$50,000 EPT Super High Roller Day 1 | 2023 PokerStars EPT Cyprus

10-15-2023 18:06 UTC+3

Mokri Knocks Out Grafton

Ryan Lashmar

Level 5 : Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante

Sam Grafton was all in for his last 21,000 and was called by Adrian Mateos in middle position and Kayhan Mokri in the hijack.

Both Mokri and Mateos checked the flop and turn leading to a final board of 4♠3♦4♣J♠K♥. Mateos checked, Mokri bet 25,000 and Mateos folded.

Grafton had Q♠Q♣ but Mokri revealed K♣8♣ for a rivered top pair to score the knockout and take down a decent pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Kayhan Mokri	360,000 79,000	79,000
Adrian Mateos	310,000 25,000	25,000

Sam Grafton	Busted

Tags: Adrian Mateos Kayhan Mokri Sam Grafton

10-15-2023 17:55 UTC+3

Two in a Row for Mateos

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 5 : Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante

Leon Sturm opened to 6,000 from the button and Adrian Mateos defended from the big blind.

The flop came K♦4♠2♦ and Mateos check-called a 4,000 continuation bet from Sturm.

Both players checked the 3♣ turn leading to the 7♦ river. Mateos bet 5,500 and Sturm opted to fold.

The very next hand, Francisco Benitez opened to 5,500 from the button and Mateos three-bet to 23,000 from the small blind. Benitez made the call.

The flop came 6♦5♥4♠. Mateos bet 30,000 and Benitez called.

Mateos fired again on the 7♦ turn, this time for 63,000, which was enough to force a fold from Benitez.

Player	Chips	Progress
Leon Sturm	475,000 28,000	28,000
Francisco Benitez	440,000 55,000	55,000
Adrian Mateos	335,000 70,000	70,000

Tags: Adrian Mateos Francisco Benitez Leon Sturm

10-15-2023 17:54 UTC+3

Ponakovs Bluffs Off His Second Stack

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Frank Visser

Level 5 : Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante

Aleksejs Ponakovs and Juan Pardo had put 49,000 chips in the middle when they saw a flop of 5♥8♥J♠. Ponakovs bet out for 19,000 from the small blind and Pardo called from the cutoff.

Ponakovs spent a few time banks before putting in another 65,000 chips on the 8♠ turn and Pardo once again made the call. The 10♦ river then completed the board and Ponakovs used the rest of his time bank extensions before moving all in for 130,000, receiving an instant call from his opponent.

Ponakovs sighed as he could only table K♠Q♠ for a bluff, while Pardo rivered a straight with 9♣7♣ and sent his opponent out of the tournament room again.

Player	Chips	Progress
Joao Vieira	655,000 135,000	135,000
Juan Pardo	537,000 219,000	219,000
Alexandre Vuilleumier	335,000 25,000	25,000
Mikalai Vaskaboinikau	250,000 250,000	250,000
Artur Martirosian	200,000 12,500	12,500

Aleksejs Ponakovs	Busted

Tags: Aleksejs Ponakovs Juan Pardo

10-15-2023 17:38 UTC+3

Vieira Claims Greenwood's Second Bullet

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 5 : Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante

With two players seeing a board of 5♣J♠3♠4♥, Sam Greenwood found himself all in and at risk against Joao Vieira, who slightly covered Greenwood.

Sam Greenwood: 5♥5♠
Joao Vieira: 6♦7♥

Greenwood had flopped a set only for Vieira to turn the nut-straight. The board failed to pair on the 6♣ river resulting in Greenwood's second elimination of the day, while Vieira picked up nearly a full double up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Joao Vieira	520,000 286,000	286,000
Sam Greenwood	Busted

Tags: Joao Vieira Sam Greenwood

10-15-2023 17:35 UTC+3

Sturm Doubles in Huge Pot

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Frank Visser

Level 5 : Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante

Multiple raises went in preflop between Sam Grafton on the cutoff and Leon Sturm on the button, resulting in a pot of 95,000 chips sitting in the middle of the table when the 2♣5♠3♣ flop was dealt.

Grafton then bet out 24,000 and Sturm made the call. Grafton upped the ante to 65,000 on the 9♦ turn and Sturm still called. The 10♦ river then completed the board and Grafton spent some time in the tank before going all in, covering Sturm by a little bit. Sturm snap-called for his 87,000 stack and saw Grafton table K♠6♠ for a stone-cold bluff.

Sturm was sitting comfortably on top set with 10♠10♥ and he raked in the double-up while Grafton was left with just a few big blinds.

Player	Chips	Progress
Leon Sturm	447,000 197,000	197,000
Sam Grafton	11,000 199,000	199,000

Tags: Leon Sturm Sam Grafton

10-15-2023 17:29 UTC+3

Dimov Calls Down Dickerson

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 5 : Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante

Jules Dickerson opened to 5,000 from the cutoff and Ognyan Dimov called in the small blind.

The flop came K♥K♠8♥ and Dimov check-called a 4,000 continuation bet from Dickerson.

Action repeated itself on the 5♦ turn with Dimov check-calling another bet, this time for 17,000.

Both players checked the 10♠ river. Dimov tabled 6♥5♥ for two pair, kings and sixes and Dickerson's hand hit the muck.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ognyan Dimov	595,000 65,000	65,000

Jules Dickerson	251,000 34,000	34,000

Tags: Jules Dickerson Ognyan Dimov

10-15-2023 17:25 UTC+3

River No Good for Badziakouski

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Frank Visser

Level 5 : Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante

Jules Dickerson, Mikita Badziakouski, and Gha Iakobishvili were three-ways to a flop of 8♣7♠3♥. With 18,500 in the middle, Dickerson, from the big blind, checked to Badziakouski under the gun, who made a bet of 12,000. Iakobishvili called from the button while Dickerson got out of the way.

The 6♥ turn followed and Badziakouski made a small increase to his bet, putting out 13,000 chips this time. Another call followed from Iakobishvili before Badziakouski checked the 5♦ turn and quickly faced a bet of 35,000 from Iakobishvili.

"That's not a good river," Badziakouski lamented. He thought it over for a bit but ended up letting his hand go, causing Iakobishvili to show the 7♣ to the table.

Player	Chips	Progress
Gha Iakobishvili	482,000 32,000	32,000
Mikita Badziakouski	288,000 32,000	32,000

Tags: Mikita Badziakouski Jules Dickerson Gha Iakobishvili

10-15-2023 17:21 UTC+3

Benitez Gets Some Value

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 5 : Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante

Francisco Benitez opened to 5,500 from the hijack and Kayhan Mokri called from the button.

The flop came K♠Q♥6♥ and Benitez check-called a 6,000 bet from Mokri.

Both players checked the A♥ turn leading to the Q♣ river. Benitez bet 8,500 and Mokri called.

Benitez showed down K♥10♥ for a flush to take the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Francisco Benitez	495,000 25,000	25,000
Kayhan Mokri	281,000 19,000	19,000

Tags: Francisco Benitez Kayhan Mokri

10-15-2023 17:12 UTC+3

Chip Counts Halfway Through the Day

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Frank Visser

Level 5 : Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Paulius Plausinaitis	780,000 39,000	39,000

Quan Zhou	581,000 31,000	31,000
Ognyan Dimov	530,000 373,500	373,500

Francisco Benitez	470,000 62,000	62,000
Gha Iakobishvili	450,000 50,000	50,000
Steve O'Dwyer	420,000 150,000	150,000

Vicente Delgado	390,000 95,000	95,000
Alexandre Vuilleumier	360,000 110,000	110,000
Maher Nouira	330,000 30,000	30,000
Alex Kulev	320,500 65,500	65,500
Mikita Badziakouski	320,000 71,000	71,000
Juan Pardo	318,000 92,000	92,000
Kayhan Mokri	300,000 5,000	5,000
Sam Greenwood	295,000 83,500	83,500

Jules Dickerson	285,000
Adrian Mateos	265,000 55,000	55,000

Lewis Spencer	255,000 5,000	5,000
Aleksejs Ponakovs	250,000 250,000	250,000
Leon Sturm	250,000
Joao Vieira	234,000 52,000	52,000
Sam Grafton	210,000 55,000	55,000

Artur Martirosian	187,500 26,500	26,500

Level: 5

Blinds: 1,000/2,500

Ante: 2,500