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The inaugural Pokercode Festival is off to a hot start at Banco Casino Bratislava with the first of three opening flights of the €125,000 guaranteed Pokercode Bratislava €550 Main Event attracting 75 entries.

Slovakia's Vladimir Bednar bagged the Day 1a chip lead with a stack of 421,500, which will be good enough for 105 big blinds to start Day 2 on Saturday with two more opening flights set to take place on Friday, Sept. 10.

Bednar was cruising most of the day before his chip stack catapulted to over 400,000 near the end of the day when his aces held against the ace-nine suited held by Darren Chandler.

Also bagging top five chip stacks on Day 1a were Maksym Ronshyn, Fehim Hajdari, Konstantin Hammermueller, and Sebastian Schulze.

Pokercode Festival Bratislava Main Event Day 1a Top Ten Chip Counts

Pokercode Co-Founder Kate Scisel Living the Dream

Kate Scisel is one of the co-founders of Pokercode along with Fedor Holz and Matthias Eibinger. While Holz and Eibinger were on the sidelines today, Scisel was in action from the start and was having a good time all day long at the same table as Ruurd Nauta.

Scisel didn't know anything about poker a few years ago but that all changed once Pokercode came to life as she shared with PokerNews during one of the breaks that she felt like she had to learn in order as part of involvement with Pokercode. Scisel's learning curve was apparent as she held her own throughout the day and bagged one of the largest stacks of the day.

This should come as little surprise as she has at her disposal not only the amazing resources at Pokercode but also direct access with the incredible talent behind the training site.

Scisel was involved in perhaps one of the most fun hands of the day against Nauta where she called off with queen-jack suited against her opponent's rockets during preflop action. Nauta genuinely wished Scisel good luck and to everyone's surprise, Scisel flopped a flush and never looked back.

"This is not something to be proud of," said Scisel. "But we are still friends."

Pokercode couldn't be any happier to meet many of their community along with many others that traveled from near and far to play at the inaugural Pokercode Festival.

Holz and Pokercode Head of Marketing Milko van Winden not only joined the Pokercode crew in welcome all the players they could one-on-one but also shared this short video.

The final 21 players are bagging chips for the end of the day.

The tournament director has announced five more hands before surviving players bag their chips for Saturday's Day 2.

Both Milan Bajmoczi from the small blind and Kate Scisel from the big blind called a standard button open by Raffael Crose.

Bajmoczi checked the flop. Scisel bet 13,000 and Crose folded before Bajmoczi three-bet shoved for 59,000. Scicel called and was in good shape after the cards were turned over.

Milan Bajmoczi:
Kate Scisel:

Scisel's top pair held on the board to eliminate Bajmoczi near the end of Day 1a.

Chiel van Eerdt jammed for 43,500 from early position and was called by Alexander Shelukhin from the small blind.

Chiel van Eerdt:
Alexander Shelukhin:

Van Eerdt improved to a set on the board to double through Shelkhin. Meanwhile, Vladimir Bednar continues to destroy the dreams of his opponents and padded his Day 1a chip lead near the end of the day by taking the final couple of blinds held by Thomas Kraft to send him to the rail.

Pokercode Founder Fedor Holz is in the house and will be playing the $5,000 High Roller on Saturday while mingling with the players the next couple of days during the Main Event.

Check out the latest video on the Pokercode YouTube channel where Holz and Pokercode Head of Marketing Milko van Winden welcome all the players to Bratislava for the Pokercode Festival at Banco Casino Bratislava.

Darren Chandler jammed from late position over a limper for 63,000 and was called by Vladimir Bednar from one seat over.

Darren Chandler:
Vladimir Bednar:

Chandler got nowhere on the board and the Day 1a field was down to 24 players.

The final blind level of Day 1a has just begun. Surviving players will bag chips into Saturday's Day 2 while those less fortunate will have more chances on tomorrow's Day 1b and the turbo Day 1c. If that doesn't work out, there is one more re-entry possible before the end of the first blind level of Day 2.

Fabio Muhr three-bet jammed for 57,500 from the button over the open by Maksym Ronshyn from the hijack and Ronshyn called.

Fabio Muhr:
Maksym Ronshyn:

Muhr failed to connect with the board to hit the rail just before the start of the final blind level of Day 1a.

The banter has been fun between Ruurd Nauta and Kate Scisel the entire day and the two just got tangled in a pot where Scisel was at risk of hitting the rail.

Nauta opened from early position for 6,000 before Scisel three-bet to 15,000 from the button. Nauta jammed and Scisel called off for 59,000.

Kate Scisel:
Ruurd Nauta:

"Good luck," Nauta said as he stood up from the table.

Scisel got all the luck she needed as the flop gave her a flush. The turn and river completed the board for Scisel to crack Nuata's rockets to stay alive.

"This is not something to be proud of," said Scisel. "But we are still friends."

Simon Langer bet 13,500 into a pot of around 35,000 on the board on the turn and Vladimir Bednar called. The river put all spades on the board and Langer fired out for 28,500. Bednar jammed for heaps and Langer went into the tank before he eventually called off for more than 100,000.

Langer showed for a king-high flush but was eliminated by Bednar who held for the nut flush.

Players are on their final break of Day 1a. The opening flight will host two more levels before surviving players bag up their chips for Saturday's Day 2.

Meanwhile, Walter Weisz hit the rail just before the break began to leave just 28 Day 1a players remaining.

Curtis Knight opened the button before he called a three-bet jam by Fehim Hajdari to 42,600 from the big blind.

Fehim Hajdari:
Curtis Knight:

Hajdari's cowboys held on the board to double through Knight.

Vladimir Kostka opened for 4,500 from the button. Erik Seffer jammed for about 25,000 from the small blind and Kostka called.

Erik Seffer:
Vladimir Kostka:

Seffer bricked the to leave just 30 players remaining on Day 1b out of the 74 entries to so far get into the action.

Grzegorz opened for 4,400 from under the gun before he called a three-bet jam by Milan Bajmoczi from the button.

Milan Bajmoczi:
Grzegorz Kozieja:

Bajmoczi was already out of his seat before the flop came on the board. He then left the table as he was out of chips after the turn and river didn't help his fives beat sevens.

Leo Worthington-Leese open-jammed for 22,100 from the cutoff and was called Nikolaus Kaubek called from the button.

Leo Worthington-Leese:
Nikolaus Kaubek:

Worthington-Leese was in trouble and things got worse after Kaubek nailed a set on the flop. The paired the board and Worthington-Leese was drawing dead to Kaubek's full house and was out of chips despite improving to Broadway on the river.

Listen up if you are near Banco Casino Bratislava at the moment as the Pokercode Festival and the casino are offering some huge value in an event that just kicked off.

Players will be battling in the €100 Mega Satellite to Pokercode Festival Main Event with 20 seats guaranteed to the €550 Main Event. The action just kicked off at 6 p.m. local time with plenty of time for players to get in on this high-value event.

Milan Bajmoczi and Andrej Horvath limped from middle position as did Walter Weisz from the small blind before Navid Eskandari jammed for 23,700. Bajmoczi and Horvath folded and Weisz called.

Walter Weisz:
Navid Eskandari:

Weisz took a huge advantage after improving to two pair on the flop and eliminated Eskandari after the turn and river completed the board. Stefan Peukert and Sebastian Langrock also hit the rail to bring the Day 1a field down to 33 players out of the 73 entries and counting.

Sasa Lalos three-bet jammed for 55,000 on the flop and was called by Maximilian Silz.

Sasa Lalos:
Maximilian Silz:

Lalos was drawing dead after the turn improved Silz further to trips. The river completed the board to officially send Lalos to the rail.

Meanwhile, Carlos Chang also was seen leaving his table just after Lalos lost his stack.

Kurtis Knight checked the board before Dominik Boehm bet 3,000 into a pot of around 8,000. Knight raised to 11,500. Boehm jammed and Knight called off for about 46,000.

Kurtis Knight:
Dominik Boehm:

Neither the turn nor the river helped Boehm beat a set and he doubled up Knight's stack.

"Nice hand," said Boehm.

"Very unlucky," responded Knight. "I owe you a beer."

Grindhouse 2 member Paul Zehetleitner just busted his second and final Day 1a bullet as follows.

Zehetleitner three-bet jammed for around 40,000 over the 3,300 open by Tim Van Loo.

Paul Zehetleitner:
Tim Van Loo:

Van Loo's queens held as the rolled out on the board and Zehetleitner will have to try again on one of the other opening flights or before the first level ends on Day 2 if he wants to have a chance to lift the inaugural Pokercode Festival Main Event trophy.

Fehim Hajdari opened for 3,500 from early position and a player called from middle position before Bradley Dudeck squeezed to 17,000 from the big blind. Hajdari four-bet jammed for 64,700, the player from middle position folded before Dudeck called.

Fehim Hajdari:
Bradley Dudeck:

The board wasn't good enough for ace-jack to get past queens and Hajdari doubled through Dudeck.

Alexander Shelukhin bet 18,000 into a pot of a bit more on the flop. Milan Bajmoczi jammed and Shelukhin called off for about 50,000.

Alexander Shelukhin:
Milan Bajmoczi:

The turn followed by the river gave both players a full house. Shelukhin's full house was better to double through Bajmoczi.

Meanwhile, Christian Steindel and Stefan Peukert were among the players to recently hit the rail to leave 42 players remaining out of the 73 entries to enter thus far on Day 1a.

Players are on their second 10-minute break.

A player opened from early position before Paul Zehetleitner jammed for 20,100 on the button. Simon Langer jammed his big stack over the top and the player from early position folded.

Paul Zehetleitner:
Simon Langer:

Zehetleitner doubled with cowboys after the ran out on the board.

Meanwhile, Alexader Nietsch was seen shaking hands and leaving the tournament area after he busted his second and final Day 1a bullet. Nietsch can get back in tomorrow for Day 1b and/or Day 1c. Russia's Andrey Andreev was also seen hitting the rail but he immediately got back into the action for his second bullet.

Hannes Jeschka and Miroslav Juris were also among the recent casualties with both player having the option to get back in today.

Ronshyn Maksym opened for 3,000 from early position before he called a jam for less than 10,000 by Peter Varga from one seat over.

Peter Varga:
Ronshyn Maksym:

Varga didn't need any help but some came anyway with the running out on the board to give him quads for a double-up.

Miroslav Juris bet 32,700 into a pot of 50,000 with the on the board. Dominik Boehm went into the tank for a couple of minutes before he called.

Boehm turned over for two pair to pick up a huge pot with Juris showing .

Stacks were flying preflop when PokerNews got to the table with Fabio Muhr and Sasa Lalos both committing their stacks before Maximilian Silz called both players to create a 90,000 chip pot with two player's stacks on the line.

Fabio Muhr:
Sasa Lalos:
Maximilian Silz:

Silz' sixes held on the board to win the stacks of two players. Both Muhr and Lalos re-entered after the hand.

Christian Steindel jammed the river with the on the board and about 25,000 in the pot. Maximilian Silz tanked for more than a minute before he called off for his remaining stack of 25,000.

Steindel turned over and his river bluff was picked off by Silz with .

Leo Worthington-Leese limped from the small blind and Grindhouse 2 member Paul Zehetleitner checked his option from the big blind.

Worthington-Leese bet 2,000 on the flop and Zehetleitner called. An overbet of 9,000 into a pot of 7,000 came by Worthington-Leese on the turn and Zehetleitner called this as well.

The river completed the board. Worthington-Leese jammed and Zehetleitner called off for 37,000.

Worthington-Leese flopped two pair with and Zehetleitner was out of chips after one hand with . Zehetleitner re-entered after the hand.

Konstantin Hammermueller opened for 2,200 from the hijack and was called by Leo Worthington-Leese from the big blind.

Worthington-Leese check-called for 4,000 on the flop before leading out for 5,200 on the turn. Hammermueller called and Worthington-Leese checked the river. Hammermueller bet 9,500 and Worthington-Leese tanked for a minute before he called.

Hammermuelller turned over for a full house to win the hand after Worthington Leese folded.

Photos courtesy of Pokercode / Tomas Stacha.

Konstantin Hammermueller, Leo Worthington Leese, and Milan Bajmoczi have all amassed big stacks early on with 55 entries and 44 players remaining on Day 1a.

Carlos Chang opened for 1,700 from under the gun and was called by Vincent Kaubek from the hijack, Matthew Madanat from the cutoff, and Tim Van Loo from the big blind.

Two players checked before Kaubek fired out for 2,700 on the flop. Madanat raised to 8,000. Van Loo cold-called and the other two players folded.

Van Loo checked the turn and Kaubek bet 12,000.

"How much?" asked Van Loo to Kaubek who moved his hands away from his stack so his opponent could get a visual look at his chip stack.

Van Loo eventually called before both players checked the river.

Madanat had for top pair but Van Loo won the hand with a set turning over .

Alexander Nietsch opened from the button before he called a three-bet to 5,100 by Goran Hristovski from the small blind.

Hristovski bet 6,100 on the flop and Nietsch called. A similar pattern emerged on the turn with Nietsch calling a bet of 10,100.

The river completed the board. Hristovski bet 2,000 with about 14,000 left behind. Nietsch paused for a minute before he jammed for about 20,000. Hristovski snap-called only to get some bad news.

Nietsch rivered a straight with to crack Hristovski's cowboys and send him to the rail.

Tammo Franke opened for 1,400 from the lojack and was called by Kate Scisel from the cutoff. Simon Langer made it 5,800 from the big blind and Franke four-bet shoved for 16,000. Scisel folded and Langer called.

Tammo Franke:
Simon Langer:

Franke paired his king on the flop but was far behind the set Langer nailed. Franke was still alive with two pair on the turn but the river sealed his fate.

"Good luck," said Franke as he walked away from the table.

The Main Event is on its first 10-minute break. The Day 1a field grew to 48 entries with 42 players remaining just before the break.

Andreas Dorfinger checked on the board before Stefan Peukert bet 11,600 into a pot of around 16,000. Dorfinger tanked before he opted to jam for a little more. Peukert snap-called and the players showed their cards.

Andreas Dorfinger:
Stefan Peukert:

Peukert's two pair held after the river completed the board and Dorfinger was unable to last until the first break.

"Good luck all," said Dorfinger as he left the table.

Alexander Nietsch opened for 1,400 from early position and was called by Scisel Katarzyna from the button. Hannes Jeschka three-bet jammed for 9,900 from the big blind and Nietsch was the only one to call.

Hannes Jeschka:
Alexander Nietsch:

Jeschka's fives won the flip with the giving him a full house to double his stack.

"Now I have a big stack," joked Jeschka after the hand.

Raffael Crose check-called a bet of 7,300 by Andreas Dorfinger into a pot of around 13,000 on the on the board.

Crose checked again on the river.

"I give up," said Dorfinger as he checked behind.

"I guess it was a good give-up," said Crose as he turned over for a flush. Dorfinger flashed the as the dealer pushed the pot to Crose.

Meanwhile, Jordan Woodall has hit the rail when jacks didn't win a flip against an opponent's ace-queen. Fellow Grindhouse 2 member Alexander Nietsch re-entered for his second bullet.

Tammo Franke jammed his short stack of 9,000 and was called Kate Scisel.

Tammo Franke:
Kate Scisel:

Blanks ran out on the board for Scisel and Franke doubled his short stack.

Meanwhile, two local player in Peter Varga and Peter Ralbovsky hit the rail around the same time leaving 36 players of the 40 entries in their seats.

Thomas Kraft opened for 1,200 from the lojack and was called by Clemens Posselt from the hijack. Carlos Chang three-bet to 3,400 from the cutoff. Chiel van Eerdt cold-called from the button and it was four-way to the flop after both Kraft and Posselt called as well.

Kraft and Posselt both checked. Chase paused for about a minute before he jammed and took down an early pot after all three of his opponents folded.

Milan Bajmoczi led out for 3,500 into a pot of around 5,000 on the flop and was called by Ladislav Sipos. Raffael Crose three-bet shoved for 25,800 and both Bajmoczi and Sipos were tossed their stacks in second later for a three-way showdown.

Raffael Crose:
Ladislav Sipos:
Milan Bajmoczi:

"What the hell?" Crose said with a smile after two people called him.

Crose's two pair was good after the turn and river didn't improve either of his opponents to triple up Crose.

Sipos won the side pot and Bajmoczi was the first casualty of the Main Event. Alexander Nitesch joined Bajmoczi on the rail shortly after leaving the Day 1a field with 31 players out of the 33 entries thus far.

Katarzyna Scisel bet 6,000 into a pot of around 10,000 with the on the board and Jordan Woodall called.

Scisel paused for a minute after the completed the board on the river before she fired out for 10,500. Woodall counted his stack before making the call about 30 seconds later.

Scisel turned over and Woodall won the hand with to win the pot with a flush.

Luka Bojovic bet 18,800 into a pot of a little more with the on the board. Alexander Nietsch paused for a moment before he made the call.

Both Bojovic and Nietsch checked the river. Nietsch turned over but this wasn't good enough to win the pot with Bojovic showing for top pair.

"Nice hand," said Nietsch after the hand.

Grindhouse 2 members Luka Bojovic, Jordan Woodall, Alexander Nietsch, Sebastian Schulze, and Dominik Bohm were among the players to get into the action from the start of Day 1a.

The tournament director has welcomed the players before asking the dealers to shuffle up and deal if they have more than three players at their table.

The action began with 15 entries.

The starting time for Day 1a has been pushed back until 12:20 p.m. CEST. PokerNews will update again when the action begins.