Main Event
Day 1a Completed
2017 PokerStars Festival Sochi
Main Event
Day: 1a
Sergey Lavrikov Leads the Way End Day 1a Main Event
![[user252447]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
Level 12
: 1,000/2,000, 300 ante
The 2017 PokerStars Festival Sochi continued today with Day 1a of the 30,000,000 RUB Main Event.
The first of three starting flights saw cards in the air at 12 p.m. for twelve 45-minute levels and ended up attracting an impressive 276 entries with 94 players bagging up chips for Day 2.
Sergey Lavrikov ended the end as overall chip leader with 286,800 while Alexander Shlyakhov finished second on 272,900 and Rauta Dorin is third with 229,000.
There were a few notables in the tournament including Philipp Salewski who took home €111,674 earlier this year for winning the Sunday Million Live topping a field of 5,045.
At the last major event held at the Sochi Casino and Resort Aleksandr Merzhvinskiy took third place for $400,000 and he too played today. Merzhvinskiy has assorted cashes from Belarus and Montenegro, as well as 18th place in the PokerStars National Championship Sochi from May this year.
The best known player though was surely Yuri Gulyy. With over $900,000 in lifetime earnings including a 2nd in the FPS High Roller at the EPT 11 Grand Final for $121,995 and numerous EPT wins in Copenhagen and London, deep Main Event runs in Deauville, Malta, Madrid, Prague and Monte Carlo Gulyy is a force to be reckoned with at the tables.
Gulyy got a good start and seemed to keep the aggression up and was cruising along at the 100,000 chip mark until it all went wrong towards the end of the day when he was reduced to a ten big blind stack and busted in level 12.
Today though belonged to the Russians and it is a tribute to the pull of the festival in such an amazing venue and the Russian’s deep love of poker that the numbers were so impressive which bodes well for the rest of the Festival and the future of live poker in Russia.
Tomorrow, Friday 20th October sees another packed day of poker with Day 1b of the Main Event starting at 12 p.m Another High Roller Satellite at 4 p.m. The Sochi Poker Cup at 6 p.m. and the last Day 1c of the Main Event at 9:30 p.m.
Friday is also the night of the PokerStars Players Party where the assembled players have a chance to relax and celebrate together and the 2017 Sochi Players Party is shaping up to be a special.
The party is also being co-hosted by PokerStars and Playboy and will see an appearance from Alekseev, a Ukranian singer who made the semi-final of Ukraine’s "Voice Of The Country” and is a huge star in Russia. His song, “Drunken Sun” topped the charts and has over 30 million views on YouTube.
Coverage of the Main Event continues here tomorrow exclusive to PokerNews.
Assorted End of Day Big Stacks (full)
Level 12
: 1,000/2,000, 300 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
286,800 | 76,800 |
|
|
272,900 | 272,900 |
|
226,800 | -3,200 |
|
|
222,600 | 22,600 |
|
|
207,000 | 207,000 |
|
|
172,200 | 172,200 |
|
|
169,500 | 169,500 |
|
167,100 | 167,100 |
|
|
163,200 | 163,200 |
|
|
163,200 | 163,200 |
|
156,500 | 156,500 |
|
|
147,400 | 147,400 |
|
147,000 | 147,000 |
|
|
140,300 | 140,300 |
|
|
139,300 | 139,300 |
|
|
139,200 | 139,200 |
|
|
138,500 | 138,500 |
|
|
137,700 | 137,700 |
|
|
136,600 | 78,600 |
|
132,500 | 132,500 |
|
|
124,100 | 124,100 |
|
119,700 | 19,700 |
|
|
117,500 | 117,500 |
|
|
114,500 | 46,500 |
|
|
114,000 | 19,000 |
Yury Gulyy Eliminated by Cenk Nigbolu
Level 12
: 1,000/2,000, 300 ante
Yury Gulyy moved all in from early position for exactly 20,000. It folded to Cenk Nigbolu on the button who called.
Yury Gulyy: 
Cenk Nigbolu: 
The flop came 
giving Nigbolu top pair but Gulyy an open-ended straight draw. The turn was the 
giving Nigbolu a flush draw to restrict Gulyy's straight outs.
The river was the 
and Gulyy was eliminated.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
100,000 | 62,000 |
|
Busted |
Rauta Dorin Narrow Lead
Level 12
: 1,000/2,000, 300 ante
Rauta Dorin is hanging on to his narrow lead as the last level ticks down with Sergey Lavrikov emerging from the chasing pack to nip at his heels.
It's all gone a bit wrong for Yury Guyly though who is down to a ten big blind stack.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
230,000 | |
|
|
210,000 | |
|
|
200,000 | |
|
|
23,000 | -72,000 |
Demenkov Calls For a Card to Stay Alive
Level 12
: 1,000/2,000, 300 ante
Vladislav Shuravin raised to 3,600 from under the gun and got four callers including Vladimir Demenkov in the big blind. On a flop of 
Demenkov moved all in for 7,000. Shuravin snap-called and the three remaining players all folded.
Vladislav Shuravin: 
Vladimir Demenkov: 
Both players held straight flush draws, but Shuravin's out was blocked meaning he was looking for a spade to complete his flush draw. The turn was the giving Shuravin a flush.
Demenkov called for a six, with the six of spades completing his straight flush. However, the river was the 
. Shuravin twitched a little in his seat before realising that it was in fact the wrong suit. The pair laughed and Demenkov was eliminated.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
110,000 | |
|
Busted |
Level: 12
Blinds: 1,000/2,000
Ante: 300
A Festival of Poker in Sochi
Level 11
: 800/1,600, 200 ante
The tournament room is really packed out at the moment with three PokerStars tournaments all running at the same time.
The satellite to the high roller has hit level 11 and there are 41 players left in from an original field of 114 chasing a top eight finish to secure a seat in Saturday’s High Roller with ninth sport paying around half the price of a seat.
The ever popular Deep Stack has been underway for an hour and with 220 entries on the board with 5 bust outs to date.
Day 1a of the Main Event is just about to hit the last level of the day with 118 of the 276 strong filed still with chips.
Rifat Kuzakhmedov Happy With Triple Up
Level 11
: 800/1,600, 200 ante
Dzmitry Ulasenka opened the action for 2,000 from the cut-off and got a call from Dmitriy Karpenko on the button before Rifat Kuzakhmedov in the small blind moved all in for23,000.
Ulasenka called and so did but was soon muttering under his breath and wishing he hadn’t.
Ulasenka: 
Karpenko:
Kuzakhmedov: 
The run out came 
Kuzakhmedov drummed his fists on the table in delight at the timely treble.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
67,000 | 25,000 |
|
|
34,000 | |
|
|
Busted |
Suited Ace and a Double For Ivan Semenov
Level 11
: 800/1,600, 200 ante
Vanush Mnatcakanian opened the action from the button and Ivan Semenov moved all in from the big blind for 16,600. Mnatcakanian gave him a spin and cards were on their backs.
Ivan Semenov 
Vanush Mnatcakanian 
A run out of 
saw the turn come to the rescue for Semenov who got his double up.