The third and final starting day of Event #1: €1,100 No-Limit Hold'Em MONSTER STACK kicks off at 2 p.m. local time at the King's Casino in Rozvadov and the biggest starting field is expected for the first of 11 bracelet events of the 2017 World Series of Poker Europe. So far, 255 entries were generated with 50 players advancing to Day 2 and the tournament is well on track to meet and surpass the guarantee of €500,000.
Defending champion, Ryan Hefter, is already through to Day 2 with an impressive 208,000, while Day 1a chip leader Ismael Bojang (268,500) tops the counts so far closely followed by Sergio Fernandez (267,000) and Jeff Cormier (265,000). Among those expected to join the action again in order to take a shot at important WSOP player of the year points are Chris Ferguson, John Racener, Kenny Hallaert and Alex Foxen. Phil Hellmuth, who entered Day 1b after the dinner break yesterday and failed to run up a stack after, will be signing his new book during the dinner break today.
The action will get underway at 2 p.m. local time and all participants receive 20,000 in chips with the initial blinds at 25/50. All levels on Day 1 last 40 minutes each and there will be a 20-minute break after every three levels with a 60-minute dinner break following after level 8. Late registration will remain open until the beginning of level 9 at approximately 9 p.m. local time and play is expected to conclude at approximately 1.30 a.m. local time.
Event #1 Monster Stack Schedule
Day
Date
Information
October 19th
Day 1a at 2pm
15 out of 90 players advanced to Day 2
October 20th
Day 1b at 2pm
35 out of 165 players advanced to Day 2
October 21st
Day 1c at 2pm
14 Levels 40 min each, late reg 8 levels ~ 9pm
October 22nd
Day 2 at 2pm
Levels last 60 min each, play down to final table
October 23rd
Day 3 at tba
Levels last 60 min each, play down to a winner
The PokerNews live reporting team will be there to provide all the action from the table, so make sure to tune back in regularly.
Fabrice Halleux just recently took his seat and has already made an impact at his new table. With the board reading , Anatoly Korochenskiy led out for 2,100 from the big blind. Halleux raised to 7,225 from early position and Korochenskiy stuck in his remaining chips, around 8,000. Halleux easily called and showed . Korochenskiy held for a straight but was sent to the rail by Halleux's full house.
Others that have made an appearance on Day 1C include Alex Foxen, Michael Magalashvili, and Muhamet Perati.
Alex Foxen had just sat down when he faced a raise to 200 by Salvatore Camarda. Foxen three-bet to 600 and Muhamet Perati as well as Camarda called. On the flop, Camarda checked and Foxen bet 900, which saw Perati raise to 2,900. That forced out Camarda, while Foxen called.
After the turn a second flush draw arrived and Foxen checked, Perati bet 5,600 and Foxen moved all in to see Perati call with a near identical stack.
Muhamet Perati:
Alex Foxen:
Foxen's two pair were in the lead but he had to dodge plenty of cards in order to double up. The river was a blank and the stacks were counted, Perati was covered by a mere 100 chips.
Fabian Gumz was eliminated on Day 1a and 1b respectively, and his hopes of earning a share of the juicy prize pool have just been crushed on Day 1c as well. Gumz raised from early position and Sergio Castelluccio in the small blind three-bet to 2,000. Gumz moved all in for 11,050 and Castelluccio snap-called.
Fabian Gumz:
Sergio Castelluccio:
The board of brought no surprise and that was it for Gumz in the MONSTER STACK.
There was a raise to 1,000 from early position and two callers with the action on Aylar Lie in the big blind. She shipped all-in for 8,350 and was called by the initial raiser. Another player folded face up and the two remaining hands were tabled.
Lie:
Opponent:
Lie flopped her opponent dead when it fell giving her quad queens. The turn was the and the river landed the . Lie more than doubled up, nearly getting back to a starting stack.
Scott Stewart has made his way to the King's Casino all the way from his hometown in California. Stewart made a deep run in this year's WSOP Main Event, finishing in 13th place for $535,000. He is off to a hot start in his first appearance at WSOP Europe thus far.
On a flop reading , Stewart was facing a bet of 2,300 from the player in early position. Stewart made the call and the hit the turn. The player in early position fired another bet of 5,500 and Stewart continued to call. The landed on the river and both players checked. Stewart's opponent turned over but Stewart flopped top pair with , earning himself the pot.
There was a raise to 1,400 from early position and Paul Michaelis called directly to his left. The hijack moved all-in for around 8,000 and the initial raiser also moved all-in over the top. Michaelis instantly called and the table erupted in "Oohs and aahs".
Michaelis was sitting in the dark with and was up against the from one opponent and the from the other. The board ran out and Michaelis scored a double knockout to climb over 50,000 chips.
Anatoliy Zyrin raised to 2,000 and Christian Arstad called on the button, Jan Timo Jobmann then shoved for 7,000 from the small blind. Zyrin reraised to 23,000 and kept 3,800 behind to see Arstad call. Zyrin announced a check in the dark and Arstad checked behind the flop. After the turn, Zyrin moved all in and Arstad called it off.
Jan Timo Jobmann:
Anatoliy Zyrin:
Christian Arstad:
"Nuts," Zyrin announced as he rolled over his made flush while Valentin Vornicu asked how he even got into that hand. The river was already meaningless and Jobmann departed, as did everyone else right after when the table broke.
The seat of Phil Hellmuth was empty and the 14-time bracelet winner will have to wait until the next event at King's Casino to take another shot at the elusive 15th bracelet. As confirmed by Giovanni Petroni and Georgios Zisimopoulos, it was Petroni who sent the Poker Brat to the rail.
According to Petroni, Hellmuth raised to 2,500 from the cutoff and Petroni three-bet to 7,800 on the button before Hellmuth shoved for 27,000. Petroni called with to see Hellmuth turn over . Petroni got there with top two pair on the flop before turn and river bricked off.
Petroni then grew his stack far bigger when he flopped a set of eights to crack the pocket aces of Dominik Arnold.
Joining the action on the turn, the stacks of Alexandre Viard in the big blind and Alex Foxen on the button went into the middle of the table. There were some 20,000 in the middle and Viard was the player at risk for 45,800.
Alexandre Viard:
Alex Foxen:
The on the river improved Viard to a flush and Foxen was left with fewer than one big blind.
In the next hand, David Urban shoved for 9,800 and Foxen called all in for 600 from the cutoff. Urban showed and Foxen had two live cards with , the board came . While Foxen was eliminated, Chris Ferguson shared the same fate on a different table, ensuring that neither of them would add points in the Player of the Year race in event #1 in Rozvadov.