€5,300 EPT Main Event
Day 1a Completed
2019 PokerStars EPT Prague
€5,300 EPT Main Event
Day: 1a
Level 10
: 600/1,200, 1,200 ante
After ten levels of 60 minutes each, the first of two starting days of the €5,300 Main Event at the 2019 PokerStars European Poker Tour Prague has concluded with Pierre Calamusa towering above the competition. The French pro plowed his way through a Day 1a field that drew 391 entries — 20 more than last year — and ultimately put 457,000 in his bag, nearly twice the size of his nearest competitor.
Seemingly sporting a massive stack throughout the day, Calamusa did need both of his bullets to amass his piles. After coming up short on his first try early in the day, he fared much, much better with his second chance. Having already racked up over $1.2M in lifetime winnings, Calamusa will be in the driver's seat to add plenty more when the 127 remaining players will return on Friday at noon for Day 2.
While one man hogged the spotlights and stole the show, other notables sporting healthy stacks advanced as well. Rozvadov, Czech Republic's local massage parlor owner Yehuda Cohen, notorious under his alias "ChiKKita BanAAna", bagged a top-five stack with 213,700. Irish transplant, high stakes legend and former EPT champion Steve O'Dwyer also nestled himself among the top stacks in the room and bagged 206,400 to kick off his tournament in style. Stefan Egermann (285,100) and Roland Chassing (248,600) rounded out the top five with 200k+ stacks as well.
Big names such as Aliaksei Boika (156,000), Fahredin Mustafov (138,000), Arsenii Karmatckii (119,500), Dietrich Fast (105,200), Adrian Mateos (104,100), Hossein Ensan (94,800) and Rainer Kempe (23,200) will also be back on Friday after finding a bag after ten levels of 60 minutes.
PokerStars ambassador Kalidou Sow, the 2017 EPT Prague Main Event winner, was one of the two representing the Red Spade on Day 1a, together with PSPC champ Ramon Colillas who busted out. In a big hand with fellow EPT-winner Boika, Sow and Boika both held ace-king against Kimmo Kurko's pocket jacks. The dealer fanned out four wheel cards to keep both Boika and Sow in the tournament, and the pair chopped up most of Kurko's chips in the process. Sow ultimately survived the day with 79,000 in chips and will be back on Friday.
The EPT Main Event offers a single reentry and among those that ran out of one or both of their bullets today were the likes of Davidi Kitai, Sam Greenwood, Ole Schemion, Joris Ruijs and the defending champ, Paul Michaelis. Those that have their second bullet left can opt to reenter on Day 1b, or up until the start of Day 2 if they do so desire.
Day 1b kicks off at noon on Thursday and, like Day 1a, will feature ten levels of 60 minutes each, with a 75-minute dinner break after level 6. Make sure to check back regularly to PokerNews for all the latest from the European Poker Tour in Prague!
Level 10
: 600/1,200, 1,200 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
457,000
27,000
|
27,000 |
|
||
|
285,600
15,600
|
15,600 |
|
248,600
-1,400
|
-1,400 |
|
213,700
33,700
|
33,700 |
|
206,400
16,400
|
16,400 |
|
||
|
199,600
69,600
|
69,600 |
|
195,000
195,000
|
195,000 |
|
194,700
194,700
|
194,700 |
|
192,600
112,600
|
112,600 |
|
||
|
189,900
-40,100
|
-40,100 |
|
186,500
11,500
|
11,500 |
|
180,600
180,600
|
180,600 |
|
||
|
166,000
6,000
|
6,000 |
|
||
|
161,000
-19,000
|
-19,000 |
|
158,200
158,200
|
158,200 |
|
156,000
-4,000
|
-4,000 |
|
||
|
150,000
150,000
|
150,000 |
|
146,100
146,100
|
146,100 |
|
|
145,500
145,500
|
145,500 |
|
145,400
15,400
|
15,400 |
|
143,800
3,800
|
3,800 |
|
138,300
113,300
|
113,300 |
|
138,000
106,000
|
106,000 |
|
136,300
136,300
|
136,300 |
|
134,300
4,300
|
4,300 |
Level 10
: 600/1,200, 1,200 ante
Fewer than 130 players have bagged and tagged for tonight and there is no doubt that Pierre Calamusa will be the chip leader by a large margin. Assorted counts will be published shortly, the full counts and a recap of today's action are to follow.
Level 10
: 600/1,200, 1,200 ante
In a battle of former EPT Main Event champions, Davidi Kitai was all in for what appeared to be 21,800 and Jan Bendik isolated from two seats over.
Davidi Kitai: 
Jan Bendik: 
The board came 
and Kitai bowed out just shy of bagging and tagging to try once again on Day 1b.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
77,000
42,000
|
42,000 |
|
|
||
|
Busted | |
|
|
||
Level 10
: 600/1,200, 1,200 ante
After creating a big pot of nearly 55,000 to the 
turn, Thomas Boivin in the small blind and Arsenii Karmatckii in the big blind opted to check. They also checked through the 
on the river and Boivin turned over 
as the winning hand.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
140,000
50,000
|
50,000 |
|
127,000
72,000
|
72,000 |
|
|
||
Level 10
: 600/1,200, 1,200 ante
There are 139 players out of 391 entries remaining and they are currently playing the last four hands for tonight.
Level 10
: 600/1,200, 1,200 ante
Per Linde opened to 2,500 in middle position and action folded around to Aladin Reskallah, who called from the small blind. The two saw the flop come 
and Reskallah checked. Linde put out a continuation-bet of 2,200 and Reskallah made the call, bringing the turn where action went check-check.
The river came 
to bring two pair on board and Reskallah fired out 6,300. Linde thought for a bit and then called.
Reskallah showed 
for queens full, getting a muck from Linde to earn him the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
34,300
2,300
|
2,300 |
|
28,500
-16,500
|
-16,500 |
Level 10
: 600/1,200, 1,200 ante
Kalidou Sow got his stack of 29,300 in after the 
turn and tabled the 
for queens and jacks while Aliaksei Boika had outs with the 
for an open-ender. The 
on the river was a blank and Sow doubled.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
160,000
-44,500
|
-44,500 |
|
|
||
|
79,000
36,300
|
36,300 |
Level 10
: 600/1,200, 1,200 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
430,000
60,000
|
60,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
270,000
122,000
|
122,000 |
|
|
250,000
90,000
|
90,000 |
|
|
180,000
158,500
|
158,500 |
|
|
175,000 | |
|
|
160,000
-35,000
|
-35,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
130,000
75,000
|
75,000 |
|
120,000
45,000
|
45,000 |
|
|
||
|
110,000
35,000
|
35,000 |
|
|
||
|
100,000
35,000
|
35,000 |
|
100,000
38,000
|
38,000 |
|
95,000
5,000
|
5,000 |
|
15,000
4,500
|
4,500 |