At the end of the previous level, Marwan Salamoun managed to chip up and has jumped back to almost the starting stack. In a very recent hand, Salamoun four-bet to 15,500 following a three-bet to 6,000 by a new player. No call followed and Salamoun dragged in the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
95,000
27,000
|
27,000 |
Level: 2
Blinds: 400/800
Ante: 800
The action started with a raise to 1,500 by Mantas Nanartavicius and he was called once. Sercan Okten then three-bet to 6,100 and Nanartavicius four-bet to 18,200. The cold-caller folded and Okten moved all-in, Nanartavicius made the call.
Sercan Okten: 
Mantas Nanartavicius: 
The board ran out 
and the stacks were counted. Nanartavicius had 93,400, which covered Okten.
At nearly the same time, Patrick Haddad busted as well and those were the first two casualties of the day.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
185,000
85,000
|
85,000 |
|
Busted | |
|
Busted |
Stefan Fabian had recovered some chips only to then lose those to his former nemesis Wael Sarkis. The Lebanese had chipped up with heads of aggression and did so again when he bet the 
turn into a pot of 18,000. Fabian gave it brief consideration and folded.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
205,000
5,000
|
5,000 |
|
65,000
-8,000
|
-8,000 |
Three ways to the 
flop, Muzaffer Aksoy checked and Wael Sarkis bet 2,900 in the cutoff. The button folded and Aksoy reluctantly called. Aksoy also checked the on the turn and then called a bet worth 5,500 by Sarkis.
Fast forward to the 
river, Aksoy checked the third street in a row and Sarkis bet 27,000 in order to force an instant fold. Sarkis claimed the pot without showdown and appears to be the early chip leader.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
200,000
65,000
|
65,000 |
|
|
97,000
-3,000
|
-3,000 |
|
|
73,000
11,000
|
11,000 |
Muharrem Atsiz opened to 1,500 and earned one caller. Julien Trad then three-bet to 3,300 only for Atsiz to four-bet, making it 16,000 in total. The cold-caller folded and Trad was in the tank.
"Will you show if I fold?" he inquired. There was no answer and Trad let go, claiming in table chat he had pocket jacks.
The same table also features Tugce Hursoz, who has apparently already nearly doubled her stack. Indeed, there are 42 players out of 43 entries remaining according to the screens.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
195,000 | |
|
|
125,000
-7,000
|
-7,000 |
|
95,000
25,000
|
25,000 |
|
||
Heads-up to the 
turn, Igor Romanov made it 6,200 to go. Marwan Salamoun opted for a raise to 24,000 and Romanov gave it some consideration before making the call. As the 
river completed the board, Romanov bet 24,000 and Salamoun folded instantly.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
130,000
130,000
|
130,000 |
|
|
68,000
-32,000
|
-32,000 |
On a heads-up flop of 
, Volodymyr Pukhlenko bet small and was called by Ludovic Peria. They headed to the 
turn on which Pukhlenko checked and Peria bet 5,000. The check-raise to 20,000 followed and Peria stuck around to see the 
on the river.
Both players now checked and Pukhlenko tabled 
for the busted nut flush draw, which Peria had beat with the 
for a set.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
127,000 | |
|
98,000 | |
|
||
|
72,000 | |
Makarios Avramidis took his seat a few minutes after the start of Day 1a and he is joined by another WSOP Bracelet winner. Poland's Kacper Pyzara claimed one of the WSOP Online Bracelets on GGPoker during the recent festival, which concluded just a few days ago.
Further notables in the mix are Georges Hanna and Anatoly Korochenskiy. According to the tournament screens, there are currently 35 players registered.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
100,000 | |
|
100,000 | |
|
||
|
100,000 | |
|
100,000 | |
With around 23,000 in the middle and the turn showing 
, Wael Sarkis bet 25,000 out of the small blind. Stefan Fabian gave it some thought and made the call in the hijack, which led them to the river. Both players checked and Sarkis tabled the 
for top pair with a queen kicker.
Fabian nodded and sent his cards into the muck.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
135,000
135,000
|
135,000 |
|
|
62,000
-38,000
|
-38,000 |
