In rather stark contrast to the Hendon Mob Championship’s early levels, the deeper, slower, pro-er €5,000 High Roller is short on showdowns; in 15 minutes of watching, I saw one over two tables. Perhaps the third table was just all fireworks all the time, but it’s unlikely with 50,000 starting stacks and 40 minute levels. Anyone going through to tomorrow’s Day 2 will be able to play the Main Event’s Day 1b, 1c or Turbo 1d and we can’t imagine that a high roller who finds themselves in Dublin over Easter weekend could possibly miss the Granddaddy of European Poker Tournaments…
Just to prove that action was observed, here are a couple of early pots:
Chris Dowling raised to 600 preflop (blinds 100/200), called by Arto Mansner in position and Blake Vogdes in the big blind. All three checked the 5s 6c 9d flop.
The turn: 4d. Vogdes led out for 2,100, called by Dowling alone.
The river: Th. Vogdes bet 7,100 and after a brief pause, it won him the pot.
One table over, Patrick White called a three-bet to 2,400 on the button (small blind Ryan Otto the raiser) and also called Otto’s 1,600 bet on the Js 4c 3c flop. When Otto bet 6,000 on the 5d turn, however, that was enough to take down the pot.