Who Will Win the 2019 888poker LIVE Bucharest Main Event?
A champion will be crowned today at the five-star Intercontinental Bucharest, as the 2019 888poker LIVE Bucharest Festival in cooperation with Pokerfest Romania draws to a conclusion. Only 12 players out of a 505-entry strong field remain to battle for the title, trophy, and top prize of €75,000 in the €888 Main Event.
On top of that, the winner can look forward to a free trip to the Mekka of poker in Las Vegas, as WSOP sponsor 888poker is providing a 2019 WSOP Main Event package worth $12,600 to the eventual champion.
In prime position to lift the trophy are Zhiping Zeng (3,320,000) and Darius Neagoe (3,075,000), who hold a commanding lead over the remaining contenders. All the other 10 hopefuls hold fewer than 20 big blinds each when the action resumes at 1.15 p.m. local time with level 27 and blinds of 30,000/60,000 with a 60,000 big blind ante.
That includes Bogdan Nicolae (1,190,000), Cristian Matei (1,110,000), Aldo Monteleone (1,095,000), Mihai Gheonu (1,020,000), Nicolae Suciu (1,000,000), Derek Reid (825,000), Ran Shahar (710,000), Jose Manuel Planells Castillo (670,000), Raoul Iancovici (625,000), and Helder Ferreira (500,000). Several of the shorter stacks were all in and at risk just shy of bagging and tagging last night, but a dozen will return to their seats in order to play down a champion in the Romanian capital.
Day 3 Seat Assignments
| Table | Seat | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Derek Reid | United Kingdom | 825,000 | 13 |
| 1 | 2 | Helder Ferreira | Portugal | 500,000 | 8 |
| 1 | 3 | Nicolae Suciu | Romania | 1,000,000 | 17 |
| 1 | 5 | Cristian Matei | Romania | 1,110,000 | 18 |
| 1 | 7 | Jose Manuel Planells Castillo | Spain | 670,000 | 11 |
| 1 | 8 | Bogdan Nicolae | Romania | 1,190,000 | 20 |
| 2 | 1 | Mihai Gheonu | Romania | 1,020,000 | 17 |
| 2 | 2 | Darius Neagoe | Romania | 3,075,000 | 51 |
| 2 | 3 | Aldo Monteleone | Italy | 1,095,000 | 18 |
| 2 | 4 | Zhiping Zeng | China | 3,320,000 | 55 |
| 2 | 6 | Ran Shahar | Israel | 710,000 | 12 |
| 2 | 8 | Raoul Iancovici | Romania | 625,000 | 10 |
The tournament continues with the popular big blind ante and 30-second shot clock, and it is anybody's game to take home the coveted 888poker LIVE trophy. While the level duration remains at 40 minutes at the start of the final day, it will increase to 60 minutes each once the final table has been determined.
Remaining Payouts
| Place | Prize (in EUR) | Prize (in USD) | Place | Prize (in EUR) | Prize (in USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | €75,000 | $84,270 | 7 | €12,400 | $13,933 |
| 2 | €47,200 | $53,034 | 8 | €8,800 | $9,888 |
| 3 | €33,960 | $38,157 | 9 | €7,020 | $7,888 |
| 4 | €26,900 | $30,225 | 10 | €5,900 | $6,629 |
| 5 | €21,070 | $23,674 | 11 | €5,900 | $6,629 |
| 6 | €16,550 | $18,596 | 12 | 5,070 | $5,697 |
Besides the €888 Main Event, the €1,700 High Roller will also determine a champion today as well. Defending champion and 888poker ambassador Ana Marquez is among the 22 players out of 28 entries that survived the first eight levels on Day 1 and Johan Guilbert tops the overnight counts.
Fellow ambassadors Martin Jacobson and Chris Moorman also bagged up chips, and Sofia Lovgren may join again. The late registration remains open for the first two levels and the High Roller action kicks off at 2 p.m. local time.
The PokerNews team will be on the floor to provide updates for the €888 Main Event until the conclusion, and a live stream with hole cards displayed on a 30-minute delay will also be available on the 888poker social media channels.
Photos courtesy of Gema Cristobal / 888poker
and Nicolae spiked the queen on the river to eliminate Planells Castillo in 12th place for €5,070.
board ended Iancovici's run, and since he had used a time bank before making his decision, the showdown ended later to see Iancovici out in 11th place for €5,900.
to eliminate Matei in 10th place for €5,900. All remaining nine players will now be on a short break to set up the unofficial nine-handed final table.
flop left Reid in desperate shape and it was all over after the 
turn, the 
turn. A meaningless 
flop changed nothing much, but Nicolae spiked the 
turn to leave in trouble. A meaningless 
river further improved Nicolae to a full house. Ghenou was ousted in 4th place and receives €26,900 for his efforts.
