Eight Remain, But Who Will Win EPT National?
Yury Masliankou is just seven eliminations away from becoming the second non-Russian to win the EPT Sochi National. The Belarussian picked up the chip lead late on Day 2 after clashing with Georgiy Skhulukhiya, who is second in chips, and held onto it as he heads into the final day as the clear chip leader.
Twelve months since Czech player Matous Houzvicek clinched the title, Masliankou will be eyeing the RUB 9,137,000 ($139,755) payout for first prize but several players stand in his way.
Here's how the final eight players stack up:
| Seat | Name | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yury Masliankou | Belarus | 5,260,000 | 105 |
| 2 | Kartik Ved | India | 1,385,000 | 28 |
| 3 | Leonid Bilokur | Russia | 3,210,000 | 64 |
| 4 | Daniil Lukin | Russia | 2,595,000 | 52 |
| 5 | Andrey Lukyanov | Russia | 2,380,000 | 48 |
| 6 | Sarkis Karabadzhakyan | Russia | 670,000 | 13 |
| 7 | Giorgiy Skhulukhiya | Russia | 4,145,000 | 83 |
| 8 | Alexandr Sergutin | Russia | 1,985,000 | 40 |
As you can see, there's clear water between Masliankou and Skhulukhiya at the top of the counts, with another gap back to former chip leader Leonid Bilokur (3,210,000).
Last year, Bilokur finished 55th in the EPT Sochi Main Event, and with over $3.5m in lifetime earnings, he would crack the Russian all-time top 10 list with a win today.
Then follows Daniil Lukin (2,595,000) and Day 1a chip leader Andrey Lukyanov (2,380,000). Lukyanov finished Day 1a with a shade of 544,000 and is positioned comfortably with an average stack in the middle of the pack.
After Lukyanov, Alexandr Sergutin sits with 40 big blinds and is by no means a short stack at this final table. The final two players are Indian Kartik Ved (1,385,000) and Sarkis Karabadzhakyan (670,000). With 28 and 13 big blinds respectively, these two will focus on good starts to get them back into contention as the blinds steadily increase.
Play will resume in Level 27 (30,000/60,000) and play down to a winner. Here's a reminder of the remaining payouts:
| Position | Payout (CSU) | Payout (RUB) | Payout (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CSU 133,100 | RUB 9,317,000 | $139,755 |
| 2 | CSU 81,500 | RUB 5,705,000 | $85,575 |
| 3 | CSU 58,100 | RUB 4,067,000 | $61,005 |
| 4 | CSU 43,700 | RUB 3,059,000 | $45,885 |
| 5 | CSU 34,400 | RUB 2,408,000 | $36,120 |
| 6 | CSU 25,800 | RUB 1,806,000 | $27,090 |
| 7 | CSU 18,500 | RUB 1,295,000 | $19,425 |
| 8 | CSU 12,700 | RUB 889,000 | $13,335 |
Stay tuned to PokerNews.com as we crown the latest EPT National champion here at Casino Sochi
giving both players a set. The turn was the 
and the river the 
meaning Karabadzhakyan, who came into the day as the short stack, became the first elimination of the final day.
. The turn was the 
but the river 
kept Sergutin alive as he doubled to over five million.
and the 
with Skhulukhiya's kings holding to double up and leave Bilokur with around 11 big blinds.
flop but the ace gave Lukin the lead. The turn 
strengthened his position, taking some outs away from his opponent despite Bilokur flopping a pair. The turn was the 
giving Lukin a flush draw and he fist-pumped as the 
came on the turn giving him that flush. The river was the 
and Ved was eliminated, shaking the hands of his opponents before vacating the tournament area.