It was another action-packed day inside the Casino Grand Cercle, which saw 127 additional entrants join the France Poker Series Aix-les-Bain Main Event (hosted by PokerStars) for Day 1b. So far, the prestigious event has attracted 262 entrants across two starting flights with two additional flights still to come.
After a long 13-hour day, Karim Kaladjou emerged as the chip leader of the remaining 26 players after bagging up 366,000, good for the overall chip lead through two starting flights. Kaladjou's next closest competitor is Zine-Din Benrebai, who was just short of breaching the 300k mark with 292,000.
FPS Main Event Day 1b Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Karim Kaladjou | France | 366,000 | 92 |
| 2 | Zine-Din Benrebai | France | 292,000 | 73 |
| 3 | Radoslaw Kopec | Poland | 275,000 | 69 |
| 4 | Alexis Tremblay | France | 264,000 | 66 |
| 5 | Lylian Baunez | France | 261,000 | 65 |
| 6 | Marco Meisser | Switzerland | 235,000 | 59 |
| 7 | Raul Martinez | Spain | 196,000 | 49 |
| 8 | Clément Gouges | France | 187,000 | 47 |
| 9 | Augustin Ratiu | Switzerland | 184,000 | 46 |
| 10 | Jeremy Pauvret | France | 168,000 | 42 |
Day 1b got underway with 50 players and it didn't take long for the action to heat up.
Swiss poker pro Karo Nuri got off to a hot start, first by ending up on the right side of a preflop cooler followed by hitting a runner-runner flush against an opponent's straight. However, Nuri was unable to hang onto his momentum and ended up busting about half way through the day.
PokerStars ambassador Simon Wiciak joined the fray later in the day and struggled to accumulate chips. Wiciak hovered around a starting stack and eventually busted late in the evening after losing a race against Jordan Charousset.
Other notables unable to last the day include Michel Molenaar, Ricardo Graells, Guillermo Gordo, and Fabian Rolli, who busted in brutal fashion against Augustin Ratiu's runner-runner flush.
Among the 26 to who were still standing at the end of the day was Cassandra Yong, who is the only lady thus far to bag into Day 2. Young had a mostly steady day of slight ups and downs, but was on the receiving end of a loose call that led to a double up after Yong four-bet shoved with pocket queens and was called by a player with seven-five suited.
The next starting flight is Day 1c, which is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. on Friday, October 4 and will follow an identical structure as Days 1a and 1b. The fourth and final starting flight (Day 1d) will begin at 8 p.m. on Friday and will feature accelerated 25-minute levels instead of the usual 45 minutes. Any players who bust during their flight will be permitted one reentry if it is their first time entering the event. Players will also be allowed one (re)entry into subsequent flights, with late registration closing at the end of Level 12.
Be sure to stick with PokerNews as we continue to bring you all the action leading into Day 2 and beyond here at the FPS Aix-les-Bains Main Event!
