Santiago Nadal Holds Commanding Lead at End of Day 3
The third day of the �1,100 Estrellas Poker Tour Main Event at the 2024 PokerStars European Poker Tour Barcelona has concluded. Mexico's Santiago Nadal leads a field of 19 that will return on Sunday for Day 4.
There were a total of 7,138 entries, building a prize pool worth �6,852,480, and the eventual winner will take home the grand prize of �625,000.
Nadal finished the day with a whopping 36,000,000 in chips, securing a commanding lead over the field. PokerStars ambassador Parker Talbot holds the second spot, bagging 17,700,000, while Claudio Di Giacomo finished the night with 17,125,000, rounding out the top three.
Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Name | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santiago Nadal | Mexico | 36,000,000 | 90 |
| 2 | Parker Talbot | Canada | 17,700,000 | 44 |
| 3 | Claudio Di Giacomo | Italy | 17,125,000 | 43 |
| 4 | Kevin Madar | France | 15,725,000 | 39 |
| 5 | Jean-Pierre Benvenga | Switzerland | 15,175,000 | 38 |
| 6 | Alexandre Reard | France | 12,300,000 | 31 |
| 7 | Martin Zamani | United States | 12,000,000 | 30 |
| 8 | Ren Lin | China | 11,000,000 | 28 |
| 9 | Stanislovas Vinicenka | Lithuania | 10,575,000 | 26 |
| 10 | Wissam Ouertani | Italy | 9,950,000 | 25 |
Day 3 Highlights
Pokerstars Ambassador Alejandro Lococo began the day as the chip leader, but despite staying aggressive throughout, he struggled to gain traction and eventually bowed out in 36th place for �15,140.
Pokerstars Ambassador Julien Brecard was also in the top ten at the start of Day 3, battling throughout the day until he ran his pocket tens into the pocket aces of Luis Rayon Perez, resulting in his elimination in 58th place for �11,470.
With only a couple of hours left of play for the day, Nadal soared to the top of the leaderboard when he turned a full house and caught Luis Rayon Perez speeding with just king-high.
Despite doubling up shortly before, Dennis Hertel was the final player to bust on the last hand of the night, finishing in 20th place for �26,540 when his ace-king failed to overcome the pocket jacks of Jean-Pierre Benvenga.
Of the 19 remaining, there are plenty of notables still in contention, including Alexandre Reard (12,300,000), Martin Zamani (12,000,000), and fan-favorite Ren Lin (11,000,000).
All 19 players have secured a payout of�26,540, but all eyes are on the top prize of �625,000.
Remaining Payouts
| Place | Prize | Place | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | � 625,000 | 8 | � 79,400 |
| 2 | � 430,000 | 9 | � 61,680 |
| 3 | � 302,000 | 10-11 | � 50,590 |
| 4 | � 227,000 | 12-13 | � 42,130 |
| 5 | � 173,000 | 14-15 | � 35,120 |
| 6 | � 136,400 | 16-17 | � 30,530 |
| 7 | � 104,500 | 18-19 | � 26,540 |
Day 4 begins at 12 p.m. on Sunday, September 1, with blinds of 200,000/400,000 and a big blind ante of 400,000. Play is scheduled to continue until a new champion is crowned.
Be sure to stick with PokerNews as we continue to bring you the all the action leading to the next Estrellas Poker Tour Main Event champion!