€888 Main Event
Day 1a Completed
2024 888poker LIVE Madrid
€888 Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1a
2024 888poker LIVE Madrid
Buy-in
€888
Prize Pool
€333,905
Entries
435
Level
29
Blinds
125,000 / 250,000
Ante
250,000
Entries
85
Players Left
24
Paolo Boi, Jorge Ufano Climb to the Top on Day 1a of the 888poker LIVE Madrid Main Event; Ian Simpson Fires Three Bullets
Level 11
: Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
It was a particularly enjoyable day inside the Casino Gran Via for the 24 players who managed to survive Day 1a of the 888poker LIVE Madrid €888 Main Event. 888poker Ambassador Ian Simpson, however, was not one of them.
Simpson was the first casualty of the event when he went for a river bluff and was picked off by Jorge Ufano. But Simpson’s woes were hardly over from there. Taking advantage of unlimited reentries, he next shoved with tens on a queen-high board but Jason Wheatley had king-queen. Simpson fired a third bullet but ran his tens into the jacks of Daniel Tafur as he made the walk to the exit a third time.
The players who did outlast 85 total entries make it through 11 45-minute levels are led by Paolo Boi. Boi knocked out Narcis Cristian Olaru with two pair early in the day to begin his ascent to the top of the leaderboard with 535,000. He is followed by Tafur (367,000), Joseph Matter (356,000), Ufano (334,000), and Jonas ten Cate, who’s put himself in position for a second straight deep run in this event as he followed up his fifth-place finish from a year ago by bagging 334,000.
Day 1a Top 10 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paolo Boi | Italy | 535,000 | 178 |
| 2 | Daniel Tafur | Spain | 367,000 | 122 |
| 3 | Joseph Matter | N/A | 356,000 | 119 |
| 4 | Jorge Ufano | Spain | 334,000 | 111 |
| 5 | Jonas ten Cate | Netherlands | 312,000 | 104 |
| 6 | Constantino Russo | Italy | 221,000 | 74 |
| 7 | Jorge Palomino | Spain | 212,000 | 71 |
| 8 | Jonas Ferrut | France | 198,000 | 66 |
| 9 | Gregory Grech | France | 186,000 | 62 |
| 10 | Ahmed Abdella | United Kingdom | 184,000 | 61 |
Other players still in the hunt include Jorge Palomino (212,000), Gregory Grech (186,000), Niek Minten (146,000), Ryan Dansie (136,000), and Lois Dufouleur (80,000). Simpson’s fellow 888poker Ambassador Vivian Saliba was among those sent to the rail on Day 1a, along with the likes of Michael Uguccioni and Wheatley.
They’ll have another shot at entering on Day 1b tomorrow at 5 p.m. local time. There are three more opening flights, with Day 1c taking place on January 27 at 5 p.m. and a turbo Day 1d flight at 1 p.m. on January 28. The remaining players will then combine for Day 2 at 5 p.m., with late registration open until the start of the day.
Today was just the first of what will be five action-packed days here in the Spanish capital, so stay tuned as PokerNews returns tomorrow for more coverage of the 888poker LIVE Madrid Main Event.
End-of-Day Chip Counts (full)
Level 11
: Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
535,000
235,000
|
235,000 |
|
||
|
367,000
87,000
|
87,000 |
|
356,000
66,000
|
66,000 |
|
334,000
84,000
|
84,000 |
|
312,000
82,000
|
82,000 |
|
221,000 | |
|
212,000
2,000
|
2,000 |
|
198,000
118,000
|
118,000 |
|
|
186,000
56,000
|
56,000 |
|
184,000
54,000
|
54,000 |
|
158,000
28,000
|
28,000 |
|
149,000
39,000
|
39,000 |
|
146,000
26,000
|
26,000 |
|
137,000 | |
|
136,000
41,000
|
41,000 |
|
|
127,000
-13,000
|
-13,000 |
|
106,000 | |
|
|
88,000
-42,000
|
-42,000 |
|
80,000
-30,000
|
-30,000 |
|
|
74,000 | |
|
|
73,000
-57,000
|
-57,000 |
|
66,000 | |
|
51,000 | |
|
31,000
-89,000
|
-89,000 |
Play Concludes
Level 11
: Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
Day 1a has concluded with 24 players remaining out of 86 total entries.
Stay tuned for chip counts and a recap of the day's action.
Final Three Hands of the Night
Level 11
: Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
Players are seeing the final few hands of the night before they bag up their chips and bring Day 1a to a close.
Madina Leaves Wheatley Short at the End
Level 11
: Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
Action folded to Jufo Madina who moved all in for 70,000 from the small blind. Jason Wheatley tanked for a minute in the big blind before using his cards to push his chips forward.
Jufo Madina: A♣Q♠
Jason Wheatley: K♦Q♣
Madina hit the A♠ on the flop, and it was followed by 10♣7♣ as he doubled up with only a few minutes left in the night.
David Lebron, Michael Uguccioni, and Nemanja Tatar weren't as lucky and were recently eliminated.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
140,000 | |
|
40,000
-40,000
|
-40,000 |
|
Busted | |
|
Busted | |
|
Busted |
Ten Cate Moving Up the Leaderboard
Level 11
: Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
Jonas ten Cate, who made the final table of this event last year, was facing an all-in bet of around 90,000 from an opponent on the button with the board showing 2♠2♣4♠7♣. Ten Cate snap-called in early position and showed A♠7♠ for two pair and a flush draw, while his opponent could only show Q♦J♦ for a bluff.
The river was the 9♣ and ten Cate scored the knockout.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
230,000 |
Dufouleur Comes From Behind to Bust Dit Scudril
Level 11
: Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
Lois Dufouleur moved all in for 51,000 from the big blind and Carl Dit Scudril called on the button.
Carl Dit Scudril: A♥Q♦
Lois Dufouleur: A♠4♦
Dufouleur was dominated until the 4♥J♥5♠ flop gave him a pair of fours and the lead. The board ran out J♠3♣ and he secured the pot.
The stacks were counted down and Dufouleur barely had Dit Scudril covered, sending him to the rail on the last level of the night.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
110,000 | |
|
|
Busted |
Diaz Survives on the River
Level 11
: Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
Alejandro Diaz moved all in for 64,000 on the button and Ahmed Abdella put him at risk from middle position.
Alejandro Diaz: A♣10♦
Ahmed Abdella: 9♣9♥
Abdella's nines stayed in the lead on the 4♦3♠4♥2♣ board, but Diaz caught the A♦ on the river and began pounding the table in celebration as Abdella cut out the chips to pay him off.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
130,000
50,000
|
50,000 |
|
|
130,000
-10,000
|
-10,000 |
Level: 11
Blinds: 1,500/3,000
Ante: 3,000