2018 888poker LIVE Festival Barcelona

Day 1b of the 2018 888poker LIVE Barcelona Main Event at Barcelona Casino was a huge success with 214 entrants or 46 more than the 168 entrants attracted in Day 1a.

The field will continue to grow from its current with the final opening flight kicking off on June 2 at 3 p.m. and late registration and reentries available until the start of Day 2.

A total of 59 entrants bagged chips and will compete with the 43 Day 1a survivors and others on Day 2 and beyond.

Turkish high roller Orpen Kisacikoglu, who resides in the United Kingdom, ended Day 1b in the chip lead with 381,900 in chips and is ahead of Day 1a chip leader Gianny Dominique Morano with 363,000 in chips. Kisacikoglu was running over players in the late stages of the day including eliminating two opponents in one hand when his pocket kings held against pocket queens and king-seven suited.

Also bagging over 300,000 in chips were Jhen Siang Jian with 333,500 and Joel Isla Gonzalo with 323,900.

While many players experienced coolers throughout the day, none left more jaws dropped at any of the poker tables than one involving Maryna Khatskevich.

Khatskevich's day ended when she managed to get it all-in preflop with pocket aces against the pocket kings held by Ariel Puterman. The ace-king-queen of diamonds flop appeared to be a kind one for Khatskevich, giving both players a set.

However, the case king appeared on the turn to give Puterman quads. Khatskevich was unable to get the one out she needed to get better quads and hit the rail. Meanwhile, Puterman was unable to hold onto all the chips he won, but he still managed to bag a stack of 58,900 heading into Day 2.

The action resumes tomorrow at 3 p.m. CEST with Day 1c. All of the 888poker Ambassadors that are in Barcelona, outside of 2014 World Series of Poker champion Martin Jacobsen, who bagged on Day 1a, are expected to play in the field, with today being a day off for them with many enjoying cocktails and parties.

Stay tuned at PokerNews as we bring you coverage of the rest of the 888poker LIVE Barcelona Main Event.

Opren Kisacikoglu ended Day 1b as the chip leader with 381,900 chips. On the very last hand, he raised to 5,000 from late position. When it folded around to the big blind, he asked his opponent to fold.

His opponent asked if he would show his cards if he folded and Kisacikoglu agreed. Kisacikoglu got the fold he asked for and turned over .

Players are now bagging and tagging chips. Stay tuned at PokerNews for the recap of Day 1b.

The clock was stopped about five minutes ago. The tournament director just announced after a random draw that there will be four more hands before surviving players will bag chips into Day 2 on Sunday.

Very often, the chip leader of the day is determined on the last blind level. Orpen Kisacikoglu has emerged as one possibility to end Day 1b in the chip lead with a stack of around 330,000 after just eliminating two opponents in the same hand.

The hand began with Ihor Kotyk limping from under the gun before Kisacikoglu raised to 9,600. A player in late position went all-in for about 19,000 and Kotyk also went all-in for a bit more.

Kisacikoglu didn't ask for a chip count for either player and quickly called both players having both of them well covered. He found himself in excellent shape with against Kotyk's and his other opponent's .

The board ran all blanks for Kisacikoglu's opponents and they both gathered their belongs and left the tournament area.

Level 12 has just begun with blinds at 1,200/2,400 with an ante of 300. The tournament director informed players that this will be the last blind level of the day before surviving players will bag and tag chips.

Andrea De Georgio has one of the bigger stacks in the room and just added to it some more in a recent hand against Harachan Dogra Dogra.

De Georgio opened to 4,500 from early position and Dogra Dogra defended his big blind. De Georgio then fired on all three streets after the action was checked to him and got calls on the first two.

First, he bet 4,500 on the flop before he bet 8,000 after the appeared on the turn. De Georgio then bet 8,000 after the completed the board on the river.

Instead of reaching for chips to call with this time, Dogra Dogra tossed his hand into the muck.

With already about 10,000 in the pot after the flop came , Karim Feghoul led out for 5,500 and got a call from 888poker qualifier John Denis Rafael Andersson.

Feghoul led out again for 9,500 after the appeared on the turn and Andersson asked, "How much do you have behind?"

Feghoul showed he had about 33,000 behind before the dealer informed Andersson he had 10 seconds to act before his hand would be automatically folded.

Andersson tossed into the pot his last time bank chip before he went all-in. Feghoul snap-called and Andersson was drawing very thin.

Feghoul had for a set while Andersson with had top pair and needed a to complete a straight to win the hand. However, the river blanked for Andersson and he was left with just crumbs.