You’d expect the first few levels to be uneventful ones, players easing into the day, maybe chatting with table mates. But so often this is turned on its head and that applies here to the PokerStars European Poker Tour San Remo.

Already, with just a level gone, we have seen the mighty fall including one Johnny Lodden. The Norwegian lost out set over set (fives vs. queens) with the money in the middle. Meanwhile Antonio Esfandiari is today’s early double up, following a similar path laid by Team PokerStars Pro Katja Thater yesterday.

Unfortunately there has to be a fall guy in those scenarios and that title went to PokerStars qualifier James Honeybone – a brutal hand so fearsome it took the colour from his face – nuts over the second nuts – Esfandiari making quad sevens to James’ top full house.

One player toasting his early good fortune is Italian player Gino Alacqua. He’d take one if his first hands as a good omen, a royal flush for Gino to the full house of his opponent. No wonder the money went in.

Compared to that Team PokerStars Pro Daniel Negreanu’s table has been relatively pedestrian. He lost a few before gaining a few, calling to the river. His opponent thought long and hard, suspecting perhaps that Daniel had him well and truly pigeon holed and after chewing his lip for a while made it 3k to play, showing visible relief when Daniel mucked his hand. I didn’t catch the detail but Daniel was re-stacking what he’d lost a few hands later.

“I’m steady at the moment” was the report at the break. “Not up or down – I’m kind of the opposite of Dario Minieri!”

The video blog team caught up with Daniel before taking his seat to play today...

We’re into the first break of the day and you can find chip counts of notable players listed here.