I was well up for this, feeling great about my game and full of confidence when the tournament started. Four hours later I was thinking of the side events, but that's generally the way of tournament poker.
My starting table had some Italian team pro and an Irish one (Jude). It was an OK table with two definite soft spots.
There really wasn't much to report over the first three levels, I'd lost about 25% of my starting stack. Most of this went on a river bluff with air on a straight-flushing board and getting called by a pair.
My exit hand was interesting enough I think. There's an early  position raise and one of the the soft-spots calls the button, I call  from the big blind with  
  , the blinds are 100-200. I like the
, the blinds are 100-200. I like the  
  
  flop. The initial raiser bets
 flop. The initial raiser bets  1100 and button calls, as do I.
1100 and button calls, as do I.
The turn is a black nine and the initial raiser bets  3k  and is called by the button after my initial check. I'm confident the  initial raiser had a big Ace here and I'm almost certain I'm ahead of  the button whom I'm putting on big connecting hearts.
3k  and is called by the button after my initial check. I'm confident the  initial raiser had a big Ace here and I'm almost certain I'm ahead of  the button whom I'm putting on big connecting hearts.
It look like the perfect spot to me as I'm picking up  11k in the middle for my
11k in the middle for my  14k  if I can fold them out, and while I think it's possible the button can  call with his draw I'm happy enough to take that given my equity.
14k  if I can fold them out, and while I think it's possible the button can  call with his draw I'm happy enough to take that given my equity.
When I shove the initial raiser folds quickly enough, the button  looked like he was in pain and seemed to be trying to fold on a number  of occasions. However he eventually called and I wasn't pleased with  what he showed up with,  9h. I had read it almost perfectly but hadn't accounted for him pairing his nine on the turn.
 9h. I had read it almost perfectly but hadn't accounted for him pairing his nine on the turn.
It was still a pretty big call on the turn by him for about 60% of his stack. I think the deciding factor in his call was being taken off a hand, not long before by the Italian stars guy. All in all I think I played the hand well and it was just a bit unfortunate he binked the turn. I hadn't seen semblance of a hand all day and it was time to try and force it a bit so can't complain.
There's an €1,100 side event today at five so I'm hoping for a better run at that.