Main Event
Day 1a Completed
2016 Unibet Open Bucharest
Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2016 Unibet Open Bucharest
Buy-in
€1,000
Prize Pool
€584,910
Entries
603
Level
32
Blinds
150,000 / 300,000
Ante
50,000
Level 11
: 1,200/2,400, 400 ante
The first of two starting days of the €1,100 Unibet Open Bucharest Main Event attracted a total field of 236 entries to put the tournament well on track to meet the guarantee of €500,000 and set a record for the tour. So far, that stands at 460 entries back in Budapest 2010 when Anthon-Pieter Wink claimed the title and a payday of €172,500.
Registration closed at the start of level seven after the dinner break, and after 11 levels of 60 minutes each only 63 hopefuls bagged up chips with Markus Heikkila in the lead on 322,000. The Swede was among the biggest stacks for most of the last few levels and turned a full house in the last hands of the night with a pair of treys to get paid off by Vasile Paul Plastoi, who then himself doubled through Anton Haegglund and advanced with 190,000.
In second place after Day 1a is Heikkila's countryman Jakob Linden (287,000), while William Hens (285,000), Eli Heath (250,000), Aldo Monteleone (232,500), Gheorghe Caplescu (202,000) and Tristan Guiodo (178,500) all claimed big stacks as well. Hens was at one point down to just 1,600, two big blinds at the time, before turning on an incredible heater. Eduard Norel's pocket queens were no good against the turned set of jacks of Hens when the stacks went in and that pushed the Dutchman to third place.
Dan Murariu, who is one of just two players to already win two Unibet Open Main Events thus far, dominated the early stages and ultimately bagged up 160,000. The other two-time champion is Mateusz Mooolhuizen and the Dutchman will join the action on Day 1b. Other notables that made it through Day 1a include Gordon Plomp (148,000), Ozgur Arda (110,000), 2016 Unibet Open Malta champion Martin Soukup (107,000), Luciana Manolea (100,000), Mate Mecs (84,500), Olof Haglund (63,500) and Dan Glimne (59,000).
Among those that took to the felt and busted were such familiar names as Alexander Staengle, Jasper Wetemans, Sam Grafton, Tudor Purice, Kevin Killeen, Boris Kuzmanovic, Dany Parlafes and 2015 Glasgow champion Daniel Chutrov. [Removed:158] finished 3rd at the 2016 Unibet Open on Malta and lost a flip with pocket sevens against ace-queen, an ace showed up on the river. Live stream commentator David Vanderheyden, who won a package via Unibet, also joined the competition and busted on the feature table before taking over his usual duty until the end of the day.
At some point, all 39 tables in the ballroom of the JW Marriott Bucharest Grand Hotel were in use at the same time with cash games and a €115 Rebuy Satellite for Day 1b running, and the latter saw massive 311 entries and 27 tickets in total for the second flight as of 12 p.m. local time on Friday. Another full house is expected when the cards go back in the air, make sure to tune back in and follow the PokerNews live updates until a winner is crowned on Sunday.
Level 11
: 1,200/2,400, 400 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
322,000 | |
|
287,000
92,000
|
92,000 |
|
285,000 | |
|
250,000 | |
|
232,500
92,500
|
92,500 |
|
202,000
38,000
|
38,000 |
|
191,000 | |
|
190,000 | |
|
186,500
186,500
|
186,500 |
|
180,500
180,500
|
180,500 |
|
178,500
118,500
|
118,500 |
|
|
171,000
9,000
|
9,000 |
|
169,000
169,000
|
169,000 |
|
160,000
5,000
|
5,000 |
|
||
|
155,000
73,000
|
73,000 |
|
151,000
46,000
|
46,000 |
|
148,000
93,000
|
93,000 |
|
144,500
144,500
|
144,500 |
|
143,000
2,000
|
2,000 |
|
138,000
138,000
|
138,000 |
|
136,500
136,500
|
136,500 |
|
135,000
45,000
|
45,000 |
|
135,000
45,000
|
45,000 |
|
|
121,000 | |
|
|
119,000
44,000
|
44,000 |
Level 11
: 1,200/2,400, 400 ante
William Hens was down to 1,600 earlier, just two big blinds, and fell back to 25,000 not long ago. Then a miracle run boosted his stack back to 160,000, including one hand where he flopped two pair with 
on 
. The big blind check-raised with 
and then called the shove of Hens before the 
turn and 
river ran out blank.
Then, Hens raised and called the three-bet to 11,000 by Eduard Norel. On the 
flop, Hens check-called a bet of 11,500 before check-raising all in after the 
turn for 100,000 effectively. Norel called and then spotted the bad news.
Eduard Norel: 
William Hens: 
The on the river changed nothing and Norel was eliminated, while Hens skyrocketed to 285,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
285,000
260,000
|
260,000 |
|
Busted |
Level 11
: 1,200/2,400, 400 ante
After a raise to 5,000 by Luciana Manolea, Solomon Stan three-bet to 16,000 and a third player in the hand called. Manolea then shoved for and just Stan called with the 
. Manolea was ahead with the 
and the board ran out blank showing 
to let Manolea double just before the end of the day.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
100,000
12,000
|
12,000 |
|
34,000
86,000
|
86,000 |
Level 11
: 1,200/2,400, 400 ante
Markus Heikkila raised to 6,000 and Vasile Paul Plastoi three-bet to 18,000 from the cutoff and Heikkila came along to see a flop of 
. Heikkila check-called a bet worth 16,000 and the 
on the turn went check, check. After the river, Heikkila bet 44,000 and Plastoi eventually called to then muck when Heikkila showed him 
for a full house.
Soon after, in the second-last hand of the night, Anton Haeggblom raised and called the three-bet of Plastoi. On the 
turn, Haeggblom bet more than 80,000 and Plastoi called all in for 73,200.
Vasile Paul Plastoi: 
Anton Haeggblom:
The 
on the river was a blank and Plastoi doubled back to a big stack.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
322,000
17,000
|
17,000 |
|
|
190,000
40,000
|
40,000 |
|
|
121,000
56,000
|
56,000 |
Level 11
: 1,200/2,400, 400 ante
Iustin Cojocaru opened from under the gun and Silviu Baltatenu shoved from three seats over to force folds all around the table, except for Cocojaru. He called for 55,500 with the and had Baltatenu's 
dominated. The board came 
and Baltatenu was left with around 30,000.
Those chips vanished the next hand when he shoved with the 
. Ionut-Alin Tambura called with and flopped an ace, Baltatenu was drawing dead after a blank turn and exited in the last hands of the day.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
191,000
191,000
|
191,000 |
|
|
113,000
113,000
|
113,000 |
|
|
Busted |
Level 11
: 1,200/2,400, 400 ante
The clocks have been stopped and six more hands will be played for today. According to the screens, there are 65 players remaining.
Level 11
: 1,200/2,400, 400 ante
There are just 65 players remaining and among those to run out of chips in the last level of the night were Tudor Purice, Dorin Rauta and Tomer Zcharya. More than two third of the field has been eliminated and at the end of this level, a quick chip race takes place before the players get to bag and tag for Day 2 on Saturday.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
Busted | |
|
Busted | |
|
Busted |
Level 11
: 1,200/2,400, 400 ante
Over on the feature table, William Hens raised to 3,200 and Razvan Lucian Cetanas called to see a flop of 
. Hens continued for 4,500 and Cetanas called before the fell on the turn. Hens check-raised to 50,000 and Cetanas eventually called all in for 36,000 with the . Hens had for the flush draw and the 
river bricked.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
92,400 | |
|
|
25,000
60,000
|
60,000 |
