₽77,000 EPT National
Day 1a Started
₽77,000 EPT National
Day 1a Started
PokerStars is back in Russia for the fifth time and the second ever EPT Sochi at Casino Sochi. The festival has a jam-packed schedule full of over 20 events to suit all buy-ins and the EPT National gets things started today.
Last year it was Czech player Matous Houzvicek who bested a field of 439 players to win RUB 7,770,000 ($134,589), his largest live cash ever.
The National has a reputation for large, enthusiastic fields to kick off the European Poker Tour Festival. Here are last year's EPT Nationals:
Date | Event | Entrants | Prizepool (USD) | Champion | First Prize |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
March 2018 | EPT Sochi | 439 | $ 710,727 | Matous Houzvicek | $134,589 |
April 2018 | EPT Monte Carlo National | 1,501 | $1,778,871 | Guillaume Diaz | $305,444 |
September 2018 | EPT Barcelona National | 4,348 | $4,797,370 | Jean-Pierre Fontaine | $622,198 |
December 2018 | EPT Prague | 2,486 | $2,745,054 | Boris Mondrus | $435,705 |
The 2019 EPT Sochi National has three starting days and unlimited re-entries for RUB 66,000. On Day 1a and 1c the levels are 40 minutes. On Day 1b which gets underway tonight at 7 pm the levels are 30 minutes long.
Each Day 1 will play until 15% of the field remains. Players will have to make Day 2 to finish in the money. The levels are 60 minutes from Day 2 onwards.
Stay tuned to PokerNews as the EPT Sochi festival gets underway, with live reporting of the EPT Main Event and High Roller still to come over the next nine days.
Players are taking their seats ahead of the start of play. Levels are 40 minutes long with 20 minute breaks after every three levels. After Level 8 there will be a 60 minute dinner break.
This tournament offers unlimited re-entries for eight levels.
Level: 1
Blinds: 100/100
Ante: 0
Cards are in the air here in Sochi with over 80 players already registered. They include defending champion Matous Houzvicek who is back hoping to defend his title.
Also in the field is Tomas Macnamara who finished 13th in the EPT Prague Main Event last December.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Matous Houzvicek | 30,000 | |
|
||
Tomas Macnamara | 30,000 | |
Keisuke Hikosaka | 30,000 | |
Robert Blonski
|
30,000 |
On a board Matous Houzvicek checked out of the small blind and Valeriy Avanesyan bet 1,900 into a pot of just over 2,000. Houzvicek called.
The pair checked the river and Houzvicek turned over but Avanesyan had that beat with .
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Valeriy Avanesyan |
32,000
32,000
|
32,000 |
Matous Houzvicek |
27,000
-3,000
|
-3,000 |
|
South African Robert Blonski was one of the first eliminations of the day, with Artur Darmaniyan moving to over double starting stack.
They still have over seven levels of late registration today, and unlimited re-entries over the remaining starting flights to jump back into the action should they wish.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Artur Darmaniyan
|
63,000 | |
Robert Blonski
|
Busted |
Big stack Alexandr Rudov opened and got four callers including Vasiliy Kurguzov in the big blind. The flop checked to Danil Bukharin who bet 700. Vasily Yarkov, Kurguzov and Bukharin all called.
The turn was the . This time it checked to Yarkov who bet 700 and got two callers.
The three players each checked the river and Kurguzov turned over from the big blind to win the pot with top pair.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Alexandr Rudov
|
62,000 | |
Vasiliy Kurguzov
|
33,000 | |
Vasily Yarkov | 30,000 | |
Danil Bukharin | 21,000 |
Level: 2
Blinds: 100/100
Ante: 100
Robert Blonski has re-entered with a fresh stack of 30,000, but had lost some to be left with under 20,000.
On a board Maksim Skripin bet 3,800 into around 6,000 and Blonski raised to 15,000 leaving just 2,000 behind. Skripin folded and Blonski took down the pot.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Robert Blonski
|
26,000
26,000
|
26,000 |
Maksim Skripin
|
23,000 |