Live Tournament Updates
WPT Merit Cyprus Classic Day 2 Seat Draw
Level 10: 500-1,000, 100 ante
01:38 AM, 08/06/12
WPT Champions Club Member Chino Rheem Leads Going Into Day 2 of the WPT Merit Cyprus Classic
Level 10: 500-1,000, 100 ante
It was last chance saloon at the World Poker Tour (WPT) Merit Cyprus Classic Day 1B. No more re-entries, no more rebuys, this was it. You either grinded it out and made it through to Day 2 or you didn't. You were a survivor or a casualty. You were either in with a chance of winning $287,784 or you were heading home with your head hung low.
164 players showed up to play Day 1B, making our total field size 329 players (including 55 re-entries). 65 players made it through the Day 1B session, so that means 132 poker people will be showing up tomorrow at 13:00 (local time) to compete in Day 2. Amongst that pack we have some superlative talent with the likes of Michael 'The Grinder' Mizrachi, Dominik Nitsche, Sam El Sayed and Giuseppe Pantaleo all getting through Day 1B. But the man who deserves a special mention is the one and only Chino Rheem.
"I either get a load of chips and win the thing, or lose the lot very quickly," said Rheem during an earlier interview.
One thing for certain is he has a load of chips. 291,500 to be precise, and that makes him our overall chip leader when Day 2 begins.
Here is a recap of the day’s events.
Our two-time WPT Champion, Tommy Vedes, had traveled a long way to try and make it title number three. The one thing you can say about Vedes is the man is hungry for titles. His first stab at Cypriot glory took place on Day 1A, but despite taking the early chip lead his day ended in bitter disappointment. Unfortunately, for Vedes Day 1B turned out to be no better and he was eliminated in just the second level when his pocket queens nose dived against Kx 5x in an unavoidable blind battle. Trip fives on the turn putting pay to Vedes' hopes of a third title.
Then came the American invasion, and it looked like a Mizrachi family outing. WPT Champions Club member Michael 'The Grinder' Mizrachi, Eric Mizrachi, Donnie Mizrachi, Robert Mizrachi, Kelly Kim and WPT Champions Club member Chino Rheem all shaking the very foundations of the Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino. In fact it is amazing that any of these guys have ever won anything because they spend more time standing up and talking to each other than they do sitting down and playing poker! Or maybe that's just how good Rheem; Grinder et al really are…after all it was only Eric & Donnie who failed to make it through the day.
One of the early leaders was another player who was using his second bullet. WSOP bracelet winner Dominik Nitsche using all of his Cypriot experience to climb amongst the leaders in the early levels. Nitsche has cashed in no fewer than eight events in Cyprus including two six figure scores. Nitsche finished the day with 90,000 chips.
The first two players to exceed the 100,000 mark were former European Poker Tour (EPT) champion Martin Finger and The Grinder. The latter getting fortunate to catch a jack on the river to hand him Broadway when all seemed lost on the turn with his opponent already holding a made straight with Jx 9x on a Qx Tx 8x Kx board - The Grinder with Ax Kx under his fingers. Finger's day was full of ups and downs and eventually finished with 25,800 making him one of the shortest stacks left in the tournament.
So with The Grinder hogging all of the limelight it was left to see what his best buddy Chino Rheem could do, and Rheem did what Rheem does best. Of course Rheem outplayed his opponents but when it came to out-chattering them he met his match. Baris Topkaya was absolutely frying the skull of Rheem with some insane moves that put Rheem's stack on the line time and time again. But Rheem is classy stuff and he evaded each encounter to move into the top four spots whilst Topkaya was sent packing by Igor Gurskiy.
Chris Moorman was eliminated in level seven and Nitsche was sent to the middle of the chip counts after running kings into aces. The man to benefit from that encounter was Igor Gurskiy and after also eliminating Topkaya he became our temporary chip leader. We say temporary because not long after Husnu Sincar came from nowhere to take the lead with just two levels of the day remaining.
The last two levels saw a great battle at the top. Chino Rheem, Sam El Sayed, Husnu Sincar, Giuseppe Pantaleo and Ran Azor all taking turns to take the lead. But as you now know it was our WPT Champions Club Member Chino Rheem who bested everyone to finish the day as the best player in the room.
Day 2 will commence at 13:00 (local time) so make sure you join the WPT Live Updates team for all of the action.
Sorted In: Chino Rheem, Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino, Season XI
12:39 AM, 08/06/12
The Classy Chino Rheem
Level 10: 500-1,000, 100 ante
Chino Rheem is playing some superb poker out there today. The WPT Champions Club member is doing his best to spread the distance between himself and fellow WPT Champions Club member Sam El Sayed. Rheem now has 240,000 and El Sayed has 215,000 and just behind those pair is the onimous presence of Giuseppe Pantaleo on 190,000. Here is Rheem winning one of many pots used to carve out the chip lead.
Christakis Christoforio opened the action on the button, Rheem three-bet to 6,000, Christoforio four-bet to 14,900 and Rheem made the call.
Flop: T
6
4 Rheem checked, Christoforio bet 25,000 and Rheem made the call.
Turn: 5
Rheem checked for the second time, Christoforio moved all-in and Rheem snap-called. It was T
T for Rheem and A A for Christoforio. Top set for the WPT Champion and the 7 on the river confirmed defeat for Christoforio.Sorted In: Chino Rheem, Christakis Christoforio, Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino, Season XI
11:16 PM, 08/05/12
The Grinder Takes a Hit
Level 10: 500-1,000, 100 ante
Michael 'The Grinder' Mizrachi has just missed his flush draw and is now down to 55,000 chips. The board was showing K J J and Mizrachi held Q 5. The money went into the jukebox on that flop and Boris Fragin was holding A J. The turn 7 and river 7 handing the victory to Fragin who now has 85,000 chips.
11:08 PM, 08/05/12
Sam El Sayed Eliminates Eric Mizrachi
Level 8: 300-600, 75 ante
We didn't see the hand but Aubin Cazals was kind enough to fill in the white space surrounding the elimination of Eric Mizrachi. Mizrachi open shoved for 8,000 holding Ax Kx, Sam El Sayed raised to 16,000 holding 6x 6x and a third player shoved for 25,000 holding Qx Qx. El Sayed made the call, a six sprung up on the flop and just like that two players were gone. El Sayed moved up to 190,000 chips.
Sorted In: Sam El Sayed, Eric Mizrachi, Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino, Season XI
10:58 PM, 08/05/12
Only One Sherif in Town
Level 8: 300-600, 75 ante
We join the action on the turn with the board showing Q T 4 Q. Sherif Zacca checks out of the small blind, a player in mid-position bets 2,400 and Selcuk Ayaz calls on the button. The river is the 4, Zacca checks, the player in mid-position bets 4,000, Ayaz raises to 16,500 and after a long thought Zacca calls and the player in mid-position folds. Ayaz nods his head in approval of Zacca's call, and so he should. Zacca turns over T 3 for two-pair and Ayaz shows 5 5 for a worse two-pair.
The results after that hand are Zacca with 60,000 chips and Ayaz with 100,000 chips.
10:51 PM, 08/05/12
Prize Pool Information
Level 8: 300-600, 75 ante
With the registrations now final we can confirm that the Season XI opener has attracted 329 players thus creating a total prize pool of $1,212,694. Here are the payouts.
1. $287,784 (inlcuding a $25,500 WPT Championship Seat)
2. $184,020
3. $118,360
4. $87,610
5. $65,770
6. $52,590
7. $43,690
8. $35,020
9. $26,240
10-12th. $19,110
13th-15th. $15,670
16th-18th. $13,420
19th-21st. $11,750
22nd-24th. $10,450
25th-27th. $9,260
28th-36th. $8,070
10:02 PM, 08/05/12
Level Eight Round-Up
Level 8: 300-600, 75 ante
As level eight slowly ebbs away we have two WPT Champions Club members vying for the top spot. Chino Rheem is seated in 3rd spot with 117,000 chips and just behind him in fourth spot is Sam El Sayed with 115,000. The top spot is currently tied between Igor Gurskiy and Ran Azor who both have around 120,000 chips. Azor finished 2nd in the WPT Five Star World Poker Classic back in 2009 where he bagged a $1,446,265 first prize, so the man understands how to go deep in a WPT event. Gurskiy only has one recorded live cash to his name, but after the elimination of Baris Topkaya has chips aplenty.
Other big movers in the last few levels are Julio Belluscio (70,000), Andrey Shatilov (75,000), Filippo Bianchini (70,000), Giuseppe Pantaleo (88,000), Kelly Kim (71,000), Robert Mizrachi (77,000) and Daniel "Jungleman" Cates with 65,000.
At the other end of the scale Per Ummer is down to 30,000, Eric Mizrachi is down to (15,000), Martin Finger is down to (67,000) and Zimnan Ziyard is on fumes with just 10,000.
The latest player to fly onto our radar is Husnu Sincar with 100,000 chips. There are 18-minutes left of level eight.
09:29 PM, 08/05/12
Igor Gurskiy Eliminates Baris Topkaya
Level 8: 300-600, 75 ante
Baris Topkaya's luck has finally run out and here is how it happened.
We joined the action on a flop of K K 3 and there are three players in the hand. Igor Gurskiy has checked from the big blind, Topkaya has over shoved the pot with a bet of 45,000 into a pot of 25,000, and the man in the tank is, of course, Chino Rheem.
"I like you so much man…you are so much fun," Rheem told Topkaya, "I am not even worried about you…I am worried about that man," said Rheem pointing to Gurskiy, "OK…you have it…I fold," said Rheem.
No sooner had Rheem's hand hit the muck than Gurskiy calls the shove.
"I told you…I told you," shouts Rheem.
Gurskiy turns over A K for the trips and Topkaya shows Q Q. The turn is the 5 and river 7 and Topkaya is out. Gurskiy is up to 120,000 chips and Rheem has lost his fighting buddy.
09:21 PM, 08/05/12
Robert Mizrachi Eliminates Amirali Etemadsaeid
Level 8: 300-600, 75 ante
We join the action on the turn with the board showing K T 5 5. Robert Mizrachi bets 3,000 and Amirali Etemadsaeid makes the call. The river is the 5 and Mizrachi moves 20,000 over the line and it is enough to put Etemadsaeid all-in. He makes the call, mucks and leaves the table after Mizrachi shows K Q for the full house. Etemadsaeid told the table he mucked pocket queens.
Mizrachi now has 77,000
09:12 PM, 08/05/12
