The action resumes today with Day 1B of Event #1: €1,100 No-Limit Hold'Em MONSTER STACK. The World Series of Poker Europe kicked off yesterday inside King's Casino on Day 1A that saw 90 players take to the felt.
Defending champion, Ryan Hefter, bagged an impressive 208,000 but it was Ismael Bojang (268,500) leading the final 15 players at the end of the day. Many notables made an appearance on Day 1A but were unable to move on to Day 2. Those that will likely be back for another shot on Day 1B include Chris Ferguson, John Racener, and Alex Foxen who are all fighting for the Player of the Year title.
The action will begin at 2:00 P.M. and players will start with 20,000 chips. The blinds will start at 25/50 and will be 40-minutes in length. There will be a 20-minute break after every three levels and a 60-minute dinner break after level 8. Late registration will remain open until the beginning of level 9. There will be a total of 14 levels of play with play expected to end at around ~1:30 A.M.
Event #1 Monster Stack Schedule
Day
Date
Information
October 19th
Day 1a at 2pm
15 out of 90 players advanced to Day 2
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
The PokerNews live reporting team will be on site to report on all of the action beginning at 2:00 P.M.
With around 8,000 in the pot, the full board was spread out and read . Andrej Desset checked from the hijack and his opponent pushed all-in for 16,100.
Desset tanked for a couple minutes until finally putting together enough chips for a call. "If you have it, you have it," Desset said as he pushed his chips forward.
His opponent reluctantly turned over while Desset showed for the nut flush.
A big pot was brewing on the table of Viktor Kovachev, Anatoly Korochenskiy, Pierre Neuville and Thomas Pettersson. The flop showed and Korochenskiy bet 5,050 in the small blind. Kovachev moved all in for 14,975 and Korochenskiy started to talk in Russian to get any kind of information from Kovachev.
Neuville jokingly said "dawai dawai dawai" which translates to "come on" and Pettersson grabbed his glass of beer and replied to Neuville with a "Nastrovje!" (cheers) before taking a sip. Korochenskiy eventually folded the face up and asked in English if Kovachev had ace-king, but received no reply.
At the same time one table over, Fabian Gumz was all in for the last 5,400 with and was called by an opponent with . The board came and Gumz tossed over his chair while jumping up and leaving the tournament area.
Kristen Bicknell raised to 1,200 from under the gun and was three-bet to 3,500 from a player in middle position. Bicknell called and the flop came . Bicknell check-called a bet of 5,100 on the flop and the landed on the turn. Both players checked and the completed the board. Both players checked again and Bicknell tabled . Her opponent showed and the pot was shipped to Bicknell.
Just a couple of hands later, Bicknell got involved in a large pot with Robert Schulz. With around 7,500 in the middle, Bicknell led out for 5,600 on a board reading . Schulz made the call and the landed on the river.
Bicknell checked and Schulz moved all-in, putting Bicknell at risk for her last 17,000 should he call. She thought for a couple moments and finally pushed her chips forward. Schulz turned over and Bicknell sent her cards to the muck.
The flop came and Brandon Cantu led out for 2,000 into a pot of around 5,000. Viktor Kovachev raised to 7,400 and Cantu made the call.
The turn was the and Cantu checked to Kovachev who pushed out a bet of 7,500. Cantu counted his chips and then moved all-in for 27,800. Kovachev instantly made the call and the cards were face up. Cantu showed but Kovachev had a bigger flush with . The insignificant landed on the river and Cantu was eliminated
The second attempt of Chris Ferguson lasted all but 15 minutes before it came to a crashing end for the current WSOP player of the year leader. Ferguson three-bet shoved for just under starting stack out of the small blind and Roberto Romanello called.
Chris Ferguson:
Roberto Romanello:
The board came and Ferguson failed to improve, he will have to re-enter tomorrow in order to take a shot at vital points for the leader board.
The flop read and Phil Hellmuth led out for 2,000 into a pot of around 4,500. Maxim Lykoc called and the landed on the turn. Both players checked to the on the river.
Hellmuth fired another bet of 3,900 and Lykov raised to 11,000. Hellmuth made the call and Lykov turned over for a full house on the river. Hellmuth sat and played with his cards, flashing the while doing so, and then came the banter.
"It's not your fault," Hellmuth chirped to a smiling Lykov. "I make everyone look bad, just ask Jeff who has watched me for 20 years."
Jeff Lisandro perked up and responded, "If it wasn't for the river Phil, you would have 28 bracelets."
Dario Marinelli raised to 2,200 and Viktor Kovachev called. Viliyan Petleshkov shoved from the hijack and Tomas Holman also moved all in to force out Marinelli. Kovachev asked for a count on Holman's shove, as he was the bigger stack of the two, and the Czech was all in for 32,500 to see Kovachev call.
Viliyan Petleshkov:
Tomas Holman:
Viktor Kovachev:
The board came and Petleshkov more than tripled up his stack of 26,800. At the same time, Grzegorz Wyraz ran with queens into kings and found no help either to bow out.
Phil Hellmuth is no longer in contention on Day 1b and his former table opponents confirmed the elimination of the 14-time WSOP bracelet winner. Hellmuth got it in with pocket fives versus pocket sixes and jack-ten, and Chi Cuong Huynh made two pair with jack-ten. Cuong Huynh raised to 2,400 soon after and picked up two callers in Maxim Lykov and Jesper Mertz in the blinds. On a flop, Cuong Huynh bet 6,000 and showed after both opponents folded.
The next hand, Casey Kastle raised to 2,400 and a short stack shoved for just 3,600. Mertz called in the blinds, as did Kastle. The two remaining active players checked the flop and turn. Mertz check-folded the river to a bet of 4,000 by Kastle and the player at risk turned over his with "I guess you have better than king-jack high."
Kastle showed and the next player bowed out from their table.
There was just over 20,000 in the pot on a board reading . Rene Crha led out for 6,800 in the small blind and Felipe Ramos shoved all-in for 26,400 in the big blind. Crha made the call and the cards were tabled.
Ramos:
Crha:
Ramos turned a straight and left Crha drawing dead to the on the river. Ramos got a full double up to an above-average stack nearing the end of Day 1B.
![[user339872]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
. Andrej Desset checked from the hijack and his opponent pushed all-in for 16,100. 
while Desset showed 
for the nut flush.
and Korochenskiy bet 5,050 in the small blind. Kovachev moved all in for 14,975 and Korochenskiy started to talk in Russian to get any kind of information from Kovachev.
face up and asked in English if Kovachev had ace-king, but received no reply.
and Gumz tossed over his chair while jumping up and leaving the tournament area.
. Bicknell check-called a bet of 5,100 on the flop and the 
landed on the turn. Both players checked and the 
. Her opponent showed 
and the pot was shipped to Bicknell.
and Bicknell sent her cards to the muck.
and Brandon Cantu led out for 2,000 into a pot of around 5,000. Viktor Kovachev raised to 7,400 and Cantu made the call.
and Cantu checked to Kovachev who pushed out a bet of 7,500. Cantu counted his chips and then moved all-in for 27,800. Kovachev instantly made the call and the cards were face up. Cantu showed 
. The insignificant 
and Ferguson failed to improve, he will have to re-enter tomorrow in order to take a shot at vital points for the leader board.
for a full house on the river. Hellmuth sat and played with his cards, flashing the 
after both opponents folded.
turn. Mertz check-folded the 
