Hakim Zoufri is one of the players who has jumped into this tournament during level 3, after busting the €3,500 High Roller earlier today. Last year, Zoufri won that High Roller for €69,888 and his first WSOP Circuit Ring.
Erik Tabak is back in the tournament after losing his chips to Marcel Goldenbelt earlier and gets a new shot at a different table.
After losing the chips from his first bullet earlier, Franklin Nurmohamed's second attempt ended after twenty minutes and he has left the poker pit again. It remains to be seen if the Dutchman will come back for a third entry either today or tomorrow when both Day 1b and the turbo Day 1c will be held.
Kees van Brugge had an abysmal first 30 minutes which saw him drop from 30k to 10k. On a flop, it was Robert Auer who bet 1,500 and another player who called. Van Brugge shoved 12,500 total, Auer folded with much dismay and the third player folded as well.
Bartel Kars opened to 550 on the button and Erik Tabak called from the small blind. Marcel Goldenbelt three-bet to 2,200 from the big blind, Kars four-bet to 6,550, Tabak called all in for about 2,500 and Goldenbelt called as well.
The flop was and Goldenbelt checked. Kars bet 4,000, Goldenbelt check-raised all in and Kars called the shove for around 15,000 total.
Bartel Kars:
Erik Tabak:
Marcel Goldenbelt:
Goldenbelt had outflopped Kars and found himself in a great spot to knock both players out. The turn and river didn't help either Tabak or Kars and they both went to the rail. They'll have the option to do a reentry on Day 1a up until the end of level 6.
Three players saw a flop together with Michael Murschall first to act. He bet 1,200 and only Andre van de Venne called on the button. On the turn, Murschall bet 2,200 and Van de Venne called another street.
The river was the and Murschall opted to check. Van de Venne bet 3,500 and the German went deep in the tank. The clock was eventually called on him and with around twenty seconds remaining, he put in a check-raise to 8,500.
Van de Venne instantly showed , assuming Murschall had just called and complimented his opponent on a good call. Murschall however, showed and had raised with his king-high as a bluff. As it turned out, it was the best hand regardless and the pot went to the German.
The seat that just opened up has been filled by Kees van Brugge, who came in just from Barcelona. Van Brugge is one of Holland's rising stars and already has over $780,000 in lifetime winnings, making him one of the most accomplished players in the field today.
A total of eight 60-minute levels will be played on Day 1a, with a 60-minute dinner break scheduled after level 4. Action is expected to conclude around 12:45 a.m.
Wladimir Stepanian, fresh off a 134th place in the EPT Barcelona Main Event last week (€12,080), opened to 350 in early position and his left-hand neighbor called. Behind the pair, Franklin Nurmohamed three-bet to 1,100 and both players called. On a flop, Nurmohamed bet 1,500 and Stepanian and the second player called.
On the turn, after two checks, aggression was kept high with a bet of 3,500 by Nurmohamed. Stepanian check-raised to 9,300, the player to his left cold-called the raise and Nurmohamed also called.
It was a massive pot for the early stages already as the dealer burned and turned the on the river. Stepanian moved all in and netted two folds from his opponents, where his left-hand neighbor claimed to have folded pocket fours. He was left with 24,000 after the hand, Nurmohamed remained with 12,000 and lost those chips shortly after. He became the first player to reenter the tournament.