World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) Event #5 €2,200 No-Limit Hold’em (NLHE) sees Andrei Konopelko leading Day One. Jonathan Little, James Dempsey and John Juanda all finish the day with strong chip stacks.
337 players have contributed to a prize pool of €647,040, and with 102 players still remaining in the competition, the person with more chips than most is Andrei Konopelko with 78,375.
Let’s take a look at how that unfurled.
Level 2: Early Risers Turn Into Early Departures
Four lads who suffered from premature pokerlation were David Yan, Chris Klodnicki, Scott Clements and Dan Shak; all four of them getting on the wrong side of the early poker news.
David Yan was happy as Larry when he hit the nut flush only to be surpassed by his opponent’s straight flush; Chris Klodnicki played just one hand, flopped middle set, and somehow lost; Scott Clements ran kings into aces and Dan Shak did something similar when he peeled over his cards to also see the cowboys firing blanks.
Level 3: Esfandiari and Lacay Bust
Antonio Esfandiari got all his chips in the middle holding pocket queens and amazingly five other players also held pocket pairs. Unfortunately, for the Magician, one of them was pocket kings and unlike Clements and Shak beforehand, the Kings held up and Esfandiari was out.
Another dangerous player found the rail in the third level after Ludovic Lacay succumbed to the blind special of Andy Frankenberger. The European Poker Tour (EPT) champion firing away with his ace-queen on [6692Q] only for Frankenberger to be sitting pretty with [8s] [6s]. The all-in on the river proving the fatal blow for the Frenchman.
Level 5: ElkY, Madsen and Holden All Leave
Bertrand ‘ElkY’ Grospellier made his move with pocket sevens, was looked up by [As] [4s], and his opponent duly rivered the nut flush.
Sam Holden had his aces cracked by [Kd] [7d] when the flop fell [Jh] [7h] [7c] (Don’t you just hate life when that happens?)
Then Jeff Madsen found his way to the rail in a sick cooler. The board was showing [Ac] [5s] [3s] [4d] when the money went in. Madsen was holding pocket deuces for the wheel, and his opponent, Byron Kaverman, was holding [As] [4s] for two pair and the nut flush. Yes you’ve guessed it…the [6s] on the river handing Kaverman the flush.
Level 6: No Player of the Year Points For Harwood
Loni Harwood came to Paris with an outside chance of winning the WSOP Player of the Year (POY) title, but it looks like a lost cause after busting in this one. Harwood running [Ac] [Kc] into the pocket aces of Laurent Polito to miss out on both the money and points.
Max Steinberg the other big name to perish, running ace-king into the pocket queens of Anaras Alekberovas. The Lithuanian rivering a third queen to settle matters.
Level 7: Daniel Negreanu is Out and Konopelko Leads
Matthew Ashton increased his chances of winning the WSOP POY title after Daniel Negreanu bust in the seventh level of play. Yuryy Gully finding ace-king when Negreanu made a move with pocket nines. Five cards later and Big Slick had somehow got there and the Canadian was out.
Then Andrei Konopelko finished off the days event’s in style, with a three way all-in that eliminated two players and cemented his position as the overnight chip leader.
It was pocket aces for Konopelko, pocket queens for Byron Kaverman and [Ks] [Qs] for Dario Sammartino. A third ace on the turn dispelling any rumors of excitement, and just like that the day had ended.
Top Five Chip Counts
1st – Andrei Konopelko – 78,375
2nd – Jonathan Little – 64,775
3rd – James Dempsey – 58,275
4th – Sam Greenwood – 55,375
5th – Jason Mann – 51,600
