The EPT Cyprus Main Event is underway, with 344 of 1,284 total entries remaining.
Out of these, 862 were unique players, while 422 came back as re-entries, pushing the prize pool to a massive $6,227,400.
With 191 places paid, anyone making it into the money is guaranteed at least $8,400, but all eyes are on the top prize of $1,030,000.
Walid Bou Habib had raised his button when Duco ten Haven tossed in a three-bet from the small blind. Bou Habib four-bet to 35,500, which Ten Haven called.
Ten Haven check-called Bou Habib's bet of 17,500 on the 10♥8♠10♦ flop. Ten Haven checked again on the J♦ turn, after which Bou Habib shoved all in for 75,500.
Ten Haven spent minutes thinking about the situation. Eventually, time was asked for but the dealer did not deem Ten Haven had adequate time yet.
Eventually, Ten Haven called off before a tournament official was needed, leaving himself only 4,500 behind.
Walid Bou Habib: K♥K♣ 
Duco ten Haven: 9♠9♦
Ten Haven needed a nine, seven, or queen to win the pot. However, the river was the 8♦ instead. The pot of nearly 175 big blinds was shipped to Bou Habib, leaving Ten Haven with just three of them.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
260,000
167,000
|
167,000 |
|
220,000
12,000
|
12,000 |
|
150,000
20,500
|
20,500 |
|
125,000
52,000
|
52,000 |
|
95,000
7,000
|
7,000 |
|
90,000
-34,500
|
-34,500 |
|
48,000
1,000
|
1,000 |
|
4,500
-171,500
|
-171,500 |
The action was caught on a completed board of 6♣8♠7♠2♣7♥. Ivan Zabiiakin checked from the big blind before Tom Vogelsang added 34,000 into a pot of 70,000 with a bet from under the gun.
Zabiiakin only took a few moments before flicking in a calling chip. Vogelsang showed down Q♠9♠ for queen-high. Zabiiaking tabled A♣9♥ for the hero call with ace-high.
He raked in the pot and got some compliments from the table as he stacked up his massive pile of chips.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
319,000
86,000
|
86,000 |
|
52,000
-110,500
|
-110,500 |
PokerStars Ambassador Sam Grafton moved all in for 18,000 from middle position and was called by Kazuomi Furuse from the button.
Sam Grafton: K♠J♠
Kazuomi Furuse: A♥K♥
Grafton was dominated and had three immediate outs. The 9♣8♣8♥ flop was of no help to the Englishman, but the Q♠ turn gave him a straight draw to go along with his jack outs. The 2♦ completed the board and confirmed Grafton's departure, with Furuse taking in the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
150,000
60,500
|
60,500 |
|
Busted | |
|
||
After just clashing in a pot, Andrew Hulme and Alexane Najchaus were back at it in a hand which ended with a casualty.
On a board of 3♣2♠8♦, Andrew Hulme had checked it over to Najchaus, who bet 3,000. Hulme then put in the check-raise to 9,000, which Najchaus called.
A 10♥ landed on the turn and Hulme shove for 15,000, Najchaus snap-called.
Andrew Hulme: J♥8♣
Alexane Najchaus: Q♥Q♠
Hulme did have a few outs, but couldn't find any of them as the 7♦ river meant he hit the rail in the opening level.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
145,000
15,000
|
15,000 |
|
Busted |
The full action was missed but Barny Boatman was seen exiting his seat early on Day 2, with all his chips going over to Krasimir Neychev.
Neychev had just bought into Day 2 and on a board of Q♥J♥8♥3♣A♣, he had flopped a set with 8♦8♣, which bested the turned set of Boatman, who held 3♦3♥.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
85,000
55,000
|
55,000 |
|
Busted | |
|
||
After two action-packed starting flights of the PokerStars European Poker Tour Cyprus $5,300 Main Event, a total of 405 players from 1,230 entries have navigated their way through ten levels of play to return for Day 2 at noon today, 16 October, at the Merit Royal Diamond Hotel and Spa.
Those figures generated a current prize pool of $5,994,600, but with late registration open until the start of Day 2, those numbers are certain to increase further. Prize pool and payout information will be confirmed when registration is closed and they are finalised.
Russian Viktor Ustimov (379,000) sits atop the standings at the start of play, after bluff catching towards the end of Day 1b to amass a monstrous stack, and he is closely followed by Italian Salvatore Camarda (325,000) and Iraqi Ali Al-Kubasi (301,000).
Ustimov, who sits in the top 50 in the Russian all-time money list, boasts recorded winnings of over $2,000,000, and will be looking to beat his previous best EPT score, a second place finish in Event 1 at EPT Sochi in 2018 for $82,000.
Camarda's biggest score within his recorded earnings of just under $359,000 is a $45,000 payday for finishing 12th in a $1,100 buy-in event at the Barcelona PokerStars Championship in 2011.
Al-Kubasi is a relatively new name on the scene, his first recorded cash being in 2021, but he already has a six-figure score to his name after finishing second in a $5,000 buy-in high roller event at the Merit Poker Series in 2022 for $129,100.
Two big names also lurk in the top ten - Stephen Song (261,500), seeking an unprecedented consecutive EPT Main Event triumph after taking the title in Barcelona at the last stop, and Ren Lin, currently ranked as the fifth best tournament player in the world having accumulated almost $12,000,000 in live earnings.
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Viktor Ustimov | Russia | 379,000 | 253 |
| 2 | Salvatore Camarda | Italy | 325,000 | 217 |
| 3 | Ali Al-Kubasi | Iraq | 301,000 | 201 |
| 4 | Kirill Shcherbakov | Russia | 284,000 | 189 |
| 5 | Darius Gadeikis | Lithuania | 266,000 | 177 |
| 6 | Ren Lin | China | 264,500 | 176 |
| 7 | Stephen Song | USA | 261,500 | 174 |
| 8 | James Crawley | United Kingdom | 261,000 | 174 |
| 9 | Yevhen Pavlenko | Ukraine | 253,000 | 168 |
| 10 | Ahmed Abdellatif | Australia | 249,000 | 166 |
PokerStars Ambassadors Simon Wiciak, Barny Boatman, Fintan Hand, Kenny Hallaert and Elias Gutierrez all found a bag for Day 2, but with none of them above 50,000, they have plenty of work to do to progress to Day 3.
A number of players will be seeking to capture their second EPT Main Event title, including Wiciak, Lucien Cohen (138,000), Artur Martirosian (95,000) and Hossein Ensan (16,500).
Defending champion Gilles Simon will not be in the running to defend his title after busting twice, and the same applies to Julien Sitbon and Jon Vallinas.
The players will return to 90-minute levels at Level 11, with blinds of 1,000/1,500, with a 1,500 big blind ante, with players having to navigate at least five levels to progress to Day 3. A 20-minute break will take place after every level and a 65-minute dinner break after Level 14.
Late registration is open until the start of Day 2 for any player who has yet to enter twice.
Stay tuned to PokerNews for all your coverage of what is sure to be a thrilling day of poker.
