On Wednesday, the third edition of the PokerStars UKIPT Marbella Main Event got underway at the Casino Marbella and attracted a bumper crowd of 349 players. Over the course of 10 45-minute levels, those 349 entrants were reduced to a more manageable 136, who return to the fray on Friday for Day 2.
Topping the chip counts when Day 1a ended was Julian Cabello. The Spaniard turned his 25,000 starting stack into 201,600 and was the only player to break through the 200,000-chip barrier. Although there’s a long way to go in this tournament, Cabello’s lightning-quick start will have the local confident of keeping the trophy on home soil.