The long wait has come to an end, as the 2017 World Series of Poker Europe gets underway at 2 p.m. local time at King's Casino in Rozvadov with Day 1a of the €1,100 Monster Stack. Europe's biggest poker arena near the border to Germany has already hosted the WSOP International Circuit three times, but the WSOPE takes place for the first time in Rozvadov after various alternating locations in Europe prior.
The first of 11 bracelet events is the €1,100 Monster Stack with a guarantee of €500,000 and three starting days, players can fire up to three bullets in total for the tournament if they get eliminated on Day 1a or Day 1b subsequently. Each Day 1 will play a total of 14 levels of 30 minutes each and the registration remains open for the first eight levels until approximately 9 p.m. local time. All participants receive 20,000 in chips and the tournament is scheduled to play down to a winner on Monday October 23rd 2017.
Event #1 Monster Stack Schedule
Day
Date
Information
October 19th
Day 1a at 2pm
14 Levels 40 min each, late reg 8 levels ~ 9pm
October 20th
Day 1b at 2pm
14 Levels 40 min each, late reg 8 levels ~ 9pm
October 21st
Day 1c at 2pm
14 Levels 40 min each, late reg 8 levels ~ 9pm
October 22nd
Day 2 at 2pm
Levels last 60 min each, play down to final table
October 23rd
Day 3 at tba
Levels last 60 min each, play down to a winner
Defending champion of the tournament is Ryan Hefter, who emerged victorious back in 2015 after defeating a 580-entry field after defeating Gilbert Diaz heads-up for his first career bracelet and payday of €176,205. Whether Hefter will make the trip to Rozvadov or not remains to be seen. Other notables that will most likely take part today include John Racener, Kristen Bicknell and Felipe Ramos.
The PokerNews live reporting team will be here throughout the 19-day festival to provide updates for all bracelet events and the €25,000 High Roller.
Picking up the action on the flop, Kunal Patni bet 825 out of the big blind and John Racener called from middle position. On the turn, Patni fired again, making it 2,025 to go. Racener didn't go anywhere and called before doing so again on the river.
Patni rolled over and Racener had that beat with the to win the first big pot of the day.
The cards were already rushed away while Fabian Gumz was spotted leaving the tournament area. After his ill-timed bluff with the ace-ten earlier, Gumz only had 2,000 chips left and lost those just now with versus . Gumz flopped an ace but running diamonds gave his opponent a flush.
At almost the same time, Robert Auer arrived with a ticket in the hand and sat down to enter the competition.
Two big pots played out over on table 83 and one of them would essentially end up in the elimination of Olivian Balint.
Adolf Kern bet a three-way pot on the flop for 5,100 from the hijack and forced two folds including Salvatore Camarda, who mucked the . "I had better," Kern said and admitted in table chat he had pocket kings.
Soon after, the turn showed and Micky Blasi on the button bet 4,450 to force a fold from Darren Delahunty in the big blind. Balint called and the river was checked to Balint, who moved all in. Blasi snap-called for 1,025 and was shown for a pair of sixes only by Balint. Blasi had for the flopped straight and doubled, while Balint's remaining 500 chips vanished the next hand.
After losing a big hand with two pair vs a set, Kristen Bicknell was down to around 7,000 chips. There was a raise to 700 from middle position and call from the hijack with the action on Bicknell on the button. She moved all-in and was called by the player in the hijack.
Bicknell:
Hijack:
The flop came and Bicknell was in trouble. The turn and river brought no help and Bicknell was ousted from Event #1.
There have been four casualties on table 83 already, and two players with big stacks were moved away to balance the field. Three of the empty seats were filled very recently and the new faces include Theodoros Aidonopoulos, Pedro Oliveira and Alex Foxen.
Oliveira finished 11th for $675,000 in the 2017 World Series of Poker Main Event in Las Vegas while Foxen sits in 7th place of the 2017 WSOP player of the year race.
Almost flying under the radar, defending champion Ryan Hefter has been spotted just now and the American proceeded to send a short-stacked Kunal Patni to the rail while Roland Israelashvili busted at the same time on a different table.
Hefter raised to 1,000 from late position and Patni moved all in for his last 3,625 from two seats over in the cutoff. Once the action was back on Hefter, he called.
Kunal Patni:
Ryan Hefter:
Patni already stood up from his chair before the flop fell , and he quickly left the tournament area as soon as the turn and river had completed the board.
With around 1,500 in the middle preflop, the dealer fanned the flop of . Pierre Neuville checked from the small blind and Dominik Matejka bet 1,300. Neuville made the call and the landed on the turn.
Both players checked to the on the river. Neuville checked again and Matejka moved all-in. Neuville had roughly 4,500 remaining and made the call. Matejka rolled over for trip aces while Neuville showed before it went into the muck.
With a little over 4,000 in the pot and the flop reading , the action was checked to Romain Follet in the cutoff. Follet bet 1,700 and Anatoly Korochenskiy check-raised to 3,600. Follet announced all-in and Korochenskiy called for his last 8,500 chips.
Follet:
Korochenskiy:
Korochenskiy hit a set of tens on the flop and looked to be in prime position to double up. The dealer burned and turned the on the turn and Korochenskiy lept out of his seat (insert many Russian curse words). The river was the and Korochenskiy headed towards the exit of the tournament area.
Ivan Baric was down to just 9,000 chips early on in the tournament, but since then has been sky-rocketing to the top of the leaderboard. In a recent hand, Baric opened from the hijack and was three-bet to 5,500 by the big blind. Baric made a four-bet to 11,000 and his opponent moved all-in for just shy of 20,000. Baric made the call and the two players tabled the same hand.
Baric:
Opponent:
In what looked to inevitably be a chop pot, the flop came and it was Baric with the freeroll on his opponent. The turn brought the giving Baric a flush draw to win the hand outright. The river landed the and Baric made the flush to eliminate his opponent.
![[user38873]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
flop, Kunal Patni bet 825 out of the big blind and John Racener called from middle position. On the 
turn, Patni fired again, making it 2,025 to go. Racener didn't go anywhere and called before doing so again on the 
river.
and Racener had that beat with the 
to win the first big pot of the day.
versus 
. Gumz flopped an ace but running diamonds gave his opponent a flush.
flop for 5,100 from the hijack and forced two folds including Salvatore Camarda, who mucked the 
. "I had better," Kern said and admitted in table chat he had pocket kings.
and Micky Blasi on the button bet 4,450 to force a fold from Darren Delahunty in the big blind. Balint called and the 
river was checked to Balint, who moved all in. Blasi snap-called for 1,025 and was shown 
for a pair of sixes only by Balint. Blasi had 
and Bicknell was in trouble. The turn and river brought no help and Bicknell was ousted from Event #1.
, and he quickly left the tournament area as soon as the 
river had completed the board.
. Pierre Neuville checked from the small blind and Dominik Matejka bet 1,300. Neuville made the call and the 
landed on the turn.
for trip aces while Neuville showed 
before it went into the muck.
and Korochenskiy headed towards the exit of the tournament area.
giving Baric a flush draw to win the hand outright. The river landed the 
