The PokerStars European Poker Tour Prague at the Hilton Prague continued today with the third Super High Roller tournament of the series: the €25,000 Super High Roller Second Chance. A total field of nine was amassed by the end of the night, but with registration still open until the start of play on Day 2, this number is expected to grow.
Markkos Ladev took pole position in this star-studded field, converting his starting stack of 250,000 into a final sum of 687,000. Ladev has fired bullets on the prior €25,000 and €50,000 Super High Rollers this series, but has yet to find a cash in either five-figure buy-in tournament. However, Ladev took to the felt today with a vengeance and is looking to turn this early momentum into a big win here in Prague.
End of Day 1 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Markkos Ladev | Estonia | 687,000 | 115 |
| 2 | Teun Mulder | Netherlands | 435,000 | 73 |
| 3 | Derk Van Luijk | Netherlands | 340,000 | 57 |
| 4 | Viacheslav Buldygin | Russia | 318,000 | 53 |
| 5 | Thomas Santerne | France | 274,000 | 46 |
| 6 | Steve O'Dwyer | Ireland | 156,000 | 26 |
| 7 | Niklas Astedt | Sweden | 65,500 | 11 |
Action of the Day
Despite the delay to the start of play as the high rollers took their seats, the action was electric the moment chips hit the felt.
It only took a matter of hands until Derk Van Luijk's starting stack was devoured by a cooler that saw Ladev gain a steady chip lead from the first level; although Van Luijk believed he’d found the dream flop, having made trips, he was only two streets away from finding out Ladev’s pocket pair had also flopped a full house. The dealer barely had a chance to move the button before Van Luijk had already coughed up another €25,000 buy-in and retaken his seat.
Ladev managed to retain this early momentum, ending the day exactly how he started it - the chip leader.
The only player to come close to taking Ladev’s crown was Teun Mulder. Level 6 saw Mulder put to the test, by Viacheslav Buldygin, for his tournament life. After a lengthy tank, Mulder sniffed out Buldygin’s bluff and doubled up right back into contention.
Mulder started to see real traction when a collision of premium hands saw Thomas Santerne become the second elimination of the day. Santerne and Mulder tangled on the flop in a four-bet pot, eventually seeing the entirety of the Frenchman’s stack engulfed by the pocket kings of Mulder. Santerne went to the registration desk and was back in his seat before Mulder finished stacking his newly acquired chips.
The conclusion of play saw all seven players who originally started the day bag stacks for tomorrow's restart.
Players will return to the felt tomorrow, December 12, at 12:30 p.m. local time. Play will recommence on Level 9 with blinds at 3,000/6,000 with a 6,000 big blind ante. Each level will remain 30 minutes long, and play will conclude once a winner is crowned.
Stick with PokerNews for live updates and chip counts straight from the tournament floor here at EPT Prague.
