Chip Counts (Full)

Level 10: 500-1,000, 100 ante

Casey Is The King Of The Kastle

Level 10: 500-1,000, 100 ante

The World Poker Tour (WPT) Prague Day 1b started with a rush of amazing excitment and ended in exactly the same way. We knew that Day 1b was going to be big but nobody was talking about it breaking any records. As people flowed through the floodgates, the organisers started to realise that the European WPT attendance record of 555 players (set by WPT Vienna in Season IX) was in real danger of being broken. Then as early as level 2 the Tournament Director grabbed the mic and told everyone that they were a part of history - WPT Prague was the new WPT European attendance record holder.

When the dust had finally settled our final number of attendees was 568, creating a prize pool of €1,753,200. This generated a first prize of €450,000 (and a $25k seat at WPT Bellagio) and if we were handing out that prize to the Day 1b chip leader it would be heading back to Slovenia in the suitcase of one Casey Kastle.

Kastle had an extremely good day but nothing could have prepared him for the final few hands of the night. Kastle was content with his days work and he had already begun to pack his things. The chip hoover that is Michael Tureniec had just been moved to his table and the legs had started to wobble. Tureniec is an absolute poker monster. The Swede had sat patiently all day long with nothing more than a mere morsel of a chip stack and then suddenly he was hauling 280,000 chips over to Kastle's table. You would think the two of them would want to stay out of each others way, have a beer and go to bed with a big smile on their faces…they had other ideas! In what we believe was a six-bet pot Casey Kastle moved all-in for 170,000 chips holding a pair of aces and Michael Tureniec called with a pair of queens. Kastle moved up to 356,800 and Tureniec was knocked down to 100,000.

124 players found themselves trailing in the vapour of the Kastle and combined with the 93 who got through yesterday we will be covering 218 players when Day 2 kicks off at 14.00 (CET). With a final table set for Monday we are going to have to get busy to chop this field down to a manageable size!

Other notables through to Day 2 include Steve O'Dwyer, Mike McDonald, Martins Adeniya and Eugene Katchalov while those that bit the dust include Roberto Romanello, Melanie Weisner, Marvin Rettenmaier and Martin Jacobson.

Here are the unofficial top five from the end of Day 1b:

1. Casey Kastle - 356,800
2. Nikolai Sears - 262,800
3. Karen Sarkisyan - 252,100
4. Steve O'Dwyer - 241,000
5. Martins Adeniya - 203,000

Huge Chip Leader Pot At The Death!

Level 10: 500-1,000, 100 ante

Michael Tureniec has just moved his 200,00+ stack over to the table of Casey Kastle and the two of them have clashed in an almighty pot.

We did not see the raising action but we know that Kastle moved all-in for 170,000, a third player in the hand folded and Michael Tureniec had the decision to call or to fold. Tureniec counted his stack and looked at the dealer and said, "call."

Kastle turns over A A and Tureniec turns over Q Q. The board is queenless and Kastle has over 350,000 chips while Tureniec has been reduced to 100,000.

Vandeborne Rivered

Level 10: 500-1,000, 100 ante

Jean Marie Vandeborne raises to 2,500 in mid-position and a player in late position moves all-in for 11,900. Vandeborne makes the call and we have a showdown.

Opponent: 5 5
Vandeborne: A J

The flop propels Vandeborne into the lead when it comes down A 6 3, the K makes it stay that way but the 5x on the river hands his opponent the pot and Vandeborne is down to 40,000.

Carter Calls

Level 10: 500-1,000, 100 ante

Daniel Carter raises to 2,200 in the cutoff and the button moves all-in for 20,300. The action folds back around to the man from Cheltenham and after some consideration he makes what can only be described as a call he didn't want to make.

Button: A K
Carter: A 6

Board: A 8 3 K 3

Carter is now down to 120,000

Steve O'Dwyer & Michael Tureniec: Chip Leaders

Level 10: 500-1,000, 100 ante

(Photo: Steve O'Dwyer Master of Bad Beats)

We have just swept the room at the death and Steve O'Dwyer seems to have one of the biggest stacks in the room with 235,000. O'Dwyer is living proof that a re-rentry is a good concept after busting yesterday with a 60,000 stack late on in the day.

"So Steve, how did you amass such a huge stack?" We asked.

"Well, it was easy. I gave that guy a bad beat...that guy...and then finally that guy," said Steve.

Michael Tureniec was on the short stack of 30,000 nearly all day and now he has over 200,000 chips.

"So Michael, how did you amass such a huge stack?" We asked.

Mmmm...he just stares at us like I assume the Terminator would if we ever got close enough to him so we take the hint.


(Photo: Michael "Terminator" Tureniec)

Steve Thomsen Wins a Three Way All-In

Level 10: 500-1,000, 100 ante

The big chip stacks are like magnets here in the last level of play. Steve Thomsen has just found A K and two players willing to go broke. The first player held 9 9 and the second player held A Q. The board ran out 7 4 2 K 7 and Thomsen now had 190,000.

Frederico Sears Wins a Three-Way All-In

Level 10: 500-1,000, 100 ante

When poker is good it is damn good and when it is a bitch it is a bitch. For Nikolai Sears poker couldn't be better right now. He has been one of the big stacks all day and in the last level of the night he wakes up with pocket kings and two players want to pick a fight with him. One of then has pocket tens and the other ace-queen. There is no disturbance of the peace on the flop and Sears adds another 65,000 to his stack whilst eliminating two opponents in the process.

Sears ~ 220,000

The Rizzo Has Left The Buiding

Level 9: 400-800, 100 ante

When Giovanni Rizzo sits down to write his Christmas list, he can be forgiven for asking for a little bit of luck. He just managed to find a player willing to pay 45,000 holding Qx Jx on a Qx 9x 4x board. Rizzo held Kx Kx and was in great shape until the dealer decided to turn the hand on its head. The turn came down 8x and the river Tx handed Rizzo's opponent a runner-runner straight for a 100,000 pot.

No More Z's Left In WPT Prague

Level 9: 400-800, 100 ante

Zimnan Ziyard has been eliminated from WPT Prague. He was holding pocket aces on a board of 6x 8x 9x when all the money went in the middle with his opponent holding 7x 7x. A 5x on the river sending Ziyard spiralling out of the tournament.

"I guess I have time to join the party now," said Ziyard with reference to the female heavy party bounding away downstairs.