button in SafariHigh-Stakes Mainstay Isaac Haxton Second in Chips After Day 1a of Triton ONE North Cyprus Main Event
Isaac Haxton is no stranger to Triton Poker events. With 75 cashes in Super High Roller Series events, the first of which dates back all the way to 2017, Haxton has the fourth-most in-the-money finishes of all time. Still lacking on his resume, though, is a title in a Triton ONE event, the lower buy-in series Triton Poker introduced last year.
After Day 1a of the Triton One North Cyprus $8,000 Main Event, that might change for Haxton. After the 263 entries had been whittled down to just 46 contenders after fifteen levels of play, he ended the day with 3,440,000, worth just under 14 starting stacks, mostly due to a big double knockout near the end of the night. His stack nets him 86 big blinds when play resumes on Day 2, giving him ample ammunition to take advantage of the bubble dynamics.
The only player who amassed more than Haxton at the Merit Royal Diamond Hotel & Spa was Damir Gabdullin. Unlike Haxton, Gabdullin sat down from the very start of play, and he actually scored the very first elimination of the day only a few minutes into Level 1. His momentum never stopped since, and he bagged 4,515,000 for a sizable chip lead.
Top European regulars Axel Hallay and Fahredin Mustafov also secured a big stack for Day 2, concluding Day 1a with 2,900,000 and 2,060,000, respectively. The ever-eccentric Ren Lin finished with 1,995,000, on the cusp of reaching his fourth cash in four events this series, while Congya Zhang rounds out the top ten with a stack of 1,875,000.
End of Day 1a Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Day 2 Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Damir Gabdullin | Russian Federation | 4,515,000 | 113 |
| 2 | Isaac Haxton | United States | 3,440,000 | 86 |
| 3 | Axel Hallay | France | 2,900,000 | 73 |
| 4 | Ignas Jasinevicius | Lithuania | 2,750,000 | 69 |
| 5 | Fahredin Mustafov | Bulgaria | 2,060,000 | 52 |
| 6 | Mahmoud Bedoui | Germany | 2,000,000 | 50 |
| 7 | Choon Tong Siow | Malaysia | 1,995,000 | 50 |
| 8 | Ren Lin | China | 1,995,000 | 50 |
| 9 | Nang Quang Nguyen | Viet Nam | 1,900,000 | 48 |
| 10 | Congya Zhang | China | 1,875,000 | 47 |
Other high-stakes regulars who made it through on the first starting flight include Wai Kiat Lee (1,750,000), Triton Poker founder Paul Phua (1,565,000), Sergio Aido (1,450,000), Thomas Boivin (1,005,000), Samuel Mullur (695,000), Biao Ding (680,000), and Daniel Dvoress (380,000). Meanwhile, the only player on Earth who has two Triton ONE titles to his name, Khoa Anh Ngo, bagged 690,000 as he hunts a record-extending third trophy and his first-ever Main Event victory.
Meanwhile, players like Eric Tsai, Ognyan Dimov, Winfred Yu, Leon Sturm, Aleksejs Ponakovs, Jessica Teusl, Dimitar Danchev, Aliaksei Boika, Thomas Eychenne, Ole Schemion, and Emilien Pitavy all contributed to the $1,934,618 collected in the prize pool on Day 1a, but will have to spend at least one more buy-in to see a return on their investment.
The next opportunity to enter the Triton ONE Main Event is on November 11, when Day 1b starts at noon local time. It follows the same structure as Day 1a, playing 15 40-minute levels. After Day 1b, there is one more starting flight with Day 1c, which takes place on November 12. Only one reentry is permitted per flight. The survivors of the three starting days will combine for Day 2 on November 13, while the eventual winner will be crowned on Day 4, November 15.
PokerNews will be back on the floor tomorrow to live report another exciting starting flight, so make sure to tune back in for all the latest action from Triton ONE.