Level 17: 6,000/12,000/12,000
Entries: 77/911
Prize Pool: €441,835
The JP Poker Masters has been a fixture in the Irish Open calendar for some time, becoming a much loved mid-stakes event. Today smashed records, as 911 entries created a huge €441,835 prize pool, with the eventual champion set to walk away with €77,080.
Antoine Vranken of the Netherlands (1,371,000) is best placed to do just that, after storming to the top of the standings at the end of 17 levels of play. He has a healthy lead over Brit Lee Mulligan (1,114,000) in second, while Nico Frenn of Switzerland (885,000) completes the podium places, with 77 players qualifying for the final day.
Vranken is a seasoned pro with over $1.5 million in recorded live earnings, sitting in the top 30 in the Dutch all-time money list. Mulligan has over $230,000 in cashes but a relatively modest best score of $14,050, while Frenn is nearing the $400,000 mark.
Irish hopes are led by Sacha La Breton (831,000) and Thomas Murphy (598,000). Plenty of other notable names remain in the mix including Waheed Ashraf (449,000), Nick Newport (350,000) and Martin Byrne (190,000).
JP Poker Masters End of Day 1 Top Ten Counts
| Name | Country | Chips |
| Antoine Vranken | Netherlands | 1,371,000 |
| Lee Mulligan | United Kingdom | 1,114,000 |
| Nico Frenn | Switzerland | 885,000 |
| Sacha Le Breton | Ireland | 831,000 |
| Audrius Daugvilavicius | Lithuania | 693,000 |
| Corne Scheel | Netherlands | 657,000 |
| Andrew Mapp | United Kingdom | 650,000 |
| Petros Karadimos | Greece | 639,000 |
| Thomas Murphy | Ireland | 598,000 |
| Nikolaos Mastrantonas | Greece | 595,000 |
All players have guaranteed themselves a €1,120 payday. For full details of payouts, counts and seat draws, see the PLAYERS and PAYOUTS tabs above.
The players will return at noon to Level 18, with blinds of 8,000/16,000, with a 16,000 big blind ante. The clock will be set to 30-minute levels, and play will continue until a winner is crowned.
