They say time is money. Waiting through a lengthy bubble period in a tournament -- especially a chronic one -- gives an individual numerous opportunity to consider both.
We report back from the Estrellas Barcelona Main Event shortly after having emerged from about an hour's worth of "bubble time." Bubble time isn't actual time, of course, what with stopped tournament clocks and the associated mental fog that may come over an individual amid such stasis. Meanwhile, as time ticks by -- while weirdly seeming to not -- money becomes everyone's focus, hence the €1,755 for min-cashing the event.
It took just below three one-hour levels for nearly 500 players to bust the tournament this afternoon, at which point tourney directors brought things to a screeching stop in an effort to institute hand-for-hand play greater than a half-dozen off the cash. Perhaps they were recalling the realization of last year's EPT Barcelona Main Event when only one clear of the money a minimum of seven all-ins occurred on a single hand, with five players busting (and thus dividing the primary four min-cashes).
Taking several minutes per hand, the choice of players left crept slowly from 495 to 492 to 490. The objective was 487, the choice of players as a result of split the jumbo €3,193,240 prize pool.
Players filled the long pauses between hands socializing. After noting how start-of-day leader Pablo Gordillo had slipped back around 200,000, reporters spent the time scouting big stacks.
Jose Carlos Garcia, a.k.a. "TryToExploit" on PokerStars, we saw sitting comfortably behind a stack of about 500,000. With much more was Mikael Azoulay, who chatted with us about having just lost a pot leaving him with about 520,000.
Mikael Azoulay tells us all about it
Sitting quietly with much more was Team PokerStars Pro Online member Liliya Novikova, her 550,000 essentially the most of anyone we'd seen.
Liliya within the lead
Another hand was dealt. Time continued to face still. Or go backwards. Or turn in on itself. It was hard to inform... things were getting even foggier in there.
Waiting it out with Chris Da-Silva Oduntan
Three tournament directors standing by three different tables provided an indication -- three all-ins.
The Dutchman David Hu was first up. And Hu was first down.
Hu heads out
The came Julien Sichez's turn, and the Frenchman was likewise at the losing side.
Sichez sunk
We shuffled over to Luis Navas's table, where the Spaniard was in peril with ace-queen versus Peter Meuhlbeck's pocket sixes. NUMEROUS deuces and nothing higher than a nine added as much as an elimination for Navas.
Navas no more
Let's see... take three from 490, and what is left? 487. The goal have been reached.
There was no associated hubbub, however. That's for the reason that special 487 were as yet blind to what had developed. Just because the TDs were manipulating time for the last stretch, so, too, were they manipulating the communication of the inside track that the money were reached.
"Okay... let's tell them..."
Finally it came to visit the general public address, with the workers joining the players in a round of applause.
Well done, everyone
The clocks were restarted. Those manning the cashier's desk sat up of their chairs. We're there.
Money time.
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Martin Harris is Freelance Contributor to the PokerStars Blog.Read More... [Source: PokerStarsBlog.com :: Estrellas Poker Tour]
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