Wednesday 15 September 2010

ParadisePoker Tour London Schedule

ParadisePoker have announced an amendment to the London leg of the PPT, with the festival now set to run from November 17th–21st.

The three-day Main Event will now take centre stage from Friday the 19th to its conclusion on Sunday 21st, with the 400-capped field dividing into two day one sessions on the Friday and Saturday.

Prior to the £125,000 guaranteed tournament will be a super satellite, giving players the chance to qualify for as little as £30, with two further Texas Hold'em Freezeouts on the 18th and 21st respectively. Full details below.

Venue: Fox Poker Club, Shaftesbury Avenue
Date: November 17th–21st


SUPER-SATELLITE
Date: November 17th
Game: Texas Hold’em No Limit Re-buy
Buy-in: £30
Fee: 10% of prize pool
Cap: 100
Starting chips: 2.000
Structure: 20 min levels
10 £550 seats will be guaranteed

MAIN EVENT
Date: November 19th – 21st
Day 1 A start time: 2pm local time
Day 1 B start time: 2pm local time
Day 2 start time: 2pm local time
Game: Texas Hold’em No Limit Freezeout
Buy-in: £500 + £50 - £125,000 Guaranteed
Cap: 200 per day one (400 total)
Starting chips: 10,000
See blind structure

SIDE EVENTS
Side Event One
Date: November 18th, 16:00 starting time
Game: Texas Hold’em No Limit Freezout
Buy-in: £200 + £20
Cap: 100
Starting chips: 6.000
Structure: 30 minute levels

Side Event Two
Date: November 21st, 16:00 starting time
Game: Texas Hold’em No Limit Freezout
Buy-in: £100 + £10
Cap: 80
Starting chips: 6.000
Structure: 30 minute levels

Monday 13 September 2010

Sergio delights in his maiden success

How does it feel to have won this event?
It feels amazing. I've been searching for my first win in a poker tournament for a long time and to do it here is a great feeling.

Was it more special to win it in Vilamoura?
It's fantastic to win it here and even more special to win a Paradise poker event. This is definitely my greatest achievement in poker so it is something I'll always remember.

It was such an aggressive final table, with first Rene Knapp and then Hugo Almeida taking control of things. What was your strategy?
It was difficult because the German player especially was being really aggressive and I couldn't find many spots to play hands. I knew he was stealing a lot though, so I felt my best chance of getting chips was to three-bet him.

Did you always believe you could win?
I did. I knew if I could get down to heads-up I would be able to change gears and that's what happened. I started being more aggressive and he couldn't answer it. It was a nice hand to finish because I knew I had him at the end.



Battle of the Almeidas is short and sweet for Sergio

Sergio Almeida upset the odds to defeat namesake Hugo heads-up to win the PPT Vilamoura after seizing the initiative late on.

When Rene Knapp made his exit in third, it seemed only one man was capable of lifting the trophy and winning the €31,525, but Sergio transformed his table image in quick time to take it down.

Hugo had been in the ascendency for a sustained period and took a 2-to-1 chip lead into the showdown, but he hardly won a hand as the action took a dramatic turn.

After a series of mucked hands, the explosive finish came after a three bet pot brought a flop with an air of inevitability.

With 220,000 chips in the pot, the rest went in after it came 10♣Q♣9♣ and when the players flipped their hands, it was apparent why.

Hugo loved his pair and open-ended straight draw, holding J♦9♦; that was until he saw Sergio had flopped a made hand with K♣J♥.

The one time underdog pumped his fist in delight at the victory, before collecting his cheque and trophy. Congratulations to Sergio on his victory!

Commiserations to our friend Hugo, meanwhile, but that €20,613 will likely be a comfort in the morning.

Rene out in 3rd with €13,338 consolation

One-time dominant chip leader Rene Knapp came back to earth as yet another battle with Hugo Almeida saw him exit in 3rd place.

The German had been the headline player through much of the final table, driving the action with his aggressive play both pre and post-flop.

But the luck turned on the teenager as his rival Almeida grew in confidence and his chip stack in stature, leaving him to revert to short stack strategy.

Eventually Rene got it all in with pocket 8s to rival Hugo's K♦10♥ and the flop immediately condemned him as it fell 4♣A♣K♠.

The later streets were no more useful, sending us heads-up for the ParadisePoker Tour Vilamoura trophy.

Paulo C. out in 4th for €10,305; Sergio gains a foothold

Sergio Almeida may yet have a bigger part to play in the fate of the PPT Vilamoura trophy than we might have thought, as he took the chance to eliminate Paulo Calado.

Calado shoved hit short stack with 4♥5♦ and despite his tight play, Sergio deemed A♠3♠ strong enough to take him on. The board brought little in the way of drama and sent Calado - and his sparkly shorts - out in 4th.

Sunday 12 September 2010

Hugo eliminates another - Carlos is 5th

Hugo Almeida is growing in influence at the final table and his chip stack just took another boost, taking out the short stack of Carlos Oliveira to leave the ParadisePro with an €8,488 prize.

Almeida (pictured) raised pre-flop and when "cmpjo" shoved, it was an easy call that pitted Hugo's K♠9♠ against the A♥7♠ of his countryman.

The deck has gradually found more favour with the calm, methodical approach of Almeida, which is also proving quite the antidote to Rene Knapp's unbridled aggression.

And so it proved, as the board came 9♥Q♠4♦-4-J♦ to knock out another dangerous opponent.

Previously Hugo had called two barrels with Ace high against Rene to win a huge pot before the last break.

Lady Luck continues to favour him too, as even when he took K7 to war with Paulo Calado's KK, the board brought a straight to split the pot.

Nuno exits in 6th, taking €7,275

Nuno Capucho has fallen in the PPT Vilamoura, losing out in a classic race with compatriot Hugo Almeida to pick up the €7,275 prize for 6th.

Almeida had raised it up with A♦10♦ and after being three-bet by Capucho, took his time in deciding to make the call.

He would have been relieved to see a pair no bigger than the 9s in Capucho's hand, and even more so when an Ace hit the flop. The montone board gave Nuno a number of flush outs, but the final heart failed to arrive.

Bet my shorts!

News of another prop bet in Vilamoura has emerged, as good friends Hugo Almeida and Paulo Calado fight it out for a ParadisePoker Tour victory.

The pair have allegedly agreed to split the prize money down the middle if they reach a heads-up duel, but with one added condition.

Play will continue until there is a winner, not only to decide the new owner of the PPT Vilamoura trophy, but for a particularly sparkly pair of shorts as well!

The legendary bermudas feature star fish and a sprinkling of diamonte and reportedly set Paulo back €120 down by the marina.

Despite his love for them, the poker author - who wrote Portugal's first ever poker book - is willing to put them on the line to prove he is the one wearing the... well, the shorts... when it comes to this particular friendship.

Bruno Rilhó eliminated in 7th, winning €6,063

Heads are starting to roll at the PPT Vilamoura as the 6,000/12,000 blinds eat up the time for patience at the final table.

They caught up with Bruno Rilhó as he clashed with Hugo Almeida, as both men flopped straight draws to cue the fireworks.

Hugo had started the action with a pre-flop raise holding KQ and when Bruno called with Q9, the 7♠J♣9♣ flop was always going to produce action.

It was the latter who got it all in first, but would hardly have been happy to see he was dominated by another draw. The 9♥ arrived on the river to complete Hugo's straight and send his rival to the rail.

Short stacks survive as seven remain

We may have lost two players in relatively quick succession but the remaining few are still clinging to tournament life for now.

Carlos Oliveira (pictured) - who has been uncharacteristically quiet so far - made his move with A♠5♣ and caught a bullet to keep him in play after Nuno Capucho called with 8♥8♦.

That was soon followed by another escape act, though this time it was the pocket pair that held up for Bruno Rilhó.

His 9s helped him to a double through courtesy of Paulo Calado's A♠K♠, which failed to connect on a 2♣6♥2♠-8♦-3♠ board.

Paulo Sarmento follows in eighth, winning €4,850

Despite leading the chip count at the dinner break, it is Paulo Sarmento who is next to leave us as his ongoing tussle with Rene Knapp cost him his chance of victory.

The winner has long looked like coming from one of the pair, as they demonstrated their aggressive streaks for all to see - and regularly butted heads across the baize.

Rene had been relentlessly raising pre-flop, taking control of the table in spite of his setback just before the interval, and when the right texture board arrived, neither man hesitated in getting their chips in the middle.

The German player raised from the button holding 10♣8♣, earning a call from Sarmento's K♠Q♦, before the rest was shipped on the 9♣Q♣3 flop♥.

There was a hint of fate about Knapp as the J♣ came on the turn, completing a straight flush and earning him nearly half of the 1.79m chips in play.

"He's definitely the favourite now," said Sarmento immediately after his defeat, "He's the best player at the table and deserves to win it.

"I was happy with how I played the hand because he's so aggressive and he shoves that flop with any draw, so I wasn't surprised it was a coin flip."

João Brito out in ninth, winning €3,683

Another short stack immediately succumbed after dinner as João Brito was unfortunate to find his A♥9♣ run into Aces.

The Portuguese player had struggled to make an impact in the pre-flop war that typified the first hours in the final and ultimately paid the price as Paulo Calado woke up with a monster.

There was a glimmer of hope on the 9♦J♠8♣ flop, but no further aid came as the turn and river read 2♥-K♠.

A short while later, Paulo C. was again putting his chips to good use, making the final raise all in on a board of 6♥6♦5♦-Q♠ against Bruno Rilho and forcing his rival to back down.

The business end of the evening

The PPT final table is back underway and looking down the chip count, it could be a busy few hours as these players wrestle for glory.

There is a certain equality about the stacks, as no one player stands clearly ahead of his rivals despite Paulo Sarmento's holding the edge
Full chip count

1.Paulo Sarmento - 341,500
2.Rene Knapp - 300,000
3.Nuno Capucho - 211,500
4.Sérgio Almeida - 206,500
5.Bruno Rilhó - 202,500
6.Hugo Almeida - 177,000
7.Paulo Calado - 172,500
8.Carlos Oliveira 146,500
9.João Brito - 96,500

Dinner, with a side of poker

The final table has broken for the dinner break but the PPT blog just can't stop, so we thought we'd bring you news of our latest side event.

The €135 No Limit Texas Hold’em Freezeout saw 37 players enter on Saturday evening and with the conclusion taking place today, it was Portuguese player Aníbal Figueiredo (pictured) who earned the cheers of his adoring fans.

The veteran poker player won over €1,800 for his toils at the tables, dragging in the last of the 222,000 chips this afternoon.

Congratulations to Aníbal, as well as the other four players who cashed in the event.

€135 No Limit Texas Hold’em Freezeout Results

Aníbal Figueiredo - €1,841
Amadeu Lima - €1,163
Ray Irwing - €775
Wendt - €581
João Caboz - €485

Another blow for the Germans

Hot on the heels of his compatriot's exit, Rene Knapp had his stack dented as he came off worse for a tangle with Bruno Rilho (pictured).

Having looked the leading force at the start of the final table, the luck seems to have turned against the young pretender to the PPT crown, as his local rival sucked out in dramatic fashion.

If the A♠7♣2♦ flop brought the fireworks - with both players getting their money in the middle - then the turn was positively explosive.

Rene had showed a dominant A♣10♠ vs Bruno's A♥8♥, but the latter's tournament life was saved when 8♣ turned the hand on its head and damaged German hopes of taking the PPT Vilamoura trophy beyond these shores.

However, despite relinquishing the chip lead, he is still among the larger stacks at the table and will hope to use the dinner break to cool off.

Falko out in tenth, winning €2,425

The German duo on the PPT Vilamoura final table has been halved as Falko Bertheau became the first player to depart in more than an hour's play.

The semi-professional player felt the moment had come when he picked up A♥8♥ in the small blind, three-betting all in over the top of a button raise.

Hugo Almeida sent shivers down his spine when he re-shoved to isolate, forcing the original raiser to fold, and showed down 7♦7♠ for a race.

The pocket pair looked to have missed its target when the flop came 8♠6♣9♠, but his open-ended straight draw connected on the turn when the 10♠ dropped, and Hugo completed a flush with the 5♠ for good measure.

Falko was pleased with his result in the end, even though it was tinged with disappointment.

"I was short stacked so I had to make the move," he told the PPT blog, "I'm happy with tenth but in the end it was a little bit unlucky.

"We were in a race so when I saw the eight, I thought I was in line to double up, but he made his straight and that was that.

"I've had a few good results, both online and in live tournaments, but this is up there. I'll be back to play another event another time."

Plenty of battles, but still no victims

Pre-flop aggression as been the order of the day at the PPT Vilamoura final table so far, but still no player has fallen victim to the rising blinds and antes.

The average stack stands at 179,000 chips so with blinds at 4,000/8,000, so most players have around 20bbs. Surely our first exit will follow shortly?

Germany v Portugal rages on

The ParadisePoker staff prop bet may be over, but the battle between Germany and Portugal rages on here in the Algarve.

Earlier in the competition, Paradise staff assembled a five-man team from each of the best represented nations at the PPT Vilamoura and put a last longer bounty on their heads.

It was the Portuguese who came out on top, with star team player Carlos Oliveira still rolling at the final table as we speak, but the German quota also lives on.

At the centre of the latest tussle has inevitably been Rene Knapp, the young German who boasts the chip lead in the final ten, even after he came off the worse from an all-in with Paulo Sarmento.

Rene opened in early position with A♦K♠, and when his rival looked down at Q♥Q♦, there was only going to be one outcome. The 378-J-10 deal improved neither player but doubled Paulo's stack to almost match his opponent's.

The Germans did manage to bite back when short stack Falko Bertheau forced Sarmento to fold a few hands later, three-betting all in pre-flop at the right moment to take the pot uncontested.

The Final Table

Our inaugural PPT Season Two final table is set and as expected there's a strong Portuguese in the top ten players.

Here is the line-up in full:

Seat 1: Nuno Capucho - 249,000
Seat 2: Bruno Rilho - 101,500
Seat 3: Rene Knapp - 424,000
Seat 4: Paulo Sarmento - 128,500
Seat 5: Joao Brito - 163,500
Seat 6: Falko Bertheau - 77,500
Seat 7: Hugo Almeida - 105,000
Seat 8: Carlos Oliveira - 139,000
Seat 9: Sergio Almeida - 171,000
Seat 10: Paulo Calado - 265,000

The decisive hand was a vintage AK vs 77, pre-flop all in. Nuno Capucho raised from the cut-off and after Luís Medina came over the top, tanked for several minutes before making the decision to enter a race.

His pair held up thanks to a low board of 4♠3♣4♣-6♠-8♣ and sent Medina out in 11th. He takes home €1,455, the same prize won by Łukasz Gębica after the Pole ran AQ into AK and finished 12th.

The final countdown

Just eleven players remain and we're going hand-for-hand now... Can you sense the final table?

Here's a reminder of the pay structure:

1st €31,525
2nd €20,613
3rd €13,338
4th €10,305
5th €8,488
6th €7,275
7th €6,063
8th €4,850
9th €3,683
10th €2,425

Rene lives up to his promise

Speaking to the PPT blog earlier this afternoon, Rene Knapp promised he would be going for the win once the bubble burst - and that pledge looked in good shape as he took down an enormous pot.

Getting involved with in a hand with fellow German Hans Mustafa Krsebom may not have been the plan, but when he three-bet pre-flop with A♥A♣, he could hardly have wished for a better flop.

The deck brought A♠9♥8♠ and after Rene c-bet, his friend turned foe check-raised with an open-ended straight draw and a 300,000 pot quickly materialised.

"I'll have to buy the drinks if I win it, because I didn't want to play against my friend ideally," he explained.

"It was an easy call when he went all-in, and there was no luck for him hitting his straight.

"I still don't care if I come top three, even eighth or ninth is fine but I have to keep playing for the win. I'll keep up the aggression with plenty of three-bets and hopefully it will carry me to the final table."

Big stacks take a hit with 17 left

The reign of the big stacks has run into some trouble in recent hands, as some of the medium stacks took a stand against the most persistent aggressors.

Łukasz Gębica was the first to suffer from the resistance, as having risen to a towering superpower standing 200,000 chips high, his relentless attack mode earned him a call in a blind battle.

Bullying his opponent with an ugly looking 8♣2♥, the Pole found no help when Nuno Capucho made a stand with pocket 6s.

Carlos Oliveira came close to crashing out after his own defeat, as another blind battle resulted in all the chips going in after the flop.

With K7 in the hole, "Cmpjo" liked the look of the 8910 board, only for his opponent Bruno Rilho (pictured) to call when he shipped and show K10, which held up.

Things looked ominous for the ParadisePoker sponsored player at that stage, but he has since bounced back, taking some big pots to re-establish a significant stack.

Burst bubble in Paradise

Danish player Johan Bindner was the unlucky player to lose his Main Event life one place shy of the money, but was in philosophical mood after being 'crowned' Season Two's first bubble boy.

"I came into the second day short stacked so I knew it could happen," he reflected with the PPT blog, "It's not that big a deal.

"I had half the average stack and took my chances, got it in with pocket threes and I definitely would have taken the coin flip!

"I enjoyed the event anyway," he added, "I played in Bulgaria last time and I live in Copenhagen, so I'll almost certainly play in that one too."

Several players had flirted with the bubble boy title, including Sergio Almeida, who put his tournament at risk with 10♠-8♣, only to love the call from the big blind as the bigger stack flipped 10♥-7♥.

Next in the firing line was Joao Brito, who found J♥J♦ at just the right moment; big stack Hugo Almeida calling with pockets 10s and finding no help from the board.

And so it was left to Bindner to have his exit greeted by a round of applause, as his 3♠3♣ came up short when called by the J♥7♥ of the big blind.

The flop struck immediately, coming 7♣K♦4♦ before the 9♦ and K♥ on the turn and river sealed his fate.

The weak and the strong - PPT on the bubble

The first break has arrived at Casino Vilamoura and with 22 players remaining, we're on the familiar cusp of the money that brings fear and pleasure in equal measure.

While the short stacks clam up and hope to hold on, our big stacks go from strength, and even the mid size sharks are enjoying the opportunity to take a few more pots uncontested.

German player Rene Knapp is some 20,000 short of the average yet he sees no reason to let up on his aggressive streak after a roller coaster afternoon so far.

"I have around 60,000 after starting the day on around 55,000, but I've been up to 100,000 and down to 30,000 in the first two hours," he smiled.

"I play really aggressive so it's always swingy, but my table is ok and with only 22 players left, there's some really short stacks around."

Aggression on the bubble is one thing, but Knapp says that is nothing compared to what he has in store once it bursts.

"Once the final two go bust, I'm going to get involved in plenty of action and go for the win. If it means I finish 20th, I don't care.

"It's only going to be ten or twenty minutes until it bursts, but in the meantime it's great because so many players are just folding into the money."

Down to 23...

Our first couple of hours have seen 13 eliminations so far, as we enter the bubble in Vilamoura.

Blinds are now seizing 4,500 chips from our players' stacks with every pass of the button, coupled with a 300 ante with every deal, but could the bubble burst before the next break?

Among those to make their exit were ParadisePoker pro Paulo "Kinas" Nunes, who having carried his short stack into today's play, ran A♣J♥ into K♣K♦.

The flop brought no help, falling 9♠-4♦-5♠ and with the K♠ hitting the turn, Kinas' day was brought to a premature end.

Beware the short stacks!

ParadisePoker pro Carlos Oliveira is feeling wary of the short stacks as we enter Day Two, despite sitting some 20,000 chips ahead of the average.

The Portuguese admitted things hadn't gone quite as smoothly as they appeared when looking back at an ultimately successful day one, and he was keen to find the right spots before pressing home his chip advantage.

"Day one was hard, even though I doubled up quite early," he explained, "I had some setbacks like AK vs KK, AK vs 7s when I hit the King, only for the 7 to come on the turn.

"I was even down to six bbs when the blinds were at 400/800, but I doubled up a few times and two minutes from the end I picked up Jacks and took out a short stack holding AJ. It held up and took me to around 69,000.

"I feel good but it's still quite close," he added, "Most of the short stacks have around 30,000 so if I lose to them, I lose half my chips. It means there's still a long way to go to reach the final table.

"If most of them had more like 10-20k, then it wouldn't be too bad, but with the stacks on my table I could risk losing a lot of chips and falling below the average. On the other hand if I knock one of them out, I can reach 100,000 or above and then I can put pressure on them.

"For now I'll stick to my game, wait for the right hands because I don't want to lose so many chips with a bad hand. I have to stay focused and try to accumulate chips in the right situations."

Shuffle up and deal!

Our €125,000 guaranteed Main Event in the stunning Algarve is now back underway, with our 36 players facing 1,000/2,000 blinds and a 200 chip ante.

Twenty players will be paid today, so here's a reminder of the prize pool breakdown.

1st €31,525
2nd €20,613
3rd €13,338
4th €10,305
5th €8,488
6th €7,275
7th €6,063
8th €4,850
9th €3,683
10th €2,425
11th-14th €1,455
15th-20th €1,091

Day Two begins with a chip count

All is quiet in the Casino Vilamoura. Not a ruffle of chips nor the murmur of trash talk to be heard as we await our final 36 players.

The race for the money starts at 1pm, with late registration looking like paying off for chip leader Behzad Zarnegar.

Also in a commanding position is Łukasz Gębica, known to the PPT blog from his aggressive play and deep run in Bulgaria. The luck turned against him back in July, but can the Pole put his 131,600 chips to better use this time around?

ParadisePoker pro and local favourites Carlos Oliveira and Paulo Nunes both live on, though the latter's situation only worsened in the final hour's play last night.

Oliveira however is running hot, having scooped a quarter million top prize within the last week, so will be confident of making a continued impression with his above average stack.

Unfortunately fellow sponsored player Johnny Jensen ran into trouble late yesterday, following his mum out of the tournament, but can look forward to a scene of greater success when the PPT moves on to London in November.

Full Chip Count
Behzad Zarnegar - 154100
Łukasz Gębica - 131600
Hans Mustafa Krsebom - 116500
Nuno Capucho - 96200
Hugo Almeida - 83100
Fernando Martim - 75200
Carlos Oliveira - 69100
Pierre Giorgio - 68900
Morten Johansen - 63900
Paulo Sacadura - 62200
Rene Knapp - 55400
Joao Brito - 55100
Bo Ericksen - 53500
Paulo Calado - 45600
Bruno Nunes - 44900
Artur Zmarzły - 43900
Paulo Sarmento - 43700
Ernesto Rosendo - 43000
Sergio Almeida - 41000
Jose Serralheira - 40400
António Mondim - 39100
Falko Bertheau - 36900
Christian Schulz - 36700
Manuel Correia da Silva - 33600
Mafalda Lopes - 31900
Luis Medina - 30800
Ayaz Mangi - 29000
Luis Fernandes - 28400
Bruno Rilhó - 25200
Paulo Nunes - 24200
Nuno Gomes - 24200
Ronnie Espensen - 21700
Johan Bindner - 20300
Orsolya Lzimoudor - 19800
Isabel Carvalho - 17900
Sofia Mendes - 12000

And just like that, Day One is done

With the clock less than ten minutes into our final hour of scheduled play, a flurry of activity across the tables saw us reach the magic 36 players to progress to Day Two a little early.

Among the players to fall in a dramatic few minutes was Hungarian Tibor Boros (pictured), who confessed he would rather have been out than continue his grind with just a short stack at his disposal.

"I've been short for most of the day now so it's getting a little tiring," he admitted at the final break, "I've been pushing all in a lot but nobody seems willing to call.

"I would happily take a coin flip or 60-40, even if I'm a dog, to double up or get knocked out now, because I can't get to the money without winning a big pot now."

When Boros got his wish, he might have hoped for a less cruel ending, as his A7 vs KJ was crushed by a river cowboy to send him out in 37th place.

His was the final blow of a quick succession to the short stacks, leaving us 36 to return to the battle tomorrow.

Full chip count to follow tomorrow! Night folks.

Saturday 11 September 2010

Prop bet victory for Portugal!

The subplot at the PPT Vilamoura has been the battle between our gracious hosts, the Portuguese, and the biggest influx of foreign players from Germany.

ParadisePoker staff from the nations backed a selection of their country's finest to outlast the others. And in an act of revenge that helps ease recent footballing pain at Euro 2008 and the 2006 World Cup, it was Team Portugal who held on for victory.

That was thanks to the two ParadisePoker sponsored players in the home side's line-up, as Carlos "Cmpjo" Oliveira and Paulo "Kinas" Nunes marched on as the final German competitor, Frank "Squishy Joe" Ewald, made his exit.

"It was never in doubt," grinned a delighted Kinas, "I think we were simply the better players, plus we had home advantage on our side!

"I didn't know the bet was actually on, even though I heard them discussing it yesterday, so it's a good feeling that we won it."

Nunes was less content with his personal chances however, having taken a hit to his once towering chip stack, but as Day Two approaches, he was still in the mood for a double up.

"I have around 30,000 chips but was on 60,000 only a short while ago," lamented the ParadisePoker pro, "I'm looking to double up now.

"The table has been really aggressive so I've been opening a lot of pots, but I've been three-bet quite a few times when I had to fold.

"That's cost me quite a few pots and then I lost another AQ, folding when I missed the flop despite there already being 16k in the middle.

"Obviously I've got to keep the range of hands I play a lot smaller now, since I can't open a lot with this kind of chip stack," he explained, "I have so few chips now so I'm waiting for a good spot to double up and that's it."

The final 50: Tour League points secured

We are closing on the Day One finish at the Casino Vilamoura with less than an two hours to go until the end of play, but with our 51st-place finisher came the added bonus of the ParadisePoker Tour League points.

Just like last season, the player who accumulates the most points across Vilamoura, London, Copenhagen, Prague, Madrid and Bulgaria will win €10,000 plus entry into all of next season's events.

The major twist from last year is that the top 50 players alone will earn the points to propel them up the league table.

First place earns the full 50 point quota, with 49 for second and so on... I think you get the idea!

The money in sight at Casino Vilamoura

The money may be 33 places away for those still battling the 750/1,500 blinds plus 100 ante, but at least the prize pool breakdown is keeping them focused on the task at hand.

Twenty players will go home richer by the end of our Season Two opener, with the top prize potentially the largest ever on the ParadisePoker Tour.

Last season's Madrid event had a deeper field, but this year's new €125,000 guaranteed prize pool could still see our biggest winner depending on what deals may lay in store.

That's a discussion for another day, but for now, I present you with the prizes in full:

1st €31,525
2nd €20,613
3rd €13,338
4th €10,305
5th €8,488
6th €7,275
7th €6,063
8th €4,850
9th €3,683
10th €2,425
11th-14th €1,455
15th-20th €1,091

Players lost, but not forgotten

With so many tournament lives ending so rapidly over the last few hours, the PPT blog would like to offer condolences to some good friends who were among the fallen.

Having made the final table in Bulgaria, Anders Loringen was back for another attempt at improving that third-place finish, but fell short of the money this time.

"I had quite a few hands but just haven't been able to get paid off when I've hit them," cursed the Dane, "I hit three top sets but somehow everyone just keeps folding in those spots and calling me when I bluff.

"In the end I trapped a guy in a blind battle because I needed to get back into the tournament and I picked up A7 in the sb.

"I knew if I limped he would shove with a huge range and when he did, I snap called and he showed 34o. The flop even came Ace high and he got up, but he runner-runnered a flush to all but knock me out."

One of our many German players, Ingo Meyer, was another victim shortly before dinner, picking up the blinds with a series of short stack shoved, only to get called and lose when he finally picked up AK.

"Anna Kournikova," he mused with a smile, "She looks great but she never wins!"

Also out of the running is British player Raymond Irving after the Pro-Am pool player found his luck run out at the card table, and defending ParadisePoker Tour League champion Toni Meriviori couldn't reach the points.

Even fame and fortune couldn't keep Ricardo Sa Pinto in Lady Luck's good books, as the ex-Portugal international footballer crashed out earlier this evening.

Full stomach means no more excuses!

The Casino Vilamoura served up a fine mix of Portuguese cuisine for players and PPT bloggers alike, so there can be few excuses for being off your game.

With a hearty meal inside them, our 63 remaining entrants are focused on reaching Day Two. We're expecting to carry 36 players into Sunday's play, but if the clock strikes midnight first - it's time to party.

We have free entry for all the 179 players who were here for the opening hand, as well as a few who missed it!

Among those was our mysterious chip leader at the dinner break; a certain Behzad Zarnegar, who having arrived in Vilamoura in holiday this weekend, found the ParadisePoker Tour on his hotel doorstep.

The German poker fan even took advantage of late registration to take his seat and now has nearly 100,000 chips!

Selected Chip Count
Behzad Zarnegar - 98,625
Pedro Marques - 71,800
Joao Brito 54,325
Paulo Calado - 52,950
Ayaz Manji - 46,300
Łukasz Gębica - 45,000
Sofia Mendes - 37,025
Mafalda Lopez - 35,535
Carlos Oliveira - 34,550
Paulo Sarmento - 34,175

The field thins at rapid rate

We're losing players quicker than Usain Bolt in the PPT Vilamoura, leaving us with just 82 remaining as we approach the dinner break.

With blinds at 400-800 and the average stack just over 21,800, the exits show no sign of abating as our fine buffet meal is laid out before our players.

Perhaps one or two might cite a rumbling stomach and the smell of good food as the formula for busting out sooner than expected, but the likes of Carlos Oliveira and Johnny Jensen remain.

Portugal have the upper hand in the ongoing ParadisePoker prop bet with Germany, as the away team have lost more players along the way.

Along with Oliveira, Paulo "Kinas" Nunes and Daniel "JackDaniels" Ferreira are still in the fight for the hosts.

Defending champ card dead but fighting

Defending Tour League champions Toni Meriviori is finding things tough in Paradise this season, but he lives on in the battle for PPT points.

The Finn was an ever-present in Season One, grinding out his €10,000 prize by securing top 100 finishes again and again.

With just the top 50 players scoring for the league this time around, repeating the feat will be tougher in Season Two, and the deck is yet to help him out.

"The cards haven't been too good to me so far," he revealed for the PPT blog, "I've played probably less than 10 hands in total, including one AQ and one JJ.

"That followed a good start, as I made a flush and got up to 15,000 really quickly, but after that I've not hit anything.

"I'm on about 12,000 chips and hoping things turn around for me, but it's been so bad that one guy even joked around with me when I made my first move after about an hour!

"After the dinner break there is usually this kind of 'short-stack hunting' period," he added, "So I'll see if I get some big hands and if not, I'll have to change gears."

Lady Luck may have a few things to answer then, but there no complaints regarding the tournament's idylic setting.

"Vilamoura is beautiful," smiled Toni, "I like the sea view and there's less people than Sunny Beach (Bulgaria).

"It's certainly calmer here and judging by the weather at the moment, I don't think it ever rains!"

Sponsored pros going strong

ParadisePoker enjoys looking after its own and in talented duo Johnny Jensen and Carlos Oliveira, we have a pair returning the love so far in Portugal.

Success for our sponsored players is always celebrated in style amongst the Paradise staff, so Jensen (pictured) in particular has become a popular figure who needs no introduction on this blog.

The Dane hit final tables in London and Prague last season, missing out on the Tour League title by only a few points as Toni Merivuori clung to tournament life in Bulgaria.

And after a slow start to Season Two's inaugural event, the ParadisePoker pro was delighted to be back ahead of the average stack at the last break.

"I was partying last night so I didn't feel great when I arrived, and things got worse when I lost half my stack on the first hand!" he smiled.

"I ran a big bluff and it didn't work, so I decided to walk away from the table for a little bit, eat some food and get back on track."

It seems the break did him some good, as shortly after his return to action, Jensen doubled through with a set of Queens seeing off an opponent with TPTK, before a turned straight caught out a fellow bluffer and pushed his stack beyond the 20k mark.

And now sat to the left of his mum - Johnny should be getting all the support he needs at Table 11! (She wouldn't steal his blinds, would she?!)

Oliveira's meanwhile has been continuing his outstanding play of late - which include a $250,000 win - as despite taking a hit when his AK ran into KK, he still stands above the average stack with around 17,000 chips.

"I flopped a full house with Aces early on and managed to get paid, then I won a series of small pots before that big hand set me back a bit. But it's going ok."

Germans all at sea in prop bet bid

We've lost over 40 players already from the original field of 179, and among them was at least one star man in Germany's bid to win the ParadisePoker prop bet.

David "Didfish" Pishvafar (pictured right), who went deep in Season One's Madrid event, failed to replicate his success west of the border but stopped short of blaming some bizarre preparations.

Pishvafar was part of a German expedition to go deep sea fishing on Friday and the omens were poor from the off, as many of the makeshift crew succumbed to sea sickness.

"No comment," he laughed when asked if it might have affected his performance in the PPT Vilamoura.

"No I was ok today. I thought it would be a relaxing day out in the middle of the ocean, chilling out with a few beers and catching some fish, but the boat just never stopped moving.

"A few of my friends were really sick and I felt really bad, but at least I didn't vomit!"

To his credit, the German player was refusing to use his sea legs as an excuse for a Day One exit as had even less luck with poker's own brand of fish in the Casino Vilamoura.

"I played a little crazy today, three-betting and leading flops a little too much," he admitted, "I did win a few hands like that though.

"I lost a lot of chips in a hand with A-10 when I was defending my sb. We both checked an Ace on the flop, which led me to think I had the best hand, bet the turn and when he raised, we got it all in.

"That left me with 20bbs and I squeezed with 10s, only to be called by KQ and lose the race. I thought he'd be able to fold hands like that, but that's the way it goes."

Meanwhile, his fellow Germans have had mixed fortunes so far, with German poker magazine editor Jan-Peter Jachtmann also suffering an early exit.

Having endured had a sizeable dent in his stack with AQ vs AK, the Poker Bluff journalist saw his dream J-9-Q flop turn into a nightmare, as his Q10 ran into K10.

Robert Haigh, who joined ParadisePoker in Vegas for the WSOP, was surviving on the starting stack and admitted there was some tough competition on his table.

30,000 reasons not to teach your girlfriend poker!

The PPT blog would request that all supportive boyfriends look away now, since we're about to tell a cautionary tale that could change your mind.

Let's be clear. We are a huge fan of female players - we have a number of talented women dotted among the field today - but even the most noble men among us will surely confess their sympathy for István Szőlősi .

The Hungarian player joined us in Vilamoura for this weekend's PPT Main Event, bringing loyal supporter and girlfriend Orosolya Czimodor along for the trip.

At the last moment, Orosolya made the decision to play her first big event and though we're only two hours into the tournament - it is she who is boasting the bragging rights!

While István struggled to make an impression in the first two hours, his good lady was making quite the impact, twice doubling through to build a tower 30,000 chips high.

A short while after the interval, her one-time tutor was knocked out when his 9-9 ran into Queens, and he took the walk of shame across to Orosolya's table. Girl power!

Germany v Portugal - the prop bet

We've got a strong German presence here in the Algarve and their arrival has prompted a little prop bet among the ParadisePoker staff.

The Portuguese and German teams have selected five players each to contest a last longer bet - and the away team is feeling confident!

Whether they should be is up for debate however, especially as a number of their players extended their first night in Vilamoura into the early hours of the morning.

One Portugal staff member was even seen encouraging a late night drinking binge as his German colleague fought the tide, urging his players to get their rest.

The mind games have doubtless continued across the baize this afternoon, but which nation will emerge victorious by the final whistle?

Team Germany
David Pishvafar
Frank Ewald
Robert Haigh
Heiko Wendt
Daniel Dankelmann

Team Portugal
Carlos Oliveira
Paulo Nunes
Henrique Custodio
Renato Almeida
Daniel Ferreira

Season Two - shuffle up and deal

And we're away...

The usual 10,000 deep chip stacks are now being put to work and there are some notable players to point out among the 170 currently sitting in the Casino Vilamoura.

Perhaps the most famous face among the runners is former Portuguese international Ricardo Sa Pinto (pictured). Not unfamiliar with cards from his football career - we chose the photo for a reason - we're hoping he has channelled his aggressive streak on to the poker table!

Regular PPT blog followers will recognise ParadisePoker pro Carlos Oliveira, fresh from a quarter-million dollar score at the WCOOP, and last year's ParadisePoker Tour League champion, Toni Merivuori.

You can rarely miss another Paradise pro, Johnny Jensen, thanks to the Dane's love for a party atmosphere - but he seems be a little more focused than our last outing in Bulgaria!

Other names you may remember Bill Cheung, David Pishvafar, József Hegyi, Łukasz Mazurek and Wiktor Szuster, but we'll also be keeping an eye on local pros Paulo Nunes and Hugo Almeida thrughout.

Closing in on the first deal...

Having arrived in stunning Vilamoura yesterday, the countdown to our €125,000 Guaranteed Main Event is almost over!

Our dealers are counting up the chips as we speak and our players are prowling around the casino floor outside.

Among them are 22 satellite winners after this week's events received a warm welcome in the Vilamoura sunshine, with 168 entrants for the €70 Main Event Satellites and another 24 who fought it out for PLO dominance last night.

Twenty-two players qualified for today's €500 No-Limit Hold'em extravaganza, bringing the rolling total field closer to the 200 mark.

With late registrations still to follow, we'll have the final number for you later in the day, along with chip counts and interviews with familiar faces from ParadisePoker past and new additions alike.

Satellite Winners

Thursday
Henrique hencus Custódio
Nuno Che Andrade
João luidgi Costa
Rui JonhyGuitar Vieira
Jaime Lebre
Fábio Bucciero
Sandro Mescula
António tózinho Domingos
David Guerreiro
Frank Ewald
Rui Silvério

Friday
Rui Castelhano
Acácio Rocha
Miguel Garcia
José Gonçalves
Johan Bindney
Fábio Miranda
Pedro Madeira
Bruno Lage
Tiago Romão
Jerónimo Santos
Daniel Correia

€100 Pot-Limit Omaha Event Winners

José Fernando - €1,048
João Fonseca - €605
Frank Ewa - €396
Sandro Mescola - €279

Thursday 9 September 2010

Season Two ready for action in Vilamoura

A new season, a new destination for the ParadisePoker Tour as the continent’s premier medium buy-in event shuffles up and deals in the Algarve this weekend.

The first stop of the second term is the Casino de Vilamoura, home of the European Poker Tour, which is located within a chip’s toss of the stunning beach, top class local cuisine and buzzing nightlife.

Along with the setting, the freshly inflated €125,000 guaranteed prize pool is sure to drag in another sell-out field for the Saturday and Sunday's Main Event - and we'll be right here, covering every moment.

ParadisePoker’s Portuguese poker manager, Miguel Russo, admits he was thrilled to finally add Vilamoura to the PPT map: “I’m really excited because not only have we been added to the stops on the PPT, but we are getting to kick-off the season so it’s great for players here and abroad."

Budding poker stars or established players alike will find plenty to make the trip worthwhile, with many expected to combine the event with an extended break on the Portuguese coast.

“Vilamoura is where the Portuguese go for their summer,” explained Russo. “It’s a great resort with great nightlife, nice food and is right by the sea. There are also plenty of golf courses around, a favourite pastime for many poker players I know, and plenty of beautiful girls too.

“The Casino Vilamoura is 50 metres from the beach and it’s possible to walk from the tournament area to a balcony and look out at the ocean. It hosts plenty of big poker events and even has its own disco – so a party is guaranteed!"

Bookmark this page now and keep up to date with the action from the baize and beyond in Portugal!

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