₽133,000 EPT Open Main Event
Day 3 Completed
₽133,000 EPT Open Main Event
Day 3 Completed
The penultimate day of the 2019 PokerStars EPT Open Sochi RUB133,000 Main Event (~$2,040) has seen 46 players return to their seats and eight levels of 75 minutes were scheduled at the stunning Casino Sochi. Eventually, the final six were reached with six minutes remaining in the final level of the night and Georgiy Skhulukhiya has emerged as the overwhelming chip leader for tomorrow's final table.
Skhulukhiya was among the most active players for the entire duration of the day and entered the unofficial nine-handed final table in the top spot before claiming a big pot against Yi Ye in the final level of the night to end up as the only finalist with an above-average stack. Skhulukhiya bagged up 11,715,000 and Ye as only non-Russian native speaker is second in chips with 3,240,000.
Back in March 2019, Skhulukhiya reached the final table of the EPT National at Casino Sochi and comes fresh off a victory in the Merit Poker Retro $10,000 High Roller for $225,000. He may very well capture a new largest live-cash to date with more than $300,000 reserved for the eventual champion in Sochi.
The other four finalists are within two big blinds and practically tied. Former Casino Sochi staff member Lidiya Kozenkova has 2,910,000 at her disposal, Natalia Panchenko is right behind her with 2,895,000 while Abdul Mamin Abdal Ali Han (2,780,000) and Egor Sukhov (2,680,000) are one pot away from becoming second in chips.
There are six minutes remaining in level 28 at blinds of 40,000/80,000 with a big blind ante of 80,000, the final table action recommences at noon local time on the feature table of the Karaoke poker room.
Seat Assignments for the Final Day
Seat | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Abdul Mamin Abdal Ali Han | Russia | 2,780,000 | 35 |
2 | Lidiya Kozenkova | Ukraine | 2,910,000 | 36 |
3 | Natalia Panchenko | Russia | 2,895,000 | 36 |
4 | Yi Ye | China | 3,240,000 | 41 |
5 | Giorgiy Skhulukhiya | Russia | 11,715,000 | 146 |
6 | Egor Sukhov | Russia | 2,680,000 | 34 |
The early stages of the day saw plenty of players depart and eventual chip leader Giorgiy Skhulukhiya was among the shortest stacks with all but one foot out of the door. In a battle of the blinds he got it in with ten-trey against ace-queen and flopped trips tens to start his rise on the leaderboard.
By then, notables such as Ghassan Bitar and Artur Osipov were already on the rail and Natalia Panchenko had taken over the lead in a crucial hand. Other big names such as Vyacheslav Goryachev, Aleksey Istomin and Mikhail Zamyatin missed out on the three table redraw.
Pavel Vershinin saw his hopes of an even deeper run vanish when his full house ended up second-best to the quads of Vladislav Petrov. The 2019 WSOP bracelet winner Anatolii Zyrin nursed a severe short stack for a long time and eventually bowed out in 17th place when his top two pair on the flop fell behind against a set on the turn.
The race towards the final table continued at a rapid pace and Skhulukhiya took over the lead followed by Yi Ye and Dmitriy Kopyl. For the latter, there would be no happy end as he dropped towards the bottom of the leaderboard and his pair and straight draw were no good in showdown against Ye's better pair and same draw.
Almost two full levels remained to be played and Artem Voziyanov quickly vanished to reduce the field to the final eight. Boris Kitov would fall in 8th place and Skhulukhiya cemented his lead in a pivotal hand with a flopped set of kings against second-biggest stack Ye. Vladislav Petrov lost a flip against Egor Sukhov and busted right after to set up the final six.
Final Table Results and Payouts
Position | Player | Country | Prize (in CSU) | Prize (in RUB) | Prize (~ in USD) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 275,800 | 19,306,000 ₽ | $301,378 | ||
2 | 167,460 | 11,722,200 ₽ | $182,991 | ||
3 | 118,140 | 8,269,800 ₽ | $129,097 | ||
4 | 88,600 | 6,202,000 ₽ | $96,817 | ||
5 | 69,850 | 4,889,500 ₽ | $76,328 | ||
6 | 52,280 | 3,659,600 ₽ | $57,129 | ||
7 | Vladislav Petrov | Russia | 36,770 | 2,573,900 ₽ | $40,180 |
8 | Boris Kitov | Russia | 25,840 | 1,808,800 ₽ | $28,236 |
Note: CSU stands for Casino Sochi Unit and is equal to 70 Russian Rubles (RUB)
Be sure to tune back in here on PokerNews to find out who will lift the trophy for the winner shots in the third-ever EPT Open Main Event in Sochi.
A recap of today's action is to follow.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Giorgiy Skhulukhiya
|
11,715,000 | 1,115,000 |
Yi Ye
|
3,240,000 | -200,000 |
Lidiya Kozenkova | 2,910,000 | 210,000 |
Natalia Panchenko | 2,895,000 | -305,000 |
Abdul Mamin Abdal Ali Han | 2,780,000 | -20,000 |
Egor Sukhov | 2,680,000 |
One hand after being reduced to just over two big blinds, Vladislav Petrov moved all in and Yi Ye was the only caller from the small blind.
Vladislav Petrov:
Yi Ye:
Petrov had found a premium hand for a possible comeback but the board provided an ace on the turn to send the Day 2 chip leader to the rail in 7th place for 2,573,900. This concludes Day 3 six minutes prior to the end of the level and the remaining six players will return at noon local time to determine a champion.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Yi Ye
|
3,440,000 | 90,000 |
Vladislav Petrov
|
Busted |
The two shortest stacks clashed in a typical coin flip and it was Egor Sukhov at risk for 1,215,000, which was narrowly covered by Vladislav Petrov.
Egor Sukhov:
Vladislav Petrov:
The flop gave Sukhov both overcards to take the lead, the turn and river reduced the stack of Petrov to just 170,000.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Egor Sukhov | 2,680,000 | 1,430,000 |
Vladislav Petrov
|
170,000 | -1,230,000 |
If there was any doubt over the chipleader for the final day, it has just vanished after Giorgiy Skhulukhiya won a massive pot against Yi Ye.
It started with a raise to 180,000 by Ye in the under-the-gun position and Skhulukhiya called from one seat over, as did Natalia Panchenko out of the big blind. The flop came and the action checked to Skhulukhiya, who bet 230,000. Panchenko got out of the way and Ye quickly called.
After the turn, Ye check-called a bet of 535,000 after some consideration and checked again the on the river. Skhulukhiya ow cut out a hefty bet of 1,765,000 and that sent Ye into a tank of more than four minutes. Nobody called the clock and a sigh-call of Ye followed to see Skhulukhiya turn over for top set to establish an overwhelming ead.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Giorgiy Skhulukhiya
|
11,600,000 | 2,600,000 |
Yi Ye
|
3,350,000 | -2,500,000 |
Natalia Panchenko | 3,200,000 | -250,000 |
Abdul Mamin Abdal Ali Han | 2,800,000 | -50,000 |
Lidiya Kozenkova | 2,700,000 | -100,000 |
Vladislav Petrov
|
1,400,000 | 200,000 |
Egor Sukhov | 1,250,000 | -50,000 |
Courtesy of Manuel Kovsca / PokerStars
Georgiy Skhulukhiya won a pot against Vladislav Petrov without showdown to further increase his lead and then saw Natalia Panchenko limp the cutoff. Yi Ye limped along from the button and so did Skhulukhiya in the small blind. Egor Sukhov checked his option from the big blind and the flop came .
Once it was Ye's turn to act, he bet 150,000 and claimed the pot when all three opponents quickly folded.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Giorgiy Skhulukhiya
|
9,000,000 | 600,000 |
Yi Ye
|
5,850,000 | 350,000 |
Lidiya Kozenkova | 2,800,000 | -200,000 |
Egor Sukhov | 1,300,000 | -125,000 |
Vladislav Petrov
|
1,200,000 | -500,000 |
Egor Sukhov raised to 175,000 on the button and Abdul Manin Abdal Ali Han checked for the stack size of his opponent before moving all in, Sukhov quickly folded.
Soon after, Giorgiy Skhulukhiya raised to 160,000 and everyone folded, he flashed and claimed the blinds and big blind ante.
Natalia Panchenko limped the small blind and Yi Ye checked from the big blind. On the turn with two flushdraws, Panchenko checked and called a bet of Ye for 130,000. Panchenko then check-raised the river from 200,000 to 780,000.
Ye immediately shook his head and kept staring at the board, he eventually folded and revealed the .
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Giorgiy Skhulukhiya
|
8,400,000 | -100,000 |
Yi Ye
|
5,500,000 | -700,000 |
Natalia Panchenko | 3,450,000 | 475,000 |
Lidiya Kozenkova | 3,000,000 | 250,000 |
Abdul Mamin Abdal Ali Han | 2,850,000 | 450,000 |
Vladislav Petrov
|
1,700,000 | -475,000 |
Egor Sukhov | 1,425,000 | -100,000 |
Vladislav Petrov raised from the cutoff and was called by Yi Ye in the big blind. On the flop, Ye led for 155,000 and Petrov called. A second bet on the turn for 240,000 by Ye did the trick to force a fold from Petrov.
One hand later, Egor Sukhov raised to 175,000 first to act and Abdul Mamin Abdal Ali Han called from the next seat. Ye filled up from the small blind and Giorgiy Skhulukhiya in the big blind was about to call, too, then changed his mind. He splashed in a three-bet to 555,000 and forced two quick folds.
Ye needed more time but came to the same conclusion.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Giorgiy Skhulukhiya
|
8,500,000 | 500,000 |
Yi Ye
|
6,200,000 | 225,000 |
Natalia Panchenko | 2,975,000 | 75,000 |
Lidiya Kozenkova | 2,750,000 | -450,000 |
Abdul Mamin Abdal Ali Han | 2,400,000 | -200,000 |
Vladislav Petrov
|
2,175,000 | -425,000 |
Egor Sukhov | 1,525,000 | -175,000 |