2017 PokerStars Championship Sochi

Main Event
Day: 5
Event Info

2017 PokerStars Championship Sochi

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
a6
Prize
21,900,000 RUB
Event Info
Buy-in
318,000 RUB
Prize Pool
150,000,000 RUB
Entries
387
Level Info
Level
28
Blinds
40,000 / 80,000
Ante
10,000

Main Event

Day 5 Completed

The Final Table of the 2017 PokerStars Championship Sochi Main Event is Set

Level 22 : 10,000/20,000, 3,000 ante
Lavrentiy Ni Leads the Final Six in Sochi
Lavrentiy Ni Leads the Final Six in Sochi

The 2017 PokerStars Championship RUB 318,000 Main Event (~$5,590) saw 16 players out of a 387-entry strong field return to the last two tables of the Sochi Casino and Resort, Krasnaya Polyana. After less than three hours, the unofficial final table was set and it took just one more hour to reach the official six-handed final table.

Lavrentiy Ni from Kazakhstan eventually came out on top and bagged up 2,949,000. Pavel Shirshikov, who led the field after Day 3 and Day 4 respectively, follows close behind with 2,914,000 while Iran's Seyed Ghavam is in third place overnight with 2,124,000. The other finalists include High Roller regular Vladimir Troyanovskiy (1,791,000) and Dmitry Vitkind (1,050,000), while Timur Bubnov (783,000) still has more than 30 big blinds for the final showdown.

Seat Assignments for the Final Table

SeatPlayerCountryChip CountBig Blinds
1Seyed GhavamIran2,124,00088
2Vladimir TroyanovskiyRussian Federation1,791,00074
3Pavel ShirshikovRussian Federation2,914,000121
4Dmitry VitkindRussian Federation1,050,00043
5Lavrentiy NiKazakhstan2,949,000122
6Timur BubnovRussian Federation783,00032

The penultimate day started with a bang, as Mikhail Rudoy ran out of chips in the very first hand on the feature table. PokerStars Spin & Go qualifier Timur Bubnov opened and called the three-bet shove with pocket tens to see Rudoy turn over pocket fives. There was no surprise on a queen-high board and Rudoy became the first casualty of the day.

PokerStars Team Pro and 2003 World Series of Poker Main Event champion Chris Moneymaker had to settle for 15th place. Coming into the day as one of the short stacks after losing a big pot at the end of Day 4, Moneymaker open-shoved for 10 big blinds with pocket sevens. Daniyar Aubakirov called in middle position with ace-ten while Pavel Shirshikov folded pocket tens in the big blind. Aubakirov turned a gutshot and rivered an ace to improve, and that was it for Moneymaker.

Junya Yamada followed soon after over on the feature table. The player from Japan three-bet all in with ace-eight and Dmitry Vitkind four-bet shoved out of the big blind to isolate successfully with ace-king. A king on the flop all but sealed it, and Yamada was drawing dead on the turn.

Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier was the second player to represent the red spade on Day 5 and the Frenchman scored an early double. However, his run would end in 13th place after a battle of the blinds with Dmitry Vitkind left him empty-handed. Down to seven big blinds, he shoved with king-nine and Vitkind called with queen-ten. A ten appeared on the turn and Elk'y open-ender and over card didn't show up anymore.

Within just five minutes, the field was suddenly reduced to just one table. A massive clash on the outer table saw Vitaliy Li six-bet shove with ace-king suited and Daniyar Aubakirov as four-bettor got out of the way. Pavel Shirshikov snap-called with pocket aces and an ace-king flop all but locked-up the massive pot, Li was drawing dead on the turn.

Moments later, Alexander Lakhov called all in with pocket eights after a raise and a shove by Timur Bubnov on the feature table, and the latter flipped over ace-king suited. A seven-high flop changed nothing just yet, but an ace on the turn and a seven on the river sent Lakhov out in 11th place.

Oleg Chebotarev, who holds an international chess master title, open-shoved with ace-queen suited on the outer tables from under the gun and a shove by Lavrentiy Ni king-queen suited in the small blind followed. Nadar Kakhmazov looked up both with ace-queen off suit from the big blind and held the biggest stack of the trio, only to see three spades appear on the board to give Ni the flush and a huge boost.

Unofficial Final Table Line Up

SeatPlayerCountryChip CountBig Blinds
1Nadar KakhmazovRussian Federation279,00014
2Seyed GhavamIran1,096,00054
3Vladimir TroyanovskiyRussian Federation1,595,00080
4Said ButbaRussian Federation206,00010
5Pavel ShirshikovRussian Federation2,620,000131
6Dmitry VitkindRussian Federation1,770,00088
7Daniyar AubakirovKazakhstan1,557,00078
8Lavrentiy NiKazakhstan1,600,00080
9Timur BubnovRussian Federation890,00044

All remaining nine finalists had RUB 2,865,000 locked up, which equals $50,693, and Said Butba had to settle for exactly that amount. In one of the first hands, he shoved for 10 big blinds with king-queen suited. Lavrentiy Ni called in the cutoff and tabled pocket eights, which held up on a ten-high board to reduce the field to the last eight hopefuls.

Soon after, the second short stack got it in and it was Nadar Kakhmazov who was at risk after four-bet jamming with pocket kings for 15 big blinds. Seyed Ghavam called with ace-queen and hit an ace and queen on the flop before two blanks followed on turn and river.

2017 WPT Amsterdam champion Daniyar Aubakirov lost a big portion of his stack without showdown against fellow Kazakh Lavrentiy Ni and fell down to less than 20 big blinds. The most active player of the last few days would eventually become the last casualty soon after when he three-bet shoved pocket queens. Seyed Ghavam called with pocket kings on the button and a king on the flop left Aubakirov with running clubs. One of them showed up on the turn, but a blank queen on the river changed nothing anymore.

There are 26:41 left in level 23 with blinds at 12,000/24,000 and a running ante of 4,000. The lion's share of the RUB 150,000,000 prize pool is still up for grabs, and all six contenders of the first-ever PokerStars sponsored event on Russian soil have 6,570,000 (~$116,249) locked up for their efforts. However, all eyes are however set on the RUB 29,100,000 first-prize (~514,893), trophy and bragging rights that come along with it.

Remaining Payouts PokerStars Championship Sochi Main Event

PlacePrize (RUB)Prize (USD)
129,100,000$514,893
218,450,000$326,453
313,335,000$235,948
410,785,000$190,829
58,535,000$151,017
66,570,000$116,249

The action will resume at 12.30 p.m. local time on Wednesday, May 31st, with the cards-up live stream on a security delay of 30 minutes and the PokerNews updates will be published accordingly.

Tags: Alexander LakhovBertrand GrospellierChris MoneymakerDaniyar AubakirovDmitry VitkindJunya YamadaLavrentiy NiMikhail RudoyNadar KakhmazovOleg ChebotarevPavel ShirshikovPokerStars Championship SochiSaid ButbaSeyed GhavamTimur BubnovVitaliy LiVladimir Troyanovskiy

Daniyar Aubakirov Eliminated in 7th Place (RUB 4,890,000)

Level 22 : 10,000/20,000, 3,000 ante
Daniyar Aubakirov
Daniyar Aubakirov

Pavel Shirshikov opened to 60,000 from early position and Daniyar Aubakirov moved all in for 335,000. Seyed Ghavam flat-called on the button and Shirshikov folded.

Aubakirov: {q-Diamonds}{q-Clubs}
Shirshikiov: {k-Diamonds}{k-Spades}

The flop wasn't a good one for Aubakirov coming king-high with {2-Spades}{5-Clubs}{k-Clubs}. However the {9-Clubs} on the turn gave Aubakirov a flush-draw. However, the river was the {q-Hearts}. It gave Aubakirov a set but it was too little too late and he was eliminated in 7th place for $86,523.

Player Chips Progress
Seyed Ghavam ir
Seyed Ghavam
2,124,000 634,000
Daniyar Aubakirov kz
Daniyar Aubakirov
Busted

Tags: Daniyar AubakirovPavel ShirshikovSeyed Ghavam

Dmitry Vitkind Four-Bet Folds vs Lavrentiy Ni

Level 22 : 10,000/20,000, 3,000 ante

Dmitry Vitkind raised to 52,000 from the cutoff. Lavrentiy Ni then three-bet to 144,000 from the small blind. Vitkind four-bet to 340,000 and after some thought Ni five-bet to 813,000.

Vitkind folded quickly and Ni chipped up to 2,800,000.

Player Chips Progress
Lavrentiy Ni kz
Lavrentiy Ni
2,800,000 173,000
Dmitry Vitkind ru
Dmitry Vitkind
1,240,000 -469,000

Tags: Dmitry VitkindLavrentiy Ni

Troyanovskiy Hits the Flop

Level 22 : 10,000/20,000, 3,000 ante

Dmitry Vitkind opened and Vladimir Troyanovskiy defended his big blind.

The flop was {3-Hearts}{3-Spades}{q-Clubs} and Troyanovskiy check-called a continuation bet from Vitkind.

The turn was the {5-Diamonds} which was checked around and on the river {7-Hearts} Troyanovskiy led for 80,000.

Vitkind called and mucked when Troyanovskiy showed {q-Hearts}{j-Spades}

Player Chips Progress
Vladimir Troyanovskiy ru
Vladimir Troyanovskiy
1,700,000

Tags: Dmitry VitkindVladimir Troyanovskiy

Battle of Kazakhstan; Ni Takes a Huge Pot From Aubakirov

Level 22 : 10,000/20,000, 3,000 ante

The final two players from Kazakhstan recently tangled in a pot.

Daniyar Aubakirov opened to 50,000 from the cutoff, with Ni calling on the button. A {8-Hearts}{7-Hearts}{4-Diamonds} flop was seen, and Aubakirov continued for 55,000. Ni raised to 135,000, Aubakirov three-bet to 300,000, and Ni called. The {4-Hearts} came on the turn and both players checked to see the {j-Diamonds} on the river.

Aubakirov fired 425,000 and Ni went into the tank. The clock was eventually called, and Ni moved all-in. Aubakirov quickly folded and Ni moved into second in chips.

Player Chips Progress
Lavrentiy Ni kz
Lavrentiy Ni
2,627,000 819,000
Daniyar Aubakirov kz
Daniyar Aubakirov
400,000 -783,000

Tags: Daniyar AubakirovLavrentiy Ni

Nadar Kakhmazov Eliminated in 8th Place (RUB 3,540,000)

Level 22 : 10,000/20,000, 3,000 ante
Nadar Kakhmazov - 7th Place
Nadar Kakhmazov - 7th Place

Nadar Kakhmazov min-raised and Seyed Ghavam three bet to 131,000

Kakhmazov moved all in and after a bit of thought Ghavam called.

Kakhmazov was the player at risk with {k-Spades}{k-Hearts} and Ghavam had {a-Spades}{q-Spades}

The board ran out {Q-Spades}{2-Hearts}{a-Clubs}{8-Diamonds}{4-Diamonds} with an Ace in the window to shoot Ghavam into the lead where he stayed.

Kakhmazov was out in 8th but collected RUB 3,540,000 which is $62,636

Player Chips Progress
Seyed Ghavam ir
Seyed Ghavam
1,490,000 394,000
Nadar Kakhmazov ru
Nadar Kakhmazov
WSOP 1X Winner
Busted

Tags: Nadar KakhmazovSeyed Ghavam

Pavel Shirshikov Forces Out Daniyar Aubakirov

Level 22 : 10,000/20,000, 3,000 ante

Pavel Shirshikov raised to 60,000 from the button. Daniyar Aubakirov defended his big blind, and the pair saw a flop of {4-Hearts}{2-Hearts}{4-Diamonds}.

Aubakirov check-called a bet of 40,000 from his opponent and the turn was the {k-Clubs}. Aubakirov checked again and Shirshikov bet 110,000. Aubakirov then raised to 305,000.

Shirshikov then three-bet to 525,000 and after some thought the former WPT Champion folded.

Player Chips Progress
Pavel Shirshikov ru
Pavel Shirshikov
3,100,000 480,000
Daniyar Aubakirov kz
Daniyar Aubakirov
1,200,000 -357,000

Tags: Pavel ShirshikovDaniyar Aubakirov