Thrilling Opening Day at the €10,300 PLO Grand Slam Championship in Tirana
The buzz of excitement filled the air at the Arena Casino Tirana as players gathered for an extraordinary day of four-card poker, kicking off the inaugural €10,300 PLO Grand Slam Championship. Although the commencement of the tournament faced a minor hiccup, with the first hands having to wait for an hour due to tepid early interest, the event quickly transformed into a poker spectacle that surpassed all expectations.
Record-Breaking Attendance and Prize Pool
What began as a slow start quickly escalated as players began to flood in, eager to stake their claim in this prestigious championship. Over the course of nine gripping levels, 96 entries were logged, pushing the €1,000,000 guaranteed prize pool tantalizingly close to its threshold—the eventual total promises to be substantially exceeded with two additional levels of late registration remaining on Day 2.
By the end of the day, a total of 37 players emerged from the fray with their chips intact, securing their places for the next round. Among them was the formidable Alex Livingston, a two-time bracelet winner known for his tenacity at the tables. His decision to make the long trek to Europe for the first-ever Diamond Poker Series event proved wise, as he maximized his starting stack from 200,000 to a stunning 1,258,000, putting him comfortably in second place on the leaderboard.
A Standout Performance by Harun Ertural
Leading the pack after Day 1 was Harun Ertural, who bagged an impressive 1,488,000 chips, which translates to a robust 149 big blinds heading into Day 2. Despite being relatively unknown in the poker circuit, a min-cash for Ertural would surpass his current total live earnings—a tantalizing storyline to watch as the tournament progresses.
Spanish player Ka Kwan Lau also made a notable mark, not only as the first entry of the day but by finishing in a strong third position with 1,200,000 chips. Meanwhile, Daniel Montagnolli finished fourth thanks to a late-night surge, accumulating 1,134,000 chips, and Aaron Pahlawani, the champion of the earlier €5,200 PLO Opener, rounded out the top five with 1,019,000.
The Top Ten Chip Counts
As play concluded, the leaderboard showcased a mix of seasoned pros and emerging players, providing a glimpse into the competitive spirit of the event. Here’s a glance at the top ten players at the end of Day 1:
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harun Ertural | Germany | 1,488,000 | 149 |
| 2 | Alex Livingston | Canada | 1,258,000 | 126 |
| 3 | Ka Kwan Lau | Spain | 1,200,000 | 120 |
| 4 | Daniel Montagnolli | Austria | 1,134,000 | 113 |
| 5 | Aaron Pahlawani | Austria | 1,019,000 | 102 |
| 6 | Joni Jouhkimainen | Finland | 911,000 | 91 |
| 7 | Vlado Banicevic | Montenegro | 886,000 | 89 |
| 8 | “Sie Pie” | – | 772,000 | 77 |
| 9 | Lautaro Guerra | Spain | 750,000 | 75 |
| 10 | Vadim Zakharyan | Israel | 711,000 | 71 |
Top players like Oleksii Kovalchuk and Nikolaos Lampropoulos also managed to finish strong, with stacks of 455,000 and 377,000, respectively. Notable names who weren’t so lucky included several bracelet winners and high-stakes hopefuls, including Simeon Naydenov and Max Kruse, both of whom left empty-handed after unsuccessful attempts on Day 1.
Looking Ahead to Day 2
The remaining players will reconvene on November 8 at 3 p.m. local time to continue the action on Day 2. With late registration remaining open for the first two levels and unlimited re-entries available, the stakes are set to rise even further. As players prepare to dive into Level 10 with blinds starting at 5,000/10,000, anticipation builds to see how the leaderboard will shift as players vie for their share of the escalating prize pool.
Stay tuned to PokerNews as we bring live updates from the heart of Tirana, where the inaugural €10,300 PLO Grand Slam Championship promises thrilling poker action and a lavish prize pool yet to be fully revealed. The road to becoming a champion beckons, and with Day 2 just around the corner, the excitement is palpable among players and fans alike.
