€888 Main Event
Day 1a Completed
2023 888poker LIVE Bucharest
€888 Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1a
2023 888poker LIVE Bucharest
Buy-in
€888
Prize Pool
€138,898
Entries
191
Level
25
Blinds
50,000 / 100,000
Ante
100,000
Entries
52
Players Left
23
Vasile Zagon, Gregory Telman Finish Atop the Counts on Day 1a of the 888poker LIVE Bucharest Main Event
Level 11
: Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
One hand can change the fortunes of a day, and that’s what happened to Gregory Telman on Day 1a of the €888 888poker LIVE Bucharest Main Event.
Telman picked up aces early in the day. His opponent had two kings. The massive cooler propelled Telman near the top of the chip leaderboard where he would stay most of the day, finishing with 410,000 and the second-biggest stack of the surviving 23 players.
He’s chasing only Vasile Zagon, who ended up bagging the chip lead with 427,500. Konstantinos Vatseris knocked out two players with a set of jacks on his way to finishing with 260,500. Other big stacks include Viorel Gavrila (337,500) and EPT champion Razvan Belea (291,000).
Day 1a Top 10 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vasile Zagon | Romania | 427,500 | 107 |
| 2 | Gregory Telman | Israel | 410,000 | 103 |
| 3 | Viorel Gavrila | Romania | 337,500 | 84 |
| 4 | Razvan Belea | Romania | 291,000 | 73 |
| 5 | Andrei Ciuca | Romania | 280,500 | 70 |
| 6 | Konstantinos Vatseris | Greece | 260,500 | 65 |
| 7 | Rares Cosmin Popa | Romania | 258,000 | 65 |
| 8 | Toni Ravnak | Serbia | 256,000 | 64 |
| 9 | Timothy Friese | United States | 232,500 | 58 |
| 10 | Gani Weiss | Israel | 225,000 | 56 |
Alexandru Budai (105,000) and Alexandru Stoian (76,500) are further down the leaderboard. Those who will have to try again on another flight include Gabriel Penescu, who took an early chip lead but failed to survive the day.
A total of 52 players entered Day 1a. Those who didn’t survive the 11 45-minute levels and any new hopefuls still have three more starting flights to jump into the event. Day 1b begins tomorrow at 5 p.m. local time, with Day 1c on August 12. There is also a turbo Day 1d flight that will feature 20-minute levels. The remaining players from the four starting flights then combine for Day 2 on August 13.
There was plenty of action on the opening flight here in the Romanian capital. There is still more to come, and PokerNews will return tomorrow providing all the live updates as the field of pros and online qualifiers only grows larger.
End-of-Day Chip Counts (full)
Level 11
: Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
427,500
7,500
|
7,500 |
|
||
|
410,000
80,000
|
80,000 |
|
337,500
7,500
|
7,500 |
|
||
|
291,000
21,000
|
21,000 |
|
||
|
280,500
60,500
|
60,500 |
|
260,500
10,500
|
10,500 |
|
|
258,000 | |
|
256,000
-64,000
|
-64,000 |
|
232,500
32,500
|
32,500 |
|
225,000
75,000
|
75,000 |
|
208,000
-12,000
|
-12,000 |
|
198,000
78,000
|
78,000 |
|
||
|
|
174,000
-6,000
|
-6,000 |
|
165,500
15,500
|
15,500 |
|
|
157,500
-12,500
|
-12,500 |
|
124,500
24,500
|
24,500 |
|
105,000
30,000
|
30,000 |
|
91,000
36,000
|
36,000 |
|
|
86,500
-3,500
|
-3,500 |
|
82,000
-3,000
|
-3,000 |
|
76,500
-13,500
|
-13,500 |
|
|
69,000
-1,000
|
-1,000 |
|
|
63,000
63,000
|
63,000 |
Play Concludes
Level 11
: Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
Day 1a has ended with 22 players remaining out of a starting field of 52.
Stay tuned for a full recap from today's action as well as full chip counts.
Zagon Shows Trips at the End
Level 11
: Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
Three-handed on a board of 6♠Q♠7♥10♣, Vasile Zagon bet 11,000 from the big blind and Gheorghiu Matei called in middle position. Razvan Belea also came along from the small blind.
The river came the 7♦ and Zagon bet another 23,500. Matei quickly folded, but Belea gave it some thought before also mucking as Zagon, in contention for the end-of-day chip lead, added to his stack at the night of the night.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
420,000
20,000
|
20,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
270,000
-10,000
|
-10,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
90,000 | |
Final Three Hands
Level 11
: Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
Tournament officials announced that players will see three more hands before Day 1a concludes.
Budai Takes Another Massive Hit Near the End
Level 11
: Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
Shortly after dropping the pot against Gheorghe Velcea, Alexandru Budai got involved in another pot, this time against Gani Weiss.
There was already around 50,000 in the pot on a board of 7♥3♠7♠2♦K♥ when Budai bet 55,000 from early position. Weiss, in the cutoff, tanked for a moment before sliding in the chips to call.
Budai instantly flung his cards into the muck as Weiss took down the pot without a showdown.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
150,000
70,000
|
70,000 |
|
|
75,000
-105,000
|
-105,000 |
Velcea Gets There on the River to Frustrate Budai
Level 11
: Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
Heads-up on a flop of A♠5♦9♠, Alexandru Budai bet 5,000 from early position and Gheorghe Velcea called in the big blind.
The turn came the 10♥ and Budai bet another 8,000. Velcea called once more to the 5♠ river and checked again to Budai, who this time checked back.
Velcea turned over 4♠2♠ for a rivered flush and Budai angrily tossed his cards into the muck.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
180,000
-50,000
|
-50,000 |
|
|
150,000
25,000
|
25,000 |
Vetter Fills Up on Tarcau
Level 11
: Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
Timothy Friese raised to 6,000 from under the gun and Alexandru Tarcau called on the button before Thomas Vetter, in the small blind, shoved for 38,000. Friese quickly folded, but Tarcau called after some deliberation.
Thomas Vetter: 2♠2♣
Alexandru Tarcau: Q♥J♦
Vetter found himself in a race situation as the 5♣4♣4♦ flop gave Tarcau additional outs to counterfeit Vetter's pair. The 2♦ turn, though, sealed the hand as Vetter made a full house. The river came the 4♥ and Vetter stayed alive.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
200,000
180,000
|
180,000 |
|
|
180,000
30,000
|
30,000 |
|
|
85,000 |
Costache Makes Quads to Bust Grigore
Level 11
: Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
Marian Costache raised to 7,000 from early position before Razvan Belea three-bet to 20,000. George Grigore then moved all in for 35,000 in the cutoff as action folded back to Costache, who reshoved. Belea quickly folded.
George Grigore: A♠5♠
Marian Costache: J♠J♦
Grigore was looking for help against Costache's jacks but the J♥6♦10♠ flop gave Costache top set. The 9♣ turn left Grigore drawing dead as Costache hit the J♣ on the river to improve to quads and send Grigore to the rail near the end of the night.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
280,000
20,000
|
20,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
170,000
125,000
|
125,000 |
|
|
Busted | |