Fernando Santa Maria Shoots to the Top on Day 1b of the 888poker Live Madrid Main Event; Vivian Saliba Leads the Team to Day 2
The 888poker team was out in full force today inside the Casino Gran Via on Day 1b of the 888poker Live Madrid Main Event, but they and the rest of the field were left looking up at Fernando Santa Maria at the end of the night.
Santa Maria won a massive pot on one of the last hands of the day when he rivered a set of sixes against Abraham Serrano. Santa Maria ended up with 375,000, putting him atop the overall chip leaderboard after two starting flights. Hassan Sey (275,000), David Santos (257,000), Fernando Gatto (195,000, and Jose Maria Sanchez (190,000) round out the top five.
Day 1b Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fernando Santa Maria | Dominican Republic | 375,000 | 125 |
| 2 | Hassan Sey | Finland | 275,000 | 92 |
| 3 | David Santos | Portugal | 257,000 | 86 |
| 4 | Fernando Gatto | Argentina | 195,000 | 65 |
| 5 | Jose Maria Sanchez | Spain | 190,000 | 63 |
| 6 | Ahmed Abdella | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 187,000 | 62 |
| 7 | Hugo Benitez | Spain | 170,000 | 57 |
| 8 | Rafi Elharar | Israel | 164,000 | 55 |
| 9 | Javier Zarco | Spain | 156,000 | 52 |
| 10 | Rober Martinez | Spain | 153,000 | 51 |
A total of 39 players survived Day 1b, including three members of the 888poker team. Vivian Saliba leads the group with 114,000, while Aaron Barone (102,000) and Lucia Navarro (82,000) are also through to Day 2. Others to advance included Ahmed Abdella (187,000), Rafi Elharar (164,000), Javier Zarco (156,000), content creator Inaki Angulo (108,000), and David Algarra (48,000).
Those who will have to try again on tomorrow’s Day 1c included David McConachie, Jesus “el chur” Ramos, Abel Aspas, and 888poker Streamer Ricardo Mateus.
Day 1b drew 102 entries, bringing the total field up to 158 through the first two flights, with 59 securing their spot on Day 2. Tomorrow’s flight is expected to be the biggest yet, while there is also a turbo Day 1d flight on January 17 at noon local time. Late registration remains open for the first level of Day 2 beginning at 5 p.m. on the 17th.
PokerNews will be back tomorrow for what is expected to be a packed Day 1c here from the heart of the Spanish capital.