€10,300 EPT High Roller Day 1 | 2023 PokerStars EPT Barcelona

09-01-2023 22:00 UTC+1

Player	Chips	Progress
Pakinai Lisawad	359,000 1,000	1,000
Steve O'Dwyer	340,000 168,500	168,500

Eric Sfez	330,000 80,000	80,000
Ignacio Sagra	280,000 94,000	94,000
Teun Mulder	270,000
Victor Pertile	260,000 170,000	170,000
Markkos Ladev	260,000
Gianluca Speranza	255,000 99,000	99,000
Vahe Martirosyan	250,000
Louis Nyberg	242,000 47,000	47,000
Viktor Daniliuk	230,000 187,400	187,400
Vlado Banicevic	220,000 167,000	167,000
Thi Nguyen	201,000 9,000	9,000

Peffly's Second Bullet Gets the Pot

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Tyler Foran

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

Alex Peffly opened 2,700 in early position and only Daniel Smiljkovic came along in the big blind.

The dealer fanned a flop of Q♦J♦7♠ and Smiljkovic check-called a bet of 2,000.

When the 10♦ hit the turn, Smiljkovic checked once more before Peffly fired a bet of 8,500. This time Smiljkovic had enough as he pitched his cards into the muck.

Player	Chips	Progress
Alex Peffly	220,000 137,000	137,000
Daniel Smiljkovic	66,300 66,300	66,300

Tags: Alex Peffly Daniel Smiljkovic

09-01-2023 22:16 UTC+1

Bendinelli Takes From Hu

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Maxime Taldir

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

Last year's EPT Barcelona winner Giuliano Bendinelli will not win the Main Event again this year, but he is still in the €10,300 EPT High Roller. After the break, he opened in early position, and was called by Zhewen Hu in the big blind.

Both players decided to check on the flop Q♥10♦6♠. But on the turn 9♠, Hu took the lead and bet 4,000. Bendinelli eventually called, but chose to check back on the river 3♦.

First to reveal his cards, Hu showed K♠7♥. Bendinelli was clearly happy to see that, and flipped A♣K♣.

Player	Chips	Progress
Giuliano Bendinelli	65,000

Zhewen Hu	65,000

Tags: Giuliano Bendinelli Zhewen Hu

09-01-2023 22:17 UTC+1

Sagra's Aggression Earns Him the Victory

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Tyler Foran

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

With a flop of 10♥6♦3♣ already on the felt, Ignacio Sagra checked to Zlatin Penev who bet 5,000 into the 21,000. Sagra check-raised to 16,000 and Penev made the call.

The 8♥ hit the turn and Sagra continued aggression, putting 28,000 across the line. Penev gave up as he tossed his cards into the middle.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ignacio Sagra	264,000 16,000	16,000
Zlatin Penev	35,200 35,200	35,200

Tags: Ignacio Sagra Zlatin Penev

09-01-2023 22:27 UTC+1

Kitai Runs Into Aces

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Maxime Taldir

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

Action was caught when Davidi Kitai, all in for 42,700 chips in the big blind, was called by Rafael Da Silva Moraes in the small blind.

Davidi Kitai: J♠J♦
Rafael Da Silva Moraes: A♠A♣

The board 2♣6♣5♠9♥8♠ brought no help for Kitai, who left the tournament area.

Player	Chips	Progress
Rafael Da Silva Moraes	98,000

Davidi Kitai	Busted

Tags: Davidi Kitai Rafael Da Silva Moraes

09-01-2023 22:30 UTC+1

Huge Check-Raise Forces Lecoeuvre to Fold

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Tyler Foran

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

Roberto Sagra opened 2,500 from the small blind and Nicolas Lecoeuvre three-bet 14,200 in the big blind.

When the J♣4♣2♣ flop hit the felt, Sagra checked and Lecoeuvre continued for 7,500. Sagra cut out seven chips and splashed them across the line for a raise to 35,000, and that was enough to force Lecoeuvre to get out of the hand.

Player	Chips	Progress
Nicolas Lecoeuvre	94,300 83,300	83,300
Roberto Sagra	93,100

Tags: Nicolas Lecoeuvre Roberto Sagra

09-01-2023 22:42 UTC+1

Heimiller Doubles Through Barbero

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Tyler Foran

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

There was a raise to 2,500 in middle position before Dan Heimiller three-bet to 7,000 on the button. Nacho Barbero was in the small blind and put in the four-bet to 17,000. The original raiser quickly folded and Heimiller fumbled with his chips before deciding to jam all-in for 60,400 and Barbero snap-called.

Dan Heimiller: A♠A♦
Nacho Barbero: A♥K♦

The board ran out 9♣7♥4♦Q♣10♠ for Heimiller's aces to hold as he collected the double.

Player	Chips	Progress
Dan Heimiller	125,700
Nacho Barbero	125,000 75,000	75,000

Tags: Dan Heimiller Nacho Barbero

09-01-2023 22:48 UTC+1

Double Up For Benitez

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Maxime Taldir

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

After an open to 2,500 by Luciano Macchiarelli in early position, called by Jun Beum Chun in the hijack, Francisco Benitez in the cutoff three-bet to 10,800. Macchiarelli folded quickly, but Chun and his big stack called.

The dealer spread a flop of 8♣4♥10♦, where Benitez made a continuation bet of 10,000. Chun check-called and checked again on the turn 6♦. Benitez then moved all in for 36,000. Chun counted the pot to calculate if he could call, and he eventually did.

Francisco Benitez: Q♥Q♣
Jun Beum Chun: 7♥7♠

With the best pair, Benitez easily doubled up after the river 2♣.

Player	Chips	Progress
Jun Beum Chun	209,000 209,000	209,000
Francisco Benitez	119,000 119,000	119,000
Luciano Macchiarelli	67,000 67,000	67,000

Tags: Francisco Benitez Jun Beum Chun Luciano Macchiarelli

09-01-2023 22:52 UTC+1

Danchev Check-Raises it Away on the Flop

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Tyler Foran

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

Dimitar Danchev opened 2,600 under the gun and Song Xue three-bet 8,000 in the cutoff. The action folded back to Danchev and he made the call.

The dealer fanned a flop of 6♦4♦2♦, and Danchev check-raised a bet of 6,000 to 15,000. Xue went into the tank for a little over a minute, using multiple time banks before eventually deciding to let it go.