Welcome to the latest leg of the pokerstars.com sponsored EPT. This calender year has seen us go to Germany then head north to Copenhagen before heading back down and through the German eastern border to Poland. More specifically we're in Warsaw for the 2008 EPT Polish Open. Poland has population of 35.8 million people, an number down greatly in recent years as the emigration rate has increased and the birthrate decreased. I'd say the Powerhouse Club's employment policy has contributed a lot to this!

As a lot of you will already know Barron Vangor Toth died two weeks ago at the tragically young age of 34. He was largely responsible for the fantastic Gutshot coverage at the WSOP over the last couple of years. I didn't get to know him very well and unfortunately will never get the chance to work and learn off him now. I would like to dedicate the coverage of this event to the great man.

Players of note down to play today include...

Gino Alaqua
Dan Carter

Woody Deck
Trond Erik Eidsvig

Marc Goodwin
Ramzi Jelassi
Ludovic Lucay
Dario Minieri
Magnus Petersson
Danny Ryan
Jani Sointula
Johan Strorakers
Julian Thew

Play is under-way in the cramped, already sweaty card room here in Warsaw. 

Kara Scott is the new presenter for this season's EPT TV coverage replacing Natalie Pinkham. Kara is one the former presenters of Poker Night Live along with Barry 'The Bully' Martin and has turned into a handy player in her own right, recently taking down a celebrity/sport stars TV tournament winning £26,000. As there's no TV coverage for this leg Kara is trying out her skills here. Her first raise was called by the big blind who then raised her continuation bet forcing her to lay her hand down.

A player in early position limps in as everone else folds around to Dario Minieri in the big blind. He adds another 400 refusing his opponent a cheap flop. This doesn't deter the player who makes the call before the flop comes...

  

It's no suprise to see Dario betting out for 700. The call comes so we see a turn...

 both players check so the river brings...

 

Both players check once again and Dario is very suprised to see his...

 is beating his opponents...



Mini in name and staure but not table presence

Julian Thew took a big knock and was down to a few chips before managing to triple-up to 1,500. Only ten big blinds at this stage but he says he's feeling optimistic.

The guy who took most of these chips managed to get involved in a big pot with former footballer, Hans Eskilsson of Sweden. The board read....

  

and the random dude bet 1,650 into Hans after he checked. This was promptly raised up to 3,625 by Hans. Random didn't seem to like it but called anyway with...



This was totally crushed by Hans'...

 for a full-house.


Happy Hans

Jilian Thew is under-the-gun plus one and comes in for a raise. It's flat called before some random dude re-raises from late position. It enough to put Julian all-in if he calls and that's what he does before the oher player folds.

Julian flips over...



To Random Dude's...



We're all the way on this one...

  

The king on the turn saved Mr Thew although it also caused a scare by bringing a flush draw. Julian now up to 6,700, not bad from around 500 not so long ago.

News just came into the press room that Julian is on over 10,000 now. 'Yoyo' is certainly living up to his handle at the moment. He started off normally, then into a 'Walk the dog', back up into a 'Rock the cradle'. Let's see if he can pull off an 'Around the world'.
Sorry.... mis-spent youth, before I discovered poker that is!

There's an early position raiser who makes the 150 big blind 450 to go. Only Marc Goodwin makes the call, defending his big blind, before the flop comes down...



Both players check so the turn is dealt...



Marc check-calls a bet of 500 before the river comes...



Marc leads out for 1,000 now and gets a quick call. Marc shows...

 for broadway but it's no good to his opponents'...

 for a full-house

Woody Deck raises up to 525 from early position before a short-stacked player pushes all-in for 2,800 from the button. Woody feels obliged to call with...



'Ladies' is the call from his opponent...



A scary looking flop comes...



but the turn and river blank out enabling Woody to double-up his grateful opponent.

You didn't have to call Woody

Kara Scottt has left the playing shores. She lost most of her stack holding pocket jacks on a nine high flop to Gino Alaqua's pocket kings. She then went all-in from the button holding ace-nine only for a player in the blinds to wake up with ace-king and eliminate her.

Happier times