Main Event
Day 1a Completed
2014 partypoker World Poker Tour Merit North Cyprus Classic
Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2014 partypoker World Poker Tour Merit North Cyprus Classic
Buy-in
$4,000
Prize Pool
$1,486,720
Entries
404
Level
31
Blinds
60,000 / 120,000
Ante
0
Pateychuk Leads as 82 Players Make it Through to Day 2
Level 9
: 400/800, 100 ante
Day 1a of the 2014 partypoker World Poker Tour Merit North Cyprus Classic Main Event saw 150 players compete. With 21 players opting to reenter after they busted, the total amount of entries got up to 171. Players have the option to reenter once every starting day.
It was a trip down memory lane in the Merit Crystal Cove poker room on Day 1a. Not a whole ot of Cypriotic, Greek, or Turkish players showed up, but all the more Russians and players from the Ukraine paid the $4,300 buy-in. Familiar players like Alexander Lakhov, Dmitry Gromov, and high roller Vladimir Troyanovskiy were all part of the starting line up, and reigning WPT North Cyprus champion Alexey Rybin joined them right after the dinner break. Rybin wouldn't make it through the nine one-hour levels, though, busting well before the end of the day. He'll have another shot on Day 1b if he wants to.
Someone joining Rybin on the rail was Toby Lewis, who dissipated his 30,000-chip starting stack twice on the first of two starting days. Nicolas Chouity also lost all of his chips. He lost a big hand with a pair of jacks all in against six-nine, with one card to come. The river gave his opponent two pair, and Chouity was left mumbling to himself.
Jack Salter busted his stack to Troyanovskiy in a remarkable hand. In a multi-way pot, initial raiser Troyanovskiy check-raised a third player after a call from Salter. Salter then jammed all in with his flush draw, but Troyanovskiy wasn't willing to surrender his aces. He called and blanks on the turn and river made Salter one of the latest casualties of the day. He most likely will try again on Day 1b, while his brotther Louis Salter did survive. The younger of the two will bring back 40,000 even to Day 2 on Sunday.
Sam Trickett busted in the last hand of the day. Our colleague who witnessed the hand was a bit baffled, as Trickett shoved his stack in with jack-five suited, having hit a five. His opponent had a straight and wasn't laying that hand down. Whatever Trickett's motives were, he too is able to start over again on Saturday at 1 p.m. local time.
Mickey Petersen left himself with just 9,800 at the end of the day. That makes the Dane one of the few players who might consider giving it another shot on Day 1b, despite surviving Day 1a.
A lot of other players did make it through the day. Leading the charge is former European Poker Tour Sanremo winner Andrey Pateychuk. The Russian player amassed 161,800 in chips, making him the top dog.
Saturday it's time to start all over again. Another nine one-hour levels to be played, and once more two shots will be available for players to make it through the day. PokerNews will again be on sight to deliver you all the updates from the beautiful Merit Crystal Cove resort for Day 1b of the 2014 partypoker World Poker Tour Merit North Cyprus Classic.
End-of-Day Chip Counts (full)
Level 9
: 400/800, 100 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
161,800 | 103,800 |
|
149,200 | 149,200 |
|
147,200 | 147,200 |
|
|
144,100 | 13,100 |
|
|
136,100 | 136,100 |
|
129,900 | 129,900 |
|
|
126,300 | |
|
118,900 | 118,900 |
|
114,400 | 85,050 |
|
113,700 | 29,700 |
|
|
107,900 | 107,900 |
|
105,800 | 105,800 |
|
99,700 | -7,300 |
|
97,400 | 97,400 |
|
|
90,000 | 90,000 |
|
|
89,700 | 89,700 |
|
89,600 | 89,600 |
|
|
87,700 | 87,700 |
|
87,200 | 87,200 |
|
|
86,000 | 86,000 |
|
|
84,900 | -5,100 |
|
83,600 | 83,600 |
|
78,600 | 78,600 |
|
78,500 | 78,500 |
|
|
77,800 | 77,800 |
Five More Hands
Level 9
: 400/800, 100 ante
With 13 minutes and 29 seconds left on the clock, the timer was paused and the tournament director drew for the amount of hands left to play. A player on table 11 drew 5, and so 5 more hands will be played. We'll be back with a selection of end of day chip counts in about twenty minutes.
Hakim Bets Big
Level 9
: 400/800, 100 ante
Jeffrey Hakim checked behind on 
, but wasn't to eager to knock on the table on the turn and river. The small blind checked after the 
hit the turn, and called as Hakim bet out 2,800.
The river came the 
and the small blind checked again. Hakim, seated on the button, bet out 8,200, and the small blind quickly released.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
77,000 | 33,000 |
Lakhov Bets Into Four Players
Level 9
: 400/800, 100 ante
Alexander Lakhov opened to 2,000 from middle position, and the cutoff, small blind, and big blind all called.
Both blinds checked to Lakhov on 
, and the Russian player continuation bet 5,000. The player in the cutoff called, both blinds folded.
The two remaining players checked the 
on the turn and 
on the river, and Lakhov opened 
with a big smile. His opponent showed 
and took it down.
Lakhov is still doing very well, he has a stack of 113,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
113,000 | 23,000 |
Toby Lewis Eliminated (Again)
Level 9
: 400/800, 100 ante
Toby Lewis has been eliminated from the tournament for the second time today. He won't be making a third appearance today, re entering is limited to once a day. Tomorrow he'll most likely give it another shot on Day 1b.
Details are sketchy, but someone at the table told a colleague of ours that Lewis got it in with a flush draw up against someone with a pair and a flush draw. Both missed, so the player who was already paired up, ended up the winner.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
Busted |
Paul Tedeschi Eliminated
Level 9
: 400/800, 100 ante
Vyacheslav Stoyanov opened to 2,000 from the hijack, and Paul Tedeschi in the cutoff three bet to 4,600. Aliaksei Boika cold four bet to 8,800 from the button, and both the blinds and Stoyanov quickly folded. Tedeschi made the call.
Both players checked the 
on the flop, and so the 
on the turn was for free. Tedeschi bet out 7,800, and Boika made the call.
The completed the board, and Tedeschi shoved all in for 18,000. Boika instantly called.
Tedeschi tabled his 
for top pair and top kicker, but that hand wasn't good enough. Boika showed his 
and eliminated his French neighbor. Aliaksei Boika now plays around 75,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
Busted |
Vladimir Troyanovskiy Busts Jack Salter
Level 9
: 400/800, 100 ante
Right before the break, in the last hand of the second to last level, Jack Salter got eliminated by Vladimir Troyanovskiy. Here's what happened.
Troyanovskiy opened to 1,250 under the gun, and his neighbor under the gun plus one, the button, the small blind, and Jack Salter in the big blind all called.
A family pot, with 
as the first three community cards to work with.
Both blinds checked to initial raiser Troyanovskiy, who checked as well. The under the gun plus one player bet out 2,500, and the button and small blind both quickly released their hands. Salter however, made the call.
Troyanovskiy now check raised and casually tossed in 7,000 worth of 1,000 chips. The under the gun plus one player folded, but Salter wasn't so keen on throwing his hand away. Salter, raised all in for about 35,000 and Troyanovskiy thought about it for some time.
With the break already underway, Troyanovskiy committed his chips and Salter rolled over 
. Troyanovskiy had 
and needed to dodge the clubs.
The 
on the turn was no good for Salter, and neither was the 
on the river. Salter out, Troyanovskiy over the 100,000 mark.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
107,000 | 63,000 |
|
Busted |
Level: 9
Blinds: 400/800
Ante: 100