Albert Draher Leads 2014 partypoker WPT Merit North Cyprus Classic Into Day 2
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.