Day 2 of the €5,300 European Poker Tour (EPT) Barcelona Main Event is underway at Casino Barcelona, as the 698 survivors from the two Day 1 flights merge to continue the contest. There was a total of 2,053 entries between the two flights, leaving the field 242 entries short of breaking last year’s tournament record…for now.
EPT Barcelona allows for late registration until Day 2 opens, so the final tally could eclipse the record. We’ll just have to wait and see. The tournament permits one re-entry per person, so anyone who did not enter more than once over the two starting flights can still try one more time before Day 2 begins.
As typically happens in these dual starting flight evens, Day 1B was bigger than Day 1A, with 1,261 entrants. 438 players emerged from that number to make it to Tuesday’s action.
The chip leader from Day 1B was Poland’s Sylwester Fortuna with 328,000 chips. That puts him in second place overall, behind Day 1A leader Toni Kaukua, who has 346,000.
Kaukua has about three-quarters of a million dollars in career live earnings, led by a $382,045 score for a third place finish in the $10,000 High Roller at EPT Paris in February. His other biggest cashes include a $187,273 prize for a second place finish in a WSOP Online bracelet event last year and $170,000 for a victory in the $5,000 High Roller at the Merit Poker Western Series in Kyrenia in January.
The plan for Tuesday’s Day 2 is to play at least five 90-minute levels, depending on how close the field is to the money. If five levels have come and gone and it looks like it will still be a while until the money bubble bursts, then that will probably be it for the night. If the money is just a few eliminations away, then expect to go into a sixth level.
€5,300 EPT Barcelona Main Event – Day 1B Chip Leaders
- Sylwester Fortuna – 328,000
- Wongyu Kang – 319,500
- Younes Hammouchi – 287,000
- Johnny Mendes – 280,000
- Claudio Di Giacomo – 266,500
- Martin Zamani – 243,500
- Brandon Mifsud – 239,000
- Franck Makaci – 231,500
- Antoine Labat – 223,500
- Alexandru Alman – 220,000
€5,300 EPT Barcelona Main Event – Combined Day 1 Chip Leaders
- Toni Kaukua – 346,000
- Sylwester Fortuna – 328,000
- Wongyu Kang – 319,500
- Julio Chia Cabrera – 290,000
- Younes Hammouchi – 287,000
- Johnny Mendes – 280,000
- Claudio Di Giacomo – 266,500
- Stanislou Shylkou – 247,000
- Martin Zamani – 243,500
- Brandon Mifsud – 239,000
