2017 PokerStars Festival London

High Roller
Day: 2
Event Info

2017 PokerStars Festival London

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
aj
Prize
£59,912
Event Info
Buy-in
£2,200
Prize Pool
£345,320
Entries
178
Level Info
Level
29
Blinds
50,000 / 100,000
Ante
10,000

Drozdov Shows the Nuts

Level 15 : 2,000/4,000, 500 ante

Joining the action on the {J-Clubs}{5-Clubs}{3-Diamonds} flop, Matthew Ashton checked in the big blind and Mikhail Drozdov bet 15,000 on the button. Ashton called and the {9-Clubs} appeared on the turn, the Brit checked again. Drozdov bet 33,500 with another 22,500 behind and Ashton eventually folded after his opponent had carefully counted what he had left.

Drozdov showed the {A-Clubs}{K-Clubs} for the nut flush and raked in the pot.

Player Chips Progress
Mikhail Drozdov ru
Mikhail Drozdov
125,000 34,000
Matthew Ashton gb
Matthew Ashton
WSOP 1X Winner
85,000 -45,000

Tags: Matthew AshtonMikhail Drozdov

Zarco Shoves Into Ivanov - Break on the Bubble

Level 15 : 2,000/4,000, 500 ante

In the last hand before the break, all other tables were already finished and the stop was clocked. Just one table was running and that saw a limped pot in a battle of the blinds between Mladen Ivanov and Javier Zarco. The former bet the {K-Hearts}{5-Clubs}{3-Diamonds} flop for 5,500 and Zarco called.

On the {Q-Spades} turn, Ivanov check-called a bet worth 14,500 by Zarco before checking again the {J-Clubs} river. Zarco moved all in and Ivanov tank-folded to leave himself short with around 11 big blinds for the next level.

The players then headed into the 15-minute break that kicked in at the end of the hand.

Player Chips Progress
Javier Zarco es
Javier Zarco
220,000 65,000
Mladen Ivanov bg
Mladen Ivanov
57,000 -68,000

Tags: Javier ZarcoMladen Ivanov

Level: 16

Blinds: 2,500/5,000

Ante: 500

Zarco At It Again

Level 16 : 2,500/5,000, 500 ante

There were no big showdowns in the new level and Robert Willis joked "they are all playing as tight as a duck's ass." Only Javier Zarco doesn't quite follow that principle and consistently puts pressure on opponents to slowly but surely catch up to Yuriy Boyko.

On the {10-Spades}{7-Diamonds}{2-Diamonds} flop, Zarco checked in the big blind and Ahmed Abdella bet the cutoff for 12,000. Zarco called and the {3-Hearts} fell on the turn. "Can I see your stack?" Zarco asked and Abdella took away his hands only to soon face the shove of Zarco. Abdella folded and has 11 big blinds left.

Player Chips Progress
Yuriy Boyko ie
Yuriy Boyko
420,000 80,000
Javier Zarco es
Javier Zarco
255,000 35,000
Ahmed Abdella kn
Ahmed Abdella
55,000 -35,000

Tags: Ahmed AbdellaJavier ZarcoRobert WillisYuriy Boyko

Some for Beker

Level 16 : 2,500/5,000, 500 ante

David Urban was among the bigger stacks at the start of the day, but he hasn't done much since and dropped below average. Julien Sitbon at the same table kept his big stack while Nathan Manuel and Nicolas Beker are both also sitting on decent stacks as well.

In a battle of the blinds, Manuel opened to 12,500 from the small blind and Beker called. The flop fell {J-Hearts}{7-Hearts}{2-Clubs} and Manuel continued for 14,500, Beker called. After the {A-Hearts} turn, Manuel slowed down and eventually folded to a bet of Beker worth 22,500.

Player Chips Progress
Julien Sitbon fr
Julien Sitbon
WSOP 1X Winner
Winamax
310,000 82,500
Nicolas Beker ch
Nicolas Beker
270,000 65,000
Nathan Manuel us
Nathan Manuel
220,000 67,000
David Urban sk
David Urban
80,000 -85,000

Tags: David UrbanJulien SitbonNicolas BekerNathan Manuel

A Look at the Shorter Stacks

Level 16 : 2,500/5,000, 500 ante

The bubble is approaching nearly two dozen hands and several players are getting shorter and shorter. Among those are also Ahmed Abdella and Franck Mikaci. The former shoved and showed {A-Hearts}{K-Hearts}, Makaci was all in for 34,500 and got the blinds and antes with pocket kings.

Player Chips Progress
Nicolas Cardyn fr
Nicolas Cardyn
80,000 -10,000
Jonathan Therme fr
Jonathan Therme
WSOP 1X Winner
65,000 -53,000
Chris Moorman gb
Chris Moorman
WSOP 1X Winner
WPT 1X Winner
64,000 14,000
Ahmed Abdella kn
Ahmed Abdella
60,000 5,000
Franck Makaci fr
Franck Makaci
50,000 -20,000
Mladen Ivanov bg
Mladen Ivanov
50,000 -7,000
Michel Abecassis fr
Michel Abecassis
45,000 -40,000
Mikael Guenni fr
Mikael Guenni
30,000 -23,500

Tags: Ahmed AbdellaFranck Makaci

Freitas Branco and Clark Win Pots

Level 16 : 2,500/5,000, 500 ante

In a battle button versus small blind, Jonathan Clark check-called a small bet on the flop of {9-Spades}{4-Spades}{4-Clubs} against Yuriy Boyko and both then checked the {3-Hearts} turn. On the {6-Clubs} river, Clark bet 38,000 and Boyko was deep in the think tank. When the clock was called by Liv Boeree, Boyko tossed in a chip and mucked after being shown {K-Diamonds}{9-Diamonds} by Clark.

One table over, Joe Johnson bet the {J-Clubs}{5-Hearts}{8-Hearts}{5-Clubs}{Q-Clubs} river for 17,000 and around half the pot out of the big blind. Tiago Da Silva Freitas Branco moved all in for 65,500 and Johnson folded.

Player Chips Progress
Yuriy Boyko ie
Yuriy Boyko
330,000 -90,000
Jonathan Clark gb
Jonathan Clark
170,000 50,000
Joe Johnson us
Joe Johnson
135,000 -15,000
Tiago Da Silva Freitas Branco pt
Tiago Da Silva Freitas Branco
125,000 -15,000

Tags: Tiago Da Silva Freitas BrancoYuriy BoykoJoe JohnsonJonathan Clark

Folding Queens is (Not) an Option

Level 16 : 2,500/5,000, 500 ante

On the river of a board {8-Hearts}{5-Clubs}{5-Spades}{J-Hearts}{A-Hearts}, Julien Sitbon checked in the big blind and David Urban shoved for 31,000 into a pot of double of that. Sitbon folded after some table chat, but during the same hand there were two other clashes on different tables.

The flop of {7-Spades}{6-Hearts}{3-Clubs} saw Javier Zarco and Michel Chen both invest 22,500 before the {7-Diamonds} turn was checked by Zarco in the blinds. Chen checked behind and then faced the shove of the Spaniard on the {7-Hearts} river. Chen tried some table chat and eventually folded {Q-Clubs}{Q-Spades} face up.

And then there was the open shove of Eric Le Goff on the button against two short stacks. Mikael Guenni called in the small blind for 25,000 and the big blind folded.

Le Goff had {Q-Diamonds}{3-Diamonds} and Guenni doubled with {Q-Clubs}{Q-Spades} on a board of {9-Spades}{3-Clubs}{6-Clubs}{5-Diamonds}{10-Diamonds}.

Player Chips Progress
Javier Zarco es
Javier Zarco
370,000 115,000
Julien Sitbon fr
Julien Sitbon
WSOP 1X Winner
Winamax
220,000 -90,000
Michel Chen fr
Michel Chen
170,000 -15,000
David Urban sk
David Urban
100,000 20,000
Eric Le Goff fr
Eric Le Goff
90,000 -69,000
Mikael Guenni fr
Mikael Guenni
65,000 35,000

Tags: David UrbanEric Le GoffJavier ZarcoJulien SitbonMichel ChenMikael Guenni

Michel Abecassis Bubbles the High Roller

Level 16 : 2,500/5,000, 500 ante
Michel Abecassis Bubbles the High Roller
Michel Abecassis Bubbles the High Roller

Michel Chen limped in and Michel Abecassis then shoved from the button for 38,000. Valentin Frunze called from the small blind and Neophytos Neophytou reshoved from the big blind to get Chen and Frunze out of the way. Once all other tables were done, the showdown took place.

Michel Abecassis: {8-Diamonds}{8-Spades}
Neophytos Neophytou: {A-Diamonds}{A-Spades}

The board ran out {K-Clubs}{10-Clubs}{4-Clubs}{K-Diamonds}{Q-Clubs} and neither player had a club, crowning Abecassis as the bubble boy of the event.

Player Chips Progress
Neophytos Neophytou gb
Neophytos Neophytou
250,000 -70,000
Valentin Frunze md
Valentin Frunze
180,000 15,500
Michel Abecassis fr
Michel Abecassis
Busted

Tags: Alexandru FrunzeMichel AbecassisMichel ChenNeophytos Neophytou