EPT11 Prague Main Event – Through the Bubble

Day 3 of the EPT Prague Main Event kicked off moments ago, and today the players will finally know who gets to go home with at least a little something to show for their efforts. With 159 getting paid, the remaining 200 players will not have to wait for too long for this to happen, but it does mean we will have quite a few more disappointed faces before the hand-for-hand stage of the tournament is initiated.

Many fell yesterday, as more than 400 title-chasers were forced to leave their seats and, with it, dreams of adding an EPT victory to their resumes. The likes of reigning WSOP world champion Martin Jacobson, number one Bulgarian player Dimitar Danchev, PokerStars Team Pro Bertrand ‘ElkY’ Grospellier were all shown the door, together with many others.

While many of those returning today will have the bubble on their minds, those thoughts most likely do not pester PokerStars qualifier Brian Altman. Brian ended up bagging the most chips in the room and he returns today with a stack of 704,100. Originally from the USA, now living in Canada, Altman has never cashed in an EPT event before, so this could be his turning point.

Some well-known names that we will also see returning today are those of Andras Nemeth, Davidi Kitai, Mickey Petersen, Vanessa Selbst, Eugene Katchalov, Johnny Lodden and George Danzer. The last two will have some making up to do to get back in the game, as their stacks are not in the six-figure category, but there is no doubt that they can do it (with some good run, of course).

To remind you once again, although today is the bubble day, it is the first place prize that is just shy of €1 million that occupies the dreams of the players still in contention. We are talking real life-changing money here, and even for those high rollers with big bankrolls, this is far from pocket change.

We will have to wait a few more days to find out whose name will be carved on the trophy of the last European Poker Tour event of 2014, but it is not only the winning that counts. The journey itself has a special value for many players and fans alike. This is particularly true for those who are getting their first taste of the EPT experience, since going deep provides them with a lot of excitement and memorable moments.

We will keep an eye on the developments and keep you in the loop as the EPT train loses its wagons, picking up some speed in the process.

Image: PokerStars Blog