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

09-07-2009 21:34 UTC+3

Torelli Knocked Down and then Out

[user38449]

Busting out of the WPT Merit Cyprus Classic is NOT on Alec Torelli's '25 by 25' list

Alec Torelli has just been done in by Engin Sancalctaroglu, the result of two hands that took place in a span of about five minutes.

In the first, Torelli failed to push Sancalctaroglu off his {A-Hearts}

by moving all over the top of a preflop reraise holding {J-Diamonds}

. "You're good," Torelli told Sancalctaroglu as he tabled his bluff. A nine-high board followed and Sancalctaroglu took down the pot -- worth just over 60,000 in chips -- on the strength of his ace-high.

Minutes later, a visibly frustrated Torelli opened with a raise to 6,500 -- not quite his entire stack, but most of it -- and Sancalctaroglu came over the top with a 15,000 reraise, which was more than enough to put Torelli all in. A call was made and Torelli tabled a meager {A-Clubs}

, which was dominated by Sancalctaroglu's {A-Spades}

. The board filled out {4-Clubs}

and once again, ace-high was good enough for Sancalctaroglu, who now sits with just over 70,000 in chips.

Tags: Alec Torelli

09-07-2009 21:44 UTC+3

Pause the Clock

[user75032]

With 17:39 left on the clock, tournament staff have paused the tournament. We're on the last hands of the night before players bag their chips.

09-07-2009 21:58 UTC+3

Juanda Eliminated

[user75032]

As we did yesterday, today we played only one hand after the tournament clock was paused. According to table-mate Phil Gordon, short-stacked John Juanda seemed somewhat tilted that there was only one further hand to be played. He opened from under the gun, all in for about 17,000. Action passed to Gordon. He called with pocket eights and found himself against Juanda's pocket fives. Eights held to send Juanda to the rail.

That pot may have put Gordon in the chip lead. He finished the night with 157,000. The biggest stack we counted prior to the last hand was Jan Skampa's 155,000.

Tags: John Juanda Phil Gordon

09-07-2009 22:03 UTC+3

Cut It and Print It; Day 1b is a Wrap

[user38449]

Unofficial Day 1b chip leader Phil Gordon

Another five levels of poker are in the books at the WPT Merit Cyprus Classic, and 90 new players have traversed through the tournament room here at the Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino; 62 of whom will return for Day 2 tomorrow afternoon.

Your unofficial Day 1b chip leader is Team Full Tilt pro Phil Gordon, whose late surge and last minute elimination of fellow Team Full Tilt pro John Juanda catapulted him to the top of the leaderboard with just over 157,000 in chips.

Not far behind him is Jean Robert Bellande-slayer Jan Skampa, who bagged right around 156,000 in chips at night's end.

Play is scheduled to recommence tomorrow afternoon at 12:00 p.m. sharp, when the survivors from both Day 1 flights -- 125 of them in total -- merge to form one field and begin the next leg of their journey to the final table.

Official chip counts and a Day 2 seating chart will magically appear in this space as soon as they are made available to us.

Join us tomorrow afternoon for our continued coverage of the 2009 WPT Merit Cyprus Classic, live from the Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino.

Until then, good night and good luck!

Tags: Phil Gordon

WPT Merit Cyprus Classic Championship

Day 1b Completed