With a field size of 163 entries, Day 1b has surpassed the previous flight by quite some margin but a big field is required on the final flight. Similar to Day 1a, just one third of the field remains in the final level of the night and the clocks show 56 players in contention with Luca Marchetti at the top of the leader board.
Level: 12
Blinds: 1,000/2,000
Ante: 2,000
Luca Marchetti and Simone Rosano continue to be the biggest stacks on table 16 and that one was waiting for players, as just five were seated. Tom-Aksel Bedell was not among them, as he had sent his stack over to Rosano.
It was a setup hand that saw the Norwegian depart when he turned a straight with 
on 
. Unfortunately, the card that gave him the straight left Bedell drawing dead since Rosano had 
for a full house.
Andrei Iordache may well become a contender for the Day 1b chiplead after he just sent an opponent to the rail for more than 60,000.
It was a classic race with the for Iordache and 
for the player at risk. The board came 
and Iordache rivered a set for good measure.
Courtesy of Gema Cristobal / 888poker.
Tom-Aksel Bedell raised first to act and a short stack called from two seats over with 15,000. Luca Marchetti called on the button and the flop came 
and the action checked to Marchetti, who bet 8,000. Bedell check-shoved and the short stack called it off, Marchetti folded.
Bedell headed into showdown with 
for top and bottom pair, the short stack had 
for middle pair. A split pot was possible on the turn, but Bedell further improved to a full house on the river.
A raise was called by Christos Xanthopoulos and Ali Kanaan then three-bet to 8,200 on the button, which just Xanthopoulos called in middle position. On a flop of 
, Xanthopoulos checked and Kanaan continued for 5,800. A near instant all in by the Greek followed and Kanaan immediately asked for a count.
The shove was for 49,200, which had Kanaan covered by around 9,000. He gave it some thought and made the call.
Ali Kanaan: 
Christos Xanthopoulos: 
The 
turn and 
river failed to improve Kanaan and he joined the rail in the penultimate level of Day 1b. Xanthopoulos already has a final table appearance in the 888poker LIVE Main Events to his name as he finished in 8th place in the Asper's Casino in 2018.
There are several big stacks by now but no clear chip leader as of yet, though, table 16 has the potential to create a new overall chip leader with three top stacks featured.
Level: 11
Blinds: 800/1,600
Ante: 1,600
Another 15-minute break has commenced after the end of level 10 and there are just 70 players out of 163 entries remaining. They will have to survive another two levels in order to reach Day 2.
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