$5,300 EPT Main Event Day 1b | 2023 PokerStars EPT Cyprus

10-17-2023 16:57 UTC+2

May Takes From Zhou; Sturm's Queens Cracked

Josh Noy

Level 6 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Bastien May and Quan Zhou were heads up after the A♣3♥8♣ flop. Zhou check-called a bet of 800 in the big blind before both players checked the 7♠ turn.

Zhou checked one last time and folded when May fired a bet of 2,100 to take down the pot.

At a nearby table, Leon Sturm saw his stack disappear when his pocket queens fell to a rivered straight.

Player	Chips	Progress
Quan Zhou	38,200 38,200	38,200
Bastien May	21,000 21,000	21,000
Leon Sturm	Busted

Tags: Bastien May Leon Sturm Quan Zhou

10-17-2023 17:03 UTC+2

Khabazeh Gives a Sneaky Check in Four-Bet Pot

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Jeremy Geist

Level 6 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Basel Khabazeh opened to 1,000 from the cutoff before the action made it to Aleksei Utin on the button who took a moment and then three-bet to 3,000.

It was back on Khabazeh who quickly put in the four-bet to 10,000. Utin opted to flat the four-bet in position and they were off to a flop heads up.

The 7♣9♠5♦ flop hit the felt and Khabazeh put in a down-bet to 3,500. Utin called.

The A♦ landed on the turn and surprisingly the action checked through. On the 5♥ river Khabazeh only took a moment before moving all in. Utin snap called.

Khabazeh tabled A♠K♣ and Utin shook his head as he tossed A♥Q♥ towards the muck.

Khabazeh got a huge double and Utin was left with crumbs and would hit the rail a few hands later.

Player	Chips	Progress
Basel Khabazeh	62,000 62,000	62,000
Aleksei Utin	Busted

Tags: Aleksei Utin Basel Khabazeh

10-17-2023 17:09 UTC+2

"Big Hand, Big Bet"

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Josh Noy

Level 6 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Rachid El Yaacoubi opened to 1,200 in the cutoff and called when Niklas Astedt three-bet to 3,500 on his left.

El Yaacoubi checked the J♦J♣4♦ flop and slid in a call after Astedt continued for 2,000. El Yaacoubi then took the lead on the 7♣ turn, firing 9,000 and finding a call from Astedt.

The 6♣ river saw El Yaacoubi bet 43,000, leaving just 11,000 behind. Astedt took some time and counted out his chips before making the fold.

"Big hand, big bet" said Astedt after unsuccessfully trying to convince El Yaacoubi to show his cards.

Player	Chips	Progress
Rachid El Yaacoubi	104,000
Niklas Astedt	84,000 3,500	3,500

Tags: Niklas Astedt Rachid El Yaacoubi

10-17-2023 17:14 UTC+2

Newport Freerolling Thanks to PowerPath

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Kaelaine Minton

Level 6 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

https://twitter.com/PokerStarsBlog/status/1714287653359894823

10-17-2023 17:22 UTC+2

Player	Chips	Progress
Ankit Ahuja	47,000 17,000	17,000
Marle Spragg	45,000 15,000	15,000

Jen Shahade	43,000

Steve O'Dwyer	34,000 4,000	4,000

Mustapha Kanit	17,500 17,500	17,500
Alejandro Lococo	12,000 12,000	12,000

Niklas Astedt	11,500 72,500	72,500

Sibgatova Wins Pot From Duta

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Matt Warburton

Level 6 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Florian Duta raised to 1,200 from middle position, Alisa Sibgatova called in the small blind and Mehdi Samir Bilem called in the big blind.

The flop came 8♦3♥10♠. Action checked to Duta, who bet 1,400. Sibgatova called and Bilem folded.

The turn was the 8♦ and both players checked. The river came the 6♥, Sibgatova bet 5,000 and Duta folded.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mehdi Samir Bilem	88,000 88,000	88,000
Alisa Sibgatova	25,000 25,000	25,000
Florian-Dimitrie Duta	12,000 12,000	12,000

Tags: Alisa Sibgatova Florian Duta Mehdi Samir Bilem

10-17-2023 17:28 UTC+2

Gabdullin Squeezes Big

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Jeremy Geist

Level 6 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Kubanychbek Abakirov opened to 1,200 from middle position before getting called in two spots by Rachid El Yaacoubi in the cutoff and Alexander Denisov on the button. The action was on Damir Gabdullin in the small blind who sat in the tank for a moment and then opted to go for the squeeze to the tune of 7,500.

The original opener, Abakirov folded but the other two players put in the extra chips and they were off to a flop three ways.

The A♣Q♦10♣ flop hit the felt and Gabdullin took a moment and then bet out for 7,500. Unfortunately, he could not get any more action, but he scooped the pot with little resistance and would later say that he was holding pocket tens and drilled the set on the ace-high board.

He now sits with a very healthy stack as the players get close to the 75-minute dinner break.

Player	Chips	Progress
Damir Gabdullin	130,000 130,000	130,000
Alexander Denisov	35,000 35,000	35,000
Rachid El Yaacoubi	28,000 76,000	76,000
Kubanychbek Abakirov	17,000 17,000	17,000

Tags: Alexander Denisov Damir Gabdullin Kubanychbek Abakirov Rachid El Yaacoubi

10-17-2023 17:28 UTC+2

Set Over Set Benefits Romanello

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Calum Grant

Level 6 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Sinan Unlu opened to 1,300 from middle position and was called by Roberto Romanello and Ihor Hula from the from the cutoff and the button. Orhan Ates also tagged along from the big blind.

Action checked to Hula on the J♥5♣3♦ flop and he bet 1,500. Ates and Unlu folded before Romanello raised to 7,500. Hula called.

On the Q♥ turn, Romanello continued for another 15,000 and Hula called once more.

The 10♠ river completed the board and Romanello emptied the clip, shoving for 23,300. Again, Hula made the quick call.

Romanello had a set of jacks with his J♠J♦, while Hula had a set of threes with 3♥3♠. Romanello was the beneficiary of the cooler and the Welshman dragged in the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Roberto Romanello	100,000 100,000	100,000

Ihor Hula	72,000 34,000	34,000

Tags: Ihor Hula Orhan Ates Roberto Romanello Sinan Unlu

10-17-2023 17:33 UTC+2

Labat Follows Through

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Josh Noy

Level 6 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Steve O'Dwyer opened to 1,400 in the cutoff only to see Antoine Labat three-bet to 3,500 from the small blind. O'Dwyer called to the 2♥3♣7♠ flop.

Labat led out for 6,100, producing a quick fold from O'Dwyer to take down the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Antoine Labat	72,000 29,700	29,700
Steve O'Dwyer	44,000 10,000	10,000

Tags: Antoine Labat Steve O'Dwyer

10-17-2023 17:41 UTC+2

Banicevic Rivers Higher Two Pair

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Matt Warburton

Level 6 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Action was on the flop on a board of 5♣9♣4♦. Anil Ozdemir moved all in for his last 8,000 and Vlado Banicevic made the call. Players flipped their cards, with Ozdemir at risk.

Anil Ozdemir: 5♥4♥
Vlado Banicevic: A♣4♣

Banicevic had a pair of fours and Ozdemir had two pair, fives and fours. The turn came the 7♠ and the river was the A♠.

Banicevic hit his ace on the river to make a higher two pair to win the pot. Ozdemir was eliminated.