London's Calling: Newspaper Freeroll Winner Leads EPT London & Fullflush Banned from EPT

24 remain in the Pokerstars EPT London and yet another unique story is developing from the fascinating London poker month of 2009. A pro packed field will be fighting for the title today at the Hilton Metropole, including Peter Eastgate, Annette Obrestad, Marty Smyth and November Nine star Kevin Schaffel.

But they are all trying to catch up with overall chip leader Michael Berry of the UK. Berry won not one, but two, Pokerstars freerolls held in conjunction with the Daily Mirror. Now he has already won £17,000 minimum for his freeroll parlay and is in pole position to bag the £850,000 first prize

in two days time. Usually when an interesting story comes out of a tournament like this the expression 'good for the game' is used, but this would truly massive for the game if he made the final table. Just imagine how much positive coverage UK poker would get if one of the biggest daily tabloids were to get behind Berry (Which they almost certainly would) – he will certainly have his work cut out today though, find out how he does via our Live Updates.

EPT London Top 10 Chip Counts
1. Michael Berry 1,837,000
2. Rodrigo Caprioli 1,647,000
3. Nikolai Senninger 1,587,000
4. Tobias Reinkemeier 1,291,000
5. Josef Samanek 1,215,000
6. Vivek Rajkumar 1,196,000
7. Benjamin Spindler 1,110,000
8. Ivo Donev 1,062,000
9. Theo Tran 991,000
10. Peter Eastgate 988,000

Mercier Bags Another One

There is running good, and then there is Jason Mercier. Days after his WSOPE final table he was at it again, taking down the £2,500 no limit side event at the EPT for £115,800. In just over a year Mercier has won the EPT San Remo, the EPT London High Rollers Event, a $1500 PLO event at the LA Poker Classic, a $1000 no limit event at the Wynn Classic, the $1500 PLO bracelet at the WSOP, came 4th in the WSOPE main event and now this £2500 event at the EPT. He has nearly $4 million in winnings and yet, our bloggers have reported, he is spending his time in London sleeping on a friends couch.

Fullflush Banned from all EPT and Grosvenor Events....again luke schwartz

Some people can only be themselves, take Luke 'Fullflush' Schwartz for example. After being banned from the Vic for not taking off his hat, his good friend Eddie Hearn managed to pull a few strings and get his ban lifted for the EPT London. Normally one would be on his best behaviour after being given a second chance, but Schwartz can only be himself. Shortly after busting from the main event he decided he was entitled to a free sandwich because he was a VIP customer (How someone recently banned from the premises can be a VIP we do not know), the casino staff did not agree, and when he wouldn't pay for the sandwich he was escorted from the premises and banned from all EPT and Grosvenor events.

This has fuelled speculation on the forums that Schwartz, who has often been accused of 'hitting and running' when he is up for a session, was protecting his bankroll by excluding himself from all the high roller tournaments on the EPT tour. The bigger question for us is, what sort of sandwich was it?

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