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

10-15-2023 15:05 UTC+3

Badziakouski Forces a Fold

Ryan Lashmar

Level 3 : Blinds 1,000/1,500, 1,500 ante

Mikita Badziakouski opened to 3,000 from the button and Francisco Benitez called from the small blind.

The flop came 9♦5♥2♠ and Benitez check-called a 5,000 continuation bet from Badziakouski.

Both players checked the 4♠ turn leading to the Q♠ river. Benitez checked, Badziakouski bet 14,000 and this time Benitez opted to fold.

Player	Chips	Progress
Francisco Benitez	408,000 87,000	87,000
Mikita Badziakouski	249,000 71,000	71,000

Tags: Francisco Benitez Mikita Badziakouski

10-15-2023 15:01 UTC+3

Ponakovs Bluffs Big

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Frank Visser

Level 3 : Blinds 1,000/1,500, 1,500 ante

Gha Iakobishvili and Aleksejs Ponakovs had arrived heads-up on the river. The board read 7♦4♠Q♣10♣K♦ and Iakobisvishili checked from the big blind. Ponakovs then made a bet of 39,000 from the button, in a pot of roughly the same size.

Iakobishvili asked the dealer the confirm the amount before putting in the call.

Ponakovs declared "ace-high" and showed his A♦3♦. Iakobishvili could easily beat that with Q♥10♥ for two pair and raked in another pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Gha Iakobishvili	600,000 112,000	112,000
Aleksejs Ponakovs	85,000 106,500	106,500

Tags: Aleksejs Ponakovs Gha Iakobishvili

Level: 3

Blinds: 1,000/1,500

Ante: 1,500

10-15-2023 14:30 UTC+3

Break

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Ryan Lashmar

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

Players are on their first 20-minute break of the day.

The field has grown to 25 total entrants.

10-15-2023 14:29 UTC+3

Destefano Bites the Dust

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Frank Visser

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

In the final hand before the break, Dylan DeStefano was down to roughly 60,000 chips, and, after unknown action, they all went in preflop from the hijack against Francisco Benitez from the cutoff.

Dylan DeStefano: 10♠10♥
Francisco Benitez: A♣A♥

Benitez's aces would make a full house on the K♦K♣7♦6♥A♠ runout and DeStefano's break would be extended by an indefinite amount of time.

Player	Chips	Progress
Francisco Benitez	495,000 240,000	240,000
Dylan DeStefano	Busted

Tags: Dylan DeStefano Francisco Benitez

10-15-2023 14:29 UTC+3

Dimov Calls Down Dickerson

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Ryan Lashmar

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

Jules Dickerson opened to 3,000 from the cutoff and received calls from Ognyan DImov in the small blind and Gha Iakobishvili in the big blind.

All three players checked the J♠9♦8♣ flop leading to the A♥ turn. Iakobishvili checked, Dimov checked, Dickerson bet 7,000, Dimov called and Iakobishvili folded.

Dickerson fired again when checked to on the K♦ river. Iakobishvili made the call. Dickerson tabled A♦10♥ for top pair while Iakobishvili showed down J♦8♦ for two pair to take the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Gha Iakobishvili	488,000 8,500	8,500
Jules Dickerson	294,000 36,000	36,000
Ognyan Dimov	176,000 14,000	14,000

Tags: Gha Iakobishvili Jules Dickerson Ognyan DImov

10-15-2023 14:28 UTC+3

Delgado Takes It on the Turn

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Frank Visser

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

Kyle Cheong raised to an unseen amount for the cutoff before Vicente Delgado three-bet to 18,000 from the small blind. Cheong made the call and the two went off the a flop of J♠2♥5♦.

Delgado continued for another 18,000 and Cheong called once more. Then, on the 2♠ turn, Delgado upped the ante to 75,000 and this was too much for Cheong, who quickly let his hand go.

Player	Chips	Progress
Vicente Delgado	339,000 89,000	89,000
Kyle Cheong	225,000 25,000	25,000

Tags: Kyle Cheong Vicente Delgado

10-15-2023 14:18 UTC+3

New Faces Join Before First Break

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Frank Visser

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

Player	Chips	Progress
Kyle Cheong	250,000
Sam Grafton	250,000

Maher Nouira	250,000

10-15-2023 14:17 UTC+3

O'Dwyer Ousted by Iakobishvili

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Frank Visser

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

Steve O'Dwyer opened to 2,500 from the hijack before Gha Iakobishvili three-bet to 7,500 from the button. The action folded back to O'Dwyer, who made the call.

The flop was then dealt 6♦9♣2♣ and O'Dwyer check-called a 10,000 bet from Iakobishvili. The 3♥ turn followed and Iakobishvilli significantly increased his sizing by betting 45,000 after another check from O'Dwyer. O'Dwyer again made the call and the 7♦ river rolled off.

O'Dwyer then checked one more time before Iakobishvili moved all in, barely covering his opponent. O'Dwyer tossed in all of his time bank chips and ultimately made the call.

Iakobishvili showed 8♦5♦ for the rivered straight and bested the top pair of O'Dwyer, who was playing K♦9♦. O'Dwyer's stack was left depleted and he left the tournament area.

Player	Chips	Progress
Gha Iakobishvili	496,500 231,000	231,000
Steve O'Dwyer	Busted

Tags: Gha Iakobishvili Steve O'Dwyer

10-15-2023 14:14 UTC+3

Plausinaitis Coolers Greenwood

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Ryan Lashmar

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

Sam Greenwood had opened from the button and was faced with a three-bet to 12,000 from Paulius Plausinaitis in the small blind. Greenwood four-bet to 30,000 and Plausinaitis made the call.

The flop came A♠2♠K♠ and Plausinaitis check-called a 13,000 continuation bet from Greenwood.

Plausinaitis checked again on the 5♥ turn and Greenwood sized up with a bet of 47,000. Plausinatis made the call.

On the 8♣ river Plausinaitis checked and Greenwood bet 117,500, leaving a single 1,000 chip behind. Plausinaitis made the call.

Greenwood tabled A♣K♣ for top two pair while Plausinaitis revealed K♦K♥ for a set to take down a massive early pot. Greenwood would be eliminated a few hands later.

Player	Chips	Progress
Paulius Plausinaitis	527,000 527,000	527,000

Sam Greenwood	Busted

Tags: Paulius Plausinaitis Sam Greenwood