EPT Prague

I made it to Prague safe and sound. I am kind of excited to be playing my first EPT event. In years past the structures were sort of old school, with not a great blind structure or starting chip stack. Now it resembles the WPT in both. Especially when you come a long way for one event, it’s nice to feel like you are getting some value. This event was capped at 600 runners and with day 1a and 1b in the books it drew 584. AT 5,000 Euros it makes for an excellent prize pool. I was very interested to see what the field would be like. I had lunch with Greg Reymer while in Scottsdale last week and his opinion is that the fields at the EPT events are as competitive as the WPT’s. I agree with him that the top 100 players in each event are equivalent, however with fields of almost 600 versus 250-300 for the WPT’s and WSOP circuit events, it would appear to me that there is substantial value. With that being said I had a tough day.

There are also a good assortment of cash games, mostly no limit holdem and PLO.

I began the day at a late registration table and had Elky two to my right. He raised my blind pretty much every time. The third time around I called him with 55 after his 2.5 big blind raise. The flop came 5 7 k. He continued for 75% of the pot and I called. The turn brought a 9 and I bet 75% of the pot. He called and on the river an 8 fell and I checked. He bet 75% of the pot and I made a bad call. He of course showed 6 10 off suit. I then lost JJ to KJ when a king came on the river on a player who kept calling my bets for a flush draw. The table then broke and I took my 12k stack to the next table. This was a much better table. I never got a big pair or a great situation all day but managed to grind back up to 35k, and that table finally broke. I of course wind up next to Elky again and he is now the chip leader with about 175k. He was still playing every hand and in the Gus Hansen mode was getting so many chips in the pot against several of the short stacks early that he was forced to call the post flop shove. It seemed no matter what he needed managed to come. Although he did lose the last hand and gave up a double up. I was only at this table for 45 minutes, but was unable to play one hand. I finished the day with 31,000 chips, which was well below the 52,000 chip average. While playing at my second table the player to my right was quite friendly, Petter Karal. Although Norwegian, his family was originally Czech, and he knew Prague well and spoke the language. He invited me to dinner after the day’s play and we went to the central square for a traditional Czech dinner. The food was great and plentiful and for about $40 for 2 really cheap compared to the hotel. I am staying at the hotel that is hosting the event and although it is convenient it is somewhat overpriced. I was able to get a good hotel rate and flight package online. The costs in the hotel are a little crazy. For Internet in the room it is 25 Euros per day, and a small bottle of soda or water is 115 Czech or about $7, and a sandwich around $20-25. The good news is right across form the tournament area is a market where the same items are 90% less! There is also a really nice Internet coffee shop where I have breakfast and catch up online. I don’t mind paying a little more for the convenience, but 25 Euros per day for Internet service, which is about $37, is a bit much.

I’m off for a run along the river that runs through the center of the city then off to play. With the blinds and antes at 600/1,200 and 100 I have 25 big blinds or an m of about 11. I will have my work cut out for me, but still have some time.

I may make it to the Bellagio 5 Diamond, depending on the timing of this event. I would like to play the PLO and HORSE events, but it will be tight. I am curious how many players Bellagio will draw at the $15,000 buy in level. I would set the over-under at 325.