2023 888poker LIVE Coventry

£888 Main Event
Day: 1cd
Event Info

2023 888poker LIVE Coventry

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
a3
Prize
£120,000
Event Info
Buy-in
£888
Prize Pool
£500,000
Entries
672
Level Info
Level
29
Blinds
40,000 / 80,000
Ante
80,000
Players Info - Day 1cd
Entries
288
Players Left
67

Francis Obadun, Ryan Otto Get a Shot at Redemption After Day 1c of the 888poker LIVE Coventry Main Event

Level 14 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
Francis Obadun
Francis Obadun

Francis Obadun and Ryan Otto should be quite familiar to each other by now.

Not only did they share a table for most of Day 1c of the £888 888poker LIVE Coventry Main Event, but it was just a few months ago that they both made a run at a title, making the top three at the 888poker LIVE London Main Event. Obadun finished second, while Otto claimed third.

They’re both back at another shot of capturing a title, ending Day 1c near the top of the leaderboard. Otto (366,500), who was also runner-up in the High Roller last night, doubled up with a set of sevens against Nathan Jones, then busted Jones on the last hand of the night with ace-king. Obadun (314,000) found his own double up earlier in the day, making a straight with a pair of sixes, then won a big pot off Otto when he cracked a set with a turned flush.

Day 1c Top 10 Chip Counts

RankPlayerCountryChip CountBig Blinds
1Danny PykeUnited Kingdom400,000133
2Ryan OttoAustralia366,500122
3Francis ObadunUnited Kingdom314,000105
4Matthew EardleyUnited Kingdom298,00099
5Jiaze LiUnited Kingdom250,00083
6Min JiUnited Kingdom250,00083
7Wendy WatsonUnited Kingdom247,00082
8Richard PearsonUnited Kingdom239,00080
9Patrick DonohueUnited Kingdom225,00075
10Florin GavilrescuUnited Kingdom205,50069

Otto and Obadun may be looking up at Danny Pyke on the leaderboard, but that’s far from certain. Pyke didn’t bother to count his stack at the end of the night and just put down “400-ish” on his bag. Matthew Eardley ended up in fourth place with 298,000 after busting 888poker Ambassador Ian Simpson with a straight against two pair early in the day.

It took Niall Farrell multiple bullets, but he finally managed to bag up 106,500 for tomorrow’s Day 2. Nim Rattan (192,500), Paul Vas Nunes (105,500), and Tom Middleton (58,500) were also part of the 67 players who survived Day 1c. Those who didn't survive include yesterday's High Roller champion Ludovic Geilich, Florian Duta, and Leo Worthington-Leese.

A total of 288 players entered Day 1c, combining with the 265 who entered the first two starting flights to create a field of 553. There is still the turbo Day 1d flight ongoing, which has so far attracted 94 entries and pushed the field past 600 players and the £500,000 guaranteed prize pool. Late registration remains open until the start of Day 2, so there is a chance for the field to grow even larger by the time the prize pool is confirmed.

The 118 players who have navigated through one of the first three starting flights will return tomorrow at 11 a.m. local time for Day 2. Blinds pick up on Level 15 at 1,500-3,000 and a 3,000 big blind ante. Levels will be 60-minutes long from this point on.

The race to the final table will be on tomorrow, and PokerNews will follow all the action and provide live updates from inside the Coventry Building Society Arena.

Querbach Almost Gets Away From a Cooler

Level 12 : Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
Nim Rattan
Nim Rattan

Hubertus Querbach was in the big blind and had a raise to 10,000 in front of him before Nim Rattan four-bet to 30,000 in early position.

Querbach tanked for a minute before shoving all in for 50,000, and Rattan snap-called.

Hubertus Querbach: KK
Nim Rattan: AA

"I almost folded," Querbach said. The flop came A74 and Rattan made top set to leave Querbach drawing to a miracle. None arrived on the 2 turn or 5 river and he was eliminated.

"Would you ever fold there," another tablemate asked Daniel Bedson.

"On Day 1 of the tournament? Never in a million years," Bedson replied.

Player Chips Progress
Nim Rattan gb
Nim Rattan
120,000
55,000
55,000
Hubertus Querbach
Hubertus Querbach
Busted

Obadun Cracks Otto's Set

Level 12 : Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
Francis Obadun
Francis Obadun

Three-handed on a flop of Q6K, Ryan Otto bet 7,000 from the button and Francis Obadun called in the hijack, as did a player in the cutoff.

All three players checked the 9 turn. The river came the 8 and Obadun led out for 26,000.

The cutoff folded, but Otto snap-called and turned over 66 for a flopped set. Obadun showed him 43 for a turned flush as he took the pot.

Player Chips Progress
Ryan Otto nz
Ryan Otto
250,000
20,000
20,000
Francis Obadun gb
Francis Obadun
190,000
30,000
30,000

Tags: Francis ObadunRyan Otto

Man Frustrates Buivydas, Knocks Out Geilich

Level 11 : Blinds 800/1,600, 1,600 ante
Ludovic Geilich
Ludovic Geilich

Ludovic Geilich fell down to less than 10,000 and got the rest of his chips in on a flop of J2K as Mantas Buivydas and Ka Wai Man both called.

The turn came the 6 and Buivydas and Man checked to the Q river. Buivydas checked in early position and Man fired out 10,000.

Buivydas shot back in his chair and began muttering to himself before he angrily flung his cards across the table. Man then turned over A10 for the rivered nut flush and Geilich flashed 107 for a turned flush before heading for the rail.

Player Chips Progress
Ka Wai Man gb
Ka Wai Man
70,000
-5,000
-5,000
Mantas Buivydas gb
Mantas Buivydas
60,000
-30,000
-30,000
Ludovic Geilich gb
Ludovic Geilich
Busted

Tags: Ka Wai ManLudovic GeilichMantas Buivydas

Watson Flips Out Morton-Monaghan

Level 10 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante
Wendy Watson
Wendy Watson

John Bousfield raised to 2,500 under the gun and Lewis Morton-Monaghan called in middle position. Action then folded to Wendy Watson who three-bet to 15,000 in the small blind. Bousfield folded, but Morton-Monaghan moved all in and Watson snap-called.

Lewis Morton-Monaghan: AK
Wendy Watson: JJ

The two players had nearly identical stacks and were flipping for their respective tournament lives as the board ran out 57393. Morton-Monaghan couldn't catch up and Watson took the pot with her jacks.

Morton-Monaghan counted his stack of 40,000 and Watson barely had him covered as he headed off to the rail.

Player Chips Progress
Wendy Watson gb
Wendy Watson
100,000
John Bousfield gb
John Bousfield
60,000
-20,000
-20,000
Lewis Morton-Monaghan
Lewis Morton-Monaghan
Busted

Tags: John BousfieldLewis Morton-MonaghanWendy Watson

Obadun Stays Silent

Level 9 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante
Francis Obadun
Francis Obadun

Francis Obadun bet 3,100 from the hijack on a board of 5K42 and Nim Rattan called on the button.

The river came the 3 and Obadun then moved all in for 32,300. Rattan began tanking as the talkative Obadun, who can usually be heard from across the room, fell silent.

Rattan used up several minutes before she called. "I didn't mean to be rude. I just really wanted to get paid," Obadun said as he turned over 66 for a straight. Rattan mucked her hand and Obadun, who finished runner-up in the 888poker LIVE London Main Event earlier this year, doubled up.

"Do you want some change," Obadun joked with tablemate Leo McClean, back to his normally loquacious ways.

"Now we got him going," McClean replied.

Player Chips Progress
Leo McClean gb
Leo McClean
80,000
-30,000
-30,000
Francis Obadun gb
Francis Obadun
70,000
-10,000
-10,000
Nim Rattan gb
Nim Rattan
65,000
-45,000
-45,000

Tags: Francis ObadunNim Rattan

Aguilera Has the Better Queen

Level 8 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante
Jose Aguilera
Jose Aguilera

Jose Aguilera and Samuel Acheampong were heads-up on a flop of QJ5 where Acheampon bet 3,300 under the gun. Aguilera then moved all in for 13,000 in the big blind and Acheampon called.

Jose Aguilera: KQ
Samuel Acheampong: Q10

Aguilera had Acheampong out-kicked with his king as they saw the A fall on the turn. The river came the 9 and Acheampong slammed his remaining chips on the table in frustration while Aguilera doubled up.

Player Chips Progress
Jose Aguilera es
Jose Aguilera
32,000
17,000
17,000
Day 1D Chip Leader
Samuel Acheampong
Samuel Acheampong
3,000

Tags: Jose AguileraSamuel Acheampong

Jones Thinks He's Bluffing, Busts Overall Anyway; Simpson Also Busts

Level 8 : 400/800, 800 ante
Ian Simpson
Ian Simpson

Nathan Jones raised to 1,600 in middle position and received one caller as action went on Edward Overall, who three-bet to 4,300 in the small blind. Jones then four-bet to 11,500 and Overall called.

The flop came K8A and Jones bet another 6,500. Overall called as the 5 fell on the turn.

Jones then put Overall all in for his last 20,000. "Aces, huh," Overall said, tanking for several minutes until he committed his chips.

Jones shrugged and turned over K2 for just a pair of kings. "Wow," he cried out as Overall showed QQ and Jones found out he was still in the lead.

The river came the 3 and Overall was sent to the rail.

At the same time at another table, 888poker Ambassador Ian Simpson was all in for around 20,000 with K10 on a board of K8610A. Matthew Eardley, though, had 97 for a straight to win the pot and bust Simpson.

"I'll get it on my next bullet," Simpson said.

Player Chips Progress
Matthew Eardley gb
Matthew Eardley
100,000
Nathan Jones gb
Nathan Jones
95,000
95,000
95,000
Edward Overall
Edward Overall
Busted
Ian Simpson gb
Ian Simpson
Busted

Tags: Edward OverallIan SimpsonMatthew EardleyNathan Jones

Rojas Puts Walsh on the Nuts, Calls Anyway

Level 5 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante
Pablo Rojas
Pablo Rojas

Around 15,000 was in the pot as Pablo Rojas and Shuan Walsh went to the turn on a board of 10938.

Rojas bet 6,000 in middle position and Walsh then moved all in for 28,000. Rojas spent a few minutes in the tank before calling.

Walsh showed QJ for the nut straight, while Rojas was on a flush draw holding A9. The 5 river failed to complete Rojas' flush and he handed over the double up.

"It was crystal clear you had that. But it was 28,000 into a pot of 70,000," Rojas explained.

Florian Duta is also at this table, while Leo Worthington-Leese is sitting one table away.

Player Chips Progress
Shuan Walsh
Shuan Walsh
70,000
70,000
70,000
Florian Duta ro
Florian Duta
35,000
35,000
35,000
Leo Worthington-Leese gb
Leo Worthington-Leese
30,000
30,000
30,000
Pablo Rojas es
Pablo Rojas
5,000
5,000
5,000

Tags: Pablo RojasShuan Walsh

Buivydas Drills the River to Crack Berko's Aces

Level 3 : Blinds 100/200, 200 ante
Mantas Buivydas
Mantas Buivydas

With around 18,000 in the pot on a flop of 63K, Scott Berko led out for 4,000 from the small blind before Mantas Buivydas moved all in from the button. Berko quickly called for his last 25,000.

Scott Berko: AA
Mantas Buivydas: AJ

Buivydas was on a flush draw against Berko's aces but missed the 5 turn. The river brought the 8 and Buivydas completed his flush to send Berko to the rail.

Niall Farrell and Ludovic Geilich registered for Day 1c within the past few minutes and were seated at this table.

Player Chips Progress
Mantas Buivydas gb
Mantas Buivydas
100,000
40,000
40,000
Niall Farrell gb
Niall Farrell
30,000
30,000
30,000
WSOP 1X Winner
WPT 1X Winner
EPT 1X Winner
Ludovic Geilich gb
Ludovic Geilich
30,000
30,000
30,000
Scott Berko gb
Scott Berko
Busted

Tags: Mantas BuivydasScott Berko