bwin WPT Merit Cyprus Classic

Main Event
Day: 2
Event Info

bwin WPT Merit Cyprus Classic

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
a5
Prize
$258,000
Event Info
Buy-in
$4,000
Prize Pool
$1,000,000
Entries
262
Level Info
Level
28
Blinds
30,000 / 60,000
Ante
10,000

Samaha Hitting New Heights

Level 12 : 800/1,600, 200 ante

Mikhail Morozov minraised from the button and Bernard Samaha called in the big blind to see an {A-}{J-}{4-} flop. Samaha check-called a 4,500 bet, resulting in a {5-} coming on the turn. Samaha checked again and Morozov bet 7,500 this time but Samaha made it 22,000. The Latvian moved all in and Samaha made the call.

Samaha: {5-Hearts}{4-Hearts}
Morozov: {A-}{3-}

A meaningless {K-} came on the river and Samaha has massively increased his chip lead.

Player Chips Progress
Bernard Samaha lb
Bernard Samaha
450,000
156,300
156,300
Mihail Morozov
Mihail Morozov
Busted

Tags: Bernard SamahaMikhail Morozov

Von Perger Doubles Up

Level 12 : 800/1,600, 200 ante
Jamila Von Perger
Jamila Von Perger

Jamila Von Perger opened for 3,000 and was called by Ofer Stem on the button. They saw a flop of {a-Clubs}{2-Spades}{7-Spades}. Von Perger continued for 4,500 and faced a raise from Stem to 10,500. She took her time and made the call. The turn brought the {8-Hearts}. Von Perger checked and when Stem moved all in she wasted no time in calling and showing {a-Diamonds}{8-Diamonds} for top two pair. Stem was on a straight draw with {5-Diamonds}{6-Diamonds} but then {q-Diamonds} on the river was no help.

Photos courtesy of the WPT

Player Chips Progress
Jamila Von Perger de
Jamila Von Perger
107,000
4,100
4,100
Ofer Stern
Ofer Stern
80,000
-11,500
-11,500

Moussa Mashed

Level 12 : 800/1,600, 200 ante

The board was reading {J-Spades}{8-Diamonds}{A-Clubs}{K-Diamonds} and Bassel Moussa was facing an all in from Barış Topkaya, it would cost Moussa all his chips to make the call.

"I know you're crazy," said Moussa with a smile, "I know you could be bluffing."

After about two minutes of quiet contemplation Moussa made the call.

Moussa: {K-Clubs}{Q-Clubs}
Topkaya: {J-Hearts}{8-Spades}

"I need some help," admitted Moussa.

"I got lucky with the flop," offered Topkaya.

The river was the {3-Hearts} and Moussa was eliminated.

Player Chips Progress
Barış Topkaya
Barış Topkaya
180,000
131,900
131,900
Bassel Moussa lb
Bassel Moussa
Busted

Chop It Up

Level 12 : 800/1,600, 200 ante

Dani Parlafes opened to 3,200 and was raised from the small blind to 8,200 by Andrei Nikonov. Parlafes raised all in when the big blind folded and got a call. There were a few chuckles when Parlafes turned over {a-Spades}{10-Diamonds} against the {a-Hearts}{10-Hearts} of Nikonov. The cards came {7-Hearts}{7-Spades}{6-Clubs}{6-Hearts}{6-Diamonds}. The turn brought a flush draw but in the end they chopped it up.

“Well there goes my image.” Parlafes said about the Ace Ten shove.

Winning With Stahle

Level 12 : 800/1,600, 200 ante

Christoffer Stahle, one of the few Scandinavians who came to play this event, just doubled up to 90,000 after he won an all in preflop showdown with {K-Diamonds}{K-Hearts} against Samy Zakhary's {Q-Hearts}{Q-Diamonds}. There was a brief scare on the {J-Spades}{9-Diamonds}{8-Spades} flop but the {4-Diamonds} turn and {A-Clubs} river changed nothing in the end.

Player Chips Progress
Christoffer Stahle
Christoffer Stahle
90,000
39,100
39,100
Samy Zakhary
Samy Zakhary
33,000
-27,600
-27,600

Check Raise from Litmanovich

Level 12 : 800/1,600, 200 ante

Rainer Kempe had bet pre-flop and got one caller, Valeriya Litmanovich in the big blind. They saw a flop of {4-Diamonds}{6-Diamonds}{5-Diamonds}. Litmanovich checked, Kempe bet 8,000 and got a call. The turn was the {10-Hearts}. Litmanovich again checked, but when Kempe bet 9,800 she raised him to 20,000. Kempe looked slightly puzzled but made the call. The river was the {3-Hearts}. Both players checked. As Litmanovich was to the left of the button she had to show first and tabled {a-Spades}{5-Spades}. Kempe couldn’t beat that but he found out what that check raise was all about.

Player Chips Progress
Valeriya Litmanovich
Valeriya Litmanovich
78,000
13,400
13,400
Rainer Kempe de
Rainer Kempe
36,000
1,500
1,500

Smokey and the Bandit

Level 12 : 800/1,600, 200 ante

Steve 'MrSmokey1' Billirakis has just lost the last of his chips after Sari Haddad made a good call on the river for a huge pot.

The board was reading {9-Hearts}{J-Spades}{4-Hearts}{6-Spades}{A-Spades} and Billirakis had moved all in on the river for 64,800 leaving Haddad faced with a decision to call off for most of his stack. Finally he made the call and Billirakis showed {K-Hearts}{J-Diamonds} but Haddad flipped {Q-Hearts}{Q-Spades} to win.

"Boom," said Marko Neumann offering Haddad a fist pump in respect.

Player Chips Progress
Sari Haddad lb
Sari Haddad
220,000
94,200
94,200
Steve Billirakis us
Steve Billirakis
Busted

Bad Timing from Samaha

Level 12 : 800/1,600, 200 ante

Anzor Makthsev bet 10,400 on a flop of {k-Spades}{6-Hearts}{j-Diamonds} into big stack Bernard Samaha. Samaha raised him to 30,000. When Makthsev moved all in for his last 50,000 we can only surmise that Samaha felt he was priced in as he made the call with a sigh and showed {7-Diamonds}{8-Diamonds} versus the {a-Clubs}{k-Hearts} of Makthsev. The last two cards {8-Hearts}{q-Clubs} gave Makthsev his double up.

Player Chips Progress
Bernard Samaha lb
Bernard Samaha
380,000
-70,000
-70,000
Anzor Makthsev
Anzor Makthsev
112,000
71,200
71,200

Kuşçu Eliminated

Level 12 : 800/1,600, 200 ante

Hakan Kuşçu has just been knocked out. He was all in preflop with {10-Hearts}{10-Spades} but found Alexander Sidorin more than happy to call him with those gorgeous looking {A-Spades}{A-Clubs}. No help on the {7-Clubs}{K-Spades}{K-Clubs}{6-Clubs}{6-Hearts} board and Sidorin is up to 165,000 as a result.

Player Chips Progress
Alexander Sidorin
Alexander Sidorin
165,000
92,800
92,800
Hakan Kuşçu
Hakan Kuşçu
Busted