8.18pm: Break down
We’re half way though the day and another break is the order of the day. You’ll find all the new updates in a new post.
8.15pm: Twin doubles
Team PokerStars Pro Mattias De Meulder is up to around 20,000 after catching a river card to double-up.
The young Belgian explained that he raised with queen-ten and was only called by a player on the button. He c-bet a K J 2 flop and was called. The turn came a three and De Meulder check-raised all-in. His opponent tank called with jack-four but lost out as the river came a queen.
8pm:Some chip counts
Matthias de Meulder — 9,000
Leo Margets — 6,000
Vincent Bigeon — 25,000
Alex Ferguson — 18,000
Raul Paez — 12,000
Santiago Terrazas — 9,225,000
Tomeu Gomila — 24,000
Nestor Ygborn — 12,000
Juan Manuel Pastor — 13,775
7.40: The numbers without all the figures
Registration closed at the beginning of level three and no more alternates were allowed in. A total of 211 managed to enter today, taking the total main event number to 426. That will create a total prize pool of €372,154. The powers that be are still working out how this will be broken down into payouts and we’ll publish that information as soon as we have it.
7.25pm: The show must go on
Unfortunately Team PokerStars Pros Ana Marquez, Nacho Barbero and Leo Fernandez didn’t show up to play. We’ll miss them but, as there is so much poker talent on offer today, it won’t be for long. Team Online is represented today by a Spanish star.
Javier “El_Canonero” Dominguez joined Team Online on January this year. He started playing Magic The Gathering and then moved to poker, where he got astonishing results, including a cash in the Sunday Million for $148.000.
LEVEL UP: BLINDS 100-200
7.10pm: He came, he saw, he had fun, and he busted quickly
Former Spanish international Poli Rincon turned up late today and seemed like he wanted to try and win the tournament today. He terrorised his table with pure aggression. This helped him up to 26,000 chips but the style of play caught up with him and he was eliminated.
We approached the table as Marius Campan was three-betting to 1,225 from the button. The Friend of PokerStars was in the small blind and quickly put in a four-bet to 3,150. The original raiser folded but the Romanian made the call.
The flop fell 9♥4♠3♣ and Rincon moved all-in for his last 9,150. Campan apologised for taking his time and then made the call, almost all-in, with J♣J♦. It was good as Ricon tabled 7♣7♥ and the board ran out 4♦K♦.
6.50pm: Slow elimination pace
It has to be said that the rate of eliminations is at a slower pace today than yesterday. Of course, the structure will even this out across the day but it means players are probably playing tighter in the earlier stage than those of yesterday. Those who have fallen today include:
João Pedro de Castro
Ivan Kucic
Paweł Brzeski
Cedric Rey
Gorgolewski Alex Robert
Omar Rodriduez
Khiem Nguyen
Marciano Rodriguez Cortes
Popa Mihail Florin
Maria Maceiras
6.40pm: Nestling into things
Nestor Ygborn has perked up a lot and his stack is going the same way. He just looked up and said, “Value bet, Marc” after betting and winning a pot with ace-high.
He was sat in the small blinds and called a mid position raise from Daniel Ranta. The flop came down 4♦4♣6♥ and Ygborn check-called a 300 c-bet from the Romanian. The turn came Q♠ and both players checked before the Swede led out for 300 on the 3♦ river. Ranta called but mucked upon seeing Ygborn’s A♠J♣ for ace-high. He’s up to 18,000 now.
LEVEL UP: BLINDS 75-150
6.30pm: Break time and internet issues
Sorry for the lack of coverage just recently. The wi-fi code had to be changed and then it took about four brains to work out why my laptop wasn’t letting me back online. Thankfully Rene, our photographer, figured it out.
The players had a break during the blackout and we’re now into level 3.
5.50pm: Battle of egos?
Tomeu Gomila and Raul Paez are two of the better known Spanish players and we wrote before about them sitting at the same table. They have clashed in many pots and seem to both want to be the table captain.
Paez got the better of their last battle. He raised to 250 from mid position and was called in two spots before Gomila three-bet to 1,725 from the big blind. The action was back on Paez and he snap shoved his remaining 12,500. The two callers folded, as did Gomila after some procrastinating.
Meanwhile Rincon is still is full on aggressive mode. It’s working for him right now as he’s up 26,000 after a little more than thirty minutes of play, for him.
5.30pm: The boys arrive late
Team PokerStars Pro Juan Manuel Pastor and Poli Rincon have turned up in level two to begin their quest for an Estrellas title.
We’re not sure how Pastor is currently getting on but apparently the Friend of Poker Stars has been playing very aggressively and going all-in every third hand. It’s time to watch that table for a while!
5.20pm: Nestor needs help
We saw Nestor Ygborn at a bar last night but it seems as if he stayed out a little later than us. He’s slumped in his chair and he also has to deal with the aggressive Maria Macieras, who is two seats to his left.
The good news for the Swede is that she is down to 12,000 chips already. We witnessed her lose a small pot to her neighbour. She was on the button and he was in the small blind. Macieras called a turn bet before both checked the river when the board read 2♥ 6♥ 3♣ K♦ 10♠. The small blind tabled 7♦ 7♣ and it was good.
LEVEL UP: BLINDS 50-100
5pm: Looking for back-to-back
The last Estrellas event was a biggie as it was also an EPT. Juan Perez and Tomeu Gomila both made the final table in Barcelona so their confidence will be high. Perez, who came 7th for €105,000, doesn’t seem to have any other notables at his table. Gomila, who finished 5th for €185,000, has to deal with Raul Paez and the two have tangled in small pots already.
4.50pm: Javier sick to the Gils
It didn’t take long to lose out first player today and it’s no surprise to find out he went out whilst holding pocket aces.
Javier Martinez Gil raised from under-the-gun and then four-bet when David Lopez three-bet from the small blind. Call. Both checked the flop to go to the turn where the board read J♥ 9♠3♠4♠. Lopez led for 1,100 and called when Gil raised to 3,500.
The river came 7♥ and Lopez checked to see Gil move all-in for his remaining 8,000 with pocket aces. Lopez called with top set of jacks and took the pot, the scalp and the early double-up. He came third in the first ever Estrellas event and has played every one since, despite not playing poker that much before. With hands like this, I can see why he enjoys the game.
4.30pm: Slowly filling up
The start was very efficient today but that meant a lot of tables still had empty seats. Notables we have noticed in their seats include Matthias De Meulder, Leo Margets, Raul Paez, and Santaigo Terrazas.
I ran into Vincent Bigeon, from Germany, in the supermarket today. He’s playing today and looking today an Estrellas cash to add to the one EPT cash to his name.
Two British players, Neil Rawnsley and Alex Ferguson, are also playing today. Ferguson took over our vacated taxi to go off and locate a pair of shoes. He only came to Ibiza with a pair of flip-flops and the casino wont let him in.
4.05pm: Cards are in the air
The Spanish floor man just announced, “Shuffle and deal” so I guess that means that play is underway.
3.40pm: Welcome back for Day 1b
The party was so good here in Ibiza yesterday that we thought we would do it all over again. This time we want to party with a whole new bunch of people. Wind the decks back to level one and pack another 215 players onto the dance floor.
Only about half of them will have the moves to stand the pace of eight one hour levels but there will be lots of players with the stamina to try and do so. Team PokerStars Pros Ana Marquez, Juan Manuel Pastor, Nacho Barbero and Leo Fernandez are all expected to take seats. We are also expecting legendary Dutch poker blogger Frank Op de Woerd to show the pros how it’s done.
Play is due to begin at 4pm local time.
PokerStars Blog reporting team at Estrellas Ibiza: Marc Convey. Photos by Rene Velli
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