Sunday, October 20, 2013 12:41 AM Local Time
The event we were all waiting for begun today and now Day 1a of the World Series of Poker Europe Main Event has entered the record books.
There were six 90-minute levels of action, some fireworks (literally) and even some champagne. When all was said and done, there were 167 players who ponied up the €10,450 buy-in and registration is still open until the beginning of play on Day 2 and of course, for tomorrow’s Day 1b.
As usual, plenty of poker’s most famous faces were at the felt and plenty of those were still there when the bagging of the survivor’s chips took place. Unfortunately some of those who fell short of making Day 2 included Jonathan Little, Kevin MacPhee, Marvin Rettenmaier, Dan Shak, Jason Mercier and the man who gave the call to shuffle up and deal at the start of the day, Shane Warne.
One player who seemed to do better than all others was Paul Kuzmich. He managed to bag up 145,825 in chips after a late hand against Sorel Mizzi. Kuzmich just pipped Martin Hanowski to the post as Hanowski bagged up 142,150. Also still alive with plenty of chips to scare are the likes of Scott Clements, Dave Ulliott, Brandon Cantu and many others.
At the end of the night it looked like approximately 90 players had made Day 2, but we will have confirmation of that number and full end-of-day chip counts posted as soon possible.
Be sure to check back in with PokerListings from 12.00pm local time tomorrow as Day 1b of the WSOPE Main Event begins! See you then, poker fans.
Shane Warne didn't survive today, but the"Devil Fish" has plenty of chips
Sunday, October 20, 2013 12:32 AM Local Time
On one of the final hands of the evening, Jonathan Karamalikis moved his short stack in preflop with and Philipp Gruissem made the call with the same hand - It looked like a chopped pot to send Karamalikis into Day 2 but the board ran out to see Gruissem make a flush to eliminate Karamalikis in unfortunate circumstances.
Sunday, October 20, 2013 12:30 AM Local Time
It looked like Sorel Mizzi and Paul Kuzmich were about to play out a massive hand to end the day with a bang, but in the end, we didn’t get past the turn card.
The hand was four-bet preflop for 9,525 with the two players taking a flop of Kuzmich led out for 16,200 and Mizzi deliberated before making the call as the hit the turn. Kuzmich fired again with a bet of 25,700 to send Mizzi deep into the tank. It looked like he was going to make a big move but he eventually gave it up to hand Kuzmich a very healthy pot to end the day. Kuzmich will be one of our chip leaders when they bag and tag.
Sunday, October 20, 2013 12:21 AM Local Time
Jason Mercier’s Main Event came to an end after he ran into pocket aces twice in three hands.
The first time started after Gangzhou Hu raised to 1,000 from under the gun. Mercier called from the big blind and the flop came
Mercier bet 1,100 and Hu raised to 2,600. Mercier looked over at Hu’s short stack and then bet a pile of chips. Hu moved all-in for 8,250 and Mercier called.
Hu turned over while Mercier tabled A came on the turn and then a on the river guaranteed Hu’s double up.
Mercier dropped to 9,825 and he put them all in from the button when Ilkin Amirov raised to 1,025 from middle position.
Frederic Rene Asta was on the big blind and moved all-in. Amirov folded and Mercier turned over to Asta’s
The board ran and Mercier hit the rail. Before he left, Asta stopped Mercier and then said something to him in French.
Sunday, October 20, 2013 12:06 AM Local Time
As the play starts to slow down towards the end of the night across most of the tables, over on Table 5, things are just starting to heat up. We've already mentioned the ridiclously tough line up on this table with Dan Kelly, Brandon Cantu, David Ulliott, Tuan Le and Jay Farber all sitting next to each other. It’s proving a tough spot for Dan Kelly, with plenty of raises and re-raises behind him that have seen his stack dwindle in recent times while Le and Ulliott have added to their stacks.
It a recent hand, Scott Clements opened with a raise before Cantu three-bet to 5,600. Le then cold four-bet to 25,500 in a big bet that forced folds from his opponents. Both players flashed an ace.
Then moments later, Kelly raised preflop and picked up four callers to a flop. Action checked to Cantu who bet 1,525. Ulliott raised to 3,600 before Le again put in a cold-raise, this time to 8,800. Action folded back to Ulliott who decided to fight fire with fire as he re-raised to 23,000. Le quickly folded.
The pots are getting big and with plenty of chips on this table we might see some more fireworks before the day is out.
Sunday, October 20, 2013 12:03 AM Local Time
One of Australia’s most decorated players is Jason Gray. He has posted numerous results in events all around the world. He even got close to a bracelet back in 2008 when he finished 3rd in the $10,000 Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo Split Championship. He has made three other WSOP final tables over the years and will be looking to make another one here in Paris.
Gray hasn’t had a great day at the felt as he finds himself quite short stacked toward the end of the final level of the night. He did however manage to pick up some chips recently against one opponent on a board. Gray had checked and his opponent bet 2,100. Back on Gray and he shoved his relatively short stack in the middle. The player went into the tank and eventually folded. Let’s see if Gray can pick up some more chips in the dying moments of the night.
Saturday, October 19, 2013 11:55 PM Local Time
Tuan Le just raised to 1,200 and Patrick Schuhl called from the small blind. The flop brought and Shuhl checked to Le who bet 1,600. Shuhl called quickly and on the turn, when the popped up, he check-called another 3,100.
The river brought the and now Shuhl lead out for 8,100. Le tanked for a bit and moved all in for 25,075 and Shuhl folded after about ten seconds.
Le is now up to 46,000 while Shuhl also still has 44,000 chips.
Saturday, October 19, 2013 11:43 PM Local Time
“Is this for real?” Jay Farber asked as Scott Clements came over to his table and took a seat. “This table just keeps getting worse and worse.”
With Clements’s addition, Table 5 now seats Farber, Clements, Dan Kelly, Brandon Cantu, Dave “Devilfish” Ulliott and Tuan Le.
It’s a tough table with tough clashes.
More recently, Kelly and Cantu went at it. Kelly raised to 1,200 from the cutoff and Cantu called from the button.
The blinds released and the flop came Kelly bet 1,800 and Cantu called, bringing a on the turn. Kelly slowed to a check and then called Cantu’s 2,800 bet. The came on the turn and Kelly checked again.
Cantu bet 11,000 and Kelly tanked. After about minute Kelly called and then mucked when Cantu turned over
Cantu chipped up to about 85,000 while Kelly dropped to about 14,000.
Brandon Cantu
Saturday, October 19, 2013 11:32 PM Local Time
We arrived at Scott Clements’ table to find the two-time WSOP bracelet winner involved in a pot with Christophe Schneider on a board.
At this point the action was already on the river and Scheinder had led for 1,675. Clements didn’t take long before making it 4,200 to go. Schneider eventually made the call and tabled Those eights quickly went into the muck when Clements turned over
Saturday, October 19, 2013 11:31 PM Local Time
Saturday, October 19, 2013 11:23 PM Local Time
In total 171 players registered for the first day flight of this year’s World Series of Poker Europe Main Event. Registration is open all throughout tomorrow and until the start of Day 2.
Saturday, October 19, 2013 11:18 PM Local Time
We’ve just witnessed a courageous preflop move by Andrei Konopelko, in a potential six-figure pot, that forced a huge fold from a better hand. The action started with Jessica Dawley opening to 1,050. Bernard Elfvering made the call before Konopelko three-bet to 3,500 in position. A short-stacked player then moved all in from the big blind for a total of 12,900. Dawley escaped by Elfvering made the call before the action was back with Konopelko. He quickly declared himself all in for over 50,000 to put Elfvering to a massive decision for his similarly-sized stack.
After several minutes of deep thought, Elfvering open-folded The short stack showed and Konopelko revealed
“Oh f*ck!” exclaimed Elfvering after seeing he made an incorrect fold.
The board was spread to eliminate the short stack and leave Konopelko to happily stack up around 95,000 to leave Elfvering shaking his head.
Saturday, October 19, 2013 11:18 PM Local Time
A player in the small blind just chose the wrong spot to go all in as Jessica Dawley woke up with aces in the big blind. Dawley was up against king-jack and the board did not bring her into any kind of trouble.
Dawley is now up to 43,500 and the 888 Sponsored player is looking to finish out the day strong.
Saturday, October 19, 2013 11:17 PM Local Time
Over the last few years, Jeff Rossiter has proven himself as one of Australia’s finest talents. He even moved up to 2nd on Australia’s All-Time tournament money earner list earlier this year. One of his many accolades includes winning the UKIPT ‘Win the Button’ turbo tournament.
He is still going strong here on Day 1a of the WSOPE Main Event, but we did recently catch him losing a pot to Max Zoppis. The hand started with a player opening it up to 1,100. Rossiter three-bet to 2,400 from the button and Zoppis called out of the small blind. The initial raiser got out of the way and the dealer flipped over a flop. Both players checked and a hit the turn. This time Zoppis led for 2,000 and Rossiter called.
When the completed the board on the river, Zoppis tapped the table and Rossiter bet 3,000. Zoppis called and Rossiter turned over When Zoppis tabled his that was enough to see Rossiter’s kings hit the muck.
Saturday, October 19, 2013 11:02 PM Local Time
Well, according to a player on Dan O’Brien’s table it’s definitely him. Jeff Rossiter just held and was about to knock a player out who showed We don’t know this particular player’s name, but we do know he flopped a straight on The turn brought the and the river the giving the all-in player another chance.
“I will win the Main Event, I’m 100% sure of it!” the happy player said as he stacked his 4,600-chip stack. Rossiter’s still doing really great with a 57,000-chip stack.
Saturday, October 19, 2013 10:50 PM Local Time
The final break is over and the last level of the night has begun!
The next 90 minutes will decide who makes it through to Day 2. Blinds are now 250/500.
Saturday, October 19, 2013 10:31 PM Local Time
The players have been sent on their final 20-minute break of the night.
Check back soon and find out what happens in the last 90 minutes of the night.
Saturday, October 19, 2013 10:30 PM Local Time
It’s not been a particularly good day for Jason Mercier whose stack dwindled for quite some time now. Mercier just raised to 800 and the player on his left and the big blind called.
The flop brought and all three players checked.
On the turn the hit and the big blind checked after which Mercier bet 2,600. The player on Mercier’s left called and the big blind folded.
The river brought the and Mercier picked up the pot with a 6,500-chip bet. Mercier’s back up to 21,000 chips with one level left to play.
Saturday, October 19, 2013 10:29 PM Local Time
Ana Marquez has just taken a nasty hit, but it could’ve been at lot worse if her opponent Ronan Monfort had a few more chips.
It was Marquez with against Monfort’s with all the chips in preflop, but the board ran out to see Monfort spike a set to stay alive. Monfort’s stack of 11,950 was doubled but Marquez is still in ok shape with 33,000 in chips
Saturday, October 19, 2013 10:15 PM Local Time
Table 12 is one of the toughest tables in the room. We have Jake Balsiger, Scott Clements, Jason Mercier, Philipp Gruissem, David Yan and Mohsin Charania all seated there. We recently caught Yan and Clements in a hand.
We arrived at the action on the turn of a board, with around 4,000 already in the pot. Both players checked here and then Clements led for 2,300 on the river. Yan made the call and Clements tabled That hand went into the muck when Yan showed