button in SafariWhose Road to Glory Starts Here? It is Day 1c and Day 1d of the MPP Main Event!
Things are heating up at the $5,400 Mediterranean Poker Party Main Event, at the beautiful Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino, with the last chance to advance to Day 2 of the $5 million guaranteed tournament.
The good news for players is that there are two opportunities to make it to Day 2 with Day 1c and the turbo Day 1d flights. They will join the 77 players who have already qualified from the 514 entries attracted so far.
Last night saw Czech player Ondrej Drozd bag the Day 1b chip lead with 3,280,000 chips; however, this only makes him 5th overall, with China's Hao Zhu the overall chip leader with 3,650,000.
Day 1b Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ondrej Drozd | Czechia | 3,280,000 | 66 |
| 2 | Aren Bezhanyan | Armenia | 2,910,000 | 58 |
| 3 | Tahsin Cankurtaranli | Turkey | 2,515,000 | 50 |
| 4 | Ivan Bryksin | Russian Federation | 2,375,000 | 48 |
| 5 | Nuri Hadioglu | Turkey | 2,365,000 | 47 |
| 6 | Mehmet Biskin | Turkey | 2,360,000 | 47 |
| 7 | Raphael Schreiner | Austria | 2,320,000 | 46 |
| 8 | Danesh Zargaran | Iran (Islamic Republic of) | 2,295,000 | 46 |
| 9 | Damir Gabdullin | Russian Federation | 2,115,000 | 42 |
| 10 | Volodymyr Drokin | Ukraine | 2,050,000 | 41 |
Day 1c begins at 1 p.m. local time. Players start with 200,000 chips and blind levels run for 40 minutes, with a break after every three levels. Late registration remains open until the start of Level 10 after the dinner break.
The later Day 1d flight starts at 8.30 p.m. local time, and the blind levels are cut in half with a 20-minute clock. Everyone who bags from the starting flights will return for Day 2 already in the money.
PokerNews will provide live updates of Day 1c and will provide chip counts for Day 1d once play concludes.
MPP Main Event Remaining Schedule
| Day | Date | Time | Blind Levels |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1c | Friday 25 September | 1:00 p.m. | 40 minutes |
| Day 1d | Friday 25 September | 8:30 p.m. | 20 minutes |
| Day 2 | Saturday 26 September | 1 p.m. | 60 minutes |
| Day 3 | Sunday 27 September | 1 p.m. | 60 minutes |
*Structure and blinds are subject to change. Day 3 blinds are reduced as players are eliminated on the final table.
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Stay tuned to PokerNews for live updates straight from the tournament floor as reporters follow the MPP Main Event all the way down to a winner.