2024 PokerStars EPT Cyprus

$5,300 EPT Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info

2024 PokerStars EPT Cyprus

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
q7
Prize
$1,030,000
Event Info
Buy-in
$5,300
Prize Pool
$6,227,400
Entries
1,284
Level Info
Level
36
Blinds
250,000 / 500,000
Ante
500,000
Players Info - Day 1a
Entries
474
Players Left
144

Ushakov Backdoors Diamonds to Stun Song

Level 9 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante
Yunkyu Song
Yunkyu Song

Kirill Shcherbakov opened to 2,500 from under the gun and Yunkyu Song three-bet the small blind to 13,000. Evgenii Ushakov then shoved from the big blind for around 45,000, which got Shcherbakov to fold, then Song stood up and put his jacket on, slung his bag over his shoulder despite having the covering stack. Eventually, Song called.

Evgenii Ushakov: Q?10? All in
Yunkyu Song: A?K?

Ushakov had found the light four-bet shove, but wasn't in as bad shape as he could have been, until the flop of 5?K?2? left him with on a glimmer of hope of survival. That glimmer turned into a brighter shine as the 6? on the turn gave Ushakov a flush draw, and then into a gleaming pot of gold when the 9? landed on the river as the Russian player completed his flush.

Song couldn't believe it and stared at the board in disbelief, then said "How do you find that shove?" — with no response.

"Where are you from?" asked Fahredin Mustafov. "Russia," replied Ushakov.

"Ahh, you don't care. You are super rich, yeah?" said Mustafov. Ushakov laughed it off and started to stack the chips he just won, which left him with almost 100,000.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Kirill Shcherbakov ru
Kirill Shcherbakov
195,000
-7,000
-7,000
Day 1A Chip Leader
Profile photo of Evgenii Ushakov ru
Evgenii Ushakov
95,000
60,000
60,000
Profile photo of Yunkyu Song us
Yunkyu Song
85,000
-51,000
-51,000
Profile photo of Fahredin Mustafov bg
Fahredin Mustafov
80,000
1,000
1,000
Day 2 Chip Leader

Tags: Evgenii UshakovFahredin MustafovKirill ShcherbakovYunkyu Song

Wei Spikes Set of Queens, Pavlenko Brings it Back on River

Level 8 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante
Guoliang Wei
Guoliang Wei

Yevhen Pavlenko and Guoliang Wei were in the midst of a raising battle and Wei had a reraise of 17,000 out in the middle. Pavlenko responded by moving all in for around 80,000 and Wei called. Players had quite similar stacks, but Wei was covered as the cards were turned.

Guoliang Wei: Q?Q? All in
Yevhen Pavlenko: A?A?

The flop came K?Q?7? and the table let out a collective groan as Wei spiked a set of queens. The turn was a blank, the 5?, but the river was the A? to give Pavlenko a set of aces.

Wows and cheers came from tablemates as the situation reversed. Pavlenko won the pot and Wei was eliminated from the tournament as the final break of the day approached.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Yevhen Pavlenko ua
Yevhen Pavlenko
160,000
101,000
101,000
Profile photo of Guoliang Wei cn
Guoliang Wei
Busted

Tags: Guoliang WeiYevhen Pavlenko

Lin Dodges a Ton of Outs to Stack Iakovlev

Level 8 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante
Ren Lin
Ren Lin

There were already around 10,000 chips in the pot on a flop of 5?7?8? when both Ren Lin and Mikhail Iakovlev checked to Serhat Tok, who fired a bet of 3,000. Lin called, then Iakovlev put in a raise. Tok quickly folded, and Lin shoved, which gave Iakovlev a decision for his remaining stack of around 40,000. After thinking for just a few moments, Iakovlev put himself at risk.

Mikhail Iakovlev: A?9? All in
Ren Lin: J?8?

Lin's pair was in the lead, but Iakovlev was the favorite to win the hand with his overcards, straight draw, and flush draw. Nonetheless, hitting those cards is part of the game and both the K? turn and 2? river were brick city for Iakovlev, who made his way to the exit.

"Never fold a pair. Gamble, gamble," said Lin.

"It's very hard to hit a pair," he added.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Ren Lin cn
Ren Lin
220,000
182,000
182,000
Profile photo of Serhat Tok tr
Serhat Tok
40,000
Profile photo of Mikhail Iakovlev ru
Mikhail Iakovlev
Busted

Tags: Mikhail IakovlevRen LinSerhat Tok

Korzinin Goes All In Blind

Level 8 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante
Vladimir Korzinin
Vladimir Korzinin

Artsiom Lasouski raised preflop from middle position and Vladimir Korzinin, who had been making friends and having fun at his table, moved all in without looking at his cards. Lasouski called to put him at risk.

Vladimir Korzinin: 8?3? All in
Artsiom Lasouski: K?K?

The board ran out 5?Q?Q?5?4? and Korzinin did pick up a flush draw on the flop to give himself a chance to double up. In the end though, it was easy money for Lasouski, who held with his pocket kings to win the pot, eliminating Korzinin.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Artsiom Lasouski by
Artsiom Lasouski
130,000
50,000
50,000
Profile photo of Vladimir Korzinin ee
Vladimir Korzinin
Busted

Tags: Artsiom LasouskiVladimir Korzinin

Tamm Turns Broadway to Eliminate Camarda

Level 8 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante
Taago Tamm
Taago Tamm

Taago Tamm in middle position and Salvatore Camarda from the small blind both ended up getting their stacks into the middle preflop, with the latter at risk for his stack of around 45,000.

Salvatore Camarda: 10?10? All in
Taago Tamm: A?K?

It was a classic coin flip which seemed to be going Camarda's way as he improved to a set on the 7?Q?10? flop. However, Tamm found the dream turn as the J? gave him Broadway, and left Camarda screaming for the board to pair on the river. All that screaming didn't help as the dealer then put out the 9? on the river, much to the dismay of Camarda, as he was left on the sidelines.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Taago Tamm ee
Taago Tamm
120,000
72,000
72,000
Profile photo of Mehmet Deniz tr
Mehmet Deniz
100,000
100,000
100,000
Profile photo of Timur Kurbanov ru
Timur Kurbanov
75,000
75,000
75,000
Profile photo of Guillermo Gordo es
Guillermo Gordo
75,000
45,000
45,000
Profile photo of Biao Ding cn
Biao Ding
25,000
25,000
25,000
Profile photo of Salvatore Camarda it
Salvatore Camarda
Busted

Tags: Salvatore CamardaTaago Tamm

Ahuja Busts to Schneiders

Level 7 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante
Ankit Ahuja
Ankit Ahuja

Felix Schneiders raised from under the gun, Serghei Lisii three-bet to 4,200, and Ankit Ahuja moved all in for 17,500. Schneiders made the call and Lisii folded. Ahuja was at risk as players turned the cards.

Ankit Ahuja: K?10? All in
Felix Schneiders: A?K?

Schneiders had Ahuja dominated as the board ran out J?K?J?2?Q? and both players paired their kings on the flop, making two pair with the jacks on board. Schneiders held with his ace kicker to win the pot, sending Ahuja to the rail.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Felix Schneiders de
Felix Schneiders
80,000
52,000
52,000
Profile photo of Ankit Ahuja in
Ankit Ahuja
Busted

Tags: Ankit AhujaFelix SchneidersSerghei Lisii

Abdellatif Picks Up Aces, Hits 200,000

Level 7 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante
Ahmed Abdellatif
Ahmed Abdellatif

Ahmed Abdellatif opened to 2,000 from middle position and Nick Palma called from the next seat. Juan Vecino also called from the big blind.

The three players went to a flop of 9?5?3? where Vecino checked, and Abdellatif fired 8,000. Palma quickly folded, and Vecino called.

Both checked the Q? turn to the 5? river where Vecino checked, and Abdellatif made a bet of 15,000. Vecino didn't need to think for too long before he dropped in the call.

Abdellatif showed A?A? for a pair of aces, and Vecino quickly mucked.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Ahmed Abdellatif au
Ahmed Abdellatif
200,000
52,000
52,000
Profile photo of Nick Palma us
Nick Palma
70,000
30,000
30,000
Profile photo of Juan Vecino es
Juan Vecino
20,000
20,000
20,000

Tags: Ahmed AbdellatifJuan VecinoNick Palma

Shylko Runs Jacks into Fayziev's Queens

Level 7 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante
Aliaksandr Shylko
Aliaksandr Shylko

Aliaksandr Shylko opened the hijack to 1,600 and Shukhrat Fayziev three-bet the cutoff to 5,300. When it got back to Shylko, he shoved for a little under 25,000, and Fayziev put in the call with a slightly covering stack.

Aliaksandr Shylko: J?J? All in
Shukhrat Fayziev: Q?Q?

"One time, two times?" joked Shylko in reference to how many times they should run it.

Shylko didn't have much to work with on the 10?5?9? flop, and the 6? turn left him with just two outs and one shot to hit. Unfortunately for the Belarusian player, the 3? dropped on the river, which sent him to the rail.

With that pot, Fayziev's stack jumped up to around 50,000.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Guillermo Sanchez Otero es
Guillermo Sanchez Otero
75,000
52,000
52,000
Profile photo of Grigoli Liklikadze ge
Grigoli Liklikadze
60,000
60,000
60,000
Profile photo of Shukhrat Fayziev uz
Shukhrat Fayziev
50,000
50,000
50,000
Profile photo of David Kaufmann de
David Kaufmann
20,000
-10,000
-10,000
Profile photo of Aliaksandr Shylko by
Aliaksandr Shylko
Busted

Tags: Aliaksandr ShylkoShukhrat Fayziev

Pertea's Two Pair No Good Against Shalamov's Set

Level 7 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante
Marius-Catalin Pertea
Marius-Catalin Pertea

With around 15,000 chips in the middle on a board of 3?10?8?, Mikhail Shalamov and Iurii Okolovich checked it over to Marius-Catalin Pertea, who fired 5,700. Shalamov then put in a raise to 13,200, which got a quick fold out of Okolovich, but Pertea called.

A 7? dropped on the turn and Shalamov immediately shoved, which gave Pertea a decision for his remaining stack of around 20,000. After thinking it over for a while, Pertea decided to put himself at risk, and called.

Marius-Catalin Pertea: 10?7? All in
Mikhail Shalamov: 8?8?

Pertea had turned two pair but was trailing to the flopped set of Shalamov, who only needed to fade a ten on the river to scoop the pot. Pertea was hoping to hit that two-outer, but it never came as the 9? filled out the board, which meant he was eliminated.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Mikhail Shalamov ru
Mikhail Shalamov
105,000
14,000
14,000
Run It Once
Profile photo of Peter Tschernigg at
Peter Tschernigg
55,000
13,400
13,400
Profile photo of Pascal Hartmann de
Pascal Hartmann
55,000
-15,000
-15,000
Profile photo of Uladzmir Zhyharau by
Uladzmir Zhyharau
40,000
-10,000
-10,000
Profile photo of Iurii Okolovich ru
Iurii Okolovich
40,000
Profile photo of Marius-Catalin Pertea ro
Marius-Catalin Pertea
Busted

Tags: Iurii OkolovichMarius-Catalin PerteaMikhail Shalamov

Song Hits Trips to Bust Mandara

Level 6 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante
Stephen Song
Stephen Song

Barny Boatman open-raised from late position and Stephen Song called on the button. Ryan Mandara then moved all in from the small blind for 17,100, Boatman folded, and Song quickly made the call. Players flipped their cards, with Mandara at risk.

Ryan Mandara: K?J? All in
Stephen Song: A?Q?

The board ran out Q?3?Q?8?10? and Mandara had little hope left once the flop had been dealt. Song made trip queens and chipped up to around 180,000, putting him among the chip leaders, while Mandara was eliminated.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Stephen Song us
Stephen Song
180,000
90,000
90,000
EPT Main Event Champion
EPT 1X Winner
Profile photo of Ryan Mandara gb
Ryan Mandara
Busted

Tags: Barny BoatmanRyan MandaraStephen Song