2012 World Poker Tour Merit Cyprus Classic

Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info

2012 World Poker Tour Merit Cyprus Classic

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
j9
Prize
$287,784
Event Info
Buy-in
$4,000
Prize Pool
$1,212,694
Entries
329
Level Info
Level
31
Blinds
60,000 / 120,000
Ante
20,000

Elyakim Takes On a WPT Champion

Level 4 : 100/200, 25 ante

Marvin Rettenmaier's table has just broken (in the poker sense not the literal sense) and he has been moved to Table 6. He had only just taken his seat when he opened to 500 from early position. Yakup Elyakim called from the button and Raml Khaddaj tried his luck from the big blind.

The trio shared a {8-Diamonds}{5-Clubs}{3-Hearts} flop, Khaddaj checked, Rettenmaier made a continuation bet of 625 and only Elyakim called.

The turn saw the {k-Spades} make an appearance and Rettenmaier greeted it with an uncharacteristic check. Elyakim made it a smooth 1,500 to play and the WPT World Championship winner quickly released his hand back to the dealer.

Tags: Yakup ElyakimRaml KhaddajMarvin Rettenmaier

Moorman 4-Bet Shoves His Small Stack

Level 4 : 100/200, 25 ante

Chris Moorman looks determined not too have to re-enter this tournament and is battling hard over on Table 4.

Just now he raised to 525 from early position then gave Andrei Taranu an Ivey-esque staredown when Taranu three-bet to 1,275 from the button. Moorman must have seen something because moments later he moved all-in for the last of his 6,300 stack and Taranu snap-folded.

Tags: Chris MoormanAndrei Taranu

Fish And Their Chips

Here's an assortment of chip counts from around the room.

Player Chips Progress
Erik Cajelais ca
Erik Cajelais
43,600
13,600
13,600
Tommy Vedes us
Tommy Vedes
43,000
23,000
23,000
WPT 2X Winner
Andreas Krause de
Andreas Krause
38,000
3,000
3,000
Dominik Nitsche de
Dominik Nitsche
37,300
-3,700
-3,700
WPT 1X Winner
Ognjen Sekularac rs
Ognjen Sekularac
35,200
Stuart Fox
Stuart Fox
32,300
-5,700
-5,700
Jeffrey Hakim lb
Jeffrey Hakim
29,700
-300
-300
Manig Loeser de
Manig Loeser
29,100
4,100
4,100
StakeKings
Zimnan Ziyard gb
Zimnan Ziyard
29,100
-900
-900
Toni Judet ro
Toni Judet
28,400
-1,600
-1,600
Marvin Rettenmaier de
Marvin Rettenmaier
28,000
-8,000
-8,000
WPT 2X Winner
Lukas Berglund us
Lukas Berglund
26,000
-4,000
-4,000
WPT 1X Winner
Nicolas Chouity lb
Nicolas Chouity
22,200
-7,800
-7,800
Gaelle Baumann fr
Gaelle Baumann
14,600
-15,400
-15,400
Winamax
Chris Moorman gb
Chris Moorman
6,300
WPT 1X Winner

Nitsche Flying High

Dominik Nitsche
Dominik Nitsche

Dominik Nitsche has just seen his stack swell to 41,000 after he came off the best from a clash with Ramez Haddad.

Necip Ferengizbilge opened the round of betting with a raise to 550 from middle position. Nitsche was in the hijack and he decided he liked his hand and he made the call. Nikos Panapoulos, in the cutoff, called. As did Haddad from the big blind seat.

The first three community cards to hit the felt were the {2-Diamonds}{6-Clubs}{7-Diamonds} anf Ferengizbilge checked. Nitsche rarely needs an excuse to be and he tested the waters with a bet of 1,200 chips. Panapoulos folded, Haddad called and after much deliberation Ferengizbilge's hand found its way back to the dealer meaning it was heads-up to the {8-Diamonds} turn.

Nitsche reached for chips and bet 4,300 and Haddad quickly called. The river was the {8-Spades} and Nitsche bet a 10,000 chip, instructing the dealer the bet was 8,800.

"Why so much?" quizzed Haddad but Nitsche did not answer.

Haddad threw in the required chips but they will not be added to his stack just yet as his {5-Clubs}{4-Clubs} could not beat the {A-Diamonds}{6-Diamonds} of his German opponent and Nitsche climbs towards the top of the chip counts.

Player Chips Progress
Dominik Nitsche de
Dominik Nitsche
41,000
11,000
11,000
WPT 1X Winner

Tags: Dominik NitscheNecip FerengizbilgeNikos PanopoulosRamez Haddad

Outfoxed

Tarek Gabriel Sikias can take advantage of the all inclusive for the rest of today at least. He'd called Stuart Fox's 2,950 bet on the {7-Hearts}{K-Spades}{8-Clubs} flop before moving all in over Fox's 4,500 bet on the {Q-Clubs} turn.

Fox quickly called, as you would expect, given that he was holding {8-Diamonds}{8-Spades} for a set, Sikias was drawing dead with {K-Hearts}{10-Hearts} and the {4-Spades} river made no difference. Fox is up to 38,000.

Player Chips Progress
Stuart Fox
Stuart Fox
38,000
8,000
8,000
Tarek Gabriel Sikias
Tarek Gabriel Sikias
Busted

Level: 4

Blinds: 100/200

Ante: 25

Chichba Flushes Out On Sekularac

Level 3 : 100/200, 0 ante

Back In WPT Vienna, the last European-based World Poker Tour stop of Season 10, Serbian Ognjen Sekularac finished a very respectable fourth for a cool €84,810 ($112,973). But if he is to get anywhere near as deep here in Cyprus he is going to have to avoid paying off flushes.

We joined his table with the community cards reading {10-Hearts}{5-Hearts}{4-Clubs}{6-Clubs}. Said Chichba had checked and Sekularac fired a 725 bet into his Iraqi opponent. Chichba, who was enjoying a back massage, check-raised to 2,200 and Sekularac called very quickly.

The dealer burned a card before placing the {J-Clubs} onto the river. Chichba immediately bet five yellow 1,000 chips and after 10-15 seconds of thinking time Sekularac made the call.

Chichba: {K-Clubs}{10-Clubs} for the second nut flush
Sekularac: *muck*

Tags: Ognjen SekularacSaid Chichba

Kilic Chips Up

Level 3 : 100/200, 0 ante

British pro and all round online poker legend Chris Moorman started the preflop betting round with a raise to 500 from under the gun. Despite his ferocious reputation Moorman received action from the next three players to his left.

Andreas Krause was the first call, Tarek Gabriel Sikias called then Murat Kilic upped the ante and made it 1,500 to play. Moorman got out of the way and released his hand but the two other active players made the call.

The trio shared a flop reading {j-Spades}{5-Spades}{2-Hearts}, Krause and Sikias checking to the preflop aggressor. Kilic stuck to his story and made a continuation bet of 2,200, a bet that only Sikias was prepared to call.

Despite the earlier action the turn and river were rather subdued, as both players checked the {3-Diamonds} turn and the {4-Clubs} river; Kilic winning with just ace-high when his now sole opponent could not beat {A-Clubs}{K-Diamonds}.

Tags: Tarek Gabriel SikiasMurat KilicAndreas KrauseChris Moorman