Main Event
Day 1a Started
2017 PokerStars Festival Bucharest
Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2017 PokerStars Festival Bucharest
Buy-in
€1,100
Prize Pool
€706,560
Entries
736
Level
32
Blinds
100,000 / 200,000
Ante
25,000
Day 1a of the PokerStars Festival Bucharest Main Event Starts at 1 p.m.
Welcome to Day 1a of PokerStars Festival Bucharest Main Event! The stunning JW Marriot Bucharest Grand Hotel, located near the breathtaking Ceausescu Palace — the People's House — sets a fitting stage for a week-long, octane fueled poker festival. The €500,000 guaranteed €1,100 Main Event kicks off today, with the first of three starting days commencing at 1 p.m. local time.
It's the second time PokerStars LIVE ventures to the historical Romanian capital, also dubbed "Little Paris". Last year, the inaugural Eureka Bucharest Main Event attracted 579 runners and ended with an all-Israeli heads-up between Avishai Shitrit and Moshe Eliyahu, with Shitrit standing tall. The Israeli received €107,350 for his accomplishment, easily the biggest achievement of his poker career.
Plenty of familiar faces made the journey to Bucharest to try and join Rehman Kassam, Pets Svoboda, Christopher France, Ignacio De Maturana, Philippe Le Touche and Taehoon Han as the next PokerStars Festival Main Event champion in 2017. Team PokerStars Pro Chris Moneymaker will be in the field, but dangerous opposition looms with the likes of Vladimir Shabalin, Sam Grafton, Miroslav Forman, and Marc Radgen.
Day 1a will start at 1 p.m. local time and will feature ten 45-minute levels, with late registration open until the end of level six. All players will receive 30,000 in chips and blinds will start at 50/100. 15-minute breaks are scheduled after level three, six, and eight.
The Day 1a survivors will return on Friday, August 4th at 1 p.m. local time, and join with those who survived Day 1b and Day 1c to play Day 2 with 60-minute levels. The PokerStars Festival Bucharest champion will be crowned on Sunday, August 6th. PokerNews will be on the floor to capture all the excitement of this PokerStars Festival!
Blind structure Day 1a
| Level | Duration | Small Blind | Big Blind | Ante |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 45 min | 50 | 100 | |
| 2 | 45 min | 75 | 150 | |
| 3 | 45 min | 100 | 200 | 25 |
| 4 | 45 min | 150 | 300 | 50 |
| 5 | 45 min | 200 | 400 | 50 |
| 6 | 45 min | 250 | 500 | 75 |
| 7 | 45 min | 300 | 600 | 100 |
| 8 | 45 min | 400 | 800 | 100 |
| 9 | 45 min | 500 | 1,000 | 100 |
| 10 | 45 min | 600 | 1,200 | 200 |
Level: 1
Blinds: 50/100
Ante: 0
92 at the Start, Big Field in Satellite
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
The shuffle up and deal has been announced and 92 players have taken their seats at the start. Yesterday's satellite already had 750 runners, which could be an indication the €500,000 guarantee for this event will be smashed.
Per Arne Dahl Wins a Big Pot Early
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
In a pot between Liran Machluf on the button, and Per Arne Dahl in the big blind, the players had reached a river with the board reading 
and around 8,000 in the pot. With the blinds starting at 50/100, this was already a sizeable pot in the early stages of the tournament.
Per Arne was first to act and bet 5,000. Machluf called but mucked when his opponent showed 
for a turned set and rivered full house.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
39,000 | 9,000 |
|
21,000 | -9,000 |
Montrucolli Draws First Blood
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
In a three-way pot, Marco Montroculli bet 1,050 on a 
board and Frank Calonneec called on the button. The 
river prompted a 2,525 bet from Montroculli, and Calonneec open-folded the 
.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
33,000 | |
|
28,500 |
"Ace-King, No Good?"
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
On a board of 
Luigi Zurlo checked to his opponent Franck Huynh who bet 2,500. Zurlo thought for a minute or so.
"Ace-King no good?" he asked.
"I'm sorry," replied Huynh, "I'm French."
"But I promise you one thing," he continued, "If you pay me I show you. It's a good deal, no?"
Zurlo eventually patted the felt and released his hand. Huynh turned over 
and took down the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
35,000 | 5,000 |
|
|
25,000 | -5,000 |
Agica Moves In on Lebed
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
Three players saw a flop together. Ran Shahar checked, Ezequiel Lebed bet 2,000, Marius Agica raised to 5,000 on the button, Shahar folded, and Lebed called. On the 
turn, Lebed check-called an 8,500 bet from Agica.
The river was the 
and Lebed checked. Agica wasted no time and shoved all in, for a bet of 14,250. It would be for nearly all the Argentinian's remaining stack, and Lebed open-folded after some brief thought.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
45,000 | |
|
15,000 |
First Elimination of the Day
Level 1
: 50/100, 0 ante
On a river of 
Van Thach Vu was first to act and he bet 7,000. Vlad Mihalcea called before Aleksandr Osinin moved all in for around 28,000. Thach Vu called quickly and Mihalcea agonised over his decision before folding, flashing 
for a flush to his tablemates.
Osinin turned over 
for quads while Thach Vu had flopped a set and rivered a full house with 
. Osinin had him covered and the Vietnamese player was eliminated.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
70,000 | 40,000 |
|
|
15,000 | -15,000 |
|
Busted |
Level: 2
Blinds: 75/150
Ante: 0