majchrzak checked the J♠ river, Barbarez bet 300. Majchrzak called but mucked after Barbarez tabled his A♠4♥.
12:05pm: From green turf to the poker tableLevel 1 - Blinds 25/50
The early arrivals today include the previous Bundesliga footballer Sergej Barbarez, the defending Eureka Hamburg champion Tom Holke, and the familiar Irish players Dara O'Kearney and David Lappin. The tournament has started but registration is open until the beginning of Level 7.
Tom Holke: Last year's model
12pm: Welcoming the massesLevel 1 - Blinds 25/50
It's just past noon and action is getting under way on Day 1B of the Eureka Hamburg Main Event. It is a €1,000 buy-in and that gets you 25,000 tournament chips. To this point the board is showing 39 players, but there'll likely be greater than thrice that quantity by the tip of the day.
Don't forget, anyone eliminated yesterday can get back and check out again today. Similarly, anyone knocked out today can get back tomorrow.
Of they go!
11am: Welcoming the masses
Flights into Hamburg was plentiful this week, bringing another load of players able to join the €1,000 Eureka Main Event. Right about now, that is their view:
We'll welcome them to the casino from noon today.
Ready to embark by yourself poker adventure? Join PokerStars and start your journey. Click here to get an account.10:30am: High Roller victory for George Danzer
Hello everyone, and welcome back to Hamburg.
We begin today with some tremendous news from the PokerStars stable. Understand that German lad, big mohawk, did a couple of cool things on the World Series many years ago? I BELIEVE he won--what was it?--three bracelets and have become Player of the Year, then another in June 2016?
Danzer, I BELIEVE his name was. George Danzer. Yes, definitely. Team PokerStars Pro George Danzer.
Yes, him. Well, within the early hours of last night, prior to Casino Schenefeld closed, Danzer took down the €2,000 Eureka High Roller event, beating 49 players and picking up €34,330.
That's not the largest payday of his career, but it is a great omen. I remember chatting with Danzer in Monaco in April 2014, just after he won a €1,000 NLHE side event on the EPT Grand Final. Remarkably, that was the primary live tournament win of his career and, until last night, his only in no-limit hold'em. It became the springboard for that staggering run of success.
Danzer has now won his second NLHE title and can come into the rest of this festival, then the previous couple of stops at the EPT, in high spirits. He'll be one to watch, as ever.
Here are the whole results from last night's tournament (and it's worth mentioning another cash for Dara O'Kearney. He has now gone back-to-back-to-back-to-back in live tournaments having also made the overall of the former three events he has played, including second within the PokerStars Super Series event on the Hippodrome).
| 1 | George Danzer | Germany | Team PokerStars Pro | € 34,330.00 |
| 2 | Christian Stratemeyer | Germany | € 24,840.00 | |
| 3 | Robert Heidorn | Germany | € 16,020.00 | |
| 4 | Hermann Behrens | Germany | € 12,130.00 | |
| 5 | Florian Bach | Germany | € 9,390.00 | |
| 6 | Michael Petelkau | Germany | € 7,330.00 | |
| 7 | Dara O'Kearney | Ireland | € 5,840.00 | |
| 8 | Sascha Niese | Germany | € 4,580.00 |
Photos in Hamburg by Tomas Stacha
Read More... [Source: PokerStarsBlog.com :: Eureka Poker Tour]
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