There have been four casualties on table 83 already, and two players with big stacks were moved away to balance the field. Three of the empty seats were filled very recently and the new faces include Theodoros Aidonopoulos, Pedro Oliveira and Alex Foxen.
Oliveira finished 11th for $675,000 in the 2017 World Series of Poker Main Event in Las Vegas while Foxen sits in 7th place of the 2017 WSOP player of the year race.
After losing a big hand with two pair vs a set, Kristen Bicknell was down to around 7,000 chips. There was a raise to 700 from middle position and call from the hijack with the action on Bicknell on the button. She moved all-in and was called by the player in the hijack.
Bicknell:
Hijack:
The flop came and Bicknell was in trouble. The turn and river brought no help and Bicknell was ousted from Event #1.
Two big pots played out over on table 83 and one of them would essentially end up in the elimination of Olivian Balint.
Adolf Kern bet a three-way pot on the flop for 5,100 from the hijack and forced two folds including Salvatore Camarda, who mucked the . "I had better," Kern said and admitted in table chat he had pocket kings.
Soon after, the turn showed and Micky Blasi on the button bet 4,450 to force a fold from Darren Delahunty in the big blind. Balint called and the river was checked to Balint, who moved all in. Blasi snap-called for 1,025 and was shown for a pair of sixes only by Balint. Blasi had for the flopped straight and doubled, while Balint's remaining 500 chips vanished the next hand.
The cards were already rushed away while Fabian Gumz was spotted leaving the tournament area. After his ill-timed bluff with the ace-ten earlier, Gumz only had 2,000 chips left and lost those just now with versus . Gumz flopped an ace but running diamonds gave his opponent a flush.
At almost the same time, Robert Auer arrived with a ticket in the hand and sat down to enter the competition.
Picking up the action on the flop, Kunal Patni bet 825 out of the big blind and John Racener called from middle position. On the turn, Patni fired again, making it 2,025 to go. Racener didn't go anywhere and called before doing so again on the river.
Patni rolled over and Racener had that beat with the to win the first big pot of the day.
The long wait has come to an end, as the 2017 World Series of Poker Europe gets underway at 2 p.m. local time at King's Casino in Rozvadov with Day 1a of the €1,100 Monster Stack. Europe's biggest poker arena near the border to Germany has already hosted the WSOP International Circuit three times, but the WSOPE takes place for the first time in Rozvadov after various alternating locations in Europe prior.
The first of 11 bracelet events is the €1,100 Monster Stack with a guarantee of €500,000 and three starting days, players can fire up to three bullets in total for the tournament if they get eliminated on Day 1a or Day 1b subsequently. Each Day 1 will play a total of 14 levels of 30 minutes each and the registration remains open for the first eight levels until approximately 9 p.m. local time. All participants receive 20,000 in chips and the tournament is scheduled to play down to a winner on Monday October 23rd 2017.
Event #1 Monster Stack Schedule
Day
Date
Information
October 19th
Day 1a at 2pm
14 Levels 40 min each, late reg 8 levels ~ 9pm
October 20th
Day 1b at 2pm
14 Levels 40 min each, late reg 8 levels ~ 9pm
October 21st
Day 1c at 2pm
14 Levels 40 min each, late reg 8 levels ~ 9pm
October 22nd
Day 2 at 2pm
Levels last 60 min each, play down to final table
October 23rd
Day 3 at tba
Levels last 60 min each, play down to a winner
Defending champion of the tournament is Ryan Hefter, who emerged victorious back in 2015 after defeating a 580-entry field after defeating Gilbert Diaz heads-up for his first career bracelet and payday of €176,205. Whether Hefter will make the trip to Rozvadov or not remains to be seen. Other notables that will most likely take part today include John Racener, Kristen Bicknell and Felipe Ramos.
The PokerNews live reporting team will be here throughout the 19-day festival to provide updates for all bracelet events and the €25,000 High Roller.