High Roller
Day 1 Completed
2017 888Live Rozvadov Festival
High Roller
Day: 1
Martin Kabrhel Leads 888Live Rozvadov €5,300 High Roller
Level 8
: 1,500/3,000, 400 ante
A small but star-studded field turned out for the 888Live €5,300 High Roller here at King's Casino Rozvadov. A €100,000 was certainly an eye-catcher to those who had traveled from near and far to play the tournament.
Big names such as Leon Tsoukernik, Chris Moorman, William Kassouf, Niall Farrell and Ludovic Geilich all entered with some degree of success, but it was homegrown Czech superstar Martin Kabrhel who managed to steamroll the field, and amass a chip stack of 413,000 going into Day 2.
| Player | Country | Chips |
|---|---|---|
| Martin Kabrhel | Czech Republic | 413,000 |
| Ludovic Geilich | United Kingdom | 326,000 |
| Pierre Neuville | Belgium | 274,500 |
| [Removed:291] | Germany | 213,000 |
| Michael Stuwe | Germany | 186000 |
| Enzo Del Piero | United Kingdom | 175,500 |
| Aleksandar Tomovic | Serbia | 132,000 |
| Philipp Zukernik | China | 109,500 |
| Pavel Binar | Czech Republic | 70,000 |
It was a slow start, with play initially starting on one table before a handful of players joined the fray, necessitating the opening of a second table. The first bust out was Leon Tsoukernik who was eliminated at the hands of Martin Kabrhel midway through the third level of the day when his ace-ten failed to beat Kabrhel's ace-queen.
Players who busted and re-entered were Chris Moorman, Ludovic Geilich and Pavel Binar. Of these three only Chris Moorman will not be carrying a stack through to Day 2, but he does have the option of re-entering at the start of Day 2, as do all eliminations from the field today.
As the day wound on, Martin Kabrhel's stack seemed to be unstoppable as it continued to grow. He eliminated Sonke Jahn when his eights beat Jahn's sevens, and then eliminated Niall Farrell in an entertaining hand during the last level which ended in Kabrhel remarking that Farrell had "big balls" for a gutsy bluff-shove on the turn with just ace-high.
Kabrhel will lead the final nine going into the final day, but there are plenty of names still vying to take down the title and the prize money which will be announced once entries are finalised tomorrow afternoon.
Join us at 5 p.m. local time tomorrow (Thursday) for the conclusion of the 888Live High Roller from Rozvadov.
Last Three Hands
Level 8
: 1,500/3,000, 400 ante
Tournament officials have drawn and they will play the last three hands before players bag for the night.
Ludovic Geilich Doubles Through Martin Kabrhel
Level 8
: 1,500/3,000, 400 ante
Enzo Del Piero opened to 7,000 and Ludovic Geilich three-bet to 17,500. Martin Kabrhel was in the next position and he four-bet to 39,000. Del Piero folded and Geilich five-bet all in for 93,000. Kabrhel called.
Kabrhel: 
Geilich: 
It looked like Kabrhel's heater was going to continue, as the flop came 
. The turn was the 
, but the river was the 
which meant that Geilich doubled up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
410,000
-94,000
|
-94,000 |
|
||
|
193,000
93,000
|
93,000 |
Bernd Gleissner Eliminated by Enzo Del Piero
Level 8
: 1,500/3,000, 400 ante
The cards were on their backs between Bernd Gleissner and Enzo Del Piero, with Gleissner all in but ahead of Del Piero holding 
against his opponent's 
.
The board ran out 
and Gleissner was eliminated.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
295,000
45,000
|
45,000 |
|
Busted | |
|
||
Niall Farrell Eliminated by Martin Kabrhel
Level 8
: 1,500/3,000, 400 ante
Martin Kabrhel raised to 7,000 from middle position and Niall Farrell three-bet to 20,000 from the cutoff.
"Will you fold if I move all in?" asked Kabrhel.
"I'll fold, I promise," replied Farrell.
"He promised, is that binding floor?" asked Kabrhel. Eventually the clock was called on him. Kabrhel called.
"After all that he does the option no one is thinking of," remarked Ludovic Geilich.
The flop was 
and Kabrhel check-called 15,000 from his opponent, still muttering about checking it down and whether or not he will eventually get to see Farrell's hand.
The turn was the and Kabrhel checked to Farrell who moved all in for his remaining 48,000. After much thought, and getting the clock called on him again, Kabrhel called.
Farrell showed 
and Kabrhel 
. "You have balls," said Kabrhel as Farrell headed for the exit, "You have big balls Niall."
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
504,000
134,000
|
134,000 |
|
|
||
|
Busted | |
|
||
Chris Moorman Eliminated by Pierre Neuville
Level 8
: 1,500/3,000, 400 ante
Pavel Binar raised from the button and Pierre Neuville called from the small blind. Chris Moorman three-bet all in from the big blind. Binar folded and Neuville called.
"Oh no did you trap me Pierre?" said Moorman turning over 
.
Neuville turned over 
and eliminated Moorman as the board came 
.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
250,000
110,000
|
110,000 |
|
Busted | |
|
|
||
Level: 8
Blinds: 1,500/3,000
Ante: 400
Moorman and Geilich Re-enter
Level 7
: 1,000/2,000, 300 ante
"The British re-enter!" said chip-leader Martin Kabrhel, as Ludovic Geilich and Chris Moorman entered the tournament area.
"The Queen gave us some money," replied Chris Moorman.
"What's the point of coming all this way if we're not going to re-enter," commented Ludovic Geilich.
They have one level of the evening left to spin up their 100,000 starting stacks.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
Chris Moorman Eliminated by Niall Farrell
Level 7
: 1,000/2,000, 300 ante
In the latest flurry of bustouts, Chris Moorman moved all in from early position for 27,300. Martin Kabrhel thought about calling, but eventually let his hand go. Niall Farrell called quickly in the big blind and the cards were turned over.
Farrell: 
Moorman: 
The board came 
and Moorman, who had been short for a long while was eliminated.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
95,000
26,000
|
26,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
Busted | |
|
|
||