Timo Kamphues raised to 2,700 in the cutoff and was called by button Robert Saffran and small blind Oliver Heidel. Manig Loeser then three-bet to 16,500 in the big blind and Kamphues and Heidel both called.
The flop came K♠2♥3♠ and Loeser continued for 25,500. Kamphues folded, but Heidel moved all in for around 80,000. Loeser peeked back at his cards before calling.
Oliver Heidel: 9♠7♠
Manig Loeser: A♥K♣
Loeser had top pair, while Heidel was chasing a flush draw. The K♦ turn improved Loeser to trips. The river was the A♠ and Heidei made his flush, but Loeser also improved to a full house to win the massive pot and send Heidel to the rail.
Viktor Blom opened to 2,600 from under the gun and was called by Didier Naegely on the button and Tamas Adamszki in the big blind.
Everyone checked on the 7♣8♠9♥ flop and Adamszki checked to Blom on the 4♥ turn, who bet 6,800. Naegely called and Adamszki folded.
The 2♥ completed the board and Blom fired 23,600 into the middle. Naegely quickly called and Blom announced, "Flush" as he tabled 8♥6♥ for the goods. Naegely frustratedly showed he held J♣10♠ for a flopped straight and mucked — awarding the pot to Blom.
Heads-up on a board of 2♣9♦J♦10♦, Harun Ertural bet 4,000 from early position before Stephen Chidwick, under the gun, raised to 24,000.
Ertural called and the 4♥ fell on the river. Chidwick then bet another 40,000. Ertural came back with an all-in shove and Chidwick couldn't turn over his K♦Q♦ fast enough, calling for his last 90,000 and showing a straight flush.
Ertural could only show A♠J♣ as he handed over the pot.
All the chips went into the middle preflop with Stanislav Koleno at risk for 40,000 from early position and was against Martin Wolf in the big blind who covered.
Stanislav Koleno: A♠K♠
Martin Wolf: A♣K♣
Both players turned over suited big slick and after the flop of J♠10♣5♥, it looked like the pot would be chopped. But Wolf went runner-runner when the J♣8♣ completed the board to give him the flush to send Koleno to the rail in disbelief.
With around 25,000 in the pot on a board of 2♦7♦4♦5♠, Luigi Shehadeh bet 17,200 before Dario Sammartino moved all in.
"GG," Shehadeh said as he sighed and called for his last 30,000, showing K♦9♦ for a flush but having his fears confirmed when Sammartino turned over A♦J♦ for the nut flush.
The 7♣ completed the board and Sammartino sent Shehadeh to the rail.
With three players seeing a board of 2♥3♠Q♥J♦ and 12,300 already in the middle, Harun Ertural bet 10,000 from the small blind. Jean Gessis folded from the hijack before Stephen Chidwick raised to 35,000. Ertural made the call.
Chidwick checked the Q♦ river and Ertural bet 30,000. Chidwick put in a check-raise to 150,000, sending Ertural, who had less behind, deep into the tank.
After several minutes Ertural opted to fold and Chidwick took down a sizable pot without showdown.
Martin Kabrhel was in the big blind and was determined to defend no matter what cost putting 30,000 worth of chips on each of his cards to ward off any other players.
It worked until Hacine Chatteur on the button raised to 5,500. Stoyan Madanzhiev in the small blind moved all in for 42,000 and Kabrhel looked at the Bulgarian with disdain for the audacity to shove on his big blind. Kabrhel reluctantly folded and Chatteur called.
Stoyan Madanzhiev: A♠Q♥
Hacine Chatteur: A♦K♦
"Bad play!" shouted Kabrhel when Madanzhiev turned his hand over. The dealer fanned 7♠4♠3♠ and Kabrhel quipped "Great Play!" as the Bulgarian picked up a flush draw. But the board ran out 9♣2♦ and Kabrhel flipped again saying "Terrible play, goodbye, seat open!" and picked Madanzhiev's hand and threw it into the muck. Chatteur took in the pot.
The 2023 World Series of Poker Europe at King's Resort in Rozvadov saw its flagship event get off to a roaring start with 557 entrants participating in Day 1a of Event #13: €10,350 Main Event NLH European Championship. After seven levels of play, it was Dumitru Pora who lead the 360 remaining players after bagging an impressive 729,700.
The Romanian poker pro has had plenty of deep runs, including a runner-up finish in a GGPoker online bracelet event back in 2021. Pora, who bagged well over 100,000 more than his next closest opponent, is well and away best positioned to make a run at his first gold bracelet.
Day 1a Top Ten Chip Counts
Place
Player
Country
Chip Count
Big Blinds
1
Dumitru Pora
Romania
729,700
456
2
Axel Hallay
France
577,000
361
3
Keneshka Kabir
Germany
509,000
318
4
Eusebiu Jalba
Romania
430,000
269
5
Francisco Benitez
Italy
429,900
269
6
Leon Sturm
Germany
429,700
269
7
Fabian Gumz
Germany
402,600
252
8
Martin Ilavsky
Slovakia
383,300
240
9
Stephen Chidwick
United Kingdom
378,900
237
10
Danilo Velasevic
Serbia
363,000
227
Dario Sammartino
Day 1a Action
Day 1a started off strong with 192 players taking their seats before the clock had begun. Plenty of notables filled the field in the early going, including Daniel Rezaei (303,800), Dario Sammartino (246,600), Ole Schemion (232,700), Viktor Blom (228,200), and Barny Boatman (56,900), to name a few.
Arturo Paduano had a stellar showing and secured 302,000 for Day 2 by the end of play. Paduano remained active and aggressive throughout the day, including a hand where Paduano claimed to bluffJames Chen out of a large pot.
Other less fortunate players who were eliminated include Roland Israelashvili, Jerry Odeen, Jonathan Pastore, Nacho Barbero, and Ben Heath. All players who were knocked out can still reenter a single time should they choose.
Day 1b is scheduled to begin on November 11 at 12 p.m. local time. Fewer players are expected to enter compared to Day 1a, but a new record of at least 764 entries is within striking distance. The guaranteed prize pool of €5,000,000 has already risen to €5,291,500 and will continue to grow through the late-registration period, which doesn't end until the start of Level 13 on Day 2.
Be sure to stick with PokerNews as we continue to bring you all the Main Event action leading to the next World Series of Poker Europe champion right here at King's Resort in Rozvadov.
