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Day 1b of any EPT Main Event is usually bigger than the previous flight but, with 1,214 players competing today, Barcelona has far exceeded expectations.
It's been the strongest starting day in the EPT history, making it the biggest EPT Main Event ever, and already beating PCA 2011 by more than 100 entrants. So far, the new record stands at 1,673, but late registration stays open until tomorrow's restart at noon.
There were 716 Day 1b survivors who will come back for Day 2, joining the 273 players who bagged their chips on Day 1a.
Samuel Bernabeu has 203,000 and takes the overall lead of nearly a thousand survivors. Last month, the Spanish pro achieved the biggest payday of his career after taking down the $5k Deep Stack Extravaganza in Las Vegas for $537,017. He also has a fifth place finish at the 2013 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open under his belt, worth $494,490. Bernabeu is known for his aggressive play, trying to win almost every single hand. It has paid off for him so far in the Main Event and he is the only player to have passed the 200k mark.
PokerStars qualifier Irimia Marius has 164,700, the ninth biggest stack going in to Day 2. The Romanian qualified online for just €2.20 so, if he makes the money, that's a pretty impressive return on investment.
A clutch of players representing Team PokerStars have also made it through: Jan Heitmann (76,400), Fatima Moreira de Melo (65,400), Eugene Katchalov (55,300), Andre Akkari (52,300), Johnny Lodden (48,200), Liliya Novikova (39,200), Bertrand 'ElkY' Grospellier (36,900) and Matthias De Meulder (28,300) are among those returning for Day 2 along with PokerStars-sponsored Teun Kuilboer, star of the Dutch TV show 'Bluf', who has 80,500.
Among those who fell today: EPT11 Barcelona defending champion Andre Lettau, FC Barcelona's defender Gerard Piqué and golf star Sergio Garcia
