The 2024 PokerStars European Poker Tour Prague rolled on today with Day 1a of the prestigious €5,300 Main Event, marking the final Main Event of the year on the circuit.
A total of 466 entrants took their seats inside the elegant Hilton Prague, reflecting a more than ten percent increase over last year’s Day 1a turnout of 412 entries.
Only 146 players managed to survive the day and bag chips for Day 2. Leading the pack is Italy’s Gianfranco Iaculli, who amassed an impressive stack of 294,000. Hot on his heels is France’s Christian Alilovic, finishing the day in second place with 272,000 chips, while Denmark’s Mikkel Nielsen rounds out the top three with 244,000.
Notably, the top ten chip counts are represented by players from ten different countries, highlighting the truly international field at this year’s EPT Prague.
Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gianfranco Iaculli | Italy | 294,000 | 196 |
| 2 | Christian Alilovic | France | 272,000 | 181 |
| 3 | Mikkel Nielsen | Denmark | 244,000 | 163 |
| 4 | Elvis Petcu | Romania | 223,000 | 149 |
| 5 | Alexander Sokolovsky | Serbia | 222,500 | 148 |
| 6 | Gab Yong Kim | South Korea | 203,000 | 135 |
| 7 | Alen Sabic | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 202,500 | 135 |
| 8 | Karl Sandoff | Sweden | 201,500 | 134 |
| 9 | Max Neugebauer | Austria | 189,000 | 126 |
| 10 | Vanessa Kade | Canada | 188,000 | 125 |
Vanessa Kade once again finds herself in familiar territory — among the chip leaders in a major poker tournament. Kade boasts four EPT cashes, three of which were achieved during this series in Prague. A highlight of her career was winning the PokerStars Sunday Million 15th Anniversary event in March 2021, where she outlasted nearly 70,000 entries to claim a record-breaking prize of $1,514,920 — the largest ever awarded in the tournament's history.
Kade slowly built her stack throughout the day and eliminated Leo Worthington-Leese in the penultimate level with pocket queens to secure one of the top stacks in the room.
South Korea’s Gab Yong Kim capped off a solid Day 1a by bagging an impressive 203,000 chips. Kim, currently ranked third on South Korea's all-time money list with over $3 million in live tournament earnings, has built a reputation as one of the country’s top poker talents. Known for his deep runs on the international circuit, he’s well-positioned to make another strong showing as the tournament heads into Day 2.
Both Barny Boatman and Derk Van Luijk won't be back for more in the Main Event as they both dusted off their permitted two bullets over the course of the day. Kerryjane Craigie, the aforementioned Worthington-Leese, Leo Margets, Felix Schneiders, Padraig O'Neill, and Conor Beresford all went through one bullet and will undoubtedly be back for more when Day 1b gets underway.
Some notables to make it through include Max Neugebauer (189,000), Brandon Sheils (134,000), Grzegorz Glowny (124,000), Jon Kyte (75,000), and Morten Klein (56,500) just to name a few.
Remaining Schedule
| Date | Day | Time | Blind Levels |
|---|---|---|---|
| December 10 | Day 1b | 12 p.m. | 60 minutes |
| December 11 | Day 2 | 12 p.m. | 90 minutes |
| December 12 | Day 3 | 12 p.m. | 90 minutes |
| December 13 | Day 4 | 12 p.m. | 90 minutes |
| December 14 | Day 5 | 12 p.m. | 90 minutes |
| December 15 | Day 6 | 12:30 p.m. | 90 minutes |
Day 1b, the final opportunity for players to secure a stack for Day 2, takes place on Tuesday, December 10. Survivors from both flights will merge on Wednesday, December 11, when Day 2 begins, and late registration officially closes.
Be sure to keep your eyes glued to PokerNews as the live reporting team continue to bring you coverage straight from the tournament floor.
