2009 WPT Merit Cyprus Classic

WPT Merit Cyprus Classic Championship
Day: 1b
1a1b23456
Event Info

2009 WPT Merit Cyprus Classic

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
7♥7♦
Prize
$579,165
Event Info
Buy-in
$10,000
Entries
181
Level Info
Level
25
Blinds
50,000 / 100,000
Ante
10,000
Sort

Day 1b is Here

[user66118]
[user66118]
Good morning once again from the picturesque Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino, and welcome back to our continuing coverage of this World Poker Tour stop in Cyprus.

Yesterday's Day 1a flight saw 91 players turn up to take their seats, and nearly 30 of them were shown the exit door when the first five levels were complete. Today will see a new flight of runners for Day 1b, and we figure to see a big increase over yesterday's field. There are only 16 players up on the big board so far, but that number is ticking its way up minute by minute.

We're scheduled for a 12:00 noon kickoff, but if yesterday is any indication, it's likely to be closer to 1:00 before the cards get in the air. Sit tight; we'll be back with the shuffle up and deal shortly.

Level: 1

Blinds: 50/100

Ante: 0

Early Arrivals

[user75032]
[user75032]
Yesterday the field swelled over the course of three levels by about 50%. Thus we do not expect that today's starting field will be today's final field. With that caveat, here's who we've spotted so far: Praz Bansi, David Bach and Matt Glantz, all on Table 2; James Akenhead, Lee Markholt, Kelly Kim and Yuri Kerzhapkin, all on Table 3; Sassine Ghazaleh on Table 4; and Annette Obrestad and WPT champion Chris Karagulleyan on Table 6.

We're told that several members of Team Full Tilt are on the property and presumably will be joining the tournament in progress during one of the later levels.

Don't All Talk at Once

[user75032]
[user75032]
As opposed to yesterday, when players like Shaun Deeb and Jonathan Little provided a steady stream of dialogue, today the tournament room is library quiet. That's going to make it difficult to do one of my favorite segments, "Overheard at the Tables". Perhaps the players' tongues will loosen up after things here settle into more of a groove.

Torelli Off and Running

[user75032]
[user75032]
Alec Torelli
Alec Torelli
Alec Torelli is one of the players who showed up on time this afternoon. His punctuality was rewarded with a pot that increased his stack by 50%. With the board already showing {K-Hearts} {K-Diamonds} {Q-Clubs} {J-Diamonds}, Torelli bet 5,200. He was called, in position, by Greek player Elias Brussianos.

The river came a third diamond, {4-Diamonds}. Torelli calmly cut 12,000 chips off of his stack and threw them in the middle. Brussianos debated for about a minute before calling. Torelli showed him {J-Clubs} {J-Spades} for jacks full of kings. It was the winner.

After the hand, one of the other players at the table offered Torelli what can best be characterized as a "shot" of tea that's being served by the hotel staff.

"Why's it so little?" Torelli asked. He was told that the size was dictated by tradition.

"Tradition? Ok then, I'll have one," Torelli replied. "I want whatever's traditional. I could always get two, ya know?"

Tags: Alec Torelli

We Welcome...

[user75032]
[user75032]
Allen Cunningham and David Levi are new arrivals to the tournament field. They're over on Table 7, which now includes Praz Bansi and Bryan Collin, each of whom was high-carded away from his original table to fill out the new table.

Man Down

[user75032]
[user75032]
We're not sure exactly how long it took yesterday before a player was relieved of his entire 400-big-blind stack. Today it took fifty minutes. Over on Table 4, two players got all in on a flop of {10-Hearts} {8-Diamonds} {A-Diamonds}. It was a cooler situation, of course; one player had a set of tens, {10-Diamonds} {10-Clubs}, while the other had a set of aces {A-Hearts} {A-Spades}. The player with the set of tens uttered a disgusted "Jesus Christ", stood up and walked out of the tournament area before the turn and river were even on the board. His hand did not improve.

Small Pots for Markholt

[user75032]
[user75032]
Lee Markholt is slowly chipping up on Table 3, a table which now includes Daniel Alaei. On back-to-back hands, Markholt took down pots that were contested by one opponent -- the same player in both cases. In the first hand, Markholt was the aggressor on the flop, the turn checked, and Markholt's river bet was uncalled. In the second hand, it was Markholt calling the flop, the turn checking, and then Markholt taking it down with an uncalled river bet.

In this first level, most of the pots that have gone past the flop have been averaging about 1,500 to 2,000 chips. We won't be seeing much stack movement for a while.

Tags: Lee Markholt

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