Delval Easily Leads the Way after Day 1a of the WSOP Circuit Aix-en-Provence Main Event
How smooth can a Day 1 of a WSOP Circuit Main Event be when you only lose three pots? That’s exactly what Frédéric Delval claimed happened to him today after finishing on top of the Day 1a chip counts here at the Pasino Grand in Aix-en-Provence.
Already chip leader by the first break, Delval never relinquished his spot throughout the day. It wasn’t until after the dinner break that he admitted to losing his first pot, “but only for 15,000 chips,” he said while bagging an impressive 558,000 stack. “I lost another pot, and just before the end of the day where I lost 120,000 chips with queens against jacks that hit a full house,” he added with a smile.
Ludwig de Saint-Etienne held second place for a long stretch. He had already doubled his stack when he folded kings preflop in a five-bet pot after the first level. But on his path, he encountered Oleksandr Lobur, who took the majority of his chips across three key hands. “One pot flop, one pot turn, one pot river,” the Ukrainian summarized at the end of the day. Lobur finished strong with 487,000, while De Saint-Etienne, who at one point peaked at 500,000, bagged 264,000 for Day 2.
Day 1a Top 10 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Frédéric Delval | France | 558,000 | 186 |
| 2 | Oleksandr Lobur | Ukraine | 487,000 | 162 |
| 3 | Guillaume Bigot | France | 439,000 | 146 |
| 4 | Flavius Vlasiu | Romania | 411,000 | 137 |
| 5 | Kevin Bleitrach | France | 394,000 | 131 |
| 6 | Stephane Abehassera | France | 377,000 | 126 |
| 7 | Mickael Muselli | France | 376,000 | 125 |
| 8 | Kostya Zaks | France | 365,000 | 122 |
| 9 | Andriy Marusanov | Switzerland | 352,000 | 117 |
| 10 | Adrian Perez | Spain | 337,000 | 112 |
Among the 79 players who qualified for Day 2 out of a field of 322 entries, Kostya Zaks bagged one of the biggest stacks with 367,000 chips. He was joined at the top of the leaderboard by EPT champion Uri Gilboa (316,000) and Michel Leibgorin (303,000).
The €750 WSOP-C Superstack winner Anthony Apicella continued his strong run with 170,000 chips, just behind WSOP bracelet winner Antonin Teisseire, who bagged 194,000. Last week’s Winamax Poker Tour finalist Tahar Said also cruised through with 160,000.
“Same as usual—15 to 20 big blinds for me,” joked Rémy Biechel as he waited for his bag. He managed to finish with a bit more, ending the day on 88,000 chips. However Clément Michaud (74,000), Winamax Team Pro Davidi Kitai (54,000) and WSOP bracelet winner Axel Bayout (44,000) wrapped up their Day 1a exactly in the zone Biechel described.
The €1,000 WSOP Circuit Aix-en-Provence Main Event continues tomorrow, Friday, April 18, at 12:30 p.m. with Day 1b. This second flight will follow the exact same structure as Day 1a, featuring 45-minute levels and ending when only 25% of the field remains.
The only difference concerns the entry rules: players who participated in Day 1a but didn’t qualify will be allowed to play Day 1b only once. However, those who haven’t registered yet can enter and re-enter during Day 1b.
Stay tuned to PokerNews for continued coverage of all the Main Event here in Aix-en-Provence!