Sirzat Hissou Still Soars Above the Field as WSOP Europe Main Event Heads Into Day 3
Welcome to Day 3 of €10,350 Main Event NLH European Championship here at the 2024 World Series of Poker Europe, where action gets underway at noon local time.
Out of a field of 768 competitors, only 185 return to the felt today to continue battling it out in the hopes of taking home the €1,300,000 top prize, and becoming the next WSOP Europe Main Event champion. Leading the way is Germany's Sirzat Hissou, who has amassed a stack of 1,353,000. Hissou surged to the top of the chip counts after the two initial flights, entering yesterday as the chip leader. He solidified his position at the top and now starts again today with the largest remaining stack.
Top Ten Chip Counts
| Place | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sirzat Hissou | Germany | 1,353,000 | 169 |
| 2 | Patrik Jaros | Czech Republic | 1,320,000 | 165 |
| 3 | Vlada Stojanovic | Serbia | 1,211,000 | 151 |
| 4 | Stanislav Zegal | Germany | 1,167,000 | 146 |
| 5 | Frederik Thiemer | Germany | 1,133,000 | 142 |
| 6 | Boris Angelov | Bulgaria | 1,082,000 | 135 |
| 7 | Matei Lupascu | Romania | 1,069,000 | 134 |
| 8 | David Hochheim | Germany | 1,018,000 | 127 |
| 9 | Andrea Ricci | Italy | 938,000 | 117 |
| 10 | Simone Andrian | Italy | 924,000 | 116 |
Patrik Jaros follows closely behind in second with 1,320,000 to play with, making him the only other player to start today's action with over 160 big blinds. Rounding out the podium is Serbia's Vlada Stojanovic, who brought 1,211,000 through—equivalent to 151 big blinds.
Of the remaining players, only eight managed to surpass the six-figure mark. In addition to the top three, Stanislav Zegal (1,167,000), Frederik Thiemer (1,133,000), Boris Angelov (1,082,000), Matei Lupascu (1,069,000), and David Hochheim (1,018,000) are the only other participants who start the day in the over-a-million chip club.
The allure of becoming a world champion always draws some of the best players to the WSOP Europe at King's Resort in Rozvadov. Among the current field, 23 bracelet holders remain in contention, including Roman Hrabec (916,000), Anson Tsang (641,000), Alex Foxen (539,000), Stoyan Madanzhiev (425,000), 2019 WSOP Main Event winner Hossein Ensan (375,000), six-time bracelet winner Shaun Deeb (374,000), and Dietrich Fast, who enters near the bottom of the pack with 73,000.
At the top of most players' agendas today is making it past the money bubble to claim their share of the €7,219,200 prize pool. Only 116 of those returning will make it into the money, with a min-cash being worth €20,900.
Payouts
| Place | Prize | Place | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | €1,300,000 | 12-15 | €59,400 |
| 2 | €854,000 | 16-23 | €48,700 |
| 3 | €590,000 | 24-31 | €40,700 |
| 4 | €415,000 | 32-39 | €34,700 |
| 5 | €297,000 | 40-47 | €30,300 |
| 6 | €217,000 | 48-55 | €27,100 |
| 7 | €161,000 | 56-63 | €24,700 |
| 8 | €122,000 | 64-71 | €23,100 |
| 9 | €93,900 | 72-79 | €22,000 |
| 10-11 | €74,000 | 80-116 | €20,900 |
Cards are in the air at 12 p.m. local with the plan of playing seven full 90-minute levels and half of the eighth level. Blinds will start at Level 15 — 4,000/8,000 with an 8,000 big blind ante. Shot clocks will also come into play when the field reaches 160 players left.
Keep an eye on PokerNews throughout Day 3 to find out who edges closer to capturing the 2024 WSOP Europe Main Event bracelet.