Tuesday, October 1, 2024 10:32 AM Local Time (about 10 days and 2 hours ago)
Kabrhel Eyes Third Bracelet in WSOP Europe €25,000 GGMillion€
If there's one thing Martin Kabrhel knows, it's how to thrive under pressure at King's Resort in Rozvadov. This is the battleground where Kabrhel has built his legend, winning two World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelets and amassing five WSOP Circuit rings. But despite his dominance, victory under the WSOP umbrella has eluded him for five long years, his last triumph coming in 2019.
That drought could end today as Kabrhel leads the final 14 players in Event #8: €25,000 NLH GGMillion€ at the 2024 WSOP Europe.
It wasn't an easy path to the top. Kabrhel made a late appearance on Day 1, only to quickly find himself at the reentry desk after an early setback. But the resilient Czech wasn't deterred. On his second bullet, he turned his 500,000 starting stack into a commanding 1,814,000 by the end of the day, mainly by outmanoeuvring Tom-Aksel Bedell in several key hands. Kabrhel wrestled the chip lead from Bedell as the field bagged their chips for Day 2.
But his path to the winner's circle is far from guaranteed. The competition remains fierce, led by Samuel Ju (1,500,000), who ironically knocked Kabrhel out not long after the latter took his seat for the first time. Ju closed out Day 1 with the second-largest stack. Jacob Amsellem (1,220,000) follows closely, who surged late after making a rivering a better full house in a confrontation against online legend Viktor Blom.
Also in the chase are Simone Andrian (1,070,000) and Orpen Kisacikoglu (1,040,000), the only other players to breach the million-chip mark. Andrian secured his spot in the seven-figure club by winning a flip against Kisacikoglu, who had dominated much of the opening day.
Alongside the quintet are several of poker's biggest names. The aforementioned Blom (785,000) finds himself in the middle of the pack with American trio Shaun Deeb (500,000), Alex Foxen (405,000) and Kristen Foxen (305,000) propping up the rest of the Day 1 survivors.
Event #8: €25,000 NLH GGMillion€ Chip Counts
Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
1 | Martin Kabrhel | Czechia | 1,845,000 | 91 |
2 | Samuel Ju | Germany | 1,500,000 | 75 |
3 | Jacob Amsellem | France | 1,220,000 | 61 |
4 | Simone Andrian | Italy | 1,070,000 | 54 |
5 | Orpen Kisacikoglu | Turkey | 1,040,000 | 52 |
6 | Sirzat Hissou | Germany | 997,000 | 50 |
7 | Tom-Aksel Bedell | Norway | 845,000 | 42 |
8 | Viktor Blom | Sweden | 785,000 | 39 |
9 | Salih Atac | Swizterland | 775,000 | 39 |
10 | Konstantyn Holskyi | Ukraine | 695,000 | 35 |
11 | Stephen Chidwick | United Kingdom | 540,000 | 27 |
12 | Shaun Deeb | United States | 500,000 | 25 |
13 | Alex Foxen | United States | 405,000 | 20 |
14 | Kristen Foxen | United States | 305,000 | 15 |
Late registration remains open in the GGMillion€, and will close after Level 14, the second level of Day 2. The tournament was expected to reach that point last night, but a delayed start meant two levels were shaved off of Day 1.
Additionally, there is potentially some extra value available for the players, with the tournament currently sporting an overlay for more than €300,000. If you're in the vicinity and have €25,000 to spare, why not take a shot at WSOP glory?
Day 2 kicks off at 2 p.m. local time and resumes on Level 13, where the blinds are 10,000/20,000 with a 20,000 big blind ante. Levels are 40-minutes in duration and breaks are scheduled after every three levels of play.
The event will crown its winner today, so as always, be sure to stick with PokerNews to keep up with all the action from the WSOPE.