partypoker Chairman Mike Sexton tells us what it's like to have helped bring the biggest ever poker tournament to Russia at the Sochi Casino & Resort. He also talks about the Poker Hall of Fame and which players he thinks may one day join him in the record books.
On the tail end of a hand that involved Aleksandr Gofman in the big blind and Gleb Tremzin in the cutoff, the former bet the 
river for 2.8 million. Tremzin raised to 5.75 million and Gofman called to muck when being shown 
for trips queens by Tremzin.
The next hand saw a raise to 1.9 by Leonid Logunov and a three-bet by Fedor Algazin for 5 million in total. Logunov moved all in and Algazin sighed before folding 
face up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
39,000,000 | 4,500,000 |
|
34,500,000 | 10,500,000 |
|
19,550,000 | -13,450,000 |
|
17,000,000 | -4,300,000 |
Aleksandr Merzhvinskiy limped in from under the gun and Gleb Tremzin checked his option in the big blind. The flop fell 
and Tremzin checked, Merzhvinskiy bet 1.8 million and Tremzin moved all in for 10.8 million. Merzhvinskiy called to create the following showdown:
Gleb Tremzin: 
Aleksandr Merzhvinskiy: 
While Tremzin was ahead, he had a huge sweat and plenty of cards to dodge. And that's exactly what he did thanks to the 
turn and 
river in order to double through Merzhvinskiy.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
37,000,000 | -2,000,000 |
|
|
24,000,000 | 11,000,000 |
A raise by Gleb Tremzin was called by Fedor Algazin in the big blind and the latter check-shoved for 10,725,000 over a continuation bet of 2,800,000 by Tremzin on the 
flop. The call followed and the cards were turned over.
Fedor Algazin:
Gleb Tremzin: 
While the 
turn temporarily gave Tremzin an equally strong hand, the 
river improved Algazin to a flush and he doubled. "That was a nice flop, eh?" Gylbert Drolet as next big blind said and Algazin didn't say anything.
One hand later, the action folded to Algazin in the small blind and Drolet said "Again? Maybe I have a hand this time," before Algazin limped and Drolet checked. On the 
flop, Algazin bet one million and called Drolet's raise to two million. The 
turn was checked and Algazin check-called a bet of two million on the river. "Seven," Drolet announced and flashed 
to win the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
21,300,000 | 6,300,000 |
|
15,200,000 | 200,000 |
|
|
13,000,000 | -11,225,000 |
Sergey Chupodal was all in and at risk against partypoker LIVE MILLIONS Russia High Roller winner David Laka.
Chupodal: 
Laka:
Laka was ahead, but not for long after the flop. The turn was the 
and the river the 
meaning Chupodal doubled up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
61,000,000 | 1,000,000 |
|
18,500,000 | -4,500,000 |
Aleksandr Merzhvinskiy raised and called the three-bet to 3.8 million by Leonid Logunov out of the small blind to see a flop of 
. Logunov continued for 4.5 million and Merzhvinskiy called before facing the shove of Logunov for 8.8 million on the turn. Merzhvinskiy called and the cards were turned over.
Leonid Logunov: 
Aleksandr Merzhvinskiy: 
The on the river was a blank and Logunov, who sent two shorter stacks to the rail with pocket aces in the big blind, now doubled with the very same hand from the small blind.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
39,000,000 | -10,000,000 |
|
|
34,500,000 | 14,500,000 |
Level: 25
Blinds: 400,000/800,000
Ante: 800,000
Karen Arutyunyan opened the action with a raise to 1.4 million from under the gun and Daria Feshchenko called in the cutoff, while Paul Jackson three-bet to 3.1 million on the button. Both opponents called and checked the 
flop to Jackson, who bet 2.5 million. Again both opponents called to see the 
on the turn.
Arutyunyan and Feshchenko checked and Jackson moved all in for 7.55 million. That forced out Arutyunyan, but Feshchenko eventually called after plenty of consideration with a remaining stack of around 11 million.
Paul Jackson:
Daria Feshchenko: 
The 
on the river brought a straight on the board and improved Feshchenko as her seven ensured the better straight, eliminating Jackson in 27th place.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
35,500,000 | 13,500,000 |
|
31,000,000 | 5,000,000 |
|
Busted |
After he won another big pot, Yury Masliankou added even more chips by sending Andrey Berinov to the rail. On a flop of , Berinov moved all in for 7.5 million and Masliankou quickly called.
Andrey Berinov:
Yury Masliankou:
The turn left Berinov drawing dead, making the river a formality.
At almost the same time on table 41, Mikhail Surin open-shoved the small blind with the 
and Denis Timofeyev called with . A nine appeared on the flop and that sent Timofeyev to the rail in 28th place.
All remaining 27 players are now balanced to the last three tables, while a redraw takes place once there are 18 hopefuls remaining.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
44,000,000 | 27,000,000 |
|
18,000,000 | -6,850,000 |
|
|
Busted | |
|
Busted |
Anton Yakuba raised to 1,350,000 on the button and called a three-bet by Aleksandr Merzhvinskiy to 4,200,000 out of the small blind. On the flop, Merzhvinskiy carefully pondered about his next move before betting 2,900,000 and snap-called the shove of Yakuba for 12,350,000.
Anton Yakuba:
Aleksandr Merzhvinskiy: 
The turn and river were of no help and Yakuba was eliminated.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
49,000,000 | 21,500,000 |
|
Busted |
