The most expensive tournament of the 2017 World Series of Poker International Circuit at the King's Casino Rozvadov, the €5,300 High Roller, attracted a field of 31 entries including two re-entries and 22 players bagged up after nine levels of 45 minutes each. Fahredin Mustafov and Aviv Meiri fired a second bullet and got through to Day 2 while Pavel Plesuv bagged up the most chips with 166,700.
Serbian poker pro Ognjen Sekularac only entered the tournament in the very late stages, but almost snagged the chip lead with 162,100 while Dutchman Sander van Wesemael finished the day with 133,100. Other notables among the Day 1 survivors include Vadzim Lipauka (102,200), Felipe Ramos (101,300), Pierre Neuville (81,800), Czech high stakes specialist Pavel Binar (58,200), Viliyan Petleshkov (42,400), and Aleksandar Tomovic (38,400).
The first of two tournament days started with just one table but that number quickly increased to two, three and later four tables. Rafal Nikiel dominated the first two levels and his exit came as a surprise. The Pole flopped two pair and turned full house was no good against the flopped top set and superior full house of Pavel Plesuv. A short-stacked Aviv Meiri put his hopes on an open-ended straight draw, but Vojtech Ruzicka held up with ace-high to send the Israeli to the rail next.
Other casualties of the day included Dawid Paczka, Bernd Gleissner, Maxim Lykov, aforementioned Vojtech Ruzicka and Erez Hamerov. Two double eliminations highlighted the late stages of the day and vaulted Sander van Wesemael as well as Ognjen Sekularac into a big stack. The Dutchman held up with tens against the ace-king of Fahredin Mustafov and the ace-queen of Gleissner while Sekularac flopped a full house with pocket jacks to crack the aces of Ruzicka and dodged the open-ended straight flush draw of Erez Hamerov.
All remaining 22 players will return to the tables of Europe's biggest poker arena at 4 p.m. local time on Friday October 13th and the action recommences with level 10 and blinds of 600-1,200 with a running ante of 200. Late registration and single re-entry remains available for the first two levels and among those expected to join is Phil Hellmuth. The 14-time WSOP bracelet winner late-registered the €2,200 Pot-Limit Omaha Event and finished 7th for €6,991 and his first Czech flag, the WSOP circuit ring and €41,127 first-place prize was won by King’s Casino regular Stanislav Miadzel from Poland.
Vojtech Ruzicka raised to 2,400 under the gun and Erez Hamerov called from the small blind. Ognjen Sekularac three-bet to 16,000 from the big blind and Ruzicka moved all-in for around 55,000. Hamerov called as did Sekularac.
Sekularac:
Ruzicka:
Hamerov:
The flop came and Sekularac flopped a full house. The turn was the and the river landed the . Sekluarac's full house held up to eliminate both Ruzicka and Hamerov in one of the last hands of the night
After an open-raise by Vojtech Ruzicka on the button, Robert Schulz three-bet to 6,500 in the small blind. Ruzicka four-bet to 13,800 and Schulz called to see a flop of . Ruzicka checked back, and both players provided no further fireworks on the turn and river either.
Schulz flashed and Ruzicka won the pot with for trips aces. While the hand played out, Ognjen Sekularac was patiently waiting to be dealt in and received a fresh stack once all was done and dusted.
Maxim Lykov eventually busted with his short stack and walked over to the table of Pavel Plesuv to confirm the bad news.
There wasn't much action on the other tables as of recently, only Tomasz Panek chipped up significantly after he got paid off by Mike Brandau. Panek bet the river for 11,100 and Brandau called, then mucked when he was shown the for the nuts by Panek.
Sander van Wesemael opened to 1,400 from under the gun and Fahredin Mustafov called from middle position. Bernd Gleissner moved all-in from the cutoff for 17,600. The action folded back to van Wesemael who pushed all-in over the top and Mustafov called off his remaining 35,000 chips.
van Wesemael:
Mustafov:
Gleissner:
The board ran out and van Wesemael's set of tens was good enough to earn him the pot. He had both of his opponents covered, scoring a double knockout.
The board read and there was a little over 7,000 in the middle already. Gregor Greko checked from the big blind and Tomasz Panek bet 5,025 from the cutoff. Greko made the call and the hit the river.
Greko checked again and Panek moved all-in for 16,025.
"I just want to see," Greko said as he called after a brief moment. Panek tabled for two pair and Greko nodded as he pushed his cards to the muck.
Erez Hamerov opened from under the gun and Vojtech Ruzicka three-bet from middle position. The action folded back around to Hamerov who moved all-in and Ruzicka quickly called. Hamerov tabled and Ruzicka showed . The board ran out and Hamerov found a double up to move over starting stack.
In the next hand, Maxim Lykov got all of his chips in the middle against Fahredin Mustafov on a flop reading . Lykov was ahead with up against Mustafov's . The turn was the and the river landed the , giving Lykov a full double up as well.
On the turn, Hossein Ensan bet 3,300 into a pot of 4,800 out of the big blind and Vadzim Lipauka raised to 7,150 on the button. Ensan clicked it back up to 20,000 and Lipauka gave him a stare down before calling.
The appeared on the river and Ensan bet 20,000 right away with about as many chips behind. Lipauka tanked for a long time and the clock was called on him. As soon as the tournament director arrived at the table, Lipauka called and Ensan immediately sent his cards into the muck to forfeit more than two third of his stack without showdown.
The action was folded to Aviv Meiri in the cutoff who raised to 600. Vojtech Ruzicka three-bet to 1,700 on the button and Meiri called. The flop came and Ruzicka bet 3,000, enough to cover Meiri's short stack. Meiri called and the cards were tabled.
Ruzicka:
Meiri:
Meiri flopped an open-ended straight draw to go along with his two live cards. The turn was the and the river landed the , providing no help to Meiri and he was eliminated. He quickly stopped by the registration desk and has re-entered the tournament.
Dawid Paczka raised to 600 and Pavel Plesuv three-bet to 2,000 on the button, which brought a call from Rafal Nikiel in the big blind and a fold from Paczka. On the flop Nikiel bet right away and Plesuv called before doing so again for 7,500 on the turn.
After the river, Nikiel bet 18,000 and Plesuv moved all in for 62,000. Nikiel called it off for more than 40,000 and was shown the by Plesuv, then mucked his own for the inferior full house.
and Sekularac flopped a full house. The turn was the 
and the river landed the 
. Sekluarac's full house held up to eliminate both Ruzicka and Hamerov in one of the last hands of the night
turn and 
river either.
and Ruzicka won the pot with 
for trips aces. While the hand played out, Ognjen Sekularac was patiently waiting to be dealt in and received a fresh stack once all was done and dusted.
for the nuts by Panek.
and there was a little over 7,000 in the middle already. Gregor Greko checked from the big blind and Tomasz Panek bet 5,025 from the cutoff. Greko made the call and the 
. The board ran out 
. Lykov was ahead with 
up against Mustafov's 
. The turn was the 
and the river landed the 
flop Nikiel bet right away and Plesuv called before doing so again for 7,500 on the 
turn.
for the inferior full house.
