Main Event Day 1b | 2017 PokerStars Championship Sochi

05-26-2017 22:28 UTC+3

Bertrand Grospellier Enjoying "Beautiful" Sochi Casino & Resort

[user252447]

Level 7 : 300/600, 100 ante

Team PokerStars Pro Bertrand Grospellier's table was the latest to break and he was moved to a new one and promptly raised from under-the-gun to 1,300. It folded all the way around to Alexander Lakhov in the big blind.

"Seven-Deuce, never lose," said Lakhov flashing . To his credit Grospellier showed and took down the small pot.

"It's beautiful here," said Grospellier to us after we asked him if he was enjoying his time so far, "It's a beautiful place and a beautiful casino.

"I've slept for 12 hours so it feels like I'm floating a little bit. It's nice playing poker with fresh faces, but I'm used to playing online with Russians in all the major tournaments so it's not that bad."

We'll see if ElkY can survive the last one-and-a-half levels and make it to Day 2.

Player	Chips	Progress
Bertrand Grospellier	28,000 -5,000	-5,000

Tags: Bertrand Grospellier

05-26-2017 22:31 UTC+3

Ghavam Busts Nordman and Mnatsakanyan

Christian Zetzsche

Level 7 : 300/600, 100 ante

Mika Nordman moved all in for 4,200 and Seyed Ghavam called from the button. Lev Mnatsakanyan instantly moved all in for 40,000 from the small blind and the big blind folded, Ghavam tossed in a single chip for the call after a few seconds of consideration.

Seyed Ghavam:
Lev Mnatsakanyan:
Mika Nordman:

After a board of , the pocket tens held up and Ghavam knocked out two players with a full house to jump into the top spot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Seyed Ghavam	145,000 45,000	45,000
Lev Mnatsakanyan	Busted
Mika Nordman	Busted

Tags: Lev Mnatsakanyan Mika Nordman Seyed Ghavam

05-26-2017 22:43 UTC+3

Martirosyan Makes Sick Call But Rysev Gets There

[user270022]

Level 7 : 300/600, 100 ante

We arrived at the table with an all-in triangle sitting in front of Konstantin Rysev and action on Vahe Martirosyan. There was about 9,000 in the middle of a board and Rysev's all-in was for 15,500. Martirosyan would make the call, putting Rysev at risk.

Rysev:
Martirosyan:

Martirosyan had made an outstanding call but Rysev had a ton of outs. The bricked on the turn but a river gave Rysev a pair of jacks and scored the double up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Konstantin Rysev	48,000
Vahe Martirosyan	30,000

Tags: Vahe Martirosyan Konstantin Rysev

05-26-2017 22:44 UTC+3

Unlucky Exit For Shyngis Satubayev

[user252447]

Level 7 : 300/600, 100 ante

Shyngis Satubayev moved all in from early position for 11,500 and it folded to the small blind Vladislav Tonkikh who called. The big blind had a bit of a dwell up but left them to it.

Satubayev had his tournament life on the line with but was in good shape versus the of Tonkikh.

The board ran out an emphatic and Satubayev was on this way.

Player	Chips	Progress
Vladislav Tonkikh	75,000 20,000	20,000
Shyngis Satubayev	Busted

Tags: Shyngis Satubayev Vladislav Tonkikh

05-26-2017 22:50 UTC+3

Lauck Builds Stack

Christian Zetzsche

Level 7 : 300/600, 100 ante

Jonas Lauck raised to 1,400 and the button as well as Vladimir Volov in the big blind called. The flop fell and the action checked to the button, who bet 1,300. Both Volov and Lauck called before the turn was checked. Volov bet the river foir 2,500 and Lauck raised to 11,000, forcing a fold from the button.

Volov eventually called and Lauck rolled over for a full house to scoop a pot before the table broke after.

Player	Chips	Progress
Jonas Lauck	85,000 10,000	10,000

Vladimir Volov	57,000 6,000	6,000

Tags: Jonas Lauck Vladimir Volov

Level: 8

Blinds: 400/800

Ante: 100

05-26-2017 23:00 UTC+3

Mihalin Needs a Miracle

Christian Zetzsche

Level 8 : 400/800, 100 ante

At the end of the previous level, Mihail Mihalin bet a flop of for 7,100. Yurii Zdanovskiy check-raised all in from the button for 22,400 and Mihalin eventually called.

Mihail Mihalin:
Yurii Zdanovskiy:

The turn instantly left Mihalin with no hope to win the pot, making the river a formality. Mihalin was left with 4,000, a mere five big blinds for the last level of the night.

Player	Chips	Progress
Yurii Zdanovskiy	52,000 52,000	52,000
Mihail Mihalin	3,000 3,000	3,000

Tags: Mihail Mihalin Yurii Zdanovskiy

05-26-2017 23:07 UTC+3

Lomakin Bluffs Off Aces

[user270022]

Level 8 : 400/800, 100 ante

Facing a bet of 5,000 on the river of a board, Sergey Lomakin called for the all-in triangle and slid his remaining chips towards the center. Lomakin only had a little over 15,000 in a pot that looked to have around 20,000 in the middle.

The aggression would be enough as his opponent threw the in the muck, face up. Lomakin quickly tabled and a chuckle went around the table.

Player	Chips	Progress
Sergey Lomakin	39,000 7,000	7,000

Tags: Sergey Lomakin

05-26-2017 23:14 UTC+3

Huge Pot For Lavrentiy Ni

[user252447]

Level 8 : 400/800, 100 ante

Lavrentiy Ni was on the button contesting a big pot with small blind Mikhail Galitski.

There were over 70,000 chips in the middle on the river of a board reading .

Galitski had moved all in and with 70,000 behind the decision was on Ni for his tournament life. It took a few minutes before he committed his chips.

Galitski showed but Ni had turned a flush with his to make the river call on a paired board to win a huge pot and put the hurt on Galitski who looked mildly stunned at the result in the last level of play,

Player	Chips	Progress
Lavrentiy Ni	195,000 195,000	195,000
Mikhail Galitski	50,000 -25,000	-25,000

Tags: Lavrentiy Ni Mikhail Galitski

05-26-2017 23:22 UTC+3

Just one Gulyy Left

Christian Zetzsche

Level 8 : 400/800, 100 ante

Yury Gulyy was left with just 1,000 after he got the stack in against Vsevolod Nikolaev on a flop of . Gulyy had a strong hand with for trips aces, but Nikolaev held the better kicker in . Neither the turn nor the river changed anything and Gulyy busted soon after.