After yesterday's frenetic five levels where we lost 72 out of 103 remaining players, we are now down to the final 31 remaining. However, only 27 will be getting paid and only one person will be leaving here with the $250,000 first place prize money which includes a seat at the WPT Championships next year.
Alexey Rybin is the chip leader with 858,000 while former WPTR Paris champion Natalya Nikitina is in third place with 468,000 after she won two huge pots near the close of play last night. Others still involved include Partypoker qualifier and all around chatty guy Maximilian Droege as well as seasoned German pro Manig Loeser.
At the moment, we are unsure how many players we will be playing down to but we suspect that it will be something in the region of 12 or 18. On Tuesday, we will definitely be playing to the final six so it remains at the tournament director's discretion has to how he wants to balance those two days.
Less than two minutes in and we had an all-in and a call. It was Kfir Yamin’s versus Jacoues Torbey’s . It all went in pre-flop and the board ran out , giving Yamin a vital double up. He was one of the shortest stacks and he jumped up in delight when the hit the flop.
It's another big pot for Kfir Yamin whose triumphed over Azaz Jabrayilov's on a board after the latter check-called the flop and turn before bluffing on the river in a 200,000 chip pot.
Yamin has been the big mover in the first 15 minutes here today.
Bernard Samaha bet 16,000 on a board of . Jacoues Torbey folded but Alexandr Lakhov made the call. [2] on the turn, Samaha continued for 20,000 and again Lakhov called. They both checked the river and Samha shoved the for the flopped flush to take the pot.
On a board of , Giacomo Fundaro bet 22,500 and Baris Topkaya made the call. The river card was the and when Fundaro checked, Topkaya bet 77,000. Fundaro said, “I guess you have it.” but made the call. He did have it. . A frustrated Fundaro showed .
Mikhail Shevchuk was one of the short stacks coming back today but his dream is over after he was all in preflop with against Tobias Peters' . Peters' hand was dominating and it only got worse for Shevchuk when the board came to make the Dutch player a flush.
Giacomo Fundaro was all in preflop and in good shape with dominating Andrei Nikonov's but the board ran out and the Russian broke into a wry smile as Fundaro was forced to chop the pot. It's a brutal one to take for the Italian, who is one of the short stacks at the moment and with 30 players could well be on the precipice of bubbling this tournament.
Jacoues Torbey had pushed all in preflop for about 100,000 over the top of a late position raise from Kfir Yamin. Yamin didn't look too enthused but after a minute he opted to slide in a full stack of blues,making the call.
Torbey:
Yamin:
The board didn't offer Yamin any hope, let alone help, it came .
Torbey said, "You take chips off me, I get them back off you."
Alexandr Lakhov opened the betting for 10,000 and faced a raise, from Mak Droege on the button, to 22,000. The blinds folded and action was back on Lakhov. “How much you playing.” He demanded gruffly. “One sixty.” Droege answered. Lakhov made the call. was the flop. Lakhov checked and Droege bet 20,000. Quick call from Lakhov who then checked in the dark. on the turn. Droege checked behind.
The river card was the . Lakhov checked and Droege sat very still, glancing once or twice at Lakhov who had his sunglasses perched on his forehead. Droege reached for chips and quickly bet 25,000. Lakhov mucked his cards saying to Torbey “I had a hand, I’m not bluffing all the time like you.”
![[user76023]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
versus Jacoues Torbey’s 
. It all went in pre-flop and the board ran out 
, giving Yamin a vital double up. He was one of the shortest stacks and he jumped up in delight when the 
triumphed over Azaz Jabrayilov's 
on a 
board after the latter check-called the flop and turn before bluffing on the river in a 200,000 chip pot.
. Jacoues Torbey folded but Alexandr Lakhov made the call. [2] on the turn, Samaha continued for 20,000 and again Lakhov called. They both checked the 
river and Samha shoved the 
for the flopped flush to take the pot.
, Giacomo Fundaro bet 22,500 and Baris Topkaya made the call. The river card was the 
. A frustrated Fundaro showed 
.
. Peters' hand was dominating and it only got worse for Shevchuk when the board came 
dominating Andrei Nikonov's 
and the Russian broke into a wry smile as Fundaro was forced to chop the pot. It's a brutal one to take for the Italian, who is one of the short stacks at the moment and with 30 players could well be on the precipice of bubbling this tournament.
on the turn. Droege checked behind.
