€2,200 Estrellas Poker Tour High Roller Day 1a | 2022 PokerStars EPT Barcelona

08-14-2022 19:08 UTC+2

Murtezi Doubles Through Abecassis

Connor Richards

Level 10 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

Kevin Abecassis opened to 2,500 in early position and [Removed:421] flat-called on the button, while Virgil Grecu defended his big blind.

Grecu checked on the flop of and Abecassis bet 3,500. Only Murtezi called. Abecassis bet 7,000 on the turn and his opponent again called.

The river brought the and Abecassis bet 7,000. Murtezi took a moment and moved all in for around 35,000. Abecassis gave it some thought and called.

Murtezi tabled for top two pair to double up as Abecassis was forced to reveal .

Player	Chips	Progress
[Removed:421]	80,000	35,000
Kevin Abecassis	22,000	-38,000

Tags: Kevin Abecassis Virgil Grecu

08-14-2022 19:08 UTC+2

Margolin Eliminates Ismail with Failed Hero Call

Kirk Brown

Level 10 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

On a heads-up completed board of , Timur Margolin had bet out 40,000 into the substantial pot of 60,000.

His opponent, Ahmad Ismail, who would be all in if he called, was in the tank and visibly at odds with himself.

"I want to hero call here, I don't have an ace," Ismail said around, seemingly trying to talk himself into calling.

After a few more moments, Ismail slammed his chips in the middle to call but was then shown the bad news when Margolin turned over for top pair of aces. Ismail sighed and flashed before sending it into the muck and exiting the tournament.

Player	Chips	Progress
Timur Margolin	150,000	150,000
Ahmad Ismail	Busted

Tags: Ahmad Ismail Timur Margolin

08-14-2022 19:07 UTC+2

A Few Counts of PokerStars Ambassadors

Brandon Bloom

Level 10 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

Argentina's Alejandro "Papo MC" Lococo holds one of the larger stacks as the players head to dinner, while Sam Grafton and occasional streamer Parker "Tonkaaaa" Talbot are now seated right next to each other.

Player	Chips	Progress
Alejandro Lococo	240,000	147,000
Sam Grafton	51,000	51,000
Andre Akkari	33,000	13,000
Parker Talbot	30,000	30,000

08-14-2022 18:59 UTC+2

Nguyen Wins Flip to Eliminate Chang

Connor Richards

Level 10 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

Albert Nguyen opened to 2,5000 in early position and the action folded to Carlos Chang in the small blind, who three-bet to 7,500. Nguyen responded with a four-bet to around 70,000 and Chang took about 30 seconds before calling off with around 40,000.

Carlos Chang:
Albert Nguyen:

The flop came to give Nguyen a huge lead with trips and the runout of didn't change things for Chang to be eliminated and for the Canadian to move up the chip ladder.

Player	Chips	Progress
Albert Nguyen	220,000
Carlos Chang	Busted

Tags: Albert Nguyen Carlos Chang

08-14-2022 18:57 UTC+2

Socaci Unfazed by Staredown

Kirk Brown

Level 10 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

On a heads-up flop of , Sebastian Hoyos bet 10,500 into the already swelling pot of 42,000.

His opponent, Dan Socaci, quickly made the call and the two saw the turn.

After an intense staredown, Hoyos checked and Socaci checked back.

On the turn, after another staredown bout, Hoyos checked again, but this time Socaci did not check back. Instead, he threw out a bet of 19,000. Hoyos studied Socaci some more and eventually elected on a fold, awarding Socaci the large pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Sebastian Hoyos	165,000
Dan Socaci	112,000	112,000

Tags: Dan Socaci Sebastian Villegas

08-14-2022 18:49 UTC+2

Bonnant Spikes River to Crack Kings

Brandon Bloom

Level 10 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

Clement Bonnant ended up getting his stack of 52,700 in preflop and was at risk against Adi Rajkovic.

Clement Bonnant:
Adi Rajkovic:

The flop changed nothing, and neither did the turn, but the spiked the river to give Bonnant a set as he breathed a sigh of relief and collected the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Clement Bonnant	108,000
Adi Rajkovic	40,000

Tags: Clement Bonnant Adi Rajkovic

Level: 10

Blinds: 600/1,200

Ante: 1,200

08-14-2022 18:27 UTC+2

Nemeth Takes From Akkari

Brandon Bloom

Level 9 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

Andre Akkari opened to 2,500 from middle position, Andras Nemeth flat-called on the button, and Jacob Jamsa defended the big blind.

The dealer put the flop onto the felt and Jamsa checked. Akkari continued for 4,500 and only Nemeth continued.

On the turn, Akkari bet 8,500, Nemeth called, and both players checked the river.

Akkari tabled , but it was no good against Nemeth's , and the Hungarian took from the Brazilian PokerStars Pro.

Player	Chips	Progress
Andras Nemeth	185,000	60,000
Jacob Jansma	130,000
Andre Akkari	20,000

Tags: Andras Nemeth Andre Akkari

08-14-2022 18:27 UTC+2

An Orbit Where Kassouf Always Has It

Connor Richards

Level 9 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

PokerNews spent an orbit with the always entertaining Will Kassouf, who played a fair share of pots and engaged in plenty of table talk (even by his standards) as the dealer button moved around the table.

Hand #1 (Small Blind): Gary Thompson raised to 2,500 from the hijack and Erik Bauer moved all in from the button. Kassouf folded in the small blind while Amancio dos Santos called all in from the big blind before showing .

"Nine-high like a boss!" Kassouf remarked in reference to his infamous line from the 2016 World Series of Poker Main Event.

Hand #2: (Button): Fellow Brit Chris Da Silva opened to 2,500 in middle position and asked Kassouf about the tournament structure as the action folded around.

"He raised me! Giving me the speech during my button!" Kassouf laughed before calling, while Chis Cosmin Ovidiu also called from the big blind.

Action checked to Kassouf on the flop of and he bet 5,800. Only Ovidiu called. The turn checked through and Ovidiu led out for 5,800 on the river, prompting a fold from Kassouf.

"Tried to nick that one, huh?! Be sure to put that in there," Da Silva instructed PokerNews as he slapped his hand to demonstrate what had transpired.

"I had a piece of it on the flop," Kassouf replied.

Hand #3 (Cutoff): Action folded to Kassouf and he opened to 3,000. Only Antonio Pavlov called from the big blind. Pavlov checked on the flop of and Kassouf bet 5,000 before goading his opponent into folding.

"Big pair. Better than a ten. Good fold," Kassouf said before Pavlov folded and showed the .

Hand #4 (Hijack): Piotr Wiecek raised in early position and Kassouf flat-called, while Da Silva also called in the big blind. Action checked to Kassouf on the flop of and he bet 7,300, which was enough to get both opponents to fold.

"Nicked that one, too, huh?" Kassouf said to Da Silva. "You shove, I call. Huge hand on that flop."

Hand #5 (Middle Position): Action folded around to Kassouf and he also folded.

Hand #6 (Early Position): Bauer opened from under the gun and Kassouf flat-called as the player next to act. Pavlov also called from the cutoff. Bauer continued with a bet of 4,000 on the flop and Kassouf folded.

Hand #7 (UTG): Kassouf was first to act and opened to 3,100 before getting called by Da Silva in the cutoff and Bauer in the big blind. Kassouf continued for 8,000 on the flop of and both opponents folded.

"Nicked another one!" Kassouf laughed.

Hand #8 (Big Blind): Da Silva raised to 2,500 and Thompson flat-called from the cutoff before Kassouf three-bet to 11,900, which got both opponents to fold.

"Hashtag: Always got it," Kassouf told PokerNews with a grin.