$5,300 EPT Main Event Day 1a | 2024 PokerStars EPT Cyprus

10-14-2024 21:24 UTC+2

Ushakov Backdoors Diamonds to Stun Song

Kai Cocklin

Level 9 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

Kirill Shcherbakov opened to 2,500 from under the gun and Yunkyu Song three-bet the small blind to 13,000. Evgenii Ushakov then shoved from the big blind for around 45,000, which got Shcherbakov to fold, then Song stood up and put his jacket on, slung his bag over his shoulder despite having the covering stack. Eventually, Song called.

Evgenii Ushakov: Q♦10♦ All in
Yunkyu Song: A♦K♣

Ushakov had found the light four-bet shove, but wasn't in as bad shape as he could have been, until the flop of 5♣K♥2♦ left him with on a glimmer of hope of survival. That glimmer turned into a brighter shine as the 6♦ on the turn gave Ushakov a flush draw, and then into a gleaming pot of gold when the 9♦ landed on the river as the Russian player completed his flush.

Song couldn't believe it and stared at the board in disbelief, then said "How do you find that shove?" — with no response.

"Where are you from?" asked Fahredin Mustafov. "Russia," replied Ushakov.

"Ahh, you don't care. You are super rich, yeah?" said Mustafov. Ushakov laughed it off and started to stack the chips he just won, which left him with almost 100,000.

Player	Chips	Progress
Kirill Shcherbakov	195,000 -7,000	-7,000

Evgenii Ushakov	95,000 60,000	60,000
Yunkyu Song	85,000 -51,000	-51,000
Fahredin Mustafov	80,000 1,000	1,000

Tags: Evgenii Ushakov Fahredin Mustafov Kirill Shcherbakov Yunkyu Song

10-14-2024 20:44 UTC+2

Wei Spikes Set of Queens, Pavlenko Brings it Back on River

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Matt Warburton

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

Yevhen Pavlenko and Guoliang Wei were in the midst of a raising battle and Wei had a reraise of 17,000 out in the middle. Pavlenko responded by moving all in for around 80,000 and Wei called. Players had quite similar stacks, but Wei was covered as the cards were turned.

Guoliang Wei: Q♦Q♥ All in
Yevhen Pavlenko: A♠A♦

The flop came K♦Q♣7♦ and the table let out a collective groan as Wei spiked a set of queens. The turn was a blank, the 5♦, but the river was the A♣ to give Pavlenko a set of aces.

Wows and cheers came from tablemates as the situation reversed. Pavlenko won the pot and Wei was eliminated from the tournament as the final break of the day approached.

Player	Chips	Progress
Yevhen Pavlenko	160,000 101,000	101,000
Guoliang Wei	Busted

Tags: Guoliang Wei Yevhen Pavlenko

10-14-2024 20:27 UTC+2

Lin Dodges a Ton of Outs to Stack Iakovlev

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Kai Cocklin

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

There were already around 10,000 chips in the pot on a flop of 5♥7♠8♠ when both Ren Lin and Mikhail Iakovlev checked to Serhat Tok, who fired a bet of 3,000. Lin called, then Iakovlev put in a raise. Tok quickly folded, and Lin shoved, which gave Iakovlev a decision for his remaining stack of around 40,000. After thinking for just a few moments, Iakovlev put himself at risk.

Mikhail Iakovlev: A♠9♠ All in
Ren Lin: J♥8♦

Lin's pair was in the lead, but Iakovlev was the favorite to win the hand with his overcards, straight draw, and flush draw. Nonetheless, hitting those cards is part of the game and both the K♥ turn and 2♥ river were brick city for Iakovlev, who made his way to the exit.

"Never fold a pair. Gamble, gamble," said Lin.

"It's very hard to hit a pair," he added.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ren Lin	220,000 182,000	182,000
Serhat Tok	40,000
Mikhail Iakovlev	Busted

Tags: Mikhail Iakovlev Ren Lin Serhat Tok

10-14-2024 20:18 UTC+2

Korzinin Goes All In Blind

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Matt Warburton

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

Artsiom Lasouski raised preflop from middle position and Vladimir Korzinin, who had been making friends and having fun at his table, moved all in without looking at his cards. Lasouski called to put him at risk.

Vladimir Korzinin: 8♠3♠ All in
Artsiom Lasouski: K♣K♥

The board ran out 5♠Q♠Q♣5♣4♥ and Korzinin did pick up a flush draw on the flop to give himself a chance to double up. In the end though, it was easy money for Lasouski, who held with his pocket kings to win the pot, eliminating Korzinin.

Player	Chips	Progress
Artsiom Lasouski	130,000 50,000	50,000
Vladimir Korzinin	Busted

Tags: Artsiom Lasouski Vladimir Korzinin

10-14-2024 19:58 UTC+2

Tamm Turns Broadway to Eliminate Camarda

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Kai Cocklin

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

Taago Tamm in middle position and Salvatore Camarda from the small blind both ended up getting their stacks into the middle preflop, with the latter at risk for his stack of around 45,000.

Salvatore Camarda: 10♠10♣ All in
Taago Tamm: A♣K♥

It was a classic coin flip which seemed to be going Camarda's way as he improved to a set on the 7♠Q♥10♦ flop. However, Tamm found the dream turn as the J♦ gave him Broadway, and left Camarda screaming for the board to pair on the river. All that screaming didn't help as the dealer then put out the 9♠ on the river, much to the dismay of Camarda, as he was left on the sidelines.

Player	Chips	Progress
Taago Tamm	120,000 72,000	72,000
Mehmet Deniz	100,000 100,000	100,000
Timur Kurbanov	75,000 75,000	75,000
Guillermo Gordo	75,000 45,000	45,000
Biao Ding	25,000 25,000	25,000
Salvatore Camarda	Busted

Tags: Salvatore Camarda Taago Tamm

10-14-2024 19:49 UTC+2

Ahuja Busts to Schneiders

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Matt Warburton

Level 7 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

Felix Schneiders raised from under the gun, Serghei Lisii three-bet to 4,200, and Ankit Ahuja moved all in for 17,500. Schneiders made the call and Lisii folded. Ahuja was at risk as players turned the cards.

Ankit Ahuja: K♥10♥ All in
Felix Schneiders: A♦K♣

Schneiders had Ahuja dominated as the board ran out J♦K♠J♣2♦Q♠ and both players paired their kings on the flop, making two pair with the jacks on board. Schneiders held with his ace kicker to win the pot, sending Ahuja to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Felix Schneiders	80,000 52,000	52,000
Ankit Ahuja	Busted

Tags: Ankit Ahuja Felix Schneiders Serghei Lisii

10-14-2024 19:40 UTC+2

Abdellatif Picks Up Aces, Hits 200,000

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Kai Cocklin

Level 7 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

Ahmed Abdellatif opened to 2,000 from middle position and Nick Palma called from the next seat. Juan Vecino also called from the big blind.

The three players went to a flop of 9♦5♣3♣ where Vecino checked, and Abdellatif fired 8,000. Palma quickly folded, and Vecino called.

Both checked the Q♣ turn to the 5♥ river where Vecino checked, and Abdellatif made a bet of 15,000. Vecino didn't need to think for too long before he dropped in the call.

Abdellatif showed A♣A♠ for a pair of aces, and Vecino quickly mucked.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ahmed Abdellatif	200,000 52,000	52,000
Nick Palma	70,000 30,000	30,000
Juan Vecino	20,000 20,000	20,000

Tags: Ahmed Abdellatif Juan Vecino Nick Palma

10-14-2024 19:32 UTC+2

Shylko Runs Jacks into Fayziev's Queens

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Kai Cocklin

Level 7 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

Aliaksandr Shylko opened the hijack to 1,600 and Shukhrat Fayziev three-bet the cutoff to 5,300. When it got back to Shylko, he shoved for a little under 25,000, and Fayziev put in the call with a slightly covering stack.

Aliaksandr Shylko: J♠J♦ All in
Shukhrat Fayziev: Q♦Q♣

"One time, two times?" joked Shylko in reference to how many times they should run it.

Shylko didn't have much to work with on the 10♠5♦9♥ flop, and the 6♦ turn left him with just two outs and one shot to hit. Unfortunately for the Belarusian player, the 3♥ dropped on the river, which sent him to the rail.

With that pot, Fayziev's stack jumped up to around 50,000.

Player	Chips	Progress
Guillermo Sanchez Otero	75,000 52,000	52,000
Grigoli Liklikadze	60,000 60,000	60,000
Shukhrat Fayziev	50,000 50,000	50,000
David Kaufmann	20,000 -10,000	-10,000
Aliaksandr Shylko	Busted

Tags: Aliaksandr Shylko Shukhrat Fayziev

10-14-2024 19:19 UTC+2

Pertea's Two Pair No Good Against Shalamov's Set

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Kai Cocklin

Level 7 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

With around 15,000 chips in the middle on a board of 3♦10♠8♦, Mikhail Shalamov and Iurii Okolovich checked it over to Marius-Catalin Pertea, who fired 5,700. Shalamov then put in a raise to 13,200, which got a quick fold out of Okolovich, but Pertea called.

A 7♦ dropped on the turn and Shalamov immediately shoved, which gave Pertea a decision for his remaining stack of around 20,000. After thinking it over for a while, Pertea decided to put himself at risk, and called.

Marius-Catalin Pertea: 10♣7♣ All in
Mikhail Shalamov: 8♠8♣

Pertea had turned two pair but was trailing to the flopped set of Shalamov, who only needed to fade a ten on the river to scoop the pot. Pertea was hoping to hit that two-outer, but it never came as the 9♣ filled out the board, which meant he was eliminated.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mikhail Shalamov	105,000 14,000	14,000

Peter Tschernigg	55,000 13,400	13,400
Pascal Hartmann	55,000 -15,000	-15,000
Uladzmir Zhyharau	40,000 -10,000	-10,000
Iurii Okolovich	40,000
Marius-Catalin Pertea	Busted

Tags: Iurii Okolovich Marius-Catalin Pertea Mikhail Shalamov

10-14-2024 17:22 UTC+2

Song Hits Trips to Bust Mandara

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Matt Warburton

Level 6 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Barny Boatman open-raised from late position and Stephen Song called on the button. Ryan Mandara then moved all in from the small blind for 17,100, Boatman folded, and Song quickly made the call. Players flipped their cards, with Mandara at risk.

Ryan Mandara: K♣J♥ All in
Stephen Song: A♣Q♥

The board ran out Q♦3♦Q♠8♠10♣ and Mandara had little hope left once the flop had been dealt. Song made trip queens and chipped up to around 180,000, putting him among the chip leaders, while Mandara was eliminated.

Player	Chips	Progress
Stephen Song	180,000 90,000	90,000

Ryan Mandara	Busted

Tags: Barny Boatman Ryan Mandara Stephen Song