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.
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.
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.
, 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.
and the small blind checked again. Hakim, seated on the button, bet out 8,200, and the small blind quickly released.
