WPT Merit Cyprus Classic Championship Day 1a | 2009 WPT Merit Cyprus Classic

WPT Merit Cyprus Classic Championship

Day 1a Completed

09-06-2009 21:20 UTC+3

The Bags are Out

That will do it for Day 1a of the 2009 WPT Merit Cyprus Classic. A player-friendly style and a $10,300 buy-in induced 91 players to turn up for the first of the two Day 1 flights. At the end of the day 63 were still in contention for the title of champion. Leading all of them is a player who needs no introduction - John Tabatabai, who more than quadrupled his 40,000-chip starting stack to about 170,000 by the time the chips were in the bags.

Tomorrow the other half of the field will hit the tables. As is the custom with Day 1s spread across multiple flights, we expect tomorrow's field -- as the final of the Day 1 flights -- to be the larger of the two flights. We'll see what exactly the total number is when play kicks off at just after noon local time tomorrow.

Until then, you can find us at the bar.

09-06-2009 21:12 UTC+3

So Long, Lisandro

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Jeff Lisandro opened the pot with a raise to 2,500 from late position, and Kemal Basat announced a re-raise from the blinds. He made it 6,500 straight, and Lisandro quickly called.

Heads-up to the flop, the dealer rolled out {J-Clubs}

. Basat kept the heat on with a continuation bet of 10,000. Lisandro announced, "All in," and his opponent quickly made the call with the covering stack, Lisandro at risk for his tournament life.

And the news wasn't good. The Aussie pro turned over his {K-Diamonds}

, drawing very slim against the {J-Hearts}

of Basat. The turn {3-Hearts}

ended any hope for Lisandro, and the {9-Clubs}

that rivered will be the last card of Lisandro's day.

Despite an early under-set crippling with pocket fours, Lisandro battled like a champion today. Still, his efforts will be for naught as his Main Event is over on Day 1. A flustered Lisandro dumped his tall stacks of chips out onto the felt, spilling them across the felt like acrylic confetti as he made his way hastily to the exit.

Tags: Jeff Lisandro

09-06-2009 21:12 UTC+3

Pause the Clock

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

With just less than fourteen minutes left on the clock, dealers have been instructed to deal one more hand on each table and then bag up the chips for the night.

09-06-2009 21:08 UTC+3

You Think YOU Run Bad

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Ludovic Lacay opened a pot preflop to 1,500 and was called by the button player and by John Tabatabai in the big blind. On a ten-high flop, Lacay fired a continuation bet of 3,200, then snap-folded in turn after Tabatabai when the button moved all in. The button player showed {K-Clubs}

for top pair of tens.

"I never beat that," said Lacay. "A pair of tens. In all my life I never beat that."

Tabatabai glanced at Lacay and, with a wry smile, said, "You must be running really bad."

Tags: John Tabatabai Ludovic Lacay

09-06-2009 20:56 UTC+3

Pumilia Hanging Tough

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

It's been an up-and-down kind of a day for Richard Pumilia, but he's still out there hanging tough. He opened a recent pot to 2,500 from the button, then called when big blind Soren Kongsgaard re-raised to 6,500. Kongsgaard checke an all-spade flop to Pumilia, {A-Spades}

, then disgustedly mucked when Pumilia moved in.

"I had to move in," said Pumilia as he showed {A-Hearts}

for top two pair.

Tags: Richard Pumilia

09-06-2009 20:50 UTC+3

Little and Lisandro Climbing the Ladder

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Jonathan Little and Jeffrey Lisandro just raked in significant pots to move to 78,000 and 35,000 respectively.

Little took down a big pot on his table after getting an opponent to call a big bet on the river holding two pair -- aces and fives -- with a queen kicker. His opponent flashed an ace before knuckling the table in defeat and sending his cards into the muck.

Meanwhile, over on Lisandro's table, we missed the action but the scene told the story. There was a jack-high straight on the board with three clubs and Lisandro's cards -- {K-Clubs}

-- were tabled, as the dealer pushed him a massive pile of chips.

Tags: Jeffrey Lisandro Jonathan Little

09-06-2009 20:39 UTC+3

All That Jazzar

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Jazzar Moroun has been steadily building, building, building his chip stack throughout the day. As with Jonathan Little, it often seems to be about the smaller pots for Moroun. After John Monnette limped into the pot from middle position, the button player raised to 2,000. Moroun was in the small blind and re-raised to 5,000, driving Monnette out of the action. Only the button called.

Moroun bet another 5,000 on a flop of {10-Clubs}

. It was enough to take down the pot.

Tags: Jazzar Moroun

09-06-2009 20:38 UTC+3

Calling the Clock on Antonio Esfandiari

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

During the last break, Lynn cornered The Magician for 60 seconds (or so) of interrogation in a little thing we like to call Calling the Clock. It's a good one, check it:

Tags: Antonio Esfandiari

09-06-2009 20:32 UTC+3

Seed Still in Control

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Huck Seed has been zigging and zagging at the right times today. He played a curious heads-up hand a few moments ago but it came out fine for the former world champion. After one player limped into the pot preflop from middle position, Seed raised to 4,100, a rather sizable raise. The only caller was the preflop limper. That player checked to Seed on a flop of {4-Clubs}

. Seed tanked for about a minute before checking behind.

Both players also checked the {2-Clubs}

, in much more rapid fashion. When the river fell {j-Diamonds}

, Seed's opponent checked a third time, but Seed did not. He fired out a bet of 7,000, a bet that caused his opponent to dive into the tank. He was in there for almost two minutes, hands nervously shaking. He peeked back at his cards several times, shaking his head, before finally surrendering his hand.

Tags: Huck Seed