Online qualifier leads the way at half-time

Sometimes Lady Luck spares a smile for even the most modest among the poker playing community, and in overnight chip leader Felipe Carreño, she certainly found favour.

Carreño played his way into the PPT Madrid via Paradise Poker and far from carrying out the role of small fry in a room full of sharks, he amassed an imposing stack standing over 200,000 chips high.

Speaking to the PPT blog however, there was not a trace of over-confidence or arrogance about his fine day's play - and he was candid enough to admit a mere top 20 target.

"I got the right hands at the right moment," he explained, "I picked up pocket Aces once and pocket Jacks four or five times and always got paid off, so I won all my chips in only a few hands."

With a place in the money still not a certainty (although just 11 players stand between Felipe and the bubble bursting), the chip leader was in cautious mood.

"I didn't expect to do this well and so I'd settle for a place in the top 20. Now I'm chip leader I would love to make the final table - it would make me very happy!

"I won't be changing my style though. I always play tight so I'll be sticking with that plan until the end, because it's got me this far."