$10,000 Championship Main Event Day 2 | 2009 Lebanese Poker Championship

07-24-2009 22:43 UTC+3

There's a New Sherif in Town

[user66118]

We caught the tail end of a heads-up contest between Sherif Zacca and Said Kheir. With the community cards already out in the middle of the table, the board read {10-Spades}

, and there were about 25,000 chips in the pot. Zacca was in the small blind first to act, and he fired out a bet of 14,000. Kheir would take a few minutes to debate his options before splashing in the call.

Zacca turned up his {K-Hearts}

, and Kheir could not table anything to beat the nut straight. Zacca's Broadway was the winner winner, earning him another nice little pot. With those extra chips, he has climbed over 300,000 and is now perched firmly atop the leader board.

Tags: Said Kheir Sherif Zacca

07-24-2009 22:33 UTC+3

Yury Kerzhapkin Slips

[user80015]

Yury Kerzhapkin opened to 6,500 before an opponent in the small blind moved all in for 26,000. Kerzhapkin made the call and the cards were tabled.

Kerzphakin: {K-Hearts}

Opponent:

The board ran out {9-Diamonds}

and Kerzphakin slipped to 50,000 in chips.

Tags: Yury Kerzhapkin

07-24-2009 22:27 UTC+3

Zacca Makes His Move

[user66118]

We walk over to one of the far tables to see a big pot brewing preflop. The cutoff and both blinds were involved, and there were just less than 50,000 chips already piled in the middle of the table as the dealer ran out a flop of {8-Diamonds}

. Sherif Zacca and Hicham Fakhoury checked from the blinds, and big stack Nabil Matta fired a near-pot-sized bet of 40,000. After some deep consideration, Zacca elected to check-raise to 110,000, enough to quickly fold Fakhoury.

Matta wasn't so quick to act though, and he would take several minutes to mull over his decision. About halfway through his tank time, he asked his opponent to count down his stack, and Zacca had around 100,000 behind.

After another few minutes, Zacca said, "Time, please," and the dealer announced it to the floor person. There would be no countdown though; Matta instantly slid his cards into the muck. Unable to resist, Zacca showed up his {10-Diamonds}

, and his bluff earns him the massive pot. With that win, he's taken a big boost up to 290,000, fighting now for the chip lead.

Matta went the other way though, slipping back to 180,000.

Tags: Hicham Fakhoury Nabil Matta Sherif Zacca

07-24-2009 22:20 UTC+3

Tough Table

[user80015]

We just walked over to find probably the toughest table to date!

Seat 1: Yury Kerzhapkin (81,000)
Seat 3: Joseph Mouawad (32,000)
Seat 4: Chris Karagulleyan (29,000)
Seat 5: Raymond Rahme (124,000)

With two of Lebanon's toughest players in Mouawad and Karagulleyan, along with South African Rahme and Russian Kerzhapkin - many fireworks are expected!

Level: 14

Blinds: 1,200/2,400

Ante: 300

07-24-2009 22:10 UTC+3

Another Table Bites The Dust

[user80015]

Another table has fallen to see the tournament slide to just 62 remaining players.

Now down to seven tables, only another forty players are needed to fall until we hit the money!

07-24-2009 22:03 UTC+3

Laham Kicks Up

[user80015]

Facing an all in for 35,000 Nadia Laham made the call from the button as the blinds passed.

Laham: {K-Clubs}

Opponent:

The board ran out {5-Hearts}

to see Laham send another opponent to the rail with a rivered set as she climbed to over 115,000 and change.

Tags: Nadia Laham

07-24-2009 21:58 UTC+3

Ghassan Gaining Ground

[user66118]

In a battle of the blinds, Georges Ghassan and Rcheid Khazen generated a preflop pot worth 16,000, and it was off to the board heads up.

The dealer spread the first three cards {2-Clubs}

. Ghassan checked, and Khazen fired a feeler bet of 7,000. His opponent quickly flicked the calling chips into the pot, and the turn card came the {A-Diamonds}

. Ghassan checked again, and Khazen bet once more, 15,000 this time. Ghassan was trying to peer across the dealer to his opponent's stack, and he eventually asked for an estimate of his remaining chips. When he was satisfied with the answer, he made the call.

The last card off was the {7-Diamonds}

. Another check from Ghassan drew a quick bet of 25,000 from Khazen. Ghassan shook his head and mucked {K-Hearts}

face up. Khazen showed his {2-Diamonds}

, and his aggressive play gets him the pot with bottom pair. He's up to 125,000 after that nice little pot.

07-24-2009 21:43 UTC+3

Rail Surging

[user80015]

With everyone involved in the poker industry; whether it be through work, family or friends, knowing that this tournament marks the breakthrough for Lebanese poker - it is no surprise that the rail is starting to grow.

Since dinner break, the rail has more than tripled with many people jostling for position to watch on the inaugural Lebanese Poker Championship.

With 67 players remaining, the one that sits atop as Champion will have the responsibility of leading Lebanese poker through many stages of development as it makes it stance on the worldwide poker map.

07-24-2009 21:32 UTC+3

Who's Leading The Charge

[user80015]

As we returned from dinner break, we took a walk round the room to find the following players leading the charge.

Fadi Kamar - 297,000
Nabil Matta - 224,000
Said Kheir - 184,000