There will be 35 players returning for Day 3 of the €1,650 WSOP International Circuit Main Event in Rozvadov. Of them, Viktor Kovachev leads the way after bagging an impressive 1,739,000 on Day 2.
Kovachev rolled through Day 2 and there was nothing or nobody that could stop him. He will be looking for the same kind of fortunes on Day 3 that begins at 2:00 PM inside the Poker Arena at King's Casino. Kovachev has a mere $29,000 in career live earnings with just three cashes to his name. A win in the Main Event for over €180,000 could go a long way to improving those numbers.
He will be taking to the felt with 34 other players all looking to capture the first place prize and a WSOP Circuit gold ring. Some other notables joining him include Jan Timo Jobmann (1,443,000), Viliyan Petleshkov (1,423,000), Michael Magalashvili (817,000), Hossein Ensan (690,000), and Brandon Cantu (377,000). Jobmann currently holds the second largest chip stack heading into Day 3 and is also in second place for the Player of the Series race. A final table finish could secure Jobmann the title in that as well.
The players will begin the day on level 24 with the blinds at 10,000/20,000 and a 3,000 ante. The blind levels will continue to be 60-minutes in length with a 15-minute break after every two levels. The goal is to play until a champion is crowned, but there is the possibility of an extra day being added to the schedule.
A full list of chip counts and new seating assignments is posted below.
Follow along with the PokerNews live reporting team for all of the action until a winner is crowned.
Aliaksandr Shylko faced a raise to 60,000 by Viktor Kovachev in the hijack and three-bet to 165,000 from the cutoff. Kovachev four-bet to 385,000 and Shylko took some time before moving all in for 1,071,000. Kovachev quickly double-checked his cards and snap-called right after.
Aliaksandr Shylko:
Viktor Kovachev:
The board of left Shylko drawing dead on the turn and Kovachev took a commanding lead.
The action folded to Davit Okropiridze in the small blind who moved all-in, knowing he had Olaf Kuhle covered in the big blind. Kuhle looked down at his cards and made the call.
Okropiridze:
Kuhle:
The flop came and Okropiridze was still ahead with a king-kicker. The turn was the and the river brought the improving Okropiridze's hand to two pair. Kuhle was sent to the rail and Okropiridze earned back some of the chips he lost earlier.
With around 100,000 in the middle, the dealer fanned the flop of . Robert Schulz checked from the big blind and Ivan Kruljac bet 38,000 on the button. Schulz check-raised to 111,000 and Kruljac called to see the on the turn.
Schulz moved all-in for around 220,000 and Kruljac snapped him off. Schulz tabled for two pair on the flop while Kruljac had just one pair with . The river brought a devastating , counterfeiting Schulz's two pair and sending the pot to Kruljac. For Schulz, who was contending in the Player of the Series race, it was a cruel way to end his Main Event hopes.
The "run like god mode" of Viktor Kovachev continues to work like a charm. Van Tiep Nguyen four-bet all in for almost 800,000 and Kovachev quickly called.
Van Tiep Nguyen:
Viktor Kovachev:
The board ran out and Nguyen's two pair were no good anymore on the river, as Kovachev spiked the set to further build his massive lead.
Jan Timo Jobmann raised to 65,000 and Tezer Cetindag three-bet to 300,000, which saw Jaromir Hanel call all in for 80,000 from the small blind. Jobmann pushed all in and Cetindag was sent into the think tank. "How much?" Cetindag asked the dealer and stared at his three-bet. It was apparent that he had mistaken the value of the new chips and was in for half of his stack already.
Cetindag eventually folded and the cards were turned over.
Jaromir Hanel:
Jan Timo Jobmann:
The board of sent Hanel to the rail in 22nd place for €7,278 and Cetindag was quite unhappy, he would have won the hand.
Three players got all of their chips in the middle preflop and it was Hubert Baran-Osinski with the shortest stack but held the best hand. Pavel Stolar had the largest stack and Krzysztof Dulowski was the third player.
Baran-Osinski:
Stolar:
Dulowski:
The flop came and Baran-Osinski took a commanding lead with a set of queens. The on the turn provided Dulowski with a flush draw but the on the river gave Baran-Osinski quads. Stolar held the second best hand and had Dulowski covered, eliminating him in 21st place.
Jan Timo Jobmann raised to 60,000 on the button and Tezer Cetindag three-bet to 160,000 out of the small blind, which Jobmann called. On the flop, Cetindag continued for 125,000 and Jobmann moved all in. Cetindag almost bet him into the pot and called all in for around 380,000.
Tezer Cetindag:
Jan Timo Jobmann:
The turn immediately improved Jobmann to trips fives, while Cetindag went from hero to two outs only. A blank river changed nothing anymore and Cetindag was eliminated in 20th place for €8,235.
left Shylko drawing dead on the turn and Kovachev took a commanding lead.
and Okropiridze was still ahead with a king-kicker. The turn was the 
and the river brought the 
improving Okropiridze's hand to two pair. Kuhle was sent to the rail and Okropiridze earned back some of the chips he lost earlier.
. Robert Schulz checked from the big blind and Ivan Kruljac bet 38,000 on the button. Schulz check-raised to 111,000 and Kruljac called to see the 
for two pair on the flop while Kruljac had just one pair with 
. The river brought a devastating 
and Nguyen's two pair were no good anymore on the river, as Kovachev spiked the set to further build his massive lead.
and Kovarik was eliminated in 24th place for €6,320, ensuring a pay jump for all other remaining 23 hopefuls.
and Baran-Osinski took a commanding lead with a set of queens. The 
flop, Cetindag continued for 125,000 and Jobmann moved all in. Cetindag almost bet him into the pot and called all in for around 380,000.