Main Event Day 1a | 2017 PokerStars Championship Prague

12-12-2017 18:48 UTC+2

Grasu Busts Nuutinen

Christian Zetzsche

Level 5 : 200/400, 50 ante

Several notables were eliminated in quick succession including Felix Stephensen, Jaromir Hanel and Jorma Nuutinen, while Paul Leckey and Andrei Boghean already bowed out before the break.

Nuutinen three-bet shoved for his last 9,725 out of the small blind and initial raiser Alin Grasu called from early position.

Jorma Nuutinen:
Alin Grasu:

While Nuutinen took the lead on the flop, that all changed with the turn and the blank river sent the Finn to the rail. Back in 2013, Nuutinen finished 8th in the EPT10 Prague Main Event for a career-best score of €84,600, but won't make a deep run this time around.

Player	Chips	Progress
Alin Grasu	60,000 60,000	60,000
Andrei Boghean	Busted
Jaromir Hanel	Busted
Felix Stephensen	Busted
Paul Leckey	Busted
Jorma Nuutinen	Busted

Tags: Alin Grasu Andrei Boghean Felix Stephensen Jaromir Hanel Jorma Nuutinen Paul Leckey

12-12-2017 18:55 UTC+2

It Is Not Too Late to Join

Christian Zetzsche

Level 5 : 200/400, 50 ante

Many of the big names are taking part on Day 1a already in order to take a shot at tomorrow's €25,500 Single-Day High Roller and late entries include Ryan Riess, Parker Talbot and Steve O'Dwyer.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ryan Riess	30,000 30,000	30,000

Parker Talbot	30,000 30,000	30,000

Steve O'Dwyer	30,000 30,000	30,000

Tags: Parker Talbot Ryan Riess Steve O'Dwyer

12-12-2017 18:59 UTC+2

Contrasting Fortunes

mnuwwarah

Level 5 : 200/400, 50 ante

Michal Mrakes has rocketed up the chip counts, turning what we last counted as 80,000 into a stack of about 130,000. However, while some rise, others must fall, and Saar Wilf is experiencing the latter turn of events at the neighboring table. Once one of the top stacks, he's now down to shoving preflop with about 20 big blinds.

Player	Chips	Progress
Michal Mrakes	130,000 50,000	50,000

Saar Wilf	8,000 -33,000	-33,000

Tags: Michal Mrakes Saar Wilf

12-12-2017 19:03 UTC+2

Farber Tests Varnica

mnuwwarah

Level 5 : 200/400, 50 ante

In a pot that was bloated to 8,000 preflop, Ante Varnica checked in the hijack and called 4,000 from PokerStars qualifier Konstantin Farber, on his left. With on the board on the turn, Varnica check-called the next barrel of 8,000. On the river, Farber put his foe all in and Varnica couldn't find a call.

Player	Chips	Progress
Konstantin Farber	90,000 90,000	90,000
Ante Varnica	17,000 -31,000	-31,000

Tags: Ante Varnica Konstantin Farber

12-12-2017 19:15 UTC+2

Stuer Shoving

mnuwwarah

Level 5 : 200/400, 50 ante

After an open to 800 and a call on the button, Julian Stuer moved in for 8,700 in the small blind. The raiser mucked but the player who called initially pondered for awhile. Ultimately, he ended up folding as well, though.

Player	Chips	Progress
Julian Stuer	12,150 -12,850	-12,850

Tags: Julian Stuer

12-12-2017 19:19 UTC+2

"Nice Hand Sir!"

Webjoker

Level 5 : 200/400, 50 ante

We only caught the tail end of a hand that looked very interesting and got the rest of the details from our colleagues at the PokerStars Blog.

Greenwood opened the button for 1,000 and big blind Clement Richez 3-bet to 4,400. Greenwood called.

As the flop came , both players checked. The hit the turn and Frenchman Richez bet 7,500. Greenwood called.

On the river, with the board now reading , Richez checked. Greenwood bet 13,000 and Richez tanked for some time before he eventually called.

Greenwood showed and that proved a winner as Richez folded.

"Nice hand sir!" table mate Parker Talbot said.

Player	Chips	Progress
Sam Greenwood	52,000 32,000	32,000

Clement Richez	12,000 -20,000	-20,000

Tags: Sam Greenwood

12-12-2017 19:20 UTC+2

Fatehi Runs a Flush

mnuwwarah

Level 5 : 200/400, 50 ante

Jose Nunez Fernandez bet 2,600 from the big blind on a board. Ali Reza Fatehi made it 7,800 to go and was met with a fairly quick call. Fatehi showed for a backdoor flush and a disgusted Fernandez showed .

Player	Chips	Progress
Ali Reza Fatehi	71,400 15,400	15,400
Jose Nunez Fernandez	30,000 15,500	15,500

Tags: Jose Nunez Fernandez Ali Reza Fatehi

12-12-2017 19:25 UTC+2

Kramer is Fighting

Christian Zetzsche

Level 5 : 200/400, 50 ante

Among the next players to bust were Wael Sarkis, Dimitrios Michailidis, Epstathios Kavoukis and Thi Nguyen.

[Removed:172] has dropped to less than the starting stack and just got involved into a pot with Zico Tjin-Asjoe. The latter called a bet of 2,500 by Kramer on the flop before check-folding the turn to a second bet worth 3,300.

Below are further assorted counts including some new big stacks.

Player	Chips	Progress
Michal Mrakes	143,000 13,000	13,000

Konstantin Farber	107,000 17,000	17,000
Oleh Okhotskyi	75,000 75,000	75,000
[Removed:172]	20,000 -9,500	-9,500
Wael Sarkis	Busted
Epstathios Kavoukis	Busted
Dimitrios Michailidis	Busted
Thi Nguyen	Busted

Tags: Dimitrios Michailidis Thi Nguyen Wael Sarkis Zico Tjin-Asjoe

12-12-2017 19:29 UTC+2

Hartmann Left on Life Support

Christian Zetzsche

Level 5 : 200/400, 50 ante

Preflop, Pascal Hartmann made it 3,200 to go from the button and picked up a single caller in Joao Vieira out of the hijack. The flop fell and Vieira checked before calling a bet of 2,400 by Hartmann. Both checked through the turn and the fell on the river.

Vieira checked and Hartmann bet 7,700, which then saw Vieira check-shove for 22,900. Hartmann called after some consideration and was shown the for the nut straight by Vieira. Hartmann wanted to muck, but as it was an all in showdown, his was exposed.

Down to 2,300, Hartmann shoved the next hand with the . Jannick Wrang called in the small blind with and the flop seemingly locked up the double and possible comeback for the German. However, the turn and river ended the hand in a split pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Joao Vieira	60,000 2,500	2,500

Jannick Wrang	13,000 1,000	1,000

Pascal Hartmann	2,500 -14,000	-14,000

Tags: Pascal Hartmann Joao Vieira Jannick Wrang

12-12-2017 19:32 UTC+2

Double Knockout for Fatehi

Christian Zetzsche

Level 5 : 200/400, 50 ante

The media cards of Jose Nunez Fernandez and Saar Wilf ended up on the main registration desk, which meant that both were eliminated. A quick look at their former table quickly brought to light who had taken both stacks as Ali Reza Fatehi was sitting behind a mountain of chips.

According to Fatehi, it was a three-way all in with pocket aces for him, pocket jacks for Saar Wilf and pocket queens for Nunez Fernandez. Fatehi flopped a set while one of the opponents turned the nut flush draw. However, the river paired the board and the full house of Fatehi scored a double knock out.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ali Reza Fatehi	110,000 38,600	38,600
Jose Nunez Fernandez	Busted
Saar Wilf	Busted

Tags: Saar Wilf Jose Nunez Fernandez Ali Reza Fatehi