Denmark has been a hotbed of European poker talent as long as the game of poker has been around in Europe. The TV exploits of Gus Hansen helped inspire a younger generation to pick up the game. Two of that younger generation - Mickey Petersen and Mortensen Mortensen - are regulars on the European circuit, and are two of the best around.

Petersen was famed for his online prowess and transferred those skills to the live arena when he took down an EPT on home soil, in Copenhagen back in Season 8. That victory helped secure him a Team Online contract and he's continued to cash all over the globe, except the IPT that is!

Morten Mortensen only has one IPT cash - in the most recent stop in Saint Vincent (18th for €3,750) - but has been cashed for over $750k during his career. He first came to our attention during Season 7 on the EPT when he made the final table of the Snowfest stop, where he finished eighth for €35,000. His uber-aggressive, yet smily, approach made him stick out from the crowd.

These two young, talented Danes were drawn at the same table today so we decided to stay with their tabe for a round of action. Unfortunately for us, floor man Cillian, broke the table four hands in. Mortensen was in the thick of the action though so here goes....

At the start of the round, Petersen had around 40,000 chips to Mortensen's 26,000. Blinds were 200/400, with a 50 ante.

Hand 1: Petersen folded from second position to allow Mortensen to raise to 1,000 from the next position. Tim Volf was the only caller from the cutoff but he too folded when faced with a 1,200 c-bet on a [6s][9c][2h] flop.

Hand 2. Petersen folded from under the gun and Mortensen raised to 1,000 again. Kamil Wiercinski defended his big blind before he check-folded when Mortensen continued for 1,200 on a [4c][4d][kc] flop.

During that hand being played out, Matas Cimbolas - one of Europe's form players over the last 18 months - came and took the vacated seat between our two featured players.

Hand 3. A player in the cutoff moved all in for 5,700 and took the blinds and antes.

Hand 4. Mortensen opened to 1,000 and was three-bet to 3,100 by Remi Marlair in the cutoff. The Dane came back with a four-bet to 7,100 and Marlair called. The flop fanned [8s][kh][7d] and Mortensen continued for 5,600. Call. The [2s][3c] turn and river followed with no more players betting. Mortensen opened [as][kc] and his opponent mucked.

That was the last hand before the players were dispersed around the room. Petersen left the table with just under 40,000 (since turned into 68,000) and Mortensen left with more than 45,000 (similar to current stack) after three profitable hands.

Day 1A numbers

Registration for the IPT Main Event closed after four levels of play and a total of 224 players entered. That number will be dwarfed by the numbers expected tomorrow. Around 167 players still survive.

Those thriving rather than just surviving include: David Martin (98,000), Maksim Shulga (95,000), Pedro Ventura (90,000), Leonid Sidelkovskiy (87,000) and Henry Broens (85,000). Players notable due to the fact they've busted include: former EPT San Remo Champion Rupert Elder, James Moore, Liam Melis, Salim Alibas, Davide Suriano, Masatoshi Tanaka, Ramin Hajiyev and UKIPT Dublin champion and UKIPT4 POY Kevin Killeen and Daragh Davey.

For full details of the festival, click here.

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Updates provided by Marc Convey, with photos coming from René Velli and
Tomáš Stacha.