Ronnie (not Paulo!) at the peak

With two legs now behind us in Season Two of the ParadisePoker Tour, one man has edged ahead of the competition in the PPT League after making deep runs in both events.

Ronnie Espensen (pictured) cashed in both Vilamoura and London, finishing 17th down in the Algarve and again just missing the final table at the Fox Poker Club in November. His consolation prize however, has been over €3,700 in prize money and the points that have seen him take pole position in the race for the €10,000 cheque.

Portuguese player Paulo Calado had been previously reported as Tour League top dog, but it is with apologies that the PPT blog has to correct this.

Paulo is in fact second after following up his final table appearance in Vilamoura by narrowly missing out on Day Two in London, but his top 50 finish was enough to move him into second place.

The winner also secures entry into all Season Three events, while the rest of the top five finishers are also set to be rewarded in July. Check out the latest standings below:

Position - Name - Points
1. Ronnie Espensen - 71
2. Paulo Calado - 56
3. Sérgio Almeida - 50
3. Christos Xanthopoulous - 50
5. Hugo Almeida - 49
5. Luis Rodrigues - 49
7. Rene Knapp - 48
7. Peter Csecsetka - 48
9. Jim Reid - 47
10. Carlos Oliveira - 46

50% more from your PPT stack

Get ready for 50% more value from your ParadisePoker Tour starting stack, as the Vienna event is set to debut a 15,000 chip tower for every player that enters at the Concord Card Casino.

The Austrian capital is a great venue for poker and now with even more value in the €125,000 Main Event, it promises to be a fine addition to the PPT from January 12th-16th.

Satellites are still underway with buy-ins as low as €1+10c. Full details of PPT satellites are available on the ParadisePokerTour.com homepage.

Fantasy Poker - The Results

The results are in for our inaugural fantasy poker game and congratulations are in order for justmenow, whose team triumphed after a titanic battle that extended all the way to the PPT London's final table!

Our eventual winner was one of the first to enter on Day 1a of the competition but had to wait for the following day for his team to get started, as Ronnie Espensen, Angelo Lima (pictured) and Rene Knapp all took their seats on Day 1b.

Knapp was perhaps the most widely heralded selection, having come third at the PPT Vilamoura in September, but after the young German crashed out early it was left to Espensen and Lima to carry justmenow to victory.

Close on his heels throughout the day were mooskito and Passoo87, who both had a pair of players make Day 2, with Tommy Lidstrom featuring for both teams.

His demise in 13th proved fatal to Passoo87's chances after Tomasz Horecki had exited in 23rd, but with Espenden out in 14th there was still everything to play for between the final two.

It came down a straight shootout between Lima and mooskito's other strong performing team member, Plamen Todorov, as both men made the final table with their fantasy poker managers just a point apart.

The Bulgarian eventually left the PPT Main Event in 10th, scoring 41 points, and with Angelo Lima holding on for 6th the day belonged to justmenow.

Our first ever fantasy poker winner wins a prize package to Vienna, which includes the buy-in to our next €125,000 Guaranteed Main Event, where the PPT blog will be running another round of fantasy poker.

So be sure to follow all the action from Austria right here and you could be our next winner!

PPT London Fantasy Poker Results
1st Justmenow – 82 points
2nd mooskito – 79 points
3rd Pasoo87 – 66 points

Christos delighted with PPT crown

ParadisePoker Tour London winner Christos Xanthopoulous was happy to share the plaudits with Lady Luck following his success at the Fox Poker Club.

The Greek (pictured with his winning hand) endured a rollercoaster final table on his way to victory, losing a massive chip lead to UK rival Jim Reid before turning things round to pick up the PPT record £30,105 cheque.

Here's what he had to say after his triumphant display...

How does it feel to have won the ParadisePoker Tour London?
It was a fantastic experience. I was very lucky along the way but it felt great to win and I think I'll be coming back to play in Vienna.

How does it compare with your other achievements in poker?
This is my biggest achievement in a live poker event, as well as the biggest prize I've ever won playing poker, so it feels great.

You were the big chip leader when we went to the final table so did that put pressure on you or was it a great opportunity?
I started very aggressively letting the short stacks play against me because I knew they would put all their chips in against me. I lost a huge pot with Jim Reid when his Q9 beat my AK so I had to be patient and wait for right moment to win the chips back. He was playing very loose-aggressive so I just waited for my chance to hit back at him and become the big stack again.

That hand was a strange one, with Reid claiming he thought he was holding QQ rather than Q9, so how did you feel about losing the pot in such a bizarre fashion?
I didn't believe him at the time and I still feel that way now. He'd been playing like that the whole time and he was just trying to push me off my hand by overbetting the pot. He tried to buy it but I made the right decision and I would do it again.

Did winning a big pot later on, when he pushed all-in against your Aces, feel like karma after that earlier hand?
No it didn't really matter whether I won the chips back from him or another player. I just played every opponent according to his playing style and my reads and it paid off.

This is the biggest ever prize anyone has won on the ParadisePoker Tour to date. How will you spend the money?!
It’s also an honour to have won the largest first prize in ParadisePoker Tour history and I’ll be using the money to go on a great holiday before returning to the tables!

Winning pics from PPT London

Luis plays his part in Portuguese success

Second-place finisher Luis Rodrigues spoke to the PPT blog in the aftermath of his £17,500 win and was keen to celebrate the positives despite losing his heads-up duel.

The Portuguese (pictured) was an impressive performer under the glare of the final table, maintaining a steady upward trend despite the chips flying around him and was a little unfortunate in the hand that brought his rival victory.

Here are his post-game thoughts...

How was the experience of playing in the ParadisePoker Tour?
It was fantastic, I really enjoyed this tournament and while I'm disappointed not to have won, I think it's a great result for me.

You were second in chips when we went to final table, but Christos had a big lead, did that mean you were under less pressure?
I didn't feel any pressure going into the final table, despite being second in chips at the start of it. It didn't affect my game at any point, I just set out to play my best poker.

You were the only player who managed to avoid going up and down in chips throughout the final table, was this down to you strategy or was it just how the cards fell?
It was definitely part of my strategy, I had to make a lot of big calls along the way but I had to trust my instinct in those moments. I was pleased with the calls I made against Peter with 6s and earlier on with Jacks, but they were mainly possible because I had studied my opponents.

In the end the final call cost you the chance to win - was that the one decision you were disappointed with?
I was disappointed but by the time I had bet the turn, I was pot committed and I just couldn't fold. He played the hand well and so it's a deserved victory for him.

Portuguese poker players seem to be making a big impact on the ParadisePoker Tour. Does that make you proud?
Portuguese poker is doing really well right now and that's because we have a lot of high quality players. Antonio Lemos came third in Madrid, a number of players did well at the Vilamoura event and now two more were on the final table in London. This is also my third final table in a row, so hopefully I'm doing my part to keep up our good reputation!

No deal proves right move for Christos

Christos Xanthopoulous took down the top prize at the ParadisePoker Tour London, defeating Luis Fernandes in a short heads-up duel after the pair failed to agree a deal.

It means Christos secured the full £30,105 - a record amount for a PPT winner - and fulfilled the promise of being the early final table chip leader.

Charged with acting the part of monster stack going into the final, the Greek succeeded where others have failed in previous events, though not without his own dose of drama.

Xanthopoulous had seemingly lost the momentum when his AK was cracked by local player Jim Reid's Q9, but he recovered in considerable style to wrestle the chips back from his nemesis and eventually secure the honours.

Having discussed a deal once Peter Csecsetka had been eliminated in third, the final two could find no common ground and instead agreed to play according to the original prize structure.

The decision still couldn't delay a rapid finish, as both men flopped two pair on a 8♦-8♠-4♥ flop only for Christos - who was ahead by way of his kicker on the flop - to further improve on the turn.

It was then that the chips were shipped into the centre, with Luis close to drawing dead, and the blank river confirming the PPT London title was destined to be owned by the Greek.

Interviews with both Christos and Luis, unofficial fantasy poker results and more pictures will be on the ParadisePoker blog soon.

Like London buses

After a long spell of equality on the final table of the ParadisePoker Tour, two exits came almost from nowhere to take us to heads-up play.

First to go was the ParadisePoker Tour London's last 'home' player Jim Reid (pictured), who finished in fourth after returning the chips he had earlier won from Christos Xanthopoulous.

The PPT blog mused earlier on karma for Christos after the Greek suffered a bizarre bad beat at the hands of his British rival, but only now was it complete as Reid mistimed his aggressive streak and ran into Aces in a three-bet pot.

Just minutes later it was Peter Csecsetka who followed him out the door, as yet again a blind battle sparked fireworks.

Luis Rodrigues was the beneficiary this time around, showing his sound judgement skills again when he called his Hungarian opponent's pre-flop all-in with the 6s that held up against Csecsetka's 7♦5♣.

Reid collected £10,750 for his fourth-place finish, while Csecsetka's third is worth a cool £12,550.

Stacks level out as Peter doubles through

Deadlock prevails at the Fox Poker Club after Peter Csecsetka followed up his victory over Pawel Chmiel with a double up to level out the stacks.

Chip leader Jim Reid had tried to force the issue with pockets 3s, raising pre-flop then boldly calling Csecsetka when the Hungarian came back over the top.

Csecsetka even praised his rival for taking the positive course of action and seemed destined to depart when the flop came 7♥-9♣-4♣, but a runner runner straight - courtesy of the 8♥ and 10♣ - restored parity on the final table.

Pawel Chmiel exits in 5th, picking up £9,185

It may have taken all day for the two to collide but when they did, it was Pawel Chmiel who conceded defeat to fellow overnight chip leader Peter Csecsetka.

Just one big blind separated the pair by the end of their respective Day 1s and their fate seemed intertwined from the moment they were drawn on the same table at the start of Day 2.

Still, the pair were understandably wary of the other's ability to wreak havoc on their PPT chances - and so only when they matched up as final table short stacks did they finally go to war.

It was quite a mundane end for a player as fearsome as Chmiel, who terrorised the table with repeated shoves that nobody seemed willing to call in fear of doubling up the Polish professional.

But when he pushed from early position and Csecsetka found A♦Q♦ in the big blind, there was no avoiding each other anymore and Chmiel was at risk with A♥7♠.

The flop all but ended the contest with the Q♥ first out and sent Pawel to the cashier to collect his £9,185 prize.

Final five in pics...

Back from the break with Reid in pole position

Jim Reid continues to lead the way as we return from a brief break and the blinds will pile yet more pressure on our players now, as they rise to 8,000/16,000 with a 1,500 chip ante.

Luis Rodrigues, who has been arguably the final table's best performer so far, is not far behind his rival with around 850,000, but Reid (pictured) can boast over 1,000,000 according to a rough count.

Chip leaders overnight, Pawel Chmiel and Peter Csecsetka are suddenly the short stacks while Christos Xanthopoulous is caught in between.

Rough Chip Count
Jim Reid - 1,000,000+
Luis Rodrigues - 850,000
Christos Xanthopoulous - 375,000
Pawel Chmiel - 238,000
Peter Csecsetka - 255,000

Eli swiftly followed by a 6th-placed Angelo Lima

Angelo Lima wrapped up a fine run at the ParadisePoker Tour London with a sixth-place finish that pays £7,600.

The Portuguese player (pictured) had been quiet for much of the final table, popping up to eliminate the short stacked Plamen Todorov early on then returning to a more measured approach, as the chips flew either side of him.

It was lone British player Jim Reid who brought an end to his day as having raised from the button, he inst-called Lima's all-in from the small blind and showed a dominant A♠K♦.

Angelo flipped his A♣10♣ with disgust, but there was still hope before the river fell, as the board read J&diams9♣6♦-J♣ for the nut flush draw.

It wasn't to be however, as the river could only bring the 3♦ to send him home.

Eli Heath our 7th-place finisher, winning £6,280

Another blind battle, another casualty and this time it was British player Eli Heath who fell victim to the growing trend.

If Christos Xanthopoulous had been rueing his luck since having his AK outdrawn by another 'home' player, Jim Reid, then karma righted the wrong he was dealt.

The one-time chip leader looked up Heath with pocket 10s from the big blind and when Eli's K♦7♣ failed to connect, the PPT London was reduced to six players.

A turn in the tide?

Christos Xanthopoulous' run as unchallenged chip leader came to a crashing halt as Lady Luck turned nasty in a freak hand.

One of only two Brits to make the final table, Jim Reid had stirred up some action from Christos pre-flop, eventually snap-calling his all-in and showing a surprise Q♠9♥.

Reid insisted had been convinced he looked down at QQ in the hole and suddenly found himself in mortal peril vs the big stack's AK.

The flop looked to have sealed his fate when the dealer flipped 3♠-7♠-4♥ but a near miracle 9♠ on the turn changed everything.

The river blank ensured Reid went from rail fodder to chip leader in quick time and left Xanthopoulous reeling at the blow.

Andreas another blind battle victim as he exits in 8th

The pace shows no sign of slowing at the ParadisePoker Tour final table, as Andreas Chalkiadakis lost out to fellow Greek Christos Xanthopoulous.

Christos has been a cautious chip leader, showing none of the raw aggression we saw in Vilamoura and Sunny Beach from the likes of Rene Knapp and Aske Muff respectively.

Both those players lost big advantages and the chance to seal a PPT title, so perhaps Xanthopoulous has decided a different strategy is in order.

It was the more passive approach that lured his compatriot into shoving from the big blind, as the big stack limped in the small blind with A3 and thought hard before making the call.

The play put Chalkiadakis (pictured) at risk with Q8o and his need for some good fortune failed to materialise, leaving him to collect his £5,120 reward.

Stanislaw Miadelzel follows in 9th, collecting £4,070

Stanislaw Miadelzel went to war with Luis Rodrigues in a blind battle and came off worse for wear, exiting in 9th place.

Folded round to the pair in seats nine and ten respectively, Miadelzel (pictured)raised from the small blind and was called by his Portuguese opponent.

The flop delivered a relatively dry 7♣-K♠-6♥ and when the pre-flop aggressor checked, it looked like Rodrigues might just pick up the pot unchallenged.

After some thought however, Miadelzel moved in and sent his opponent into the tank. Trusting his instincts, Rodrigues made a great call and showed JJ to lead 4s.

The turn and river brought no help for the doomed Miadelzel, sending him out with a £4,000 plus payday.

Plamen Todorov out in 10th, winning £3,145

Having scraped on the the final table with just five big blinds, it seemed it was only a matter of time for Plamen Todorov, and so it proved.

The Bulgarian found a hand worthy of making his move in K♥Q♠ but Angelo Lima woke up with A♣A♠ to send him to the rail.

The flop looked a little scary for Lima, coming Q♥-9♥-2♠, but the 3♦ on the turn and river A♦ put his mind at rest and significantly boosted his chip stack.

Show me the money!

The prize structure has now been fully updated to accomodate for the money taken out for the bubble boy and so we can confirm prize money being awarded to the top ten players.

Tonight's winner stands to win over £30,000, a record amount on the ParadisePoker Tour, with our tenth-place finisher having to settle for around 10% of that sum, £3,145.

1st - £30,105
2nd - £17,500
3rd - £12,550
4th - £10,750
5th - £9,185
6th - £7,600
7th - £6,280
8th - £5,120
9th - £4,070
10th - £3,145

Cue Final Table

Eli Heath played executioner to send us to final table as he wiped out the similarly stacked Lukasz Mazurek with a little good fortune.

Heath shoved in the blind battle holding 10♦7♣ and needed help when his rival made the call and showed A♠9♦, but the dealer was in helpful mood, flipping the 10♠ on the flop and adding no further drama to bring us down to the final ten players.

Here is the final table chip count:

Christos Xanthopoulous - 640,100
Luis Rodrigues - 427,700
Jim Reid - 303,600
Pawel Chmiel - 279,700
Stanislaw Miadelzel - 267,000
Eli Heath - 241,600
Peter Csecsetka - 231,200
Andreas Chalkiadakis - 174,700
Angelo Lima - 133,800
Plamen Todorov - 52,600

Ashique goes up in flames; exits in 12th

From second in chips to crashing out dramatic fashion within the hour, the PPT turned on Ashique Miah after dinner.

He shipped the last of the 279,500 chips brought back after dinner defending his blind versus Luis Rodrigues with 7♥7♣, but the Portuguese aggressor made the call with A♥J♥ to put both men on the line.

An action flop added to the drama as it fell 10♥-2♥-6♣, before the turn handed Rodrigues even more outs when Q♣ hit the board. It seemed inevitable then that the river would finish the job, as A♦ landed to send Ashique out.

Angelo Lima was next to put his tournament life on the line, but like his compatriot before him, he found the outs he needed to keep his dream of victory alive.

All-in pre-flop holding J♠Q♣, he couldn't have liked the call from one-time chip leader Pawel Chmiel, but the A8 he faced was immediately subdued by the J♣ on the turn and he even filled up by the river to double through to around 130,000 chips.

13 return after dinner led by Christos

Marco Vasconcelos and Ronnie Espenden fell before the dinner break as we edge closer to the final table in London.

Espenden had been particularly unlucky when his KK was cracked by AQ, and though he was still left with a chip and a chair, there was to be no fairtytale comeback.

The man in command as play got back underway was Christos Xanthopoulous (pictured earlier) with a chip lead that nigh on doubled his nearest rival and installed him as early favourite for the PPT crown. Can he see out the job?

Dinner Break Chip Count
Christos Xanthopoulous - 573,000
Ashique Miah - 279,500
Miadelzel Stanislan - 268,800
Pawel Chmiel - 259,800
Jim Reid - 256,500
Andreas Chalkiadakis - 252,200
Peter Csecsetka - 202,300
Eli Heath - 171,400
Luis Rodrigues - 140,900
Angelo Lima - 82,900
Plamen Todorov - 58,200
Tommy Lidstroem - 43,100

Update - Short stack Tommy Lidstroem sat for minutes before his exit in 13th place, leaving us with 12 players still in the frame.

Tonight's PPT Blog Freeroll

The time has come to reveal tonight's freeroll password and the PPT blog can reveal it is... MADRID.

To find the tournament simply log on to the ParadisePoker software and look for the 'PPT Blog Freeroll' under multi-table tournaments, in either the freerolls or private section.

Registration is now open and the tournament shuffles up and deals at 7.30pm GMT, so take note of the password and get ready to play for a prize package to January's Vienna event.

The top ten finishers tonight will win entry to Wednesday night's (7.30 GMT) PPT Blog Final, where they will play twenty more qualifiers from Friday and Saturday's freerolls combined for that coveted prize package worth €1,100.

ParadisePoker terms and conditions apply.

PPT at Dinner

A perfect moment for some more pics...

The rail clutters as chip stacks topple

Guillermo Fernandes suffered the wrath of the ladies as his QQ failed to hold up against K♠Q♥, and we're suddenly down to 15 players after a spate of departures.

The Portguese would have been delighted to see the state of play once he shipped against Andreas Chaikiadakis, but the luck of the Greek swung victory his way as a K hit the flop.

Patryk Matysiak could find no escape as his A♠7♦ ran into A♦Q♠ and the short stacks continued to find no answer as Alvaro Manjon, Martin Bader and Susanne Posny all lost their tournament lives.

Mark Jakab and Alan Stearn have also now left us and at this rate, we could make final table before dinner!

Blow for Pasoo87 as Horecki departs

Pasoo87 suffered a setback in his bid to win the first ever ParadisePoker Tour fantasy poker game as his team of two was reduced to one.

Tomasz Horecki made his exit in 23rd, scoring 28 points for his 'manager' who is battling to win a prize package to Vienna.

Justmenow or mooskito look more likely to snatch victory from his grasp, but with the latter sharing Tommy Lidstrom in his line-up, the former will be feeling increasingly confident.

Joining Horecki on the rail are Jonas Olsson, Lasse Frost and Nick Jenkins, with each picking up a little over £1,000.

A few extra calculations plus the decision to award £800 to the bubble boy means the prize money list has changed. The updated list will follow when we have it.

Dice man departs with a smile

WSOP bracelet winner Willie Tann reserved a smile for the ParadisePoker Tour despite a classic beat ending his chances of outdoing last year's efforts.

'The Dice Man' (pictured) went close to the London final table in 2009 and had another deep run here at the Fox Poker Club this weekend, but his luck ran out when his AK was cracked by A3.

"I've enjoyed it," said the vastly experienced professional, "I played with a lot of new faces that I've not come up against before and that's a good thing.

"They're very nice people and it's been a really fun event. I like this tournament and I'll be back next year - if I'm alive!"

Despite looking serious at times, you only had to stand by Willie's table to guarantee an outburst of laughter, a playful joke with an opponent or that broad smile at least.

"I like to create a happy atmosphere at the table," revealed Tann, "Everyone is so serious at the table and poker is a fun game, I know everyone wants to win but we need to enjoy it along the way!"

No bubble, how about some bubbly?

There will be no bubble boy to cheer in the Fox Poker Club this afternoon, as £800 has been shaved off the top prizes to cushion the blow of exiting in 28th.

Whether it was an act of kindness or a desire to keep the game moving, all 28 remaining players agreed to take a small percentage of the big money winners so every player remaining is now in profit!

Congratulations to all those who remain. Now the race is on for the final table and inevitably we can expect a glut of all-ins as the survivors see their chance to move in.

Update - And the grateful recipient of that £800 is Bastian Bleum, as the German player exits in 28th.

Big stacks strike; down to 3 tables

A flurry of action has reduced us to three tables at the ParadisePoker Tour, as three all-in and calls saw us lose one of the overnight big stacks.

Jeff Rogers (pictured) was ninth in chips when he sat down just two hours ago, but he tangled with the wrong man in Lukasz Mazurek and it cost him his shot of the record PPT prize here in London.

All the action went off pre-flop, as Rogers three-bet his rivals' button-raise and snapped him off when the shove came.

So quick was his call that Mazurek looked doubtful his A♣K♦ was good, but he was relieved when Rogers could only showdown A♦Q♣ on an 8♠7♥J♠-8♥-3♥ board.

Moments earlier Mikael Johansson had put his short stack at risk and come off worst against Peter Csecsetka, as the chipped up Hungarian caught the Q♠ to beat his opponent's 7♥7♠.

Update - Kamil Jamroz and Paul Humphrey hare also out, so we are on the bubble!

Brutal end for Christos

Christos Kyprianos saw his bid for the money come to a crashing halt as a runner runner flush emptied his PPT pockets.

It was a duel of the Greeks as Andreas Chalkiadakis (pictured) took the down the pot, near doubling his stack after the compatriots began the day on similar stacks.

Christos had slow-played his his A♥4♥ when the flop brought 4♠-4♣-6♠ and he would live to regret it, as the turn came 5♣ and tempted his rival to stick around with A♣K♣ and the nut flush draw.

Even before the river was revealed, Kyprianos had shoved, leaving Chalkiadakis only too happy after flushing courtesy of Q♣.

Sofianos Vergitsas quickly followed to leave us with 32 players remaining and an average stack of around 84,000 chips.

Six to the rail as the bubble draws near

The predicted quick fire started has started Day 2 with a bang at the PPT London, with six players losing their tournament lives within the first hour of play.

James Morrison was first to go and he was swiftly followed by Gez Petheo, Antonio Lemos, Louis Scriven, Danny Kivsnose and Julien Surbreville as the short stacks are picked off.

We're now down to 34 players and with just 27 getting paid, there'll be seven more disappointed faces before the bubble bursts.

Pasoo87 in fantasyland as Day 2 begins

Pasoo87 might be claiming some psychic powers after becoming the one of three entrants to have two of their three team members make Day 2 here at the Fox Poker Club.

Thirteen fantasy 'managers' are all clinging to their last player, with some overlap as chip leader Pawel Chmiel (pictured) justified himself as a popular choice on Day 1a.

Second-placed Peter Csecsetka could prove the trump card for krzychuksu however, as nobody else has the Hungarian heads-up pro in their team! However, news that the chip leaders have been randomly drawn to sit at the same table could be of concern to their fantasy followers.

Justmenow marches on with Ronnie Espensen and Angelo Lima both in strong positions, while mooskito boasts Tommy Lidstrom and Plamen Todorov in his team.

Whose team will win the inaugural fantasy poker game and take down the prize package to Vienna? There's only one way to find out...

Teams still in contention:

Pasoo87
Tomasz Horecki
Tommy Lidstrom

justmenow/flexicat2
Ronnie Espensen
Angelo Lima

mooskito
Tommy Lidstrom
Plamen Todorov

dinero48
Pawel Chmiel

SportingTos
Horecki Tomasz

AAmerikano
Mikael Johansson

krzychuksu
Peter Csecsetka

guzowatosc/Greaverr
Teodor Krastev

elvisraf
Pawel Chmiel

tamotua
Pawel Chmiel

phiana
Pawel Chmiel

firesparrow
Tomasz Horecki

Lowes88
Tommy Lidstrom

1906Paco
Ronnie Espensen

Cardoso333
Antonio Lemos

rudinhos
Pawel Chmiel

leman8
Lidstrom Tommy

Pawel vs Peter at top of the standings

Day 2 has arrived and as we brace ourselves for the final stretch, we can now mull over the complete chip count as the two fields merge.

There's a big stack from each as Day 1a's Pawel Chmiel pips Day 1b's Peter Csecsetka to the top of the standings ahead of the first deal, though they are separated by just a little over one big blind once we restart.

The average stack will be around 67,250 chips and the blinds will start at 1,500/3,000 with a 300 chip ante, so expect some fraught progress as the short stacks make their moves early on.

Thirteen players will go home disappointed at missing out on the money today, and with the stakcs hanging around the 10-15 big blind mark numbering into double figures, the bubble could burst sooner than expected.

Whether you're supporting a friend or a fantasy poker player, there's only one place to keep in touch with the action as it unfolds, so stick with the PPT blog or follow ParadisePoker on Twitter to be in the know.

Day 2 Chip Count
1. Pawel Chmiel - 144,400
2. Peter Csecsetka - 141,200
3. Ashique Miah - 129,700
4. Lukasz Mazurek - 129,300
5. Luis Rodrigues - 120,100
6. Ronnie Espensen - 116,800
7. Eli Heath - 115,100
8. Susanne Posny - 104,800
9. Jef Rogers - 101,300
10. James Reid - 95,500
11. Willie Tann - 86,800
12. Stanislaw Miadzel - 84,600
13. Angelo Lima - 78,400
14. Julien Surbreville - 77,300
15. Andreas Chalkiadakis - 75,500
16. Christos Kyprianou - 73,400
17. Sofianos Vergitsis - 72,300
18. Tommy Lidstroem - 72,000
19. Marco Vasconcelos - 68,500
20. Mark Jakab - 62,800
21. Plamen Todorov - 60,600
22. Paul Humphrey - 60,100
23. Lasse Frost - 58,300
24. Guillermo Fernandez - 53,800
25. Chrisso Xanthopoulos - 51,600
26. Bastian Bluem - 50,900
27. Tomasz Horecki - 48,400
28. Alan Stearn - 48,000
29. Martin Bader - 40,700
30. Kamil Jamizoz - 39,800
31. Nick Jenkins - 38,000
32. Patryk Matysiak - 34,000
33. Antonio Lemos - 31,700
34. Louis Scriven - 31,200
35. Jonas Olsson - 31,100
36. Mikael Johansson - 23,600
37. Petheo Geza - 23,000
38. Alvaro Manjon - 20,100
39. James Sullivan - 17,200
40. Danny Kivsmose - 17,100

Here ends Day 1b. Check out the chip count

Willie Tann is the marquee name set to grace Day 2 tomorrow and he is joined by ParadisePoker pro Antonio Lemos in the money race.

Play came to an end with 23 players from Day 1b still standing, making a field of 40 for the 2pm start on Sunday. 27 of them will be paid.

Heads-up pro and ParadisePoker Tour regular Peter Csecsetka is among the chip leaders, continuing to dominate his table until the last hand even when Tann was moved to the opposite seat.

Day 1b Chip Count
Peter Csecsetka - 141200
Ashique Miah - 129700
Lukasz Mazurek - 129300
Luis Rodrigues - 120100
Ronnie Espensen - 116800
Susanne Posny - 104800
J Reid - 95500
Willie Tann - 86800
Angelo Lima - 78400
Christos Kyprianou - 73400
Tommy Lidstroem - 72000
Marco Vasconcelos - 68500
Mark Jakab - 62800
Chrisso Xanthopoulos - 51600
Tomasz Horecki - 48400
Martin Bader - 40700
Kamil Jamizoz - 39800
Nick Jenkins - 38000
Patryk Matysiak - 34000
Antonio Lemos - 31700
Alvaro Manjon - 20100
James Sullivan - 17200
Danny Kivsmose - 17100

Tann toying with the enemy

Closing in on an 11-hour session at the PPT London, Day 1b but our most recognisable face - Willie Tann - still has a smile on it.

The World Series of Poker bracelet winner has been repeatedly duelling with a rival British player (pictured) as both players try to build a chip-leading stack from their average-sized towers.

Unphased by attempts to rile him, Tann has been putting all his experience to good use and appeared to be loving every moment of the rivalry with 40 minutes to play.

The Dice Man raised pre-flop in one key hand and after some thought, called a three-bet before looking down at a 2♦-2♣-3♦ flop.

Tann near insta-shoved and left his foe stewing for the maximum time before he was forced to fold.

"How can you fold there?" taunted the wily old pro as he flashed a 6♦, "You probably would have made a good call and I'd get lucky on the river!"

Into the points; the money looms

We're into the points for both fantasy poker and the ParadisePoker Tour League now folks and with just 31 remaining on Day 1b, the money breakdown is now on our screens.

Fantasy poker entrants will be eager for a list of survivors and we'll have it right here on the PPT blog, even if it means prolonging the tension to the end of night chip count.

17 players from Day 1a join the remaining field in being assured of points, so attentions in the cardroom have turned to beating the bubble.

Here's the unconfirmed prize structure:

1st - £29,990
2nd - £17,480
3rd - £12,525
4th - £10,700
5th - £9,135
6th - £7,565
7th - £6,260
8th - £5,090
9th - £4,045
10th - £3,130
11th-14th - £2,220
15th-18th - £1,565
19th-27th - £1,045

39 continue the fight for Day 2

Some more pics for you. Any familiar faces among them?

Another blow for Team Portugal

Perhaps the PPT blog is being paranoid, but have we cursed Team Portugal? Or is it just that time of the evening?

Paulo Nunes (pictured) swifly followed compatriot Carlos Oliveira out the Fox Poker Club exit, as a dramatic misread cost him his tournament life.

'Kinas' - which translates as fives - confessed his opponent had cloaked the strength of his hand well courtesy of his aggressive table image, so when he three-bet Paulo's second consecutive pre-flop raise, there was only one conclusion.

The Portuguese pro had peeked at A8 in the hole and when his LAG opponent re-popped in position, it seemed an obvious steal to Paulo and his willingly poured his remaining 25,000 chips into the middle.

"I truly thought I was ahead but he snap called with KK," said Nunes with a sheepish grin, "Sometimes we have to go with our reads and I felt confident in the moment that it was the right move.

"Next time! I'm not sure if I'll make it to Vienna but I hope I can make it to the Prague event, as well as Madrid."

Level 11 arrives, but first a breather

Our remaining 45 players are about to hit the home straight as we take a quick break before level 11 kicks in.

The blinds will soon be biting 600-1,200 size chunks out of the small and big blind spots repectively, with everyone at the table set to be contributing a 100 ante each pot.

The average stack now stands at a little over 35,000 chips with three hours to play out before we'll know the identities set to join tomorrow's parade towards the cash.

One man who won't make the cut is ParadisePoker pro Carlos Oliveira (pictured), whose bid to make consecutive final tables in the PPT came to an end just moments ago.

Faced with a short stack shove and one caller, 'Cmpjo' looked down at AK and shipped his stack - only to see his bigger stacked opponent insta-call with KK.

There was no help from the board and 'Team Portugal' lost one of its most experienced players as a result.

Tann gets hot as we hit 58

Willie Tann suddenly looks a force once again in the ParadisePoker Tour London, as his patience paid off in style to win a 3-way pot.

The Dice man had limped with AA vs Paulo Nunes and another player, finding no reason for fear on a 6-K♣-x♣ flop, while his Portuguese rival had flopped the nut flush draw.

The third player shoved with his top pair King, but the real drama was to follow, as Nunes saw his flush duly delivered on the turn by the 6♣.

There was still another twist to ensure Tann's bullets hit their target, as a third six hit the river to fill up the veteran pro and keep his PPT hopes alive.

Update - unforunately for fantasy poker players who chose Rene Knapp, Wiktor Szuster and Lukasz Gebica we have bad news, as all three are out. However, Peter Csecsetka, Angelo Lima and Antonio Lemos are still in contention as we enter the final 50 players on Day 1b.

They're back!

Regular PPT blog readers will be familiar with a number of our Portuguese players not only due to their rampant form in their home leg in September, but for deep runs in Madrid and Bulgaria as well.

ParadisePoker Antonio Lemos (pictured), known for his musical talents as well as poker prowess, made the final table in Madrid back in March, eventually finishing third and is currently sitting on a 20,500 stack.

Carlos Oliveria made the final table at the PPT Vilamoura and lives on in London, though he has just 13,000 to work with, while Paulo 'Kinas' Nunes is just shy of the 22,000 chip average.

It doesn't end there for the nation that won Vilamoura's ParadisePoker staff prop bet, as Angelo Lima (24k), Luis Rodriguez (28k) and Miguel Rato (35k) are all still standing at the Fox Poker Club as the Portuguese continue to impress.

The blinds have now hit level 9, which features 400-800 blinds and a 50 ante, and the average stack is around 22,000 chips. Just as it was on Day 1a, play will end at the conclusion of level 13.

The London look

Check out the latest pics from dinner time at the PPT London.

Break out the champagne...

... it's the biggest ParadisePoker Tour Main Event ever!

Our final player count reveals that the ParadisePoker Tour London, 2010 features our biggest ever field, hitting 272, and with it a prize pool unmatched since the tour began a year ago.

Over £130,000 will be won tomorrow when we hit the money, with the winner alone expected to take in excess of £30,000.

ParadisePoker would like to thank the Fox Poker Club for being part of this momumental moment in our history, as well as players, blog readers and fans of the tour.

There's still plenty more action to follow before someone wins that record top prize, so stick close to the PPT blog as it unfolds both tonight and tomorrow.

No respect for a big name

James Akenhead is awol in the Fox Poker club and word in the room is that he has made his PPT exit, though we are still awaiting confirmation.

Fellow WSOP hero Willie Tann (pictured) has survived to make the dinner break, but he'll need more than a full stomach to turn his 11,000 chips into a winning stack!

Still, 'The Dice Man' was in his usual cheery mood when he stopped to chat with the PPT blog, despite thus far failing to match the heights of his deep run in the 2009 ParadisePoker Tour London.

"This is my second ParadisePoker Tour Main Event," confimed Tann, "I came close to the final table last year but got a bit unlucky.

"I came back because it's a lovely tournament right here in London. I live in London so it's nice to be able to play these kind of events near home.

"I've never been to Fox Poker Club before but I like it here and the buy-in is great because it's one poker players can afford. It's a great structure and you can find new players here as well."

The competition is getting fiercer than ever, according to the WSOP bracelet winner, but revealed it was old-fashioned determination that would motivate him after the interval.

"Poker players are getting better every day," he smiled, "It's getting harder and harder to play these days because it's so easy to learn. So many videos, books and virtual lessons are around that every poker player is good now.

"They're not so loose like before and I've had to adjust to that, especially pre-flop where their play is incredible - they are all so fearless!

"Today hasn't gone so well, I haven't had more than 11,000 chips all day and I've been sat here struggling for the last three hours.

"I'm still alive but I've got a short stack. Still, perserverence eh!"