Main Event Day 1b | 2014 partypoker World Poker Tour Merit North Cyprus Classic

Player	Chips	Progress
Albert Daher	219,200 69,200	69,200
Dmitry Samoylenko	182,700 182,700	182,700
Sam Trickett	140,000 73,000	73,000
Marco Tommasino	121,000 121,000	121,000
Simon Higgins	103,400 20,400	20,400
Ilan Boujenah	90,300 37,300	37,300
Anton Astapau	89,900 89,900	89,900
Nicolas Chouity	84,500 -18,000	-18,000
Paul Tedeschi	83,500 53,500	53,500
Alexey Rybin	82,900 43,300	43,300

Rumen Nanev	77,900 47,900	47,900
Mikhail Korotkikh	71,700 55,700	55,700
Sofia Lövgren	56,700 20,700	20,700
Onur Unsal	54,000 24,000	24,000
Charles Chattha	49,400 19,400	19,400
Maxim Panyak	39,600 1,600	1,600
Toby Lewis	35,400 7,400	7,400
Ludovic Riehl	31,700 700	700
Andrey Shatilov	25,000 -14,000	-14,000
Antonio Buonanno	20,200 -30,800	-30,800
Luca Moschitta	14,000 -9,300	-9,300

Player

Chips

Progress

Albert Daher

219,200

69,200

Dmitry Samoylenko

182,700

Sam Trickett

140,000

73,000

Marco Tommasino

121,000

Simon Higgins

103,400

20,400

Ilan Boujenah

90,300

37,300

Anton Astapau

89,900

Nicolas Chouity

84,500

-18,000

Paul Tedeschi

83,500

53,500

Alexey Rybin

82,900

43,300

Rumen Nanev

77,900

47,900

Mikhail Korotkikh

71,700

55,700

Sofia Lövgren

56,700

20,700

Onur Unsal

54,000

24,000

Charles Chattha

49,400

19,400

Maxim Panyak

39,600

1,600

Toby Lewis

35,400

7,400

Ludovic Riehl

31,700

700

Andrey Shatilov

25,000

-14,000

Antonio Buonanno

20,200

-30,800

Luca Moschitta

14,000

-9,300

Day 1b of the 2014 partypoker World Poker Tour Merit North Cyprus Classic Main Event attracted 203 entries, bringing the total to 374. That's most likely not the final number though, as players still have the option to enter and reenter for the first level of Day 2. Even without the possible additional latecomers, the event's numbers already easily surpass last years 262, though last year a maximum of two entries per player were possible, while this year it's four.

No player that we know of who survived Day 1a, tried again on Day 1b. A whole lot of people who busted once or twice Friday tried again, though. Toby Lewis was one of them, and he did survive Saturday's nine one-hour levels and will return with 35,400. Paul Tedeschi is one more example of a player who got eliminated on Day 1a, but did manage to make it through Day 1b. The Frenchman bagged 83,500.

European Poker Tour Monte Carlo champion Nicolas Chouity put just a little more in his bag at the end of the day. The Lebanese all-time money leader check-raised left and right, turned a full house, and got a massage while doing all of that for about the entire day.

Another player that enjoyed a massage pretty much all day was Albert Draher. The Lebanese high roller busted in the first level of the day, but did much better on his second bullet. He amassed a whopping 219,200 in chips, with big bluffs and nicely-sized value bets.

Another familiar face that faired well was Sam Trickett. He made his entrance after the dinner break, after spending the morning flyboarding in the Mediterranean Sea. He quickly doubled with pocket aces in a spot where someone isolated a short stack's shove with pocket nines. "And I said call," laughed Trickett.

Fortune didn't end there for the Brit, he flopped bottom set on an flop, and got it in against two opponents. One of them had flopped top-two, and the other had a flush draw with jack-seven. Blanks on turn and river made for a 140,000-chip stack for Trickett at the end of the day.

Play resumes Sunday at 1 p.m. local time. PokerNews will again be on sight for all of your coverage. Let's see if everyone recovered in time from the party that's going on as we speak, and most likely will take all night.