Catalin Pop entered the field towards the end of level one and sat down right next to Ozgur Arda. One table over, Vivian Saliba was in action and a big pot had built to the river of a board . There were some 11,000 in the middle and Saliba bet 10,000 out of the small blind. Her sole remaining opponent, Cosmin Cimpeanu in the cutoff, gave it some thought and folded.
The remaining 76 players out of 385 entries in the €230 Opening Event have taken their seat in the Grand Ballroom and the action has just recommended. Only the top 45 spots will get paid at least €425 while the winner takes home a payday of €14,055.
Among the first three players to bust Day 1a was also Ivaylo Damyanov Peevski and he was soon joined on the rail by George Damian and Adrian Corneliu Lazar. With re-entries allowed during the first seven levels of the day, all three of them may decide to take another shot today or on any of the other two remaining starting days, though.
Ion Alin Stanica limped from the cutoff and Viliyan Petleshkov, who had just taken a seat a few minutes ago, raised to 1,000 in the small blind. Florian Costache in the big blind three-bet to 3,200 and both opponents called. On the flop, Petleshkov checked and Costache bet 3,000. Stanica called that and then Petleshkov check-raised to 8,000. Costache squeezed to 20,000 and that forced out Stanica, while Petleshkov's all in for 24,000 was snap-called.
Viliyan Petleshkov:
Florian Costache:
The miracle one outer for Petleshkov didn't come, as the turn and river completed the board. "Fortunately it's a re-entry tournament," the Bulgarian added with a grin on his way out.
On the three-way turn of , Mircea Constantinescu and Petre Bogdan Ionescu called a bet of 600 by Volodymyr Bilenkyi and the latter then bet 1,500 on the river. Only Constantinescu called and was shown by Bilenkyi, which he had beat with for two pair.
Carmen Zainescu and Luca Moschitta were among the most recent additions to the field while Viliyan Petleshkov has re-entered, and Dimitros Dimitrios sent his short stack over to Cosmin Cimpeanu.
In a four-way limped pot to the flop, Alexandru Papazian bet 300 out of the big blind and Nick Alexandru Constantin was the only caller in early position. The turn was checked through and a bet of 900 by Papazian on the river forced a fold.
Papazian is the first on Romania's all time money list and was also the first player of his home country to win a bracelet at the World Series of Poker. With live cashes of more than $3 million, Papazian is a force to be reckoned and will be the man to watch here on home soil.
Out of the hijack, Bogdan Berinde raised to 750 and Vivian Saliva in the cutoff three-bet to 2,000. Valentin Alexandru Dobrescu in the big blind called and Berinde came along to make it three players to a flop of . The action was checked around and Berinde took the betting lead on the turn, making it 2,700 to go.
Only Saliba called and did so again for 6,100 on the river. Berinde turned over for a flush and raked in a big pot.
Vladut Alexandru Paun's raise to 700 first to act was called by two players before Boaz Kolenbrener on the button made it 3,100 to go. Alexandru Papazian in the big blind asked for the stack size of Kolenbrener and folded. Paun had other plans and three-bet to 8,700, which only Kolenbrener called.
On the flop, Paun checked and Kolenbrener moved all in for 15,150, Paun snap-called.
Boaz Kolenbrener:
Vladut Alexandru Paun:
"Good luck," Kolenbrener said and immediately spiked the on the turn to improve to trips. A blank river changed nothing and the player from Israel doubled.
. There were some 11,000 in the middle and Saliba bet 10,000 out of the small blind. Her sole remaining opponent, Cosmin Cimpeanu in the cutoff, gave it some thought and folded.
flop, Petleshkov checked and Costache bet 3,000. Stanica called that and then Petleshkov check-raised to 8,000. Costache squeezed to 20,000 and that forced out Stanica, while Petleshkov's all in for 24,000 was snap-called.
turn and 
river completed the board. "Fortunately it's a re-entry tournament," the Bulgarian added with a grin on his way out.
river. Only Constantinescu called and was shown 
by Bilenkyi, which he had beat with 
flop, Alexandru Papazian bet 300 out of the big blind and Nick Alexandru Constantin was the only caller in early position. The 
turn was checked through and a bet of 900 by Papazian on the 
. The action was checked around and Berinde took the betting lead on the 
river. Berinde turned over 
for a flush and raked in a big pot.
flop, Paun checked and Kolenbrener moved all in for 15,150, Paun snap-called.
on the turn to improve to trips. A blank 
river changed nothing and the player from Israel doubled.