WPT Merit Cyprus Classic Championship Day 1a | 2009 WPT Merit Cyprus Classic

09-06-2009 19:37 UTC+3

Last Break

[user75032]

We've reached the last break of the day. Fifteen minutes more and then we'll be on the last level of the day.

Level: 5

Blinds: 300/600

Ante: 75

09-06-2009 19:53 UTC+3

Let's Play Another Level, Shall We?

[user66118]

The cards are back in the air with the final level of Day 1a.

09-06-2009 20:10 UTC+3

The big pots are the glamorous ones, but it's wining all those little pots that really helps build a stack to weather some rough times. Jonathan Little just dragged one of those pots. It was four-ways on a flop of {10-Clubs}

; everyone checked. When the turn came the {3-Spades}

, Little bet out 2,000. Only one of his three opponents called.

The river {10-Hearts}

brought another round of checks from Little and his remaining opponent. Little's top pair, {j-Spades}

, carried the day.

Tags: Jonathan Little

09-06-2009 20:19 UTC+3

Kongsgaard Goes Uncalled

[user75032]

Soren Kongsgaard put it all on the line. With 12,000 chips in the middle, he and one other player took a heads-up flop of {2-Spades}

. Kongsgaard's opponent had first action and bet 10,000. Kongsgaard's response was to move all in for 30,025 total. It was a bet that eventually caused his opponent to fold.

Tags: Soren Kongsgaard

09-06-2009 20:25 UTC+3

Danny Wong Chipping Up

[user38449]

Three-time WPT final tablist Danny Wong is making waves here at the end of Day 1a, having recently chipped up to 73,000 in chips.

Wong and two unknown opponents played a recent pot all the way to the showdown, as the board filled out {8-Spades}

. When the action was complete, both of Wong's opponents tabled different variations of Big Slick. Wong's rivered flush ( {5-Spades}

) proved plenty good against his opponents' kings and he raked in the pot to move to 73,000.

Tags: Danny Wong

09-06-2009 20:30 UTC+3

Mouron's Trip Eights Just Enough

[user66118]

Jazzar Mouron opened the pot with a raise before an opponent further down the line moved all in for 17,675. When it came back to Mouron, he paused for a moment while the dealer began to count down the all-in stack, and he would eventually flick the calling chips into the pot to put his opponent in danger of being eliminated.

Showdown
At-risk Player: {7-Clubs}

Mouron:

It was no fun for the player at risk, and it would only get worse as the dealer ran a flop of {3-Hearts}

. The

on the turn was useful, but he would need to find the last seven in the deck to stay alive. The {Q-Diamonds}

on the river was indeed not a seven, and Mouron has sent another player off to the rail. After adding those chips to his own stack, Jazzar is up dangerously close to the century mark, sitting now with 98,000.

Tags: Jazzar Mouron

09-06-2009 20:32 UTC+3

Seed Still in Control

[user75032]

Huck Seed has been zigging and zagging at the right times today. He played a curious heads-up hand a few moments ago but it came out fine for the former world champion. After one player limped into the pot preflop from middle position, Seed raised to 4,100, a rather sizable raise. The only caller was the preflop limper. That player checked to Seed on a flop of {4-Clubs}

. Seed tanked for about a minute before checking behind.

Both players also checked the {2-Clubs}

, in much more rapid fashion. When the river fell {j-Diamonds}

, Seed's opponent checked a third time, but Seed did not. He fired out a bet of 7,000, a bet that caused his opponent to dive into the tank. He was in there for almost two minutes, hands nervously shaking. He peeked back at his cards several times, shaking his head, before finally surrendering his hand.

Tags: Huck Seed

09-06-2009 20:38 UTC+3

Calling the Clock on Antonio Esfandiari

[user66118]

During the last break, Lynn cornered The Magician for 60 seconds (or so) of interrogation in a little thing we like to call Calling the Clock. It's a good one, check it:

Tags: Antonio Esfandiari

09-06-2009 20:39 UTC+3

All That Jazzar

[user75032]

Jazzar Moroun has been steadily building, building, building his chip stack throughout the day. As with Jonathan Little, it often seems to be about the smaller pots for Moroun. After John Monnette limped into the pot from middle position, the button player raised to 2,000. Moroun was in the small blind and re-raised to 5,000, driving Monnette out of the action. Only the button called.

Moroun bet another 5,000 on a flop of {10-Clubs}

. It was enough to take down the pot.

Tags: Jazzar Moroun