The UK and Ireland Poker Tour (UKIPT) is essentially the European Poker Tour’s (EPT) little bro. It’s run by PokerStars, has similar signage, and anyone playing will recognize a number of the names taking part. Those familiar with the UKIPT will already be acquainted with the day 1A leader of the Cork leg of the tour, Sam MacDonald.
The 22-year-old Brit was in the same position that he is now at the season’s Nottingham leg. On that occasion he cashed in 24th place. After qualifying for a mere €15, tapping into the riches of the UKIPT is on MacDonald’s list. Otherwise, how’s he going to be able to afford opening up his dream “MacDonald’s MacDonalds” franchise whilst buying his old dad a new farm?
Cork’s Rochestown Hotel is the second Irish stop on the tour and the €500 main event got underway with 320 players that number now diminished to 81.
Over the Atlantic Sea, the World Poker Tour Championship main event has taken a break for the day leaving the high rollers to take centre stage. Truth is they couldn’t even get it done on the WPT Championship’s off day. The WPT’s first Super High Roller event saw a field of 29 players arrive with the bounty of $100,000. Of those that started, only 17 made it through to the second day’s action. A winner could still not be found from this group as two still remain and will battle it out later today for the $1,092,780.
Erik Seidel currently leads the two men with a stack of 7,120,000. It’s almost double that of his opponent Erick Lindgren whose stack of 4,480,000 leaves him with 45 big blinds to play with.
