Main Event
Day 4 Started
2012 World Poker Tour Merit Cyprus Classic
Main Event
Day: 4
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2012 World Poker Tour Merit Cyprus Classic
Buy-in
$4,000
Prize Pool
$1,212,694
Entries
329
Level
31
Blinds
60,000 / 120,000
Ante
20,000
WPT Merit Cyprus Classic Day 4: Erik Cajelais Is The Man To Catch
Welcome back to our coverage of the World Poker Tour Merit Cyprus Classic Main Event where in just under one hour's time 18 poker players will return to their seats and play down to the six-handed final table.
The man everyone has to catch is Canadian pro Erik Cajelais and his huge 1,190,000 stack. Cajelais and Artur Voskanyan (1,035,000) are the only two players to start with more than one million chips but there are plenty of well-stacked players in the chasing pack including; Walid Bou Abib (986,000), Sam El Sayed (950,000) and Ran Azor (893,000).
The plan for Day 4 is to play down to the final table of six, regardless of how long this takes. When play resumes the players will complete the 1:05:51 of Level 20, meaning the blinds and antes are 5,000/10,000/1,000a, the average stack will be 548,333 and everyone has locked up at least $13,240 for their efforts here in Cyprus.
Join us at 1:00PM EEST for full coverage of the Main Event as we play down to our final table.
Table 1
Seat 1: Walid Bou Habib - 986,000
Seat 2: Erik Cajelais - 1,190,000
Seat 3: Husnu Sincar - 358,000
Seat 4: Ran Azor - 893,000
Seat 5: Joseph El Khoury - 180,000
Seat 6: Tolga Demirel - 265,000
Seat 7: Victor Paraschiv - 483,000
Seat 8: [Removed:167] - 194,000
Seat 9: Artur Voskanyan - 1,035,000
Table 2
Seat 1: Andrey Shatilov - 686,000
Seat 2: Robert Mizrachi - 586,000
Seat 3: [Removed:2] - 564,000
Seat 4: Kiryl Radzivonau - 352,000
Seat 5: Kemal Sevevi - 311,000
Seat 6: Aram Vartevanyan - 159,000
Seat 7: Sam El Sayed - 950,000
Seat 8: Marvin Rettenmaier - 212,000
Seat 9: Gilboa Yossi - 464,000
We're Almost Ready
The majority of the players are in their seats and have started to open their chip bags and re-stack their chips. It looks like we will be ready to go on time today, hold onto your hats as this could be quite a ride.
Level: 20
Blinds: 5,000/10,000
Ante: 1,000
First Blood To Voskanyan In Battle Of The Big Stacks
Artur Voskanyan has drawn first blood in the "Battle of the Big Stacks" on Table 1. He is seated in the nine seat whilst Erik Cajelais is in Seat 2 and that creates a very interesting dynamic.
We joined the action on a 
flop with Cajelais checking from the big blind and Voskanyan checking behind on the button. Cajelais lead out for 25,000 on the arrival of the 
on the turn, a bet that Voskanyan had no qualms about calling.
The river brought the 
into play and Cajelais checked its arrival. Voskanyan bet 60,000 and after 15-20 seconds of deliberation Cajelais decided to call.
Voskanyan turned over 
for a rivered set of nines and Cajelais mucked.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
1,150,000
115,000
|
115,000 |
|
1,090,000
-100,000
|
-100,000 |
[Removed:167] Eliminated in 18th Place ($13,420)
![[user76023]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
Frenchman [Removed:167] is our first casualty of the day, he made his stand with 
against Walid Bou Habib's 
and was looking good for a double up until a cruel river sent him spinning out on a 
board.
If you haven't seen this video already, Lynn Gilmartin challenged Julien to see how well he knew his girlfriend, Gaelle Baumann:
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
1,180,000
194,000
|
194,000 |
|
|
Busted |
Huge Double For Aram Vartevaniyn
Aram Vartevaniyn may have turned up fashionably late but it has worked in his favor as he has just doubled up through Sam El Sayed.
Kiryl Radzivonau opened to 21,000 from the hijack only to see Vartevaniyn shove on the button for 176,000 in total. El Sayed was in the small blind and he reshoved and when Radzivonau folded the cards were shown down.
El Sayed: 
Vartevaniyn: 
El Sayed paired his jack on the 
flop but the queens stayed ahead on the 
turn and 
river and Vartevaniyn doubled up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
770,000
-180,000
|
-180,000 |
|
||
|
|
320,000
161,000
|
161,000 |
Our Final 18 Players
Marvin Rettenmaier Doubles Up Through Robert Mizrachi
Marvin Rettenmaier decided to give last night's beach party a miss so that he felt refreshed today and it has certainly worked for him and appeased the Poker Gods.
Robert Mizrachi opened to 21,000 under the gun and the action passed around to Sam El Sayed in the cutoff. He called, putting the action onto Rettenmaier. The young German checked his cards before making it 60,000 to play and it was now up to Mizrachi to act.
Mizrachi put in a further raise, making it 165,000 to play, folding out El Sayed but Rettenmaier moved all-in for 330,000 in total. Mizrachi called and the cards were turned onto their backs.
Mizrachi: 
Rettenmaier: 
What a time to wake up with aces! The 
flop kept Rettenmaier in front and when the turn and river were the 
and 
respectively, Rettenmaier doubled up to 660,000 and he is back in business here in the Main Event.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
660,000
448,000
|
448,000 |
|
||
|
240,000
-346,000
|
-346,000 |
|
|
||
Tolga Demirel Eliminated in 17th Place ($13,420)
Victor Paraschiv opened to 21,000 from UTG before Walid Bou Habib made it 46,000 in middle position. Tolga Demirel cold-called from the big blind and Paraschiv tanked before electing to let his hand go.
The flop was 
and Demirel check-called a bet of 38,000 from Habib to see the on the turn. Demirel thought for two minutes before leading out for 96,000 and Habib instantly moved all in. Demirel thought again for about 30 seconds before making the call.
Demirel:
Habib: 
Habib's cheeky three-bet had paid big divdends, especially when the came on the river and Demirel was eliminated. Habib is a big chip leader now.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,631,000
451,000
|
451,000 |
|
Busted |