[user66118]
With registration closed, and the numbers tallied, we have the prize pool breakdown in hand. Officially, 296 players came out to play this kickoff event of the sixth EPT, generating a total purse worth €1,391,200. That money will be divvied up amongst the final 40 players in a slow and steady payout structure.
Squeaking into the money will earn the players at least €7,610. The five-figure payouts start with 16th place which is worth €12,000, and a final table seat is guaranteed to be worth at least €23,000. Moving on from there, each of the top four finishers will pocket six-figure cash of more than €100,000.
When all is said and done late Sunday evening, all of the chips will be piled in front of one lucky man or woman. To that player will go the etched glass EPT trophy, an invitation and entry into the EPT Grand Final in Monte Carlo, and €330,000 in cash money.
Alexander Kostritsyn is among those who've been steadily on the rise all day, pushing his current stack up toward 70,000 at the present moment. But before much happened, Gloria caught up with the Russian during the first break for a quick chat about poker in Russia and Ukraine. Check it out:
Shamus
Cristian Dragomir
Gus Hansen's original table recently broke, and now he's seated at another along one edge of the spacious Kyiv Sport Center. A small group of people have gathered nearby to watch the Great Dane in action.
And action they have seen. The author of Every Hand Revealed has been involved in many hands, and had a good end to the previous level and start to this one, building his stack up over 50,000. Just now he was involved in another hand with Cristian Dragomir. Dragomir has also had a productive day, building his stack up over 60,000.
With the board showing , Dragomir fired a bet of 2,500 from middle position and Hansen called from the button. The river then brought the . Dragomir checked, and Hansen bet 4,400. Dragomir quickly called.
"I'm absolutely sure I do not have the best hand," said Hansen with a grin. "I have a jack," he said, showing the .
"It is not good," said Dragomir, showing his for trip aces. "But the people watching want to see your hand," he added. "It's fine," said Hansen, showing his other card -- the (a busted flush). "You can always ask," he said. "Not me," said Dragomir, shaking his head and insisting Hansen was showing his second card for the onlookers' benefit only.
Hansen now has 45,000, while Dragomir is up to 78,000.
[user66118]
This one's a little tricky because the action was unusually muddled. Here's what we know:
Shaun Deeb opened the betting with a raise to 1,050, and that was only the beginning, as the song says. A couple seats over, the player in the cutoff re-raised to 5,000, and that wasn't the end of it either. On the button, Yakov Nepomnyashchiy made it 12,500 total before Alexey Nikolenko moved all in for 13,500 from the big blind. That was enough to quickly fold Deeb (and his alleged pocket deuces), while the other two opponents both called to see a flop.
In the dark, Nepomnyaschiy insisted on trying to move all in despite the fact that he was not first to act. The dealer repeatedly pushed his stack back to him, but Yakov wasn't understanding the message as he continued to try and bet out of turn. In any event, he and the last live opponent ended up sloppily getting it all in as the dealer spread out .
Showdown
Cutoff:
Nepomnyaschiy:
Nikolenko:
The aces were the covering stack, and Nepomnyaschiy was poised to eliminate two players. When the turn and river came and respectively, he did just that, knocking out a pair and chipping his way over the century mark. He's still stacking those checks, but it appears he's up to about 115,000 now.
[user66118]
While we were off on the other side of the room, both Josh "JJProdigy" Field and Team PokerStars Pro Vlad Zhuba were eliminated from Day 1b.
Shamus
Vitaly Lunkin
Looking down at and his shrinking stack, Vitaly Lunkin moved all in and was called by one opponent further down the line. The board would end up showing , and the trip fives were good enough to earn the at-risk Lunkin a crucial double up. He has bounced back, moving his stack back up over 35,000 after having struggled with less than half that most of the last couple of levels.
Still, it's not all smooth flying for the Russian. Just now Lunkin was raising to 1,125 before the flop from middle position, only to have Andrea Benelli reraise to 4,175 from the cutoff.
It folded back to Lunkin, who asked Benelli how much he had left. "About 20,000," said Benelli. Lunkin rechecked his cards, then decided discretion was the best course and tossed them dealerward.
Lunkin remains right around 35,000 at the moment, while Benelli has 22,500.
![[user66118]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
, Dragomir fired a bet of 2,500 from middle position and Hansen called from the button. The river then brought the 
. Dragomir checked, and Hansen bet 4,400. Dragomir quickly called. 
. 
for trip aces. "But the people watching want to see your hand," he added. "It's fine," said Hansen, showing his other card -- the 
(a busted flush). "You can always ask," he said. "Not me," said Dragomir, shaking his head and insisting Hansen was showing his second card for the onlookers' benefit only.
.
and 
and his shrinking stack, Vitaly Lunkin moved all in and was called by one opponent further down the line. The board would end up showing 
