For anyone that failed to make it through to Day 2 of the PokerStars EPT Sochi Main Event at the first time of asking yesterday, they have to further bites at the cherry today with Day 1b and 1c.
Day 1b kicks off at 12pm with ten 60-minute levels scheduled, with Day 1c a turbo affair at 7pm where the levels are reduced to 30 minutes.
Yesterday saw Aleksandr Denisov take control, finishing with an impressive chipstack of almost 500,000. Other notables already through to Day 2 include PSPC Champion Ramon Colillas (134,000), Anatoliy Zyrin (92,500), Kiryl Radzivonau (53,000) and Tomas Macnamara (18,700).
Today players will each receive 30,000 chips and will attempt to topple Denisov at the head of proceedings.
There will be 20-minute breaks after every two levels, and a 75-minute dinner break after Level 6. Here's the full structure for the day:
Level
Small Blind
Big Blind
Ante
1
100
100
2
100
100
100
3
100
200
200
4
100
300
300
5
200
400
400
6
200
500
500
7
300
600
600
8
400
800
800
9
500
1000
1000
10
600
1200
1200
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Nadir Yusupov opened to 300 and Aditya Sushant three-bet to 1,000. Yusupov called.
The flop came and Yusupov check-called 1,500. The turn was the . Yusupov check-called again, this time for 3,200.
The river was a scary and both players checked. Yusupov showed for top pair but Sushant had that beaten with and he moved up to 75,000 with barely 20 minutes played in the second level of Day 1b.
With EPT National seventh-place finisher Giorgiy Skhulukhiya already in the field, Sarkis Karabadzhakyan has joined the field as seated next to Leonid Bilokur.
The pair will be well-acquainted having played together in the EPT National, where they finished fifth and eighth respectively. They will be hoping for another deep run in the Main Event.
We noticed Yisha Chen dragging a large pot, possibly the biggest of the tournament so far.
Yesset Aimukhanov filled us in on the action. Three players all saw a flop of and the three got it in.
Player 1:
Player 2:
Yisha Chen:
Chen held pocket aces but was behind in two spots to her opponents. However, the turn soon changed things and the river sent one player to the rail and the other was left with just fumes.
Two players were still in the hand with 9,000 in the middle. Francisco Benitez bet 2,400 and opponent Viktor Shegay raised in position to 10,000.
With the action back on Benitez he re-raised all in for 31,200. Shegay thought for a long time before eventually muttering something to Benitez before calling.
The Uruguayan turned over for a flopped full house and Shegay nodded before mucking.
Aditya Sushant was in a chatty mood with opponent Serhii Holodiuk with action on the river. The board read and Holodiuk had bet 11,100 into a pot of 20,000.
Sushant asked the dealer to move back so he could see Holodiuk more clearly.
"Got something?" Sushant asked. "Got ace-king?"
Holodiuk remained silent behind his sunglasses.
"Not ace-king," continued Sushant. "Maybe I have ace-king? You have a flush draw? Feels like a flush draw."
Sushant called. Holodiuk muttered something in Russian turning over for a missed flush draw. Sushant showed and took down the pot.
Sihao Zhang opened to 2,200 and got one caller before Karolis Domarkas three-bet to 8,000 from the blinds. Zhang four-bet to 18,000 and the caller folded.
"You bad guy," Domarkas said to Zhang.
"You did you give me the option?" Zhang replied.
Domarkas called and then checked the flop to Zhang who continued for 10,000.
"Discipline," Domarkas eventually said as he folded.
On a both Peng Yang and Aram Vartevanyan checked to Qiaonan Liu who bet 8,200. Yang then check-raised all in for 30,800. Vartevanyan called and Liu folded.
Aram Vartevanyan:
Peng Yang:
Yang was in front and the didn't change that. However, the on the river gave Vartevanyan top pair and sent Yang to the rail.
In stark contrast to yesterday's EPT Sochi Main Event Day 1a starting flight, it was a much more competitive affair when it came to the end-of-day chip leader. Several players battled it out over the closing exchanges but eventually, it was Viktor Ustimov who bagged the chip lead with 305,700 after a field of 359 was whittled down to 137.
Ustimov has over $700,000 in lifetime earnings, with several big scores and deep runs coming here at Casino Sochi. Last year he followed up a runner-up finish in the EPT National for ₽4,745,000 ($82,191) with a 42nd place run in the EPT Main Event.
In September last year, he also final-tabled the EPT Open Sochi High Roller, finishing fourth for a further ₽2,321,160 ($35,445).
Other big stacks advancing include Serafim Kovalevsky (233,900), Leonid Semenyuk (195,200), Aleksey Falko (192,900) and EPT favourite Yuriy Guliy (191,300).
Also advancing is last year's EPT Main Event runner-up Viktor Shegay who bagged 41,800. He will be joined by 2018 EPT National Sochi champion Matous Houzvicek (118,000) and the 2019 EPT National Sochi champion Yury Masliankou (28,300) along with 2018 EPT Open Sochi Main Event final tablist Nikolay Fal and Leonid Bilokur (64,200).
Aditya Sushant had started the day in blistering form, moving up to around 80,000 within a blink of an eye. However a chastening last two levels knocked him down and will have to settle for 53,300 when play resumes tomorrow.
Several players had even worse luck and were eliminated, meaning they would have to make it through Day 1c. They include defending champion Arseniy Karmatskiy who fired two bullets with no success. Also failing to advance from Day 1b were Andrey Andreev, Boris Mondrus, Maksim Panyak, Sarkis Karabadzhakyan, Ezequiel Waigel, and Andrey Guliy.
As the levels drew on the stacks certainly grew, although not to the extent that Aleksandr Denisov's had late last night. He will still be the man to beat, but several players from Day 1b will hope to be in with a shout come tomorrow.
The 137 players advancing will return tomorrow at 12pm for Day 2 of the EPT Sochi Main Event, with all the action brought to you on PokerNews.com