Back to School

The second opening day of the €250 Holiday Festival Main Event got underway at 4pm, with another 15 half-hour levels on the program.

40 players were seated at the tables of the Circus Casino Resort in Namur at the start on blinds 100 - 200 (200). Among the candidates for this Day 1B, François-Louis Vlassis who has already shown a bluff to excite everyone.

Marielle Soumoy, Fred Blehaut, Arnaud Danes, Canio Pietropertosa, Roger Sacre and Erwin Vu Duc are also already in the game...

On Sunday's Day 1A, 42 of the 256 entrants validated their ticket for Day 2 on Saturday, September 7. This is enough to secure a huge prize pool, well in excess of the €250,000 guaranteed.

The restart will take place on 5,000 - 10,000 (10,000) with 40-minute levels... Sunday September 8, on Day 3, the tournament will conclude on 50-minute levels with open-card streaming in the final. 

Always a plan

15 levels of 30 minutes each for a day that will end at around 1.30 a.m... Day 1B begins with 4 half-hour levels followed by a 30-minute break.

Then it's back for 5 levels, followed by a 70-minute dinner break... by the time La Carte du Roi returns, registration for the second of the eight Main Event starting sessions will be closed.

Survivors will then have three levels to digest before a final break and a final hour of competition.

The 50-entry, 50-player mark was passed after 27 minutes of play... still no casualties as Level 2 got underway 7 minutes ago, with the leaderboard now showing 53 entrants in blinds 100 - 300 (300).

First Estocade

Finito for Fred Blehaut, faithful to his aggressive strategy at the start of the tournament. The Belgian doesn't back down and was the first to reach the rail... re-entry shouldn't be long in coming for the man who won a DSO opener in April before finishing runner-up for €36,000 in the WSOP Circuit Paris High Roller in May.

After winning a few moves, Fred sees Ludovic Bernard (below) open and his neighbor on the left 3-bet to 2,500 chips. In the blinds Fred calls before being the sole payer on the opener's 8,000-chip 4-bet. 

Ludovic sends 7,000 chips in for a continuation on Jack 6 2 and Fred stays in touch to discover a 3 on the turn. On the 11,000-chip second barrel, Fred check-raises all-in! It's paid with Arrows by Ludovic, who faces 6 and 4 suit for a pair. "I saw you on Ace-King," says Fred as he drops to 3,900 chips on a river brick. Ludo takes the lead with 100,000 chips or thereabouts.

Blehaut then fell victim to a player who wishes to remain anonymous and who plays in Namur under the pseudonymEstocate. This player hits three of a kind with a pair of 5s to beat Fred's little Ace. Shoo!

Quietly

With Fred Blehaut back at the same table, it was at the next table that the second exit of Day 1B of the Holiday Festival took place.

As the blinds went up to 200 - 400 (400), Christos Triantaphyllou heated up in a blind battle on 5 4 3. The regular from Namur put in 13,000 chips and big blind stack... Nengming Wang was waiting for him around the corner with a pair of 5s in his hands. Wang didn't flinch, as he had King Jack in front of him! 

Up to 81,000 chips after this donation, Wang then lost two pots to a German woman, Dana Kolakta. Dana bet 7,000 chips in 5,000 on a 6 8 3 flop with no draw and Nengming called before checking back on turn 9, again with no draw. From the button, he check-folded a 10,000 bet on a 4 river...

On the next hand, Kolakta opened again, this time under the gun and there was no action on 9 4 2 9 3, the 9 on the turn opening a heart draw. The German player then unseated Ace-King to muck the man who finished on the doorstep of the BPC 2024 Top 100...

This table also features Robin SplendidoThe latter had 29,000 chips after calling-muck river on Ten 5 Jack 7 Ten with a flush draw on the flop. His opponent showed him the Kings to pocket the pot... 

After 70 minutes of play, the counter reads 59 players in the running for 61 entrants and an average of 51,000 chips... 

Come on Dad

François-Louis Vlassis got off to a good start and is up to 120,000 chips with 20 minutes left to play on 300 - 600 (600). There are still 60 in the running for 67 entrants and FLV is not in the lead, as the Namur regular has been overtaken by a newcomer at the Circus Casino Resort in Namur.

Neven Papic (above) came all the way from Croatia to test the Belgian field, and he's valued everything he can from the outset. "I've hit a lot," he confides to me as he reaches 190,000 chips after valuing a set of Jacks in a pot he had 4-bet. Cem Muhtar has lost some feathers against the Croatian and seems keen to rub shoulders with him, so the duel should produce a few more sparks...

As Papic introduced himself, Cem Muhtar and Erwin Vu Duc shared the last chips of Christophe Huby, who went all in with Ace 6. The duo had the same hand, a mismatched Ace Ten that could have meant a jackpot for Vu Duc, who had the Ace of Hearts and saw three Hearts coming on the flop... Vu Duc emerged with 22,000 counters and an average of 56,000 chips. 

Break

The traditional first half-hour break has begun at the Circus Casino Resort in Namur. After 4 levels and 2 hours of poker, 60 players out of the 71 entries went on break and will return at 6:32 p.m. on blinds 400 - 800 (800).

The average is 59,000 chips, checkpoint to come when the action resumes...

Checkpoint

There are 20 minutes left to play in blinds 400 - 800 (800), with 67 players in the running and an average of 58,000 chips. With the 256 entrants on Day 1A, the provisional field now stands at 335 entries for this Holiday Main Event guaranteeing €250,000.

Here are some of the stacks as the action resumes... as a stream with the revealed cards gets underway at the Circus Casino Resort in Namur.

Chipcount
Neven Papic 176 000
Uwe Truetsch 141 000
François Louis Vlassis 137 000
Fred Blehaut 107 000
Edwin Roovers 102 000
Kevin Mad Max 101 000
Mathieu Desmet 98 000
Ludovic Bernard 95 000
Canio Pietropertosa 93 000
Emeric Gilmont 82 000
Dana Kolatka 65 000
Negming Wang 55 000
Joao Sousa 43 000
Arnaud Danes 25 000
Benjamin Celaudoux 24 000
Erwin Vu Duc 8 000
Marielle Soumoy 8 000

Streaming

Will Lion is commentating on Day 1B of the Holiday Festival, with Daniel Tordjman, Loic Xans and Bernard de Breyne accompanying him...

Trip pas Folichon

End of the road for Benjamin Celaudoux who 4-bet all-in 27 blinds with 9s after opening under the gun... Fouad Elmouhmouh didn't back down with Ace Valet to hit trips and take out the man who'd come on a whim from Paris. Benjamin was hesitating between re-entering directly or taking part inEvent #3 NLH Single re-entry at €110, which starts at 7pm...

There's fifteen minutes to go on the blinds 500 - 1000 (1000) with an average of 66,000 chips. The table shows 63 players for 83 entrants, with Aurélie Dassi joining the game. 

Jaded

François-Louis Vlassis was in the lead, but had just suffered a minor setback on an Ace-King-4-Ten board, with the turn bringing a second club. Dueling on this turn against Stéphane Blaser, FLV managed to take his opponent all-in for his last 25,000 chips and turned over King 4 of clubs for two pair and a draw that faced Ace Jack. The river Valet drops him back to 240,000 chips, still in the lead but with a smaller lead.

At table 29, two players are in pursuit, with Julien Laniez and Uwe Truetsch at 180,000 and 190,000 respectively. First up at the start of the day, Croatian Neven Papic is still at 130,000 chips, while the average is 79,000. Mohamed Razkou Allah is also in the hunt with 230,000...

The blinds have been raised to 800 - 1600 (1600), the last level before the dinner break which starts just after 8.30pm... The table shows 54 players in the running for 85 entrants... 

Dinner break

After 8 levels and 4 hours of poker, play is stopped with a resumption at 9:45 p.m. on blinds 1000 - 2000 (2000). Registration will be closed at the end of this 30-minute resumption level, at around 10.15pm.

The table currently shows 44 players competing for 86 entries on Day 1A, which will undoubtedly be the least busy of the opening eight days. 

With 212,000 chips and 7 levels to play, François-Louis Vlassis took the lead. Chipcount as the game resumed...

Chips

Play will resume in ten minutes on blinds 1000 - 2000 (2000). This will be the last level of late registration for Day 1B of the Holiday Festival Main Event... The table now shows 45 players in contention for 87 entrants.

Chipcount
François-Louis Vlassis 212,000
Uwe Truetsch 193,000
Schayan Aghajan 190,000
Mathieu Desmet 185,000
Mihaita Georgita 180,000
Julien Laniez 177,000
Mohamed Razkou Allah (pictured) 173,000
Thomas de Vernati 160,000
Joao de Sousa 145 000
Stéphane Blaser 140 000
Nikolas Nikolopoulos 140 000
Neven Papic 135 000
Edwin Roovers 133 000
Fouad El Mouhmouh 128 000
Erwin Vu Duc 99 000
Emeric Gilmont 74 000
Roger Sacre 65 000

91 Entries on Day 1B

The game is played on 1000 - 2500 (2500), the 10th level of the second opening day, and players now compete without nets. To re-enter, you'll have to come back another day to this €250 Holiday Festival.

There are still 37 players in the running for a final entry of 91. Erwin Vu Duc is on the cash-game and will probably try his luck again, whileEddy Sebastianutti has also given up without returning for this Monday. 

The average is 123,000 chips, and it's hovering around 230,000 at the head of the pack. François-Louis Vlassis is still on the ropes with 240,000, but the chasers are numerous. Uwe Truetsch is among the most pressing with 230,000 chips in front of him following a 3-bet on an opening from his right chips. The German (below) sends 20,000 into 27,000 on a board of small cards all diamonds and gets a snap-fold! 

New Boss

Change at the head of Day 1B as Stéphane Blaser. A regular at the Circus Casino Resort in Namur, Stéphane never looked back after his lucky river against François-Louis Vlassis. He's up to 415,000 chips with 15 minutes left to play in blinds 1500 - 3000 (3000). 

There are still 30 players in the running out of 91 entrants, with an average of 158,000 chips, and FLV is still in touch with 330,000. Getting closer is Nikolas Nikolopoulosauthor of a strike against two shorts with King Jack against Ace 5 and Queen Ten.

Finito for Ludovc Hausman, Armand Muratoglu or Cédric Schumacher on the second day of the €250 Main Event. 

Level 11 is underway, and the final break of the day will take place at the end of level 12, when the survivors will return for a further 3 levels. How many players will join the 42 qualifiers from the first session ? 

Boarding

After a final 20-minute break, play resumed on blinds 2000 - 5000 (5000) with 26 players and an average of 175,000 chips. There are three half-hour levels left to play and three tables on Day 1B of the Holiday Festival.

Here's the full chipcount outside the televised table... it's set to jump in this final straight with a lot of players in push or fold mode! 

Table 22 (in order of seats)
Thomas de Vernati 79,000
Fedele Ricotta 200,000
Emeric Gilmont 93,000
Khalid Sektani 50,000
Mohamed Razkou Allah 125,000
Joao de Sousa 260,000
Stéphane Blaser 550,000
Hendrikus van der Heijden 265,000
Julien Laniez 38,000

Table 24 (in order of seats)
Robert Spronck 81,000
Marco Barletta 50,000
Alexis Leclair 63,000
François Louis Vlassis 338,000
Mathieu Desmet 228,000
Neven Papic 80,000
Nikolaos Nikolopoulos 206,000
Francis Gaspard 125,000
Schayan Aghajan 242,000

Top 20

There are 4 minutes left to play on blinds 2000 - 5000 (5000), and when the blinds next go up there will be an hour of play left. Only 20 players are left in the running on Day 1B of the Holiday Festival, with a Schayan Aghajan (photo), who has moved into second gear since returning from the break. 

If Wilhelmus Crolla, Baptiste da Cunha, Julien Laniez, Uwe Truetsch and Marco Barletta jumped, the German flew away. Just after Barletta had seen his ace-valet smashed against the queens of Francis GaspardAghajan took everything from Nikolaos Nikolopoulos. 

Both men had a history, Nikolaos having checked twice before his turn in the same hand! So Aghajan waited and took a ton thanks to a 3-bet with Ace Dame in position. Nikolopoulos called before calling 3 times for 17,000, 47,000 and 60,000 chips on Dame 5 9 2 4 with a heart draw on the flop that never went in. Nikolaos flashed King-Queen and found himself in danger... 

From the small blind, he went all-in 5 minutes later after an Aghajan open under the gun paid for by the button. The German went all-in to isolate with King Ten and held against the opponent's King 7 to climb to 490,000 chips. In the wheel of Stéphane Blaser which is not far from 600,000 chips, while the average is 227,000 chips... 

Two Tables

Schayan Aghajan keeps up the good work and has just scored himself a strike. The German eliminated Neven Papic and Alexis Leclair on the same hand to pocket precious chips and climb to 670,000. In the process, his table was broken as only 17 of the 91 entrants remained.

Schayan Aghajan joins Stéphane Blaser 's table for the end of play, with 45 minutes left to play and a quarter of an hour to go on the blinds 3000 - 6000 (6000)... The average is 284,000.

Last Level

The game is now played over 4000 - 8000 (8000), with 17 players still in contention and an average of 284,000 chips. Schayan Aghajan still dominates with a stack of over 600,000... 

13 Qualifiers on Day 1B

The second of the eight starting days of the €250 Holiday Festival Main Event is set to be the least crowded of the week... With 91 entries, Day 1B still brought the provisional attendance up to 341 entrants, well on schedule to blow the tournament's €250,000 guarantee.

On Monday at the Circus Casino Resort in Namur, play ended on two tables with 13 survivors... and therefore one televised table. Unsurprisingly, the chipleader ended up on the stream, with Bilal Marzouk finishing well clear of Clyde Tjauw Foe, who bagged up almost 1 million on Day 1A.

55 players have already validated their ticket for Saturday September 7 and Day 2, which resumes at 2pm with blinds 5000 - 10,000 (10,000) and 40-minute levels. On Monday, the competition took place over 15 levels of 30 minutes, with the chipleader multiplying the starting stack of 50,000 chips by almost 15 times.

See you on Tuesday from 4 p.m. for Day 1C, with Big Tuesday starting at 7.30 p.m...


Full chipcount Day 1B
Bilal Marzouk 735,000
Schayan Pudi 691,000 (pictured)
Stéphane Blaser 556,000
Mathieu Desmet 450,000
Hendrikus van den Heijden 359,000
Christianus Lovrencevic 351,000
Mihaita Georgita 323,000
François-Louis Vlassis 246 000
Fedele Ricotta 245 000
Khalid Sektani 236 000

Joao de Sousa 182 000
Robin Splendido 104 000
Francis Gaspard 72 000