After a month-long layoff, Season 10 of the European Poker Tour (EPT) resumed Sunday with the opening flight of the EPT London Main Event. A total of 209 players paid the £5,250 to participate. This number should be eclipsed easily on Monday, since many prospective runners may have been spending their day on the computer, as most online poker sites have big tournaments on Sundays. Additionally, turnouts on Day 1B’s are historically more impressive than Day 1A’s. Dhru Patel leads the 105 Day 1A survivors with 241,000 chips as the group rests until Tuesday’s Day 2.
EPT London, being held at the Grand Connaught Rooms for the first time, is one of two stops, along with EPT Barcelona, to have been on the schedule each of the ten years. Last year’s turnout of 647 players was the lowest for EPT London since Season 5, when Michael Martin won £1,000,000 against 595 opponents.
One of Dhru Patel’s most significant hands of day required a bit of luck. After he called a pre-flop raise, Leo Margets re-raised to 3,000. The first raiser folded and Patel called to bring on a flop of J-7-2, all clubs. Margets checked, Patel bet 7,050, and then Margets check-raised all-in for about 20,000. Patel quickly called, showing two red 7’s for middle set. Margets held pocket Kings, a hand which went from dominant pre-flop to close to dead post-flop. She was unable to hit her two outer on the turn or river and was eliminated. That took Patel’s stack up to 77,000 at the time.
Patel’s highlight hand was arguably one that came towards the end of the night, even though it wasn’t quite as big as the one against Margets. Poker royalty Erik Seidel raised pre-flop to 1,600 and Patel made the call. After the J-3-2 flop, Seidel check-raised Patel’s 3,000 chip bet up to 14,000, putting himself all-in. Patel had a solid hand – K-J – giving him top pair, which was better than Seidel’s A-5, which was only Ace-high. Seidel did have outs, as he could hit an Ace or a 4 for the straight, but none of that happened and he was knocked out of the tournament.
Day 1B, which is expected to be very sizable, will commence at noon London time.
European Poker Tour London Main Event – Day 1A Chip Leaders
1. Dhru Patel – 241,000
2. David Yan – 182,200
3. Raj Ramakrishnan – 176,800
4. Peter Charalambous – 136,700
5. Niko Mykkanen – 127,100
6. Joel Nordkvist – 107,900
7. Mat Frankland – 104,200
8. Dan Smith – 103,800
9. Rasmus Vogt – 97,000
10. Tudor Purice – 93,100