Mustafov and Chouity Among the Big Stacks After Day 1b
Day 1b of the 2021 partypoker LIVE MILLIONS North Cyprus $2,200 Warm Up has wrapped up after the completion of eight levels of 60 minutes each. The tournament screens showed a field of 254 unique players and 78 re-entries, and 176 players advanced with a familiar duo at the top of the leaderboard.
With now at least 453 entries, the event has already easily smashed the $500,000 guarantee and there are another two turbo heats to follow. On top of that, Day 2 will feature another four levels of late registration and re-entries to further boost the already impressive field size at the five-star Merit Crystal Cove Hotel Casino & Spa in Girne, North Cyprus.
Fahredin Mustafov ended Day 1b with a stack of 638,000 and the only other player hot on his heels, Nicolas Chouity, spent the final levels of the night on the same table and advanced with 590,500. Big stacks also belong to Mehmet Kolgu (469,000), Aleksandr Gofman (468,600), cash game player Sinan Unlu (462,900), and Marwan Salamoun (403,200).
The rise of Mustafov to the top of the leaderboard took place to the final two levels of the night when he knocked out an opponent with top pair on a straight and flush heavy board. However, the Bulgarian needed another elimination in the final hand of the night to secure the top spot ahead of Chouity.
International players such as Florian Duta, Mihai Niste, Fadhil Farag, Vitalijs Zavorotnijs, Remi Wyrzykiewicz and Tomas Jozonis all made the cut. Other notables were not as fortunate. The 2020 GGPoker WSOP Online Main Event winner Stoyan Madanzhiev, Giorgiy Skhulukhiya, Marius-Alexandru Gicovanu, Boris Kolev, Dmitry Gromov, Ran Azor, Lukasz Szymon Grossmann and Dan Serban Borlan came up short of bagging and tagging chips for Day 2 just yet.
They will have another two chances on Day 1 or the early stages of Day 2 to run up a stack as the tournament is slated to recommence on Saturday, September 18, at 12.30 pm local time. Day 2 is scheduled to play down to the money, which may require ten or more full levels. The PokerNews team will be back then to provide as many key hands as possible during an exciting day of poker.
, Mihai Niste checked his option in the cutoff and Remi Wyrzykiewicz made it 6,500 to go on the button. Niste then check-raised to 19,000 and earned a call by Wyrzykiewicz. Niste also fired the 
turn for 27,000 and Wyrzykiewicz stuck around.
river completed the board and Niste then bet 75,000 with around 100,000 behind. Wyrzykiewicz studied his opponent and the board for some time before sending the cards into the muck.
turn, 6,500 chips went in and the 
and grabbed his media card before departing as Mustafov raked in the pot with 
for just the top pair.
turn, making the 
river a formality.
for the top pair and top kicker, and Balaev mucked to award the full double.
river. He will, however, be back soon thanks to the re-entry format.
for Wyrzykiewicz to bust. Aristotelos said in table chat that she folded king-queen.
fell on the river and Niste now moved all-in. He faced no resistance and claimed the pot.
turn on which the small blind bet 11,000.
river. The small blind tabled 
