2017 PokerStars Championship Prague

Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info

2017 PokerStars Championship Prague

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
1010
Prize
€675,000
Event Info
Buy-in
€5,300
Prize Pool
€4,146,750
Entries
855
Level Info
Level
31
Blinds
80,000 / 160,000
Ante
20,000

Croitoru Doubles Through Azulay

Level 2 : 75/150, 0 ante

With already around 9,000 in the middle and the flop reading {J-Hearts}{7-Spades}{6-Spades}, Avraham Azulay checked in the hijack and Andrei Butko bet 5,000 in the cutoff. Mihaita Croitoru moved all in from the button and Azulay took just brief consideration before moving all in over the top for 34,000.

Butko had another 12,000 behind and was sent into the think tank. Eventually the clock was called while all other players were about to head into the first break, and Butko folded.

Mihaita Croitoru: {A-Spades}{3-Spades}
Avraham Azulay: {9-Hearts}{7-Hearts}

The {9-Spades} turn immediately improved Croitoru but he now needed to dodge another nine or seven. The {Q-Hearts} on the river did just that and Azulay sighed. "I knew you had a flush draw, such a good call," he added and dropped below the starting stack.

Player Chips Progress
Mihaita Croitoru ro
Mihaita Croitoru
40,000
18,500
18,500
Avraham Azulay us
Avraham Azulay
21,000
-13,000
-13,000

Tags: Andrei ButkoAvraham AzulayMihaita Croitoru

Level: 3

Blinds: 100/200

Ante: 25

Assorted Chip Counts

Level 3 : 100/200, 25 ante
Player Chips Progress
Hady El Asmar lb
Hady El Asmar
54,000
24,000
24,000
Saar Wilf il
Saar Wilf
54,000
1,000
1,000
Gab Yong Kim kr
Gab Yong Kim
45,000
15,000
15,000
Fidan Zahiti se
Fidan Zahiti
45,000
18,000
18,000
Vladimir Troyanovskiy ru
Vladimir Troyanovskiy
43,000
3,000
3,000
Fahredin Mustafov bg
Fahredin Mustafov
41,000
11,500
11,500
Georgios Zisimopoulos gr
Georgios Zisimopoulos
37,000
8,000
8,000
Joao Vieira pt
Joao Vieira
33,000
WSOP 3X Winner
Winamax
Ante Varnica hr
Ante Varnica
33,000
4,500
4,500
Michal Mrakes cz
Michal Mrakes
32,000
8,000
8,000
Day 4 Chip Leader
Louis Linard fr
Louis Linard
31,500
31,500
31,500
Akin Tuna tr
Akin Tuna
31,000
Mario Adinolfi it
Mario Adinolfi
29,000
-1,000
-1,000
Anton Wigg se
Anton Wigg
28,000
-7,000
-7,000
EPT Main Event Champion
EPT 1X Winner
Juha Helppi fi
Juha Helppi
27,000
-2,000
-2,000
WSOP 1X Winner
WPT 1X Winner
Ali Reza Fatehi ir
Ali Reza Fatehi
26,000
-4,000
-4,000
Goran Mandic hr
Goran Mandic
26,000
-4,000
-4,000
Jannick Wrang dk
Jannick Wrang
24,000
-5,000
-5,000
EPT 1X Winner
Paul Leckey ie
Paul Leckey
20,000
-11,500
-11,500

Molon Off to a Hot Start

Level 3 : 100/200, 25 ante

Marco Molon bet about 5,000 on the river from early position after the board came {5-Hearts}{8-Diamonds}{5-Clubs}{a-Clubs}{9-Diamonds}. His opponent in the next seat thought a couple of minutes and put in a call, only to muck in short order when the {a-Spades}{5-Spades} hole cards were revealed by Molon.

Molon has over two starting stacks at this early stage.

Player Chips Progress
Marco Molon it
Marco Molon
67,000
17,000
17,000

Tags: Marco Molon

Makes Gets the Job Done with a Check-Raise

Level 3 : 100/200, 25 ante

On the flop of {A-Spades}{Q-Clubs}{9-Hearts}{A-Clubs}, Michal Mrakes bet 900 from under the gun and found a single caller in Valdemar Kwaysser. The {K-Spades} fell on the river and Mrakes checked. Kwaysser bet 1,500 and soon faced a check-raise to 12,000 by Mrakes. That was enough to force a fold, as one of just five Czech players thus far on Day 1a raked in the pot.

Jan Bender just recently sat down and is easy to spot in the field with a height of more than two meters.

Player Chips Progress
Valdemar Kwaysser hu
Valdemar Kwaysser
40,000
40,000
40,000
WSOP 1X Winner
Michal Mrakes cz
Michal Mrakes
36,000
4,000
4,000
Day 4 Chip Leader
Jan Bednar cz
Jan Bednar
30,000
30,000
30,000

Tags: Jan BednarMichal MrakesValdemar Kwaysser

Jedlicka Back Above Starting Stack

Level 3 : 100/200, 25 ante

Not long ago Stefan "mindgamer" Jedlicka was down to half a starting stack but that has since changed. Jedlicka raised to 500 and Oleh Okhotskyi raised to 1,300, which Miguel Capriles in the big blind called. Jedlicka did so as well and the trio headed to the {K-Diamonds}{3-Spades}{2-Diamonds} flop, on which all three players checked.

Capriles checked the {10-Clubs} turn and Jedlicka bet 2,400, forcing out Okhotskyi. Capriles announced a raise to 3,000 by tossing in a T-5,000 chip, but since Jedlicka's bet was for 2,400, it was ruled as a call only. The {8-Spades} on the river brought a bet of 2,500 by Capriles and Jedlicka called after brief consideration.

In the showdown, Capriles announced "ace high" turned over {A-Diamonds}{5-Diamonds} for a busted gunshot and nut flush draw, while Jedlicka also had ace-high and the better kicker in {A-Hearts}{Q-Diamonds}.

Player Chips Progress
Stefan Jedlicka at
Stefan Jedlicka
33,500
18,200
18,200

Tags: Stefan JedlickaOleh OkhotskyiMiguel Capriles

Kruk and Azulay Among Recent Casualties

Level 3 : 100/200, 25 ante

Mihaita Croitoru confirmed that he also took the remainder of Avraham Azulay's stack after having doubled through him previously to jump above two times the starting stack. Christopher Kruk was also among those to bust while Fabrice Soulier and [Removed:172] are new faces in the field.

Player Chips Progress
Mihaita Croitoru ro
Mihaita Croitoru
65,000
25,000
25,000
Sergio Castelluccio it
Sergio Castelluccio
38,000
8,000
8,000
Fabrice Soulier fr
Fabrice Soulier
34,000
34,000
34,000
WSOP 1X Winner
Nariman Yaghmai ir
Nariman Yaghmai
32,000
2,000
2,000
[Removed:172] de
[Removed:172]
29,500
29,500
29,500
Thi Nguyen ca
Thi Nguyen
22,000
-8,000
-8,000
Avraham Azulay us
Avraham Azulay
Busted
Christopher Kruk ca
Christopher Kruk
Busted
Kirill Ilin
Kirill Ilin
Busted

Tags: Avraham AzulayChristopher KrukFabrice SoulierMihaita Croitoru