$5,300 EPT Main Event Day 1b | 2023 PokerStars EPT Cyprus

10-17-2023 20:10 UTC+2

Sidhu Drags in a Pot, Fresh Off an EPT Win

Calum Grant

Level 8 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

Kuljinder Sidhu just dragged in a pot to nearly return to starting stack. He opened to 1,600 from middle positon and was called by the hijack and Maximilian Silz from the big blind.

He continued for 3,200 on the Q♠6♦5♥ flop, and only the hijack called. The 2♦ turn checked through to the A♦ river, and Sidhu took the pot down after his opponent folded to a bet of 10,800.

Sidhu has form on his side as he triumphed in Saturday's $2,100 Hyper Turbo Knockout Freezeout, topping the 216-entry field for $41,940 plus bounties.

PokerStars Ambassador Benjamin Spragg also performed well in that tournament and finished in 5th place for $14,420. Spragg, however, was not so fortunate in today's Main Event flight and was sent to the wrong side of the rail moments ago.

https://twitter.com/spraggy/status/1714338712509624716

Player	Chips	Progress
Maximilian Silz	40,000 40,000	40,000
Kuljinder Sidhu	25,000 25,000	25,000
Benjamin Spragg	Busted

Tags: Benjamin Spragg Kuljinder Sidhu Maximilian Silz

10-17-2023 19:52 UTC+2

Prize Pool Hits $6,000,000!

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Josh Noy

Level 7 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

With the 771st entrant to Day 1b, the EPT Main Event prize pool has eclipsed the $6,000,000 mark.

The total number of entries currently sits at 1,238, with late registration remaining open until the start of Day 2.

10-17-2023 19:44 UTC+2

Lococo Jams

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Calum Grant

Level 7 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

Sebastian Schulze opened to 1,600 from early position and saw Teodor Evstratiev and Alejandro Lococo call from the blinds.

Schulze continued for 1,800 on the A♦7♥5♥ flop and only Lococo called. The PokerStars ambassador then led out for 5,000 on the 4♣ turn and now it was Schulze's time to call.

The 8♥ completed the board, and Lococo slid out a stack of blue chips to put Schulze all-in. The German opted to preserve his 29,000 stack and folded.

Player	Chips	Progress
Alejandro Lococo	96,000 84,000	84,000

Sebastian Schulze	29,000 -5,000	-5,000

Tags: Alejandro Lococo Sebastian Schulze Teodor Evstratiev

10-17-2023 19:39 UTC+2

Shahade Heading in the Right Direction

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Calum Grant

Level 7 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

Hadi Khordbin opened the action from early positon and was called by Raul Gallego and Jen Shahade from the button and big blind, respectively.

The J♥10♥3♥ flop checked through to the 3♠ turn, and Shahade led out for 4,000. Only Gallego called.

The PokerStars ambassador then sized up to 10,000 on the 8♠ river, which folded out Gallego.

Player	Chips	Progress
Raul Gallego	78,500 -5,000	-5,000
Jen Shahade	65,000 22,000	22,000

Hadi Khordbin	45,000 45,000	45,000

Tags: Hadi Khordbin Jen Shahade Raul Gallego

10-17-2023 17:43 UTC+2

Spragg Pays Neves

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Josh Noy

Level 6 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Benjamin Spragg and Pedro Neves were heads up on the 6♣2♦2♥ flop. Spragg's bet from under the gun was met with a check-raise from Neves to 3,000 and the call was made.

Neves led out for 5,000 on the 7♣ turn and Spragg made the call. The 8♥ river saw Neves size down to 2,000, producing one last call from Spragg.

Neves revealed 10♠10♥ to take down the pot as Spragg folded before the dinner break.

Player	Chips	Progress
Pedro Neves	42,200 36,700	36,700
Benjamin Spragg	24,000 24,000	24,000

Tags: Benjamin Spragg Pedro Neves

10-17-2023 17:28 UTC+2

Set Over Set Benefits Romanello

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Calum Grant

Level 6 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Sinan Unlu opened to 1,300 from middle position and was called by Roberto Romanello and Ihor Hula from the from the cutoff and the button. Orhan Ates also tagged along from the big blind.

Action checked to Hula on the J♥5♣3♦ flop and he bet 1,500. Ates and Unlu folded before Romanello raised to 7,500. Hula called.

On the Q♥ turn, Romanello continued for another 15,000 and Hula called once more.

The 10♠ river completed the board and Romanello emptied the clip, shoving for 23,300. Again, Hula made the quick call.

Romanello had a set of jacks with his J♠J♦, while Hula had a set of threes with 3♥3♠. Romanello was the beneficiary of the cooler and the Welshman dragged in the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Roberto Romanello	100,000 100,000	100,000

Ihor Hula	72,000 -34,000	-34,000

Tags: Ihor Hula Orhan Ates Roberto Romanello Sinan Unlu

10-17-2023 16:38 UTC+2

Rare Six-Bet Jam Music to Yaroshevskyy's Ears

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Calum Grant

Level 5 : Blinds 200/500, 500 ante

Pascal Hartmann made it 1,100 from under the gun before Igor Yaroshevskyy three-bet to 3,400 from middle position. Action folded back to Hartmann, who made it 10,100 and then Yaroshevskyy clicked it to 17,600. Hartmann then put in the rare six-bet jam for 51,400 and was snap-called by the bigger stack.

Pascal Hartmann: AxKx
Igor Yaroshevskyy: A♦A♥

Hartmann had run into aces and was the underdog going to the runout. The Q♥10♠7♠ flop provided some hope in the form of a gutshot to Broadway but the 5♦ turn and 5♥ river confirmed his elimination.

Player	Chips	Progress
Igor Yaroshevskyy	120,000
Pascal Hartmann	Busted

Tags: Igor Yaroshevskyy Pascal Hartmann

10-17-2023 16:08 UTC+2

Neves on a Short Stack

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Calum Grant

Level 5 : Blinds 200/500, 500 ante

2023 PCA Main Event runner-up Pedro Neves is towards the bottom of the chip counts but tried to change that after raising to 1,000 from the cutoff. Sergei Bortsov opted to defend his big blind.

Bortsov check-called for 700 and 1,400 on the flop and turn for the final board to read 7♦6♥6♣J♥J♦. Action checked through to showdown and Bortsov tabled A♣10♠ for just ace-high (with the two pair on board). Neves checked his cards and threw them in the muck to concede the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Pedro Neves	5,500 -22,500	-22,500

Tags: Pedro Neves Sergei Bortsov

10-17-2023 14:49 UTC+2

Eureka Main Event Champ Fires Second Bullet

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Josh Noy

Level 4 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

The field continues to grow on Day 1b with some notable names taking their seats, including Eureka Main Event champion Ankit Ahuja rejoining after losing his initial stack earlier.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ankit Ahuja	30,000 30,000	30,000
Leon Sturm	30,000 30,000	30,000
Steve O'Dwyer	30,000 30,000	30,000

Tags: Ankit Ahuja

10-17-2023 14:42 UTC+2

Astedt Turns Higher Straight to Double Up

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Matt Warburton

Level 4 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

Niklas Astedt raised to 900 from middle position and picked up a call from Chinguun Bolor-Erdene before Aziz Efe reraised to 3,400 from the button. Both Astedt and Bolor-Erdene called the raise.

The flop came 9♥10♣8♥. Astedt bet, Bolor-Erdene folded and Efe raised to 13,500. Astedt then moved all in and Efe quickly called with the bigger stack as players flipped their cards.

Niklas Astedt: K♦J♦
Aziz Efe: Q♣J♣

Astedt had a straight draw but Efe already had a made straight. The turn came the Q♦ and the river the 2♠.

Groans and cheers rang out from the table on the turn as Astedt, one of the poker world's biggest winners, made the better straight to double up his stack.

Player	Chips	Progress
Niklas Astedt	38,000 38,000	38,000
Aziz Efe	16,000 16,000	16,000

Tags: Aziz Efe Chinguun Bolor-Erdene Niklas Astedt