Second Chance for Omaha Enthusiasts as Day 1b of �5,200 PLO Grand Slam Opener Begins At 3 PM
Diamond Poker Series' first-ever PLO Grand Slam is well on its way to reaching its first of two �1,000,000 guaranteed prize pools. After Day 1a of the �5,200 Opener attracted 95 entries to Arena Casino in Tirana, Albania, slightly less than half of what is needed to reach the guarantee.
Today, at 3 p.m. local time, those who were not part of the crew of 19 survivors get to take another shot to build a stack as Day 1b kicks off. Day 1b is the second and final starting flight of the tournament, but even if the guarantee will not be met today, late registration remains open until the start of Day 2 for those wanting to take a last shot.
Yesterday, Norway's high roller regular Tom-Aksel Bedell expanded his starting stack of 200,000 tenfold, securing the chip lead with a stack of 2,165,000. Sergio Martinez Gonzalez was the only other player to do so and came in second with 2,010,000. Bracelet winner Max Kruse, meanwhile, also secured a top ten spot with 1,170,000.
Day 1a Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Day 2 Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tom-Aksel Bedell | Norway | 2,165,000 | 144 |
| 2 | Sergio Martinez Gonzalez | Spain | 2,010,000 | 134 |
| 3 | "Tony" | 1,780,000 | 119 | |
| 4 | Pavel Izotov | Belarus | 1,575,000 | 105 |
| 5 | Christoforos Chrysochoidis | Greece | 1,195,000 | 80 |
| 6 | Max Kruse | Germany | 1,170,000 | 78 |
| 7 | Dimitri Steinfeuer | Germany | 1,090,000 | 73 |
| 8 | Grzegorz Derkowski | Germany | 1,075,000 | 72 |
| 9 | Lautaro Guerra | Spain | 940,000 | 63 |
| 10 | Borislav Bogdanov | Bulgaria | 810,000 | 54 |
All players who register today will receive the same 200,000 in chips, with blinds starting at 500/1,000 with a 1,000 big blind ante. The day is played until the end of Level 11: 6,000/12,000 (12,000), after which the remaining players bag up for Day 2, which starts tomorrow at 1 p.m. local time.
A 15-minute break is scheduled after every three of the 45-minute levels, with a 45-minute dinner break after Level 6, around 7:45 p.m. local time. For the unlucky ones who bow out early, unlimited reentry options are available throughout the entire day.
�5,200 PLO Opener Day 1b Structure
| Level | Duration (min) | Small Blind | Big Blind | Big Blind Ante |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 45 | 500 | 1,000 | 1,000 |
| 2 | 45 | 1,000 | 1,500 | 1,500 |
| 3 | 45 | 1,000 | 2,000 | 2,000 |
| Break | 15 | |||
| 4 | 45 | 1,000 | 2,500 | 2,500 |
| 5 | 45 | 1,500 | 3,000 | 3,000 |
| 6 | 45 | 2,000 | 4,000 | 4,000 |
| Break | 45 | |||
| 7 | 45 | 2,000 | 5,000 | 5,000 |
| 8 | 45 | 3,000 | 6,000 | 6,000 |
| 9 | 45 | 4,000 | 8,000 | 8,000 |
| Break | 15 | |||
| 10 | 45 | 5,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 |
| 11 | 45 | 6,000 | 12,000 | 12,000 |
Stay tuned to PokerNews as Day 1b promises to provide another day of explosive four-card poker action.