Today was the second starting flight at Casino Vilamoura in Portugal, where the European Poker Tour’s latest main event is taking place. Yesterday’s field of 136 and the 186 players at the tables on Day 1B combined for a total field of 322, building the prize pool to €1,561,700. A total of 48 players will make the money, with €404,793 designated for the winner.

Rising above the fray on Day 1B was Canada’s Jeff Sarwer, a former chess prodigy who just missed out on an EPT final table in Warsaw when he finished in tenth place. Today saw him making plans to do himself one better in Portugal, as he ended up with a stack worth 143,400 by the end of play thanks in large part to two big pots in the final levels. One of those was his elimination of Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier; Sarwer flopped trips with 9 7 on a 9 9 6 board and managed to outrun ElkY’s A 8 to begin his climb up the leaderboard.

Among those who registered but busted out before the day’s play was complete were the aforementioned Mr. Grospellier, Peter Eastgate, Sebastian Ruthenberg, Dario Minieri, and Vanessa Rousso. Noteworthy Day 1B survivors include high-stakes online cash game player Sami “LarsLuzak” Kelopuro, 2009 WSOP double bracelet winner JP Kelly, 2005 WSOP Main Event final tablist Andy Black, Belgian WSOP bracelet winner Davidi Kitai, 2009 WSOP Europe Main Event final tablist Praz Bansi, 2007 WSOP Main Event final tablist Alexander Kravchenko, and former EPT Player of the Year Luca Pagano.

Day 2 play begins tomorrow at 12 p.m. local time.

EPT Vilamoura Day 1B Top Ten Chip Counts

1. Jeff Sarwer (Canada) 143,400
2. Stefan Mattsson (Sweden) 125,100
3. Vishal Pundjabi (Germany) 124,600
4. Rob Yong (United Kingdom) 123,300
5. Amir Pirbazari (Ireland) 122,800
6. James Collopy (United States) 122,400
7. John Eames (United Kingdom) 110,200
8. Marco Della Tommasina (Italy) 109,600
9. Eduardo Lopez (Spain) 106,100
10. Rumen Nanev (Bulgaria) 104,600

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