2024 SunBet Time Square

SPT Main Event
Day: 1b
Event Info

2024 SunBet Time Square

Final Results
Winner
Prize
707,675 ZAR
Event Info
Buy-in
15,000 ZAR
Prize Pool
5,266,800 ZAR
Entries
418
Level Info
Level
26
Blinds
40,000 / 80,000
Ante
80,000
Players Info - Day 1b
Entries
73
Players Left
12

SPT Main Event

Day 1b Completed

Roy Bitton and Nick Sissou Lead 12 Survivors After Day 1b

Level 13 : Blinds 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante
Roy Bitton
Roy Bitton

Two starting days of the 2024 SunBet Poker Tour Time Square Main Event have now concluded at the Time Square Casino in Pretoria and the overall field so far has reached 180 entries. Day 1b contributed another 73 entries and 12 players advanced to Day 2 on Saturday, March 9, 2024.

The flagship Main Event comes with a buy-in of ZAR15,000 (~$790) and the tournament is more than half-way to meeting the ZAR5,000,000 (~$263,400) guarantee. Another two starting days remain on March 8 and they are expected to be busy with many poker enthusiasts heading to the administrative capital for the weekend to join the action.

Among the one dozen survivors of Day 1b are three players from outside of South Africa while a local duo sits atop the leaderboard. Roy Bitton was responsible for the penultimate elimination and advanced with 406,000 while Nick Sissou knocked out Rayhaan Adam to finish the night for everyone else while claiming 371,000 to his name.

Third in chips is Edgar Antezana from Bolivia with 339,000, spot on even with Okkie Fourie. The latter was down to just 7,000 at some point but had a very strong finish to the night. Germany's Samuel Tebege is visiting South Africa for the very first time and advanced with 270,000 while Botswana's Huawei Sun is just a single chip behind (269,000).

End of Day 1b Chip Counts

RankPlayerCountryChip CountBB Day 1b
1Roy BittonSouth Africa406,000102*
2Nick SissouSouth Africa371,00093
3Edgar AntezanaSouth Africa339,00085
3Okkie FourieSouth Africa339,00085
5Darryl ShaffSouth Africa284,00071
6Samuel TebegeGermany270,00068
7Huawei SunBotswana269,00067
8Nic IoannoySouth Africa236,00059
9Jacobus de NysschenSouth Africa207,00052
10Alvin PillaySouth Africa160,00040
11Khushil ShahSouth Africa59,00015
12Joe RahmeSouth Africa45,00011

*Day 1b concluded with 48:14 minutes left in level 13 at blinds of 2,000-4,000 with a big blind ante of 4,000

It was a quiet day at the start for the new up and coming live poker series in South Africa, which came to life in 2022 thanks to a partnership between the Monster Jam Poker Tour (MJPT) and Sun International Group. Only two tables were running when the cards went in the air at noon, but the number of entries grew consistently.

Especially towards the end of the late registration period, the action at the table exploded with the addition of High Roller finalists, who flicked in a flip to build a stack or try again. "NT" and "SM" were the most active of them but neither survived the carnage.

Adam Woolf bowed out on the final two tables in the biggest pot of the day when Tebege held up with pocket jacks versus ace-king and Woolf's eights. There was no happy end for Ahmed Karrim either, who flirted with the top of the leaderboard during the final stages of the registration period only to run into a flopped straight.

Further notables to come up short on Day 1b were Merwan Corront, Muaaz Gani, Jon Per Persent, Rudolf Fourie, Ronit Chamani, and Mystery Bounty Event champion Marko Nortje. Sissou's brother Costa and father Peter were both among the contestants as well but joined the dozens of casualties.

High Roller Champion Imran Bhojani
Imran Bhojani

Today also marked the conclusion of the ZAR50,000 High Roller ($2,664). The second-most expensive tournament on the schedule drew 72 entries to generate a ZAR3,024,000 ($161,105) prize pool and all cash prizes were awarded on the live-streamed final table. Nahum Lim, Cliton Taliwanth and Imran Bhojani agreed to a three-way deal and Bhojani then came out on top of a heads-up duel with Taliwanth to claim the winner's trophy.

PlaceWinnerCountryPrize in ZARPrize in USD
1Imran BhojaniSouth AfricaR713,000$37,789*
2Cliton TaliwanthSouth AfricaR700,000$37,100*
3Nahum LimSouth AfricaR713,000$37,789*
4Nic IoannoySouth AfricaR348,000$18,444
5Kinesh PaterSouth AfricaR225,000$11,925
6Ronit ChamaniSouth AfricaR150,000$7,950
7Muaaz GaniSouth AfricaR100,000$5,300
8Eben MareSouth AfricaR75,000$3,975

*the top three finishers agreed on a deal and continued to play for the trophy

Another two starting days remain in the Main Event for everyone to take a shot at running up a stack. This doesn't exclude an appearance of the 28 Day 1 survivors so far either, as they can enter again with the bigger stack getting carried over to Day 2.

Main Event Day 1 Info and Schedule

Day 1EntriesSurvivorsStarting TimeLevel Duration
Day 1a10516March 6, 12.00 p.m. local time50-minute levels
Day 1b7312March 7, 12.00 p.m. local time50-minute levels
Day 1c  March 8, 11 a.m. local time50-minute levels
Day 1d  March 8, 8 p.m. local time30-minute levels late reg, 15-minute levels after

March 8 will feature the final two starting days. Day 1c kicks off one hour earlier than the previous two flights at 11 a.m. local time with a level duration of 50 minutes each. The turbo heat 1d has been pushed back by one hour to 8 p.m. local time and contains 30-minute levels during the registration period followed by 15-minute levels thereafter.

The PokerNews live updates will focus on Day 1c and chip counts as well as a recap of the final two flights will be provided at the end of the following night.

Tags: Adam WoolfAhmed KarrimAlvin PillayCliton TaliwanthDarryl ShaffEdgar AntezanaHuawei SunImran BhojaniJacobus de NysschenJoe RahmeJon Per PersentMerwan CorrontNahum LimNic IoannoyNick SissouOkkie FourieRayhaan AdamRonit ChamaniRoy BittonRudolf FourieSamuel Tebege

End-of-Day 1b Chip Counts (full)

Level 13 : Blinds 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante
Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Roy Bitton za
Roy Bitton
406,000
-8,500
-8,500
Day 1B Chip Leader
Profile photo of Nick Sissou za
Nick Sissou
371,000
Profile photo of Edgar Antezana za
Edgar Antezana
339,000
84,000
84,000
Profile photo of Okkie Fourie za
Okkie Fourie
339,000
14,000
14,000
Profile photo of Darryl Shaff za
Darryl Shaff
284,000
64,000
64,000
Profile photo of Samuel Tebege de
Samuel Tebege
270,000
-40,000
-40,000
Profile photo of Huawei Sun bw
Huawei Sun
269,000
49,000
49,000
Profile photo of Nic Ioannoy za
Nic Ioannoy
236,000
Profile photo of Jacobus de Nysschen za
Jacobus de Nysschen
207,000
-63,000
-63,000
Profile photo of Alvin Pillay za
Alvin Pillay
160,000
40,000
40,000
Profile photo of Kushil Shah tz
Kushil Shah
59,000
-6,000
-6,000
Profile photo of Joe Rahme za
Joe Rahme
45,000
-10,000
-10,000

Read full

Adam Runs Into a Flush; Day 1b Done for the Night

Level 13 : Blinds 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante
Rayhaan Adam
Rayhaan Adam

In the first hand of the new level, Nick Sissou raised to 10,000 from under the gun. Rayhaan Adam called on the button and Nic Ioannoy also came along from the big blind. The 853 flop was checked to Adam and he moved all-in for around 40,000. Ioannoy folded and Sissou snap-called.

Rayhaan Adam: Q10 All in
Nick Sissou: J10

Sissou's flopped flush was out in front and Adam needed another spade to avoid elimination. No help came with the 8 turn and 10 river to eliminate Adam and conclude Day 1b with 12 survivors.

Full counts and a recap of today's action are to follow.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Nick Sissou za
Nick Sissou
371,000
41,000
41,000
Profile photo of Nic Ioannoy za
Nic Ioannoy
236,000
-104,000
-104,000
Profile photo of Rayhaan Adam za
Rayhaan Adam
Busted

Tags: Nic IoannoyNick SissouRayhaan Adam

Level: 13

Blinds: 2,000/4,000

Ante: 4,000

Lim Jams At the Wrong Time; Bitton Says Thank You

Level 12 : Blinds 2,000/3,000, 3,000 ante
Nahum Lim
Nahum Lim

Nahum Lim raised and Roy Bitton just called to then see Bitton check-call a small bet on the 972 flop. After the A turn, Bitton checked and instantly called the shove by Lim for what appeared to be around 120,000!

Nahum Lim: KK All in
Roy Bitton: A7

Lim was in dire shape with the kings and had just two outs at his disposal. The river was the insignificant Q and Lim bowed out, reducing the field to the last 13 contenders.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Roy Bitton za
Roy Bitton
414,500
164,500
164,500
Day 1B Chip Leader
Profile photo of Nahum Lim za
Nahum Lim
Busted

Tags: Nahum LimRoy Bitton

The Jamming Has Started

Level 12 : Blinds 2,000/3,000, 3,000 ante

Joe Rahme had become one of the short stacks and jammed twice without being called, once revealing the AJ. He then defended against a raise by Nahum Lim and check-folded the A663 turn when Lim applied the pressure.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Nahum Lim za
Nahum Lim
150,000
17,000
17,000
Profile photo of Kushil Shah tz
Kushil Shah
65,000
Profile photo of Rayhaan Adam za
Rayhaan Adam
60,000
5,000
5,000
Profile photo of Joe Rahme za
Joe Rahme
55,000
-93,000
-93,000

Tags: Joe RahmeNahum Lim

"Okkie In the House"

Level 12 : Blinds 2,000/3,000, 3,000 ante

Until the Q527 turn, Samuel Tebege in the big blind and Okkie Fourie in the hijack created a pot of around 130,000 and opted to check to the 8 river. Tebege now made it 65,000 to go and Fourie mulled it over for a while to then call.

There was no showdown as Tebege mucked to forfeit the pot. Fourie won the hand to surpass Tebege and Darryl Shah declared "Okkie in the house!"

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Okkie Fourie za
Okkie Fourie
325,000
130,000
130,000
Profile photo of Samuel Tebege de
Samuel Tebege
310,000
-105,000
-105,000

Tags: Darryl ShahOkkie FourieSamuel Tebege

Two Knockouts in a Row for Fourie

Level 12 : Blinds 2,000/3,000, 3,000 ante
David Ng
David Ng

SM was all-in with the AQ and ahead against Okkie Fourie with the KJ. The K76 flop favoured Fourie and so did the 8 turn as well as the K river.

That brought the field down to the last 15 and the next short stack was all-in soon after in David Ng. Fourie and Darryl Shaff called to check down a queen-high board. Fourie flashed his 109 for the flopped straight on QJ8 and Ng was gone with the A6, Shaff mucked A6.

"Good flop," Fourie grinned as he leaped close to the average.

As confirmed by tournament staff a few minutes ago, Day 1b is scheduled to finish with 12 players remaining or upon completion of level 15 - whichever of the two comes first.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Darryl Shaff za
Darryl Shaff
220,000
45,000
45,000
Profile photo of Okkie Fourie za
Okkie Fourie
195,000
95,000
95,000
Profile photo of SM za
SM
Busted
Profile photo of David Ng mu
David Ng
Busted

Tags: Darryl ShaffDavid NgOkkie FourieSM