€560 Main Event
Day 1a Completed
2024 EAPT Madrid
€560 Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1a
2024 EAPT Madrid
Buy-in
€560
Prize Pool
€180,000
Entries
305
Level
31
Blinds
125,000 / 250,000
Ante
250,000
Entries
36
Players Left
5
Gray Bags Big in Day 1a of EAPT Madrid Main Event
Level 15
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
After nearly 15 30-minute levels of play the action has come to a close for Day 1a of the EAPT Main Event at the Casino Gran Via here in Madrid. The inaugural starting flight attracted 36 entrants, of which only five players managed to find a bag at the end of the night, advance to Day 2 and make the money.
Anonymous player Luigi bagged the chip lead, finishing the night with 413,000 chips after scoring the final knockout of the night. Luigi is most closely followed by the United Kingdom's Matthew Gray, who held the chip lead for nearly the entirety of the last two levels and finished the night with 394,000. Gray enjoyed a stellar poker year in 2023 after taking down the WSOPC UK Main Event in March for £100,000 and his first circuit ring. Spain's Francisco Fernandez rounds out the top three with 253,000.
EAPT Madrid Main Event Day 1a Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luigi | Spain | 413,000 |
| 2 | Matthew Gray | United Kingdom | 394,000 |
| 3 | Francisco Fernandez | Spain | 253,000 |
| 4 | Alexey Neofitov | Russian Federation | 221,000 |
| 5 | Angel Potrero | Spain | 109,000 |
Alexey Neofitov got off to a good start today after taking down a four-bet pot in the second level of the day. Neofitov would ride that momentum all the way to the end of the night, eliminating several players along the way including Jimmy Zahn, who fell two spots shy of making the money after Neofitov held with pocket-jacks in a massive three-way all in.
Francisco Fernandez emerged as one of the bigger stacks midway through the day and was active from that point on, employing an aggressive style of play that consistently put his opponent's to the test. Despite the common saying that a deuce on the river never helped anybody, Fernandez proved to be the exception to that rule when a two on the river gave him aces up to score the biggest pot of the tournament at that point.
Gray flew under the radar with an average stack for most of the day but by the time the field had been whittled down to nine players he found himself with one of the biggest stacks in the room. He took a dominant chip lead after being on the right side of a flush over flush cooler against Fernandez and held onto that chip lead until the final hand of the night.
Romania's Madalin Ciulpan would become the unfortunate soul to burst the money bubble. Ciulpan got his last chips in good with ace-queen only for Luigi to spike a three-outer to take the final pot of the night.
Two more starting flights are set to take place tomorrow, February 16. Day 1b begins at 1:00 p.m. local time and features 40-minute levels while there is also a turbo Day 1c flight beginning at 8:00 p.m. featuring 20-minute levels. The final two starting flights will take place on February 17 and the field will combine for Day 2 on February 18, at which point all players will be in the money.
As always, stay tuned to PokerNews as we bring you all the action throughout this tournament until a winner is crowned on February 19.
End of Night Chip Counts (full)
Level 15
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
413,000 | |
|
||
|
394,000
44,000
|
44,000 |
|
253,000
-10,000
|
-10,000 |
|
221,000
27,000
|
27,000 |
|
|
109,000 | |
Play Concludes
Level 15
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
The action has come to a close for Day 1a of the Main Event. Stay tuned for full updated chip counts and a recap of the night's action.
Ciulpan Eliminated on Stone Bubble
Level 15
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
In a preflop confrontation, Madalin Ciulpan was all in and at risk against Luigi who held a covering stack.
Madalin Ciulpan: A♥Q♠
Madalin Chiulpan: Q♦9♦
Ciulpan was in excellent shape to double up with a bigger queen but Luigi took the lead on the J♥9♣7♦ flop with a pair of nines. Ciulpan could not catch up on the 3♥ turn or 3♠ river and was sent to the rail in the final hand of the night.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
413,000
128,000
|
128,000 |
|
|
||
|
Busted | |
Neofitov Holds with Jacks to Knock Out Zahn
Level 15
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
Francisco Fernandez opened to 13,000 from middle position and Jimmy Zahn moved all in for 46,000 from the hijack. Alexey Neofitov reshoved for 69,000 and Fernandez made the call to put both opponents at risk.
Jimmy Zahn: A♥J♠
Alexey Neofitov: J♦J♣
Francisco Fernandez: K♣7♣
"I'm getting nuked here" Neofitov joked with his opponents after the cards were on their backs. Neofitov's pocket-jacks did hold up on the 6♣6♠7♠6♦4♣ runout and he scored nearly a full triple up while Zahn was sent to the rail.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
263,000
-72,000
|
-72,000 |
|
|
194,000
96,000
|
96,000 |
|
Busted |
Fernandez Gets it All Back
Level 15
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
Action folded around to Francisco Fernandez, who moved all in from the small blind for 165,000. Jimmy Zahn called off in the big blind with a covering stack to put Fernandez at risk.
Francisco Fernandez: A♣Q♠
Jimmy Zahn: K♦K♣
Zahn was in excellent shape to score the knockout until the A♦6♠3♥ flop gave Fernandez top pair, leaving Zahn drawing to just two outs. Zahn couldn't catch a king on the 4♥ turn or J♥ river and was left short-stacked while Fernandez won back all of the chips he had recently lost to Matthew Gray.
Joaquin Sanchez was eliminated not long afterwards.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
335,000
149,000
|
149,000 |
|
|
50,000
-6,000
|
-6,000 |
|
Busted |
Level: 15
Blinds: 3,000/6,000
Ante: 6,000
Pay Day for Gray
Level 14
: Blinds 2,500/5,000, 5,000 ante
Matthew Gray opened to 10,000 from the button and received a call from Francisco Fernandez in the big blind.
Both players checked the 7♥3♦2♦ flop leading to the 5♠ turn. Fernandez bet 12,000 and was called by Gray.
Fernandez sized up with a nearly pot-sized bet of 50,000 on the 9♦ river. Gray raised to 140,000 and Fernandez snap-called. Fernandez turned over Q♦7♦ for a queen-high flush but Gray showed down K♦4♦ for a king-high flush to take down a massive pot and catapult himself into the chip lead.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
350,000
138,000
|
138,000 |
|
|
186,000
-146,000
|
-146,000 |
Luigi Pips Sanchez
Level 14
: Blinds 2,500/5,000, 5,000 ante
Manuel Sanchez opened to 11,000 from early position and Luigi three-bet to 35,000 from the button. Sanchez moved all in for just over 100,000 and Luigi snap-called with a covering stack to put Sanchez at risk.
Manuel Sanchez: A♠Q♣
Luigi: A♦K♠
Sanchez was dominated by the bigger ace but did improve from three outs to four outs on the J♣10♥6♣ flop. He could not complete his straight on the 8♥ turn or 8♦ river and was sent to the rail while Luigi picked up a sizable pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
285,000
84,000
|
84,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
Busted | |