$$ Cash 4 Seat $$

It was only a matter of time before the PokerStars European Poker Tour released the second half of its Season 6 schedule, and now that we’ve seen it, we don’t mind having waited.

As of this time yesterday, you knew the EPT had been to Kyiv, Barcelona, London and Warsaw, and you knew it had planned stops in Vilamoura, Prague, and the Bahamas. The first half of the schedule was pretty exciting on its own, so there were no complaints there.

Now, we’ve seen the second half of the line-up, and we could write a thousand words about it. Instead, we’ll just offer this picture.

Indeed, folks. You’re looking at the Alps and the newest stop on the European Poker Tour.

In the schedule released this morning, the EPT has announced a brand new event: EPT Snowfest. This looks to be more than just a poker tournament. It’s going to be a ski vacation in one of the most beautiful parts of the world. Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria’s Alpine Palace will host the €3,500 Main Event March 21st - 26th, 2010.

That is just one of six tour stops announced in the final Season 6 schedule. In addition to EPT Snowfest, the European Poker Tour is headed back to all the places you have come to expect.

Here’s the remainder of the schedule.

January 20th - 25th: EPT Deauville
February 16th - 21st: EPT Copenhagen
March 2nd-7th — EPT Germany
March 21st - 26th — EPT Snowfest
April 15th - 21st — EPT San Remo
April 25th -30th — EPT Monte Carlo

For a complete look at the full EPT schedule, check out the EPT tournaments page.

In the meantime, we hope you’ll join us as we report from the newest stop on the EPT in Vilamoura, Portugal Nov 17-22.

Live updates from day four, level 23 of EPT Barcelona brought to you by Stephen Bartley, Rick Dacey, Marc Convey and Howard Swains.

Blinds: 12,000-24,000 (2,000 ante)

6.30pm: Chopping
Georgious Kapalas raised pre-flop and Mihai Manole shoved. Kapalas called — it was about 400,000 — but it was a bit of an anti-climax when Kapalas showed [ac][9s] and Manole showed [as][9c]. However, there was a flurry of activity in the press room, where at least two supporters of Kapalas decided to use their PokerStars Blog One Time Chip™ and call for clubs. No good, it was a chop and two PokerStars Blog One Time Chips™ were wasted.

6.28pm: Kyllonen frustration
Jens Kyllonen has just been three-bet off his button raise by Carter Phillips for the second time in as many orbits. The Finn made it 60,000 to go and Phillips made it 175,000. Kyllonen quickly mucked and started muttering to Julien Nuijten that it was ‘the second button in a row.’ –RD

6.25pm: Outer table goings on
Not many, to be honest. Julien Nuijten is opening almost every pot with a raise, if he gets the chance. Twice he’s been played back at with three-bets and folded quickly both times. We long to see a flop.–MC

6.20pm: Greco ground out
Michael Greco’s long grind is over. He has been playing shove or fold poker for the whole day, with the emphasis on the latter. He got his last 246,000 into the middle with [jh][10h] and ran into Georgious Kapalas’ [ac][qh]. There was an ace on the flop and Greco departs, taking €35,000 for 13th place.

Michael Greco

6.15pm: Smith doubles through Kapalas
After being forced to lay down a hand to some strong river betting from Georgious Kapalas, Asa Smith gets his revenge - and then some. The British player raises to 65,000 pre-flop and Kapalas re-raises to 158,000. Smith comes back over the top for his full 484,000 more. Call. Smith loves it as he tables two red aces. Kapalas has [6d][6s]. There’s nothing nasty on the flop and Smith is now north of a million.

6.10pm: Another pot to…
Phillips raised to 55,000 which Julian Nuijten called from the small blind. On a flop of [kh][10c][7s] Nuijten checked and then called Phillip’s 60,000 bet. Both checked the [2d] on the turn before a [7h] on the river. Now Nuijten took over, betting 150,000. Phillips called showing king-queen to Nuijten’s pocket jacks, taking the pot. - SB

6.05pm: Action from the outside table
Mike McDonald, Carter Phillips and Mihai Manole are currently the most active players at table two. McDonald has scooped two sets of blinds as has Phillips. Manole hasn’t open raised yet but seems to have picked Phillips as his three-betting target. –RD

6pm: Another reminder
If you want, you can complement your PokerStars blog obsession with some moving pictures at EPT Live.

It looks like this:

5.55pm: Come join the club
Marc Goodwin raised to 60,000 and was called by Matt Lapossie and Georgios Kapalas before the flop was revealed as [3c][6c][4c]. Lapossie took over the initiative and led for 78,000, a bet that only Goodwin called. No slowing down for Lapossie who fired 127,000 on the [10d] turn and again Goodwin called. The river fell as [9c] and that prompted a slowing in pace as both players checked. Lapossie tabled jack-ten but it couldn’t beat Goodwin’s pocket fours for a set. –MC

5.50pm: Back
They’re back. And this is what the 13 remaining players are stacking:

Marc Goodwin, UK, 2,827,000
Matt Lapossie, Canada, 1,828,000
Georgios Kapalas, Greece, 1,762,000
Jens Kyllonen, Finland, 1,501,000
Julien Nuijten, Netherlands, 1,462,000
Carter Phillips, USA, 1,441,000
Asa Smith, UK, 839,000
Santiago Terrazas, Spain, 701,000
Toni Ojala, Finland, 601,000
Mihai Manole, Romania, 468,000
Mike McDonald, Canada, 458,000
Ari Kolpanitzki, Israel, 439,000
Michael Greco, UK, 296,000
Cornel Cimpan, USA, 286,000

5.45pm: Still in the break
Jens Kyllonen takes it easy:

5.35pm: A reminder
This is what they’re playing for:

5.30pm: Break time
We’re in a 15 minute break at the end of level 22. Chip counts, etc., for our 13 remaining players are on their way. And when they arrive…

CLICK HERE FOR CHIP COUNTS

CLICK HERE FOR PRIZEWINNERS TO DATE

Consider this to be the “Noah post.” It comes around at most EPTs when the young Dutch Team PokerStars Pro reaches the brink of something great. Sometimes it ends badly, while other times it’s a high octane superlative adventure requiring air sickness pills and a big bag for his chips.

Today (I might ruin it all just saying this) looks like being the latter type. Boeken played five levels today before winning a pot, tweeting the news during a five minute spell pulling G’s to catch up. At his peak today he was up to more than 103,000 while now it’s pegged back a little to 85,000, a chunk just dispatched across the table to Anton Morgenstern. But the confidence last seen during his long haul route to 96th place finish in the World Series main event looks to be back.

Watch EPT Barcelona S6: Noah Boeken on PokerStars.tv

Elsewhere, to paraphrase the great man Nelly, the temperature is rising in the tournament area. An older man in gold Elvis glasses discovered this when his all-in on a straight draw couldn’t topple the aces of Maria Maceiras. Maceiras herself had been on the up before losing some, but nothing on the scale of Pieter de Korver, busting with pocket tens again pocket kings. You can’t lose more than that.

Noah Boeken

Room to move is now zero. One man with a big belly tries it though, edging further and further into what little space there is between tables, checking in with a friend still playing before edging his way back, parting chairs on the way. Another player with a stain on his shirt patrols the floor in his socks.

Lex Veldhuis

Daniel Negreanu talks to Lex Veldhuis, the rough chip leader right now, about how it’s impossible to drink a gallon of milk. He didn’t say over what time frame but he seemed certain and no one argued. Negreanu keeps typing something into his Blackberry. You might want to keep an eye on his twitter to find out what.

We’re into the final level of the day.