₽191,800 EPT Main Event
Day 4 Completed
2019 PokerStars EPT Sochi
₽191,800 EPT Main Event
Day: 4
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2019 PokerStars EPT Sochi
Buy-in
191,800 RUB
Prize Pool
145,500,000 RUB
Entries
758
Level
30
Blinds
60,000 / 120,000
Ante
120,000
Zakhar Babaev Leads Final Six in EPT Sochi Main Event
Level 27
: 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante
Zakhar Babaev is the overwhelming chip leader with just six players left in the PokerStars EPT Sochi Main Event. Babaev came into the day as the second shortest stack, but his day was bookended by surges that will see him take 9,035,000 (181 bb) through to Day 5.
There is a massive gulf between him and the rest of the field, with nearest challengers Maksim Pisarenko (3,705,000) and Vyacheslav Mizun over five million chips adrift. There is another drop back to Uri Gilboa (2,115,000) and the two smallest stacks at the final table Serafim Kovalevsky (1,865,000) and Ivan Ruban (1,795,000) but with almost 40 big blinds they are by no means short.
Here's how the final six are seated at the final table:
| Position | Name | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ivan Ruban | Russia | 1,795,000 | 30 |
| 2 | Vyacheslav Mizun | Russia | 3,285,000 | 55 |
| 3 | Zakhar Babaev | Israel | 9,030,000 | 151 |
| 4 | Maksim Pisarenko | Russia | 3,705,000 | 62 |
| 5 | Uri Gilboa | Israel | 2,115,000 | 35 |
| 6 | Serafim Kovalevsky | Russia | 1,865,000 | 31 |
Timur Khamidullin was the first elimination of the day on the very first hand of the day before an early double for Babaev sent him on his way when he went runner-runner to river a flush.
Babaev followed this up with the eliminations of Stanislav Shchipalov and Vanush Mnatsakanyan to lead the field by the first break.
Nikolay Plastinin enjoyed three doubles in the first level of play with the outer table a hive of activity with a series of eliminations as Aleksey Istomin, Stanislav Shchipalov and Vanush Mnatsakanyan were all eliminated.
Francisco Benitez enjoyed the briefest of spells in the chip lead after doubling with aces against the kings of Dmitry Yurasov, only for Yurasov to double back through him with queens against jacks on the very next hand!
Babaev's storming first level saw him in the lead, with Mikhail Aleksandrov bubbling two tables shortly after play resumed.
Sergey Frizyak was eliminated before Plastinin - who chopped on the stone bubble of this tournament to stay alive - was also sent to the rail.
The pace of eliminations slowed dramatically as the average chip stack soared, and Aleksandr Denisov was the next to go. The Day 1a and Day 2 chip leader was coolered out of the Main Event, with his kings running into the aces of Maksim Pisarenko who then send Aleksandr Sheshukov to the rail after Pisarenko flopped a set to crack the queens of his opponent.
Pisarenko and Babaev traded eliminations, with Andrey Malyshev and start-of-day chip leader Danil Bukharin eliminated just short of the final table.
It was clear that Babaev wasn't happy in second place nine-handed and with the elimination of Sergey Petrushevsky in ninth he surged into the lead and didn't look back.
Even the elimination of Vyacheslav Mizun in eighth by Pisarenko wasn't enough to reel Babaev in who had already built an imposing chip lead by the time Francisco Benitez became the final elimination of the day.
The six players still in the EPT Sochi Main Event are all guaranteed ₽5,390,000 (~$83,000) but stay tuned to PokerNews.com to see who will be walking away with the ₽27,475,000 (~$422,000) first prize.
End of Day Chip Counts
Level 27
: 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
9,030,000 | |
|
||
|
3,705,000 | |
|
3,285,000 | |
|
2,115,000 | |
|
||
|
1,865,000
965,000
|
965,000 |
|
1,795,000 | |
Francisco Benitez Eliminated in 7th Place (₽3,850,000/~$59,000)
Level 27
: 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante
Hand #24: Serafim Kovalevsky open-shoved for 900,000. It folded to Francisco Benitez who called and was all in for 845,000.
Serafim Kovalevsky: 
Francisco Benitez: 
Kovalevsky had run into the pocket aces of Benitez but a queen in the window of a 
flop turned the tables.
The turn 
and river 
bricked and Benitez was eliminated in seventh place.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
Busted |
Hand #23: Benitez Wins First Hand Back from Break
Level 27
: 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante
Hand #23: Serafim Kovalevsky 
raised to 130,000 and Francisco Benitez 
defended his big blind. The flop came 
and Benitez check-called 60,000 from Kovalevsky.
The turn was the 
. Both players checked and Benitez shoved the 
river for his last 375,000. Kovalevsky folded.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
900,000
-190,000
|
-190,000 |
|
|
810,000
185,000
|
185,000 |
Level: 27
Blinds: 30,000/60,000
Ante: 60,000
Hands #19-22: Action Slows Down Before Break
Level 26
: 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante
Hand #19: Vyacheslav Mizun 
opened to 200,000 from the hijack and took down the pot.
Hand #20: Vyacheslav Mizun 
opened to 125,000 from early position and took down the pot.
Hand #21: Maksim Pisarenko 
opened to 100,000 and took down the pot.
Hand #22: Zakhar Babaev 
opened to 120,000. Uri Gilboa 
called in the cutoff.
The flop came and Babaev bet 175,000 and Gilboa called. The pair checked the 
run out and Babaev won the pot with pocket fives.
Players are going on another 20-minute break.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
9,150,000
490,000
|
490,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
3,705,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
|
3,315,000
-175,000
|
-175,000 |
|
|
2,065,000
-295,000
|
-295,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
1,795,000
-125,000
|
-125,000 |
|
|
1,090,000
-125,000
|
-125,000 |
|
|
625,000 | |
Kovalevsky Doubles Through Pisarenko
Level 26
: 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante
Hand #18: Serafim Kovalevsky moved all in from early position for 570,000. It folded to Maksim Pisarenko in the big blind who called.
Serafim Kovalevsky:
Maksim Pisarenko:
The board came 
and Kovalevsky doubled up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
3,605,000
-335,000
|
-335,000 |
|
|
1,215,000
520,000
|
520,000 |
Hands #15-17: More for Babaev!
Level 26
: 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante
Hand #15: Maksim Pisarenko 
opened to 105,000 and Uri Gilboa called in the cutoff. Vyacheslav Mizun 
called in the big blind. The trio checked the 
flop and the turn brought the 
.
Mizun checked and Pisarenko bet 475,000 with his turned straight. Gilboa and Mizun quickly folded and Pisarenko took down the pot.
Hand #16: Zakhar Babaev 
opened to 115,000 from under the gun and Uri Gilboa called in the hijack. The flop came 
and Babaev bet 155,000. Gilboa raised to 350,000 and Babaev moved all in.
Gilboa used a time extension before opting to fold and Babaev won the pot.
Hand #17: Ivan Ruban opened from the cutoff to 110,000 and Zakhar Babaev defended his big blind. The flop came 
and Babaev check-folded to a continuation bet from Ruban.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
8,660,000
400,000
|
400,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
3,900,000
-40,000
|
-40,000 |
|
|
3,490,000
70,000
|
70,000 |
|
|
2,360,000
-720,000
|
-720,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
1,920,000
160,000
|
160,000 |
Hands #13-14: Who Will Stop Babaev?
Level 26
: 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante
Hand #13: Zakhar Babaev opened from the cutoff to 115,000. Maksim Pisarenko three-bet to 180,000 from the next position and Babaev called.
Babaev checked a flop over to his opponent who bet 155,000. Babaev check-raised to 375,000 and Pisarenko quickly folded.
Hand #14: Zakhar Babaev 
opened to 115,000 from the hijack and Ivan Ruban defended his big blind. The flop came 
. Ruban check-called 175,000 and the turn was the giving Babaev a straight.
Ruban checked and Babaev continued for 220,000. Ruban called again and the river was the 
. Ruban checked for the third time and Babaev bet 825,000. Ruban folded and Babaev added yet more chips to his stack.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
8,260,000
1,050,000
|
1,050,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
3,940,000
-340,000
|
-340,000 |
|
|
1,760,000
-560,000
|
-560,000 |