€888 Main Event Day 1a | 2023 888poker LIVE Bucharest

08-10-2023 05:23 UTC-12

Arbel Holds On to Double Off Penescu

David Salituro

Level 4 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Five players built a pot of more than 20,000 heading to the 6♦5♣9♠ as action was checked through to the 7♦ turn.

David Arbel, in the big blind, then tossed out 25,000 and the rest of the table folded to Gabriel Penescu in middle position who moved all in. Arbel snap-called for his last 55,000.

Penescu showed K♦10♦ for a flush draw, while Arbel had 8♥8♣ for a straight. The J♣ river was safe for Arbel and he doubled up and put a big dent in Penescu's formerly chip-leading stack.

Player	Chips	Progress
David Arbel	160,000 80,000	80,000
Gabriel Penescu	150,000 57,000	57,000

Tags: David Arbel Gabriel Penescu

08-10-2023 05:02 UTC-12

Belea Takes a Seat, Watches Gancedo Shove on Marcu

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David Salituro

Level 4 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Razvan Belea, who became Romania's first-ever EPT champion when he won in Paris in February, has taken his seat in this tournament but was mostly a spectator to a hand before Rafael Granados Gancedo and Alexandru Marcu.

Belea raised to 1,500 from under the gun and Marcu came along from the cutoff, as did Gancedo in the big blind. All three players checked the 3♥7♥A♣ flop.

The turn came the 5♦ and Belea bet 2,500. Marcu then raised to 8,000 and Gancedo put in a reraise to 22,000. Belea folded, but Marcu called to see the J♠ river.

Gancedo then shoved all in and Marcu, with around 20,000 remaining, snap-folded.

Player	Chips	Progress
Rafael Granados Gancedo	130,000 130,000	130,000
Razvan Belea	70,000 70,000	70,000

Alexandru Marcu	20,000 25,000	25,000

Tags: Alexandru Marcu Rafael Granados Gancedo Razvan Belea

08-10-2023 04:29 UTC-12

Olaru Shows Budai the Goods

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David Salituro

Level 3 : Blinds 300/500, 500 ante

Three-handed on a flop of J♣8♠10♠, Liviu Bogdan Olaru bet 4,000 from the button before Andrii Zaika raised to 12,000 in early position. Alexandru Budai called as action went back on Olaru.

He then put in a raise to 30,000 and Zaika got out of the way. Budai, though, stuck around to see the 2♦ turn, where Olaru bet another 30,000.

Budai flashed KxQx and mucked as Olaru reciprocated by showing him 9♦7♦ for the flopped straight as he took in the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Liviu Bogdan Olaru	160,000 95,000	95,000
Alexandru Budai	150,000 40,000	40,000
Andrii Zaika	35,000 53,000	53,000

Tags: Alexandru Budai Andrii Zaika Liviu Bogdan Olaru

08-10-2023 04:11 UTC-12

Penescu Bets Big, Shows the Goods

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David Salituro

Level 3 : Blinds 300/500, 500 ante

Marius Dragoita, Victor Angelescu, Gabriel Penescu, and David Arbel put in 4,500 as they went four-handed to the 9♠7♦7♠ flop.

Penescu, in the big blind, then tossed out 6,500 and Angelescu called, as did Arbel in the hijack. Dragoita also came along from the small blind.

The turn came the 6♦ and Penescu bet 36,000 this time. Angelescu and Arbel quickly folded, but Dragoita went into the tank for several minutes.

He eventually decided to fold as Penescu flashed A♦A♥, taking down the pot and increasing his stack to around 200,000, the largest in the room so far.

Player	Chips	Progress
Gabriel Penescu	200,000 60,000	60,000
David Arbel	80,000 13,000	13,000
Marius Dragoita	56,000 14,000	14,000
Victor Angelescu	25,000 20,000	20,000

Tags: David Arbel Gabriel Penescu Marius Dragoita Victor Angelescu

08-10-2023 03:52 UTC-12

Budai Shoves, Clock Called on Berinde

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David Salituro

Level 3 : Blinds 300/500, 500 ante

Bogdan Berinde put in a three-bet to 7,500 from the big blind and was called by both Vasile Zagon in middle position and Alexandru Budai in the cutoff.

The flop came 5♠9♦5♥ and Berinde continued for another 7,500. Both Zagon and Budai called as the 6♦ fell on the turn.

Berinde then checked, as did Zagon before Budai came out with 8,000. Only Berinde called to the 6♠ river where he checked over to Budai again. Budai then shoved the rest of his stack in the middle, a bet of around 50,000, as Berinde went deep into the tank.

The clock was eventually called after a few minutes before Berinde slid his cards into the muck.

Player	Chips	Progress
Alexandru Budai	140,000 10,000	10,000
Vasile Zagon	75,000 75,000	75,000

Bogdan Berinde	70,000 35,000	35,000

Tags: Alexandru Budai Bogdan Berinde Vasile Zagon

08-10-2023 03:40 UTC-12

Avneya Shows Down Kings

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David Salituro

Level 2 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

George Grigore three-bet to 2,500 and was called by a player on the button and Marius Dragoita in early position before Yosef Avneya, in middle position, four-bet to 6,000.

All three opponents called as the flop came 5♠6♥5♥. Avneya then continued for 5,000 and only Grigore called.

The turn came the 9♣ and Avneya slowed down and checked. Grigore then bet 8,500 and Avneya quickly came back with a raise to 20,000. Grigore tanked for a moment before flashing the A♥ and mucking.

Avneya showed K♣K♦ as he took down the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Yosef Avneya	120,000
Marius Dragoita	70,000 15,000	15,000
George Grigore	65,000 65,000	65,000

Tags: George Grigore Marius Dragoita Yosef Avneya

08-10-2023 03:00 UTC-12

River Slows Down Avneya; Ciuca Takes Another Hit

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David Salituro

Level 1 : Blinds 100/300, 300 ante

Four players went to the turn on a board of 5♣9♥6♣7♠ when Yosef Avneya bet 4,000 from early position. Only Marius Dragoita called in the big blind.

The river came the 9♣ and Dragoita checked over to Avneya, who then checked back and turned over 10♥8♥ for the turned straight to win the pot.

At the same time at another table, Andrei Ciuca and Andreia Coman had built a massive pot of around 30,000 heading to the river on a board of 7♥5♠6♥4♥A♠. Coman, in the hijack, then put out a single 25,000 chip.

Ciuca called and Coman turned over A♥J♥ for the nut flush as she dragged in the pot, nearly doubling her starting stack on the first level.

Player	Chips	Progress
Andreia Coman	160,000 160,000	160,000
Yosef Avneya	120,000 37,000	37,000
Marius Dragoita	85,000 3,000	3,000
Andrei Ciuca	55,000 20,000	20,000

Tags: Andrei Ciuca Andreia Coman Yosef Avneya

08-10-2023 00:42 UTC-12

Online Hopefuls and Pros Descend on Romanian Capital For the Start of 888poker LIVE Bucharest

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David Salituro

Bucharest, the bustling capital of Romania, plays host to a mixture of seasoned pros and online qualifiers when the €888 888poker LIVE Bucharest begins at 5 p.m. local time.

Day 1a is the first of four opening flights for this event, held at Poker Room Bucharest in the heart of this ancient city. Players receive a starting stack of 88,000, with unlimited reentries allowed until the start of Day 2. Qualifiers can earn their way into the tournament on 888poker for as little as $0.01, with the main online qualifier featuring a buy-in of $109.

Play on the first three starting flights consists of 11 45-minute levels, with a turbo Day 1d flight featuring 20-minute levels. There is a 15-minute break after every three levels. The remaining field from the four opening flights combines for Day 2 on August 13, with the final table taking place on August 14 and ending with the crowning of a new champion.

Past Champions

Year	Champion	Entries	Prize	Runner-Up
2022	Slaven Popov	272	€35,000	Alexandru Arnautu
2019	Darius Neagoe	505	€62,300	Nicolae Bogdan
2018	Andrei Racolta	469	€71,042	Krzysztof Chmielowski

It was Slaven Popov who lifted the trophy last year. The Bulgarian, who had deep runs in several major tournaments over the previous decade, finally broke through with his first live tournament win by defeating a field of 272 players to earn €35,000 after a heads-up deal. Last year’s tournament marked the return of the festival after a three-year hiatus, when local Darius Neagoe prevailed over 505 opponents. Andrei Racolta, another native Romanian, won the inaugural event in 2018.

Bucharest is the land of Dracula, beautiful parks, and stunning architecture. And, in five days' time, a new poker champion will be crowned in this burgeoning metropolis. PokerNews will be following the action the entire way providing live updates.

Tags: Andrei Racolta Darius Neagoe Slaven Popov