Day 1a of Event #1: $1,100 MPP Open Is Booked; Just Nine Make Day 2
After 20 levels of play that took players until 03:27 a.m. local time to sort through, Event #1: $1,100 MPP Open at Luxon Pay Mediterranean Poker Party from the beautiful Merit Royal Diamond Hotel and Casino has concluded, with Day 1a finally a wrap.
Just 9 players remain from a starting field of 61, which includes 11 re-entries that took to the tables in North Cyprus for their chance at a massive first place prize. The current players will take their stacks to Day 2 which continues from Monday, before three more Day 1 flights are to be played. All players remaining have made the money, but those who did not can enter each of the next flights twice each, giving plenty of opportunity for players to pounce on a chance at the $1,000,000 guarantee.
There were many other notable players and stacks busts happening through out the day, with identical twins Ziad Gharios and Jad Gharios both going deep in the event. Unfortunately Jad busted a few places before the money, but Ziad will come back with 331,000 going into Day 2.
Turkish player Tulga Bahadir (503,000) boasts the biggest stack in the room, but most players in the field came through to Day 2 with similar sized stacks.
Previous winner Damir Zhugralin did have the chip lead early on in Day 1a but lost a few big pots to other players, including a notable one against Dmitry Levin, who picked off a big bluff jam from Zhugralin mid way through the day's play.
British player Gursel Gulfer had an up and down day, getting involved in many big pots, but his day was ultimately done after his flopped flush draw didn't improve versus the nut straight of one of the chip leaders, Salvino Salvatore.
A scheduled 18 levels were booked if needed but it took a little less time to get down to the required remaining players left to call the day's play. The unfortunate bubble boy for Day 1a was Plamen Pashov who got his short stack all in with queen-ten against the jack-eight of Yuriy Zakharov. The river gave Zakharov a pair to bust Pashov in 10th place.
All the action from the remaining Day 1 flights as well as upcoming events like The One Drop, The PokerNews Cup as well as the coveted $5,000 MPP Main Event can be found here at PokerNews as all the action continues from the Luxon Pay Mediterranean Poker Party at Merit Royal Diamond Hotel and Casino, North Cyprus.
was no help for Bahadir, but the 
on the turn gave the Turk an additional two outs. However, the 
was tabled on the river and Zakharov doubles up much to the dismay of his rivals.
, Iakobishvili continued for 20,000 and both players called.
made the action slow up, with everyone checking. 
river completed the board and Gharios checked to Iakobishvili who bet 45,000. Ivanov then folded and Gharios snap called and tabled 
for the rivered straight. Ivanov reacted by tilting his head back and muttering something to himself and Iakobishvili mucked his holding, saying ''Nice hand'' to the winner, as players went on break.
. However, Gharios headed to the exit as Salvatore eventually tabled 
for a set of fives which saw Kuzin throw their cards into the muck and head to the exit.
run out all but sealed his opponents fate. 
with around 17,000 in the middle, Gha Iakobishvili was betting 13,500 from the small blind against the hijack of Ziad Gharios, who made the call.
which was good enough to take the pot.
sealed Rahmani's fate, giving Ivanov the sizeable pot.
