Maxim Panyak Eliminated by Vyacheslav Stoyanov

Level 15: 1,500-3,000, 500 ante

(Photo: Mizrachi & Stoyanov as Stoyanov is moving all-in)

We have lost our day 1A chip leader Maxim Panyak. We didn't see the hand but our photographer tells us that somewhere through the hand Panyak moved all-in with pocket eights, Robert Mizrachi called the shove but Vyacheslav Stoyanov reshoved. Mizrachi said he didn't want to flip with Stoyanov and folded and it was a wise decision because he was holding aces. The pocket aces held up and Panyak was out.

Mizrachi ~ 450,000
Stoyanov ~ 510,000

A Rivered Set For Panyak

Level 12: 800-1,600, 200 ante

Martin Finger raises to 3,200 in mid-position and our Day 1A chip leader, Maxim Panyak, makes the call on the button. The flop is A T 8 and both players check. The turn is the 5 and this time Finger bets 3,800 and Panyak calls. Finally we see the 6 on the river and it was Panyak who bet 8,000, once checked to, and Finger makes the call. Panyak shows 6 6 for the rivered set and Finger mucks.

The results after the hand are 260,000 for Panyak and 21,000 for Finger.

Maxim Panyak Leads Day 1A of The WPT Merit Cyprus Classic

Level 10: 500-1,000, 100 ante

You could not have picked a more picture perfect place to kick start Season XI of the World Poker Tour (WPT). Cyprus is situated in the East Mediterranean Sea and is surrounded by the likes of Greece, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon and Egypt, and representatives from all of those countries made their way to the Merit Crystal Cove Hotel & Casino to participate in the 2012 WPT Merit Cyprus Classic.

This is truly one of the very best venues on the European poker circuit with everything a poker player could want. The place was rammed full of fabulous food, beautiful beverages and gorgeous girls, and the best part was none of it cost a penny (well, we are not so sure about the girls?) Talk about value for money, a poker player’s paradise.

The event drew 165-players from all over the world. We had WPT Champions Club members Tommy Vedes, Lukas Berglund, Marvin Rettenmaier and Tuan Le. Former final WPT final tablist's Benjamin Pollak, Konstantin Tolokno and Ognjen Sekularac, the new French starlet Gaelle Baumann and World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winners Dominik Nitsche and Oleksii Kovalchuk. But there is always one player who must be the centre of attention for one night at least, and tonight that player is Maxim Panyak who managed to bag and tag 255,800 chips.

Here are the highlights of a great day of poker. 

The final European leg of WPT Season X was held in the Austrian capital of Vienna, and amazingly two of the final table competitors started the day on the same table once more. Konstantin Tolokno (who finished 2nd) and Ognjen Sekularac (who finished 4th) starting Season XI in the same fashion as they started Season X. Unfortunately, Tolokno had a dismal day after running pocket aces into pocket kings only to see a king turn up on the board to reduce him to mere chip dust. He did well to survive a few levels before being eliminated and we will have to wait and see if he returns on Day 1B.

But before Tolokno was shown the door we lost another former WPT final tablist, and once again it was the dreaded aces v kings scenario. Benjamin Pollak holding the kings and it was off to the swimming pool for a day of relaxation just five cards later.

Two-time WPT Champion Tommy Vedes sauntered into the place looking like he owned it, and immediately set about his business. His starting table included WPT Champion Marvin Rettenmaier and WSOP bracelet holder Erik Cajelais, but it didn't stop the Vin Diesel look-a-like from building a hefty stack to become one of the early chip leaders.

Chris Moorman moved to Cyprus in a bid to get himself into shape and boy does he look good. It's just a shame his flops, turns and rivers didn't look as good today. Moorman didn't really take the handbrake off and was eliminated in level four after running pocket eights into queen’s all-in pre.

Back to the top of the charts and that man Vedes. He really does throw the fundamental theorem of poker out of the window. He somehow managed to get himself embroiled in a three-bet pot that involved Gaelle Baumann. The flop was Kx 3x 3x and Baumann was salivating as she held Ax Kx; it's just such a shame that Vedes had the mighty 3x 2x. A dazed Baumann was out and Vedes just continued to motor before suddenly the wheels came off. We didn't catch his demise but were told that he got involved in a button v blind war and found himself dominated Kx Qx v Ax Kx and Vedes went from hero to zero in mere moments.

Nicolas Chouity and Dominik Nitsche followed Vedes into the cool night air and Atzlan Gil flopped a set of tens to eliminate Sakis Nicolau to take the chip lead for the remainder of the final few levels. Then in the final level Maxim Panyak eliminated both Andreas Krause and Ozgur Arda to move neck-and neck with Gil at the top of the table. To make things even more interesting they actually played the last 20-minutes on the same table, but the clash we were waiting for never materialised. As you know it was Panyak who eventually eclipsed Gil to finish the day as the Day 1A chip leader; topping the final 67 players.

Other notables into Day 2 are Atzlan Gil (207,100), Oleksii Kovalchuk (144,300), Marvin Rettenmaier (122,200), Toni Judet (101,000), Tuan Le (90,000), Erik Cajelais (71,900), Marko Neumann (63,300) and Ognjen Sekularac (62,800).

We are off to bed and will be back at 13:00 (Cypriot time) to get stuck into Day 1B so make sure you join us.

Panyak and Gil Neck and Neck

Level 10: 500-1,000, 100 ante

The table that was housing Atzlan Gil and Tuan Le has just broken and Gil has found himself two seats to the left of Maxim Panyak. So the two chip leaders on the same table, not that it bothered Panyak because no sooner had Gil sat down Panyak took the chip lead after eliminating another player.

Panyak raises to 2,200 from the cutoff, Ozgur Arda three-bets to 5,600 from the small blind and Panyak makes the call. The flop is 8 7 3 and Panyak calls a 6,500 Arda bet. Fourth street brings the A out to play and Arda check-raises all-in. Panyak calls and Arda was in trouble.

Panyak: A 8
Arda: A K

So Arda needed a little bit of help and the T was not what he needed. Panyak now has 240,000 chips but Gil is not that far behind with 230,000.

Maxim Panyak Eliminates Andreas Krause

Level 10: 500-1,000, 100 ante

Maxim Panyak has just eliminated Andreas Krause in your classic coin flip. The pair played for pre flop stacks with Panyak holding Q Q and Krause holding A K. The flop of K 8 6 moved Krause into the lead, before the 2 created some flush outs for Panyak. Then the J hit the river at the same time Krause's fist hit the table. A flush for Panyak and Krause was out.

Panyak now has 165,000.