Simon "C. Darwin2" Mattsson Among Chip Leaders in Strong Field in Day 1a of the Main Event
The 2019 PokerStars.es EPT Barcelona �5,300 Main Event kicked off today at Barcelona Casino. In the first of two starting flights, the flagship event attracted 726 runners, of which 259 have secured themselves a place in Day 2. One year ago when a new record was set with 1,931 entries in total, the first starting flight attracted 598 entries and a new record may very well set once again.
Many big names gathered around the Salon Gaudi but when it was time to bag at the end, it was Simon Mattsson who emerged near the top of the counts. The online superstar from Sweden, who has cashed for more than $7.5 million under his moniker "C. Darwin2" on PokerStars, chipped up to an impressive 292,000 during the 10 hours on today��s schedule and trails only chip leader Benjamin Chalot (300,000).
Mattsson won the � 2,200 No-Limit Hold'em in the 2017 PokerStars Championship here in Barcelona for � 286,200, his biggest live score so far. His run was even more difficult considering the table he was on during the last couple of levels. Featuring tournament regulars that included Pete Chen and Alex Rocha.
Of the PokerStars Ambassadors in contention today, Kalidou Sow (160,000) took the biggest stack forward. Former professional hockey player Fatima Moreira de Melo claimed 83,700 for Day 2 and Leo Fernandez follows with 63,800. Chris Moneymaker bagged up 31,200 and Maria Konnikova also advanced but dropped to 18,300 after a promising start.
Many of the well-known names who took their chance will return for Day 2 on Wednesday. They include Alex Keating (218,800), Govert Metaal (207,500), 2010 EPT Copenhagen Main Event championAnton Wigg (205,000), Steve O'Dwyer (191,700), Georgios Vrakas (147,000), Triple Crown champion Davidi Kitai (142,800), Orpen Kisacikoglu (128,000), Luc Greenwood (94,300), David "ODB" Baker (87,200), Isaac Haxton (74,800), Kristen Bicknell (54,800), Gaelle Baumann (41,300), and Faraz Jaka (25,200).
The well-known brothers Jack Salter and Louis Salter managed to both find a bag at the end of day with 29,800 and 74,700 respectively. Defending champion Piotr Nurzynski took a seat today but ran out of chips in his first attempt to go back-to-back in the biggest EPT Main Event of the year.
Another EPT Barcelona Main Event Champion, Jan Boubli, made a nice come back in the Barcelona Casino and bagged 31,500. Boubli won the coveted trophy in 2005 for � 426,000. His last cash in an EPT Event was exactly 10 years ago, during the Main Event in Barcelona where he finished at the 71st place.
Throughout the course of the day, players such as Alan Lau, Pete Linton, Mike Del Vecchio, Paul-Francois Tedeschi, Natalie Teh, Sam Greenwood, David Peters, Dominik Panka, Thomas Muehloecker, Griffin Benger, Timothy Adams, Ema Zajmovic, Romain Lewis, Julien Martini and Max Silver were all eliminated, just to name a few.
For those who haven��t used their single re-entry, there is always Day 1b on Tuesday, August 27, which - in terms of the structure - will be pretty much an exact replica of today, starting at 12 pm and with 10 one-hour levels on the clock. There will be a 20-minute break after every two hours, except for the 75-minute dinner break at the end of Level 8.
The field will join together Wednesday, August 28th at noon and blinds will resume in level 11 at 800/1,600 and a big blind ante of 1,600.
Keep following along with PokerNews live coverage of the 2019 EPT Barcelona as the Main Event moves one day closer towards crowning a new champion.