Main Event
Day 1a Completed
2019 PokerNews Cup Casino Finix
Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2019 PokerNews Cup Casino Finix
Buy-in
€550
Prize Pool
€100,000
Entries
141
Level
26
Blinds
25,000 / 50,000
Ante
50,000
Marian Ivanov Bags Half the Chips on Day 1a of the PokerNews Cup Main Event
Level 18
: 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
The first of four opening flights of the 2019 PokerNews Cup Kulata €550 Main Event at Finix Casino is in the books after 18 blinds levels of 30 minutes each.
Day 1a attracted 24 entrants including four reentries, all of which were from Bulgaria and Greece. By the end of the day, the field was trimmed down to just four players, each of which will enter Day 2 already in the money with each flight playing down to 15 percent of the field.
Bulgaria's Marian Ivanov bagged almost half the chips in play and will head to Saturday's Day 2 with a big stack of 580,000 in chips. The other three players to bag chips were all from Greece including Christina Orfanidou with 324,000, Symeon Marvakis with 148,000, and Savvas Baltiras with 132,000.
| Player | Country | Chips |
|---|---|---|
| Marian Ivanov | Bulgaria | 580,000 |
| Christina Orfanidou | Greece | 324,000 |
| Symeon Marvakis | Greece | 148,000 |
| Savvas Baltiras | Greece | 132,000 |
By the time late registration closed at the end of Level 10, just 13 players remained. Among the players not to make it this far was Sotirios Koutoupas, who also bubbled the High Roller earlier in the evening and immediately fired two bullets into the Main Event.
The action was reduced to a single nine-max table after S.A., Hristo Bogdanov, Vadood Namvar, and Pavel Pavlov all hit the rail.
Gkotsa Tseisvili, Georgios Farmakis, Georgios Kamas, and Georgios Efthymiadis were all eliminated in succession to set-up the Day 1a bubble.
A blind level later the bubble broke. Georgi Ignatov jammed with pocket nines before Orfanidou called with king-queen after tanking for a couple of minutes. It looked like a clear board for Ignatov until a king spiked the river to dash the Bulgarian's hopes.
Ignatov, who was adding some fun to the table, congratulated all the players before they bagged and tagged chips for the day.
The PokerNews Live Reporting Team will not only be back to cover Day 1b of the Main Event at 4 p.m. EEST but also cover the final day of the PokerNews Cup €1,100 High Roller at 3 p.m. with Greece's Marios Tzakos currently in the driver's seat with six players left to win the €28,100 top prize.
Orfanidou Sends Ignatov Home on the Bubble
Level 18
: 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
Day 1a is in the books. The final hand of the day began Georgi Igantov jammed for less than 10 big blinds from the button. Christina Orfanidou tanked for about two minutes before she made the call.
Georgi Ignatov: 
Christina Orfanidou: 
It looked good for Ignatov to win the flip after the 
came on the flop and after the 
came on the turn. That all changed after the 
spiked the river to give Orfanidou top pair to send Ignatov out on the bubble.
The remaining four players bagged and tagged there chips and will head into Day 2 already in the money.
Stay tuned for the recap of Day 1a of the PokerNews Cup Main Event at Finix Casino in Kulata, Bulgaria.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
580,000 | 20,000 |
|
324,000 | 111,500 |
|
148,000 | |
|
132,000 | -108,000 |
|
Busted |
"Do You Have Any Chewing Gum?"
Level 18
: 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
Nothing major has happened as of yet five handed but the players are having a little fun.
"Do you have any more chewing gum?" asked Symeon Marvakis to Georgi Ignatov.
"No," said Ignatov while chewing a piece.
A few seconds passed by before Ignatov came up with a funny response.
"I can give you this one,"
The entire table got a laugh and kept the mood loose.
Level: 18
Blinds: 4,000/8,000
Ante: 8,000
Bubble Time After Efthymiadis Eliminated
Level 17
: 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
Savvas Baltiras opened for 22,000 from under the gun and Georgios Efthymiadis called from one seat over leaving himself 10,000 behind.
Baltiras led out for 10,000 after the 
came on the flop and Efthymiadis called.
Savvas Baltiras: 
Georgios Efthymiadis: 
Efthymiadis was drawing dead after the 
came on the turn to give his opponent a flush. The 
completed the board on the river and Day 1a was on the bubble after the hand with five players left and four bagging chips and guaranteed at least a min-cash in the tournament.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
240,000 | 28,500 |
|
|
Busted |
More than Half a Million for Ivanov
Level 17
: 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
Marian Ivanov opened from the hijack to 15,000 and got calls from Georgios Efthymiadis in the small blind and Christina Orfanidou from the big blind.
All three players checked the 
flop before Efthymiadis led out for 40,000 after the came on the turn. Orfanidou folded before Ivanov called.
Efthymiadis tanked for two minutes after the 
came on the turn before he checked. Ivanov bet 55,000 and Efthymiados tanked again for two minutes. Ivanov called the clock and before Thomas Lamatsch could get to the table Efthymiadis called.
Ivanov showed 
and appeared surprised he won the hand after Efthymiadis tossed his hand into the muck.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
560,000 | 130,000 |
|
|
30,000 | -89,500 |
Full House for Ivanov
Level 17
: 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
Georgios Efthymiadis opened to 12,000 from the hijack before he called a three-bet to 30,000 from Marian Ivanov from the small blind.
Ivanov check-called a bet of 30,000 after the 
came on the flop before both players checked after the paired the board on the turn.
Ivanov led out for 25,000 after the 
completed the board on the river. Efthymiadis tanked for several minutes before Ivanov called time.
PokerNews Cup Tournament Director Thomas Lamatsch informed Efthymiadis he had 30 seconds. Efthymiadis called right before the buzzer. Ivanov turned over 
for a full house and Efthymiadis tossed his hand into the muck.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
430,000 | 97,000 |
|
|
119,500 | -85,000 |
Level: 17
Blinds: 3,000/6,000
Ante: 6,000
Chip Counts at Break
Level 16
: 2,500/5,000, 5,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
333,000 | -17,000 |
|
|
212,500 | |
|
|
211,500 | -13,500 |
|
|
204,500 | 44,500 |
|
|
148,000 | -2,000 |
|
|
98,500 | -71,500 |