2009 WPT Merit Cyprus Classic

WPT Merit Cyprus Classic Championship
Day: 1a
Event Info

2009 WPT Merit Cyprus Classic

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
77
Prize
$579,165
Event Info
Buy-in
$10,000
Entries
181
Level Info
Level
25
Blinds
50,000 / 100,000
Ante
10,000

Flack-tion

Layne Flack has been very, very active today after amassing a monster stack early. All of the activity seems to be earning him more than his share of callers. After one player limped in preflop, Flack raised the action to 750. He was called by four players behind him (including button John Tabatabai and big blind Ludovic Lacay) and by the early limper.

Six players took a flop of {4-Hearts} {Q-Hearts} {9-Clubs}. Somehow it checked through to the {A-Hearts} turn, which checked through again. When the river fell {7-Clubs}, Lacay made a stab of 1,800. He was called by only one of his five opponents, who said, "Two pair" and showed {A-Spades} {4-Diamonds}, aces and fours. Lacay never opened his hand. He mucked.

Tags: Layne FlackLudovic Lacay

Lisandro Mounting a Comeback

Jeff Lisandro
Jeff Lisandro
After being crippled to under 2,000 chips in the last level, 2009 WSOP Player of the Year Jeff Lisandro has been doing a bit of work. We find him back up to about 8,000 at last check which should let him sit around comfortably for a while longer. He's also been moved for the second time today, now sitting directly to the right of John Monnette on Table 5 and enjoying a little massage to ease his short-stacked tension.

Tags: Jeff Lisandro

Not That Mizrachi. Nope, Not That One Either.

The player under the gun limped into the pot for 200, and Roni Mizrachi moved all in for his last 3,000 chips. Next door, John Monnette quickly made the call as the rest of the table folded out of the way. Mizrachi was at risk for his tournament life with {Q-Hearts} {J-Spades}, racing for salvation against the {8-Diamonds} {8-Spades} of Monnette.

The board would run out dry as a bone for the all-in player, coming {2-Hearts} {3-Clubs} {4-Diamonds} {7-Hearts} {7-Spades}. "Seat open!" yelled the dealer immediately. With that, a rather dejected looking Mizrachi slowly paced to the exit.

Tags: John MonnetteRoni Mizrachi

Level: 3

Blinds: 100/200

Ante: 25

Rebound

Antony Lellouche has just climbed back up to 36,000 in chips after flopping a flush and extracting some good value.

With the board showing {9-Diamonds}{K-Diamonds}{3-Diamonds}{5-Clubs}, Lellouche's T800 bet was check-raised to 2,200 by an unknown opponent. Holding the second nuts ({Q-Diamonds}, {2-Diamonds}), Lellouche made the call and watched the {6-Spades} roll off on the river.

His opponent then checked, allowing Lellouche to fire a 5,000 bullet. A call was made and the second Lellouche tabled his hand, his opponent mucked.

Tags: Antony Lellouche

Oh Right -- Poker

The games of Lodden Thinks are raging in the back of the room but there's also a poker tournament going on at the same time. Antonio Esfandiari and Sorel Mizzi had to set aside their side action for a few moments when Esfandiari become embroiled in a sizable pot. He was the preflop aggressor in a three-way pot and bet 3,100 on a flop of {10-Diamonds} {6-Hearts} {10-Clubs}. One player with position on Esfandiari called.

The turn came {J-Diamonds}. Both players checked through to the {K-Diamonds} river. With about 11,000 in the pot, Esfandiari made a small bet of 3,000. "Double it," his opponent said, raising to 6,000 Esfandiari thought things over for about a minute and a half before dejectedly flicking his cards towards the dealer.

Tags: Antonio Esfandiari

Big Multi-way Action

John Tabatabai
John Tabatabai
Four players limped into the pot before tournament newcomer John Tabatabai raised it up to 1,400 from the button. Jeff Lisandro and the other three limpers all came along to the flop with 7,300 chips already piled in the middle of the table.

The dealer spread {10-Diamonds} {J-Diamonds} {4-Diamonds}, and the first three players checked. The man in the cutoff seat grabbed his whole stack of ~12,000 and shoved them forward, only to see Tabatabai move all in for more than 30,000 right behind him. Next to act, Jeff Lisandro followed suit with an all in of his own worth close to 32,000. The other two meddlers ducked out of the way, and the cards were turned up.

Showdown
Cutoff: {A-Diamonds} {5-Spades} (ace-high flush draw)
Tabatabai: {J-Clubs} {J-Hearts} (top set)
Lisandro: {4-Spades} {4-Clubs} (bottom set)

The news was not good for Lisandro, and he stood up from his chair with a frown and a shake of the head. The turn was the {A-Hearts}, no help to anyone. The {2-Hearts} that filled out the board was a blank as well, locking up a huge pot for Tabatabai. Lisandro continued to stare forlornly at the ceiling as the dealer pushed the pot away from him.

After the dust settled and the chips were counted down, Tabatabai has moved up to just about 80,000, leaving Lisandro crippled all the way down to just 1,975.

Tags: Jeff LisandroJohn Tabatabai

Seed in Control

Huck Seed seems to have his table well under control. He opened the button to 600, then called a re-raise to 1,950 made by the small blind. On a flop of {5-Clubs} {K-Spades} {2-Spades} the small blind fired out another 2,500. Seed called almos instantaneously, then bet 8,000 when a {Q-Hearts} hit the turn and the small blind checked. The small blind then open-folded {10-Diamonds} {10-Hearts}. Seed showed one queen, {Q-Diamonds}, then claimed afterwards that he had made three queens. Whether or not it was true, he's up to 62,000.

Tags: Huck Seed