Phil Hellmuth and Casey Kastle already had purchased their entry to the Monster Stack Day 1b and showed up fashiuonably late after the cards were already back in the air. Hellmuth sat down at a table with Jeff Lisandro and Maxim Lykov, and will try to run up a stack in the upcoming six levels.
"Nice comeback," someone at the table said while the dealer announced a double seat open. A short stack was all in and at risk with , and another player held . Lykov had them both covered and dominated with to see the board run out ten-high.
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.
Martin Kabrhel quickly built his stack after registering by sending Roland Israelashvili to the rail. He then took on Felipe Ramos and the action was picked up on the turn, on which Kabrhel bet 6,300. Ramos called on the button and the river completed a possible flush.
Kabrhel eyed the stack of Ramos carefully before announcing all in and ultimately forced a fold from Ramos.
Aleksandar Tomovic doubled in a battle of the blinds against Federico Diaz when he was all in preflop out of the big blind for his last 13,200 with . Diaz showed and asked for a sweat, which he did get on a board of . However, there was no bad beat story to tell for now and Tomovic doubled.
Tournament staff has confirmed 165 entries in total for Day 1b and play concludes after 14 levels or down to the last 25 players, whichever of the two comes first.
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."
"This guy, those are my chips, I should be on 130,000," Ali Sameeian said and pointed at Usman Siddique in the big blind. Apparently, Sameeian had lost a four-bet pot with queens against the pocket jacks of the Brit when the flop came jack-high, though Sameeian still sits on a decent stack.
Just now, Erich Kollmann opened to 2,200 and Patryk Slusarek called from one seat over. Sameeian also called, as did Siddique in the big blind. All four players checked through the flop before the turn saw a bet of 4,200 by Slusarek. Sameeian raised to 10,200, forcing out Siddique and Kollmann, but Slusarek was having none of it and moved all in.
Sameeian sighed and immediately announced a fold without asking for a count.
Martin Kabrhel had a short stack all in for 16,100 with versus and the board ran out to see the top pair of the player at risk downed via runner runner straight.
One table over, Robert Schulz's raise and the call by Roberto Romanello was followed by the shove of Domenico Gala in the big blind for 9,500. Schulz called before Romanello reshoved for 37,400. That forced a fold from Schulz and the cards were tabled.
Domenico Gala:
Roberto Romanello:
The board ran out and Gala tripled up thanks to the ace on the flop.
![[user38873]](/img/avatars/avatar.svg){kind=avatar}
, and another player held 
. Lykov had them both covered and dominated with 
to see the board run out ten-high.
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 
but Kovachev had a bigger flush with 
. The insignificant 
landed on the river and Cantu was eliminated
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.
turn, on which Kabrhel bet 6,300. Ramos called on the button and the 
river completed a possible flush.
and asked for a sweat, which he did get on a board of 
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 
for a full house on the river. Hellmuth sat and played with his cards, flashing the 
flop before the 
versus 
