The PokerStars Festival Sochi 132,000 RUB High Roller gets underway shortly and a bumper field of predominantly Russian players is expected. Tournament officials told us that satellites have been running throughout the festival, and the players cannot wait to get started.
Earlier this year Gleb Tremzin took down the PokerStars Championship Sochi 132,000 RUB High Roller, beating a field of 26 to take home 1,120,000 RUB (~$19,000). Who will follow in his footsteps this time around?
Players will each receive 30,000 chips and are allowed a single re-entry should they need it. They will play 12 levels on Day 1 with registration closing at the end of Level 8.
There will be 15-minute breaks after Level 3 and 9, and a 60-minute dinner break after Level 6.
Stay tuned to PokerNews.com for all the action live from the Sochi Casino & Resort.
In one hand Mikhail Korotkikh checked the river with already approaching 19,000 in chips in the middle. His opponent, Alexsey Zaragatskiy bet 5,000 and Korotkikh quickly fold.
In the next hand Korotkikh four-bet pre-flop in the small blind to around 2,000 and Muhtar Taysi called on the button. Korotkikh checked the flop and Taysi bet 3,300. Korotkikh moved all in for around 20,000 and Taysi folded.
Also at this table is Kiryl Radzivonau who has over $1.8m in lifetime earnings and is sixth on the all-time Belarussian money list.
Aren Bezhanyan limped under the gun and another played raised in middle position. Another called before Pedro Cairat three-bet to 2,800 in the small blind.
Bezhanyan then limp four-bet to 8,000 and Cairat was the only caller.
The flop came and both players checked. Cairat checked the turn and Bezhanyan bet 10,000. Cairat check-raised all in and Bezhanyan called for his last 18,000.
Pedro Cairat:
Aren Bezhanyan:
Cairat had the over-pair, but Bezhanyan had flush outs and could also hit an Ace. The river however was the and Bezhanyan was eliminated.
Team PokerStars Pros Liv Boeree and Igor Kurganov have spent the day exploring the beautiful mountains around the Sochi Casino & Resort and have now taken their seats in the PokerStars Festival Sochi High Roller.
Yakov Oranskiy raised and another player at the table called. Liv Boeree then three-bet all in from the small blind. Oranskiy four-bet all in over the top and the third player in the hand folded.
After an action-packed Day 1 of the PokerStars Festival Sochi High Roller, it is Andrey Andreev with 347,200 who leads the final 26 going into Day 2.
Just behind him is Vanush Mnatcakanian with 331,700. The pair are the only two players over 300,000, and are in fact the only two over 200,000, with their nearest competitor Dmitrii Deviatov with 179,700.
Today's event put the memory of the 26-player High Roller from the PokerStars Championship Sochi firmly to bed as a 96-player field descended on the Sochi Casino & Resort creating a prizepool of over 11 million rubles.
With players able to take advantage of a single re-entry should they need, many players did so including Russian regular Konstantin Puchkov, along with Nikita Kalinin, Valeriy Legchilo, Aleksandr Tudakov and Andrey Chernokoz.
Liv Boeree and Igor Kurganov both registered after the dinner break, and enjoyed differing starts to the High Roller.
While Boeree toiled at starting stack for most of the day, Kurganov soared to over three times starting stack before clashing with fellow big stack Andrey Andreev.
Andreev held top pair, as well as straight and flush draws against Kurganov's over pair. The river completed Andreev's flush and Kurganov was sent to the rail.
Kurganov re-entered and bagged up 175,000 at the end of the day good enough for fourth in chips, while Boeree was unlucky to bust when her pocket nines came up against the pocket tens of Yakov Oranskiy.
Towards the end of the night it appeared like Vanush Mnatcakanian could be the only player to challenge Andreev for the the chip lead but Andreev held firm to take 145 big blinds into Day 2.
Stay tuned to PokerNews.cim for what promises to be an exciting conclusion to the PokerStars Festival Sochi.
river with already approaching 19,000 in chips in the middle. His opponent, Alexsey Zaragatskiy bet 5,000 and Korotkikh quickly fold.
and both players checked. Cairat checked the 
and Bezhanyan was eliminated.
flop Igor Kurganov bet 8,000 and Andrey Andreev raised to 16,000. Kurganov then three-bet to 36,000 and Andreev called.
and Kurganov moved all in for 64,000. Andreev went into the tank before eventually calling.
and Andreev completed his flush, eliminating Kurganov and surging to the top of the chip counts.
