WPT London Begins at Palm Beach Casino – rakeback news

The WPT London Poker Classic kicked off yesterday on Bank Holiday Monday as some of the best poker and poker rakeback players in the world decided to work through the holiday. The tournament is being held at the Palm Beach Casino in Mayfair which will also be the scene of the English Poker Open in just over two weeks time.

Seventy Two players registered for Day 1a of the WPT London Poker Classic including Phil Ivey, Roland De Wolfe, Erik Seidel, Huck Seed, James Akenhead, Luke Schwartz, Praz Bansi and Andrew Robl. Whilst numbers may be down the bank holiday and the EPT Vilamoura event may have had something to do with that. More players are expected to register today before play begins at 12pm.

On Day 1a though, Phil Ivey and Luke Schwartz were involved in one of the bigger hands of the day when Ivey pushed all in on the river with four clubs showing on the board. Schwartz thought long and hard before folding and showing a Jack of clubs. Ivey unsurprisingly didn’t show or comment but was happy to rake the 110,000 chip pot.

Ivey finished fourth in chips and Schwartz was able to recoup most of his losses to finish 15^th for the day and safely in mid-table. Erik Seidel is the current chip leader with 226,200 chips after winning a big pot towards the end of the day when flopped a wheeled straight. Praz Bansi who has two World Series of Poker is also well in touch with the leaders and Huck Seed is also very much involved. Ever present Russian pro Victor Ilyukhin made it through the day as well in 16^th place in chips.

Roland De Wolfe, was not quite so lucky as he was caught trying to bluff and lost his stack. The following conversation took place after Huck Seed missed De Wolfe’s exit:

“Where’s Roland?” asked Seed.

“He’s out.”

“How?”

“Bluffing.”

“What couldn’t he bluff?”

“The second nuts.”

As with all players even the best sometimes find themselves in situations they can’t get out of and for Roland De Wolfe bluffing against the second nuts was one of these.

Play will begin today at 12pm at the Palm Beach Casino and we will have more updates as the tournament goes on.