Welcome to Day 1a of the MILLIONS North Cyprus Warm-Up
Live poker has returned to Europe and yet another well-known operator is testing the waters. The partypoker LIVE tour returns after a break of more than one and a half years and heads to the Merit Crystal Cove Hotel Casino & Spa in Girne, North Cyprus.
Well-known for its teamed live poker festivals, Merit has regularly attracted decent field sizes for the mid-stakes and High Roller circuits. Just recently, the Super High Roller Bowl Europe took place at Merit and some of the biggest names of the international poker circuit battled for millions in prize money. Some of them may very well be back because the MILLIONS North Cyprus includes a $10,500 High Roller and $25,500 Super High Roller.
The festival however kicks off on Thursday, September 16 with the $2,200 Warm Up for which the PokerNews live reporting team will provide updates from start to finish. There are four starting days in total and Day 1a gets underway at noon local time. The participants receive 100,000 in chips and the first level will kick off at blinds of 300-600 with a big blind ante of 600.
All four Day 1 will feature a starting stack of 60 minutes and the first two flights offer a level duration of 60 minutes each, whereas the two turbo heats after Day 1b and prior to Day 2 have a reduced duration of 30 minutes each. Then tournament will offer re-entries throughout the late registration period, which lasts until the start of level 13.
It is the first of many highlight events during the festival and the PokerNews team will be there from start to finish.
, Volodymyr Pukhlenko bet small and was called by Ludovic Peria. They headed to the 
turn on which Pukhlenko checked and Peria bet 5,000. The check-raise to 20,000 followed and Peria stuck around to see the 
on the river.
for the busted nut flush draw, which Peria had beat with the 
for a set.
and the stacks were counted. Nanartavicius had 93,400, which covered Okten.
river for around 70,000. Yunus Nurullayev snap-called and Hanna immediately asked if his opponent had a full house. He then exposed 
for the eight-high straight and Nurullayev indeed had 
for 3,500 and then called a raise to 7,500. There was no action on the 
river. Her opponent flashed 
but Hursoz had that beat with 
for aces and kings.
for just the second pair and doubled into the current lead.
of Ludovic Periaux. The chips went in after the 
flop and Periaux was in dire shape with 
turn and 
board connected with neither player and ace-king high was enough to scoop it all.
river failed to improve Korochenskiy and he was sent to the rail, apparently not happy about the delayed call.
flop, Recep Aydemir bet 5,000 on the button and Musa Barindik called in the big blind. Niko Koop then raised to 22,000 and Aydemir eventually folded. Barindik moved all-in and Koop called all-in for 80,400.
