Late registration is now closed for Day 1f of the Eureka Main Event. There have been 855 entries to the flight, which will play down to 15 percent. That means 128 players will all make it through the flight to Day 2 and into the money.
This is the final flight of the event and so there will be no more entries. The total number of entries across all six starting flights is 4,403, up from last year's total of 4,017.
That brings the prize pool up to €4,226,880.
Payouts are expected to be announced at the start of Day 2.
Petre Ionescu was all in from the button for 35,000 against Maksim Shornikau in the small blind. Players flipped their cards, with Ionescu at risk.
Petre Ionescu: A♣J♥
Maksim Shornikau: A♥6♦
The board ran out 4♥9♥7♥A♦K♥. Both players turned a pair of aces. Ionescu was ahead with his jack kicker, until the river brought the fourth heart to give both players the flush. Shornikau had the ace-high flush to win the pot and send Ionescu to the rail.
Dimitri Steinfeuer opened to 16,000 from middle position, Berkan Munar called in the small blind and Wooseok Kim moved all in for 59,000 from the big blind. Steinfeuer moved all in himself and Munar folded.
Wooseok Kim: A♠J♦
Dimitri Steinfeuer: Q♣J♠
The flop brought bad news for Kim as it came 6♠Q♠7♦. However, the A♦ turn saw Kim retake the lead. The 2♥ river changed nothing and Kim doubled up.
There was all in and call action on three tables on the second hand of the bubble. The first resulted in a double up. The tournament floor staff then moved to the second and third tables.
Hand 1
First up, Guillaume Marcellesi was all in for 83,000 from early position and was called by Daniel Erlandsson in the big blind. Marcellesi was at risk as the players flipped their cards.
Guillaume Marcellesi: K♦Q♠
Daniel Erlandsson: A♥6♥
The board ran out J♦6♠3♥9♣4♠. Marcellesi couldn't find any help on the board and Erlandsson improved to a pair of sixes to win the pot, busting Marcellesi on the bubble.
Hand 2
Alexander Norden moved all in from the button for 190,000 and was called by Adi Rajkovic in the small blind, who was covered.
Adi Rajkovic: A♦Q♥
Alexander Norden: 10♥10♦
The board ran out 2♥3♦5♥10♣6♥. Norden hit a set of tens on the turn, leaving Rajkovic drawing to a straight draw. Norden held to win the pot and Rajkovic was the second player to be eliminated on the bubble.
That meant that only 127 players, rather than the intended 128, made it through to Day 2 and into the money.
Today, the €1,100 Eureka Main Event occupied the entire main room of the tournament area, spilling over into the side rooms of the Hilton Prague at times as the latest 2023 PokerStars European Poker Tour series continued with another action-packed day.
This year’s event featured six starting flights, which generated 4,403 entries, exceeding last year's 4,017 entrants and creating a prize pool of €4,226,880. Of the combined entries, 659 players are set to return for Day 2 and will already be in the money.
Day 1f alone attracted 855 entries, and 127 players of those made it through after the fast-paced turbo structure brought play to a finish following 18 full levels.
As players bagged and tagged, Thomas Syversen of Norway emerged as the flight chip leader with 667,000. He's had some impressive finishes in the Norwegian Championship in the past, including a six figure victory and a handful of five figure scores. Still, the prizes in the Eureka Main Event are big and bold enough that Syversen will still be playing for a career best.
Not far behind him was Gheorghe Butuc, who was the only other player to breach the 600k mark in Day 1f, bagging 608,000. In third place was Maksim Shornikau with 483,000.
Eureka Main Event Day 1f Top 10 Chip Counts
Rank
Player
Country
Chips
1
Thomas Syversen
Norway
667,000
2
Gheorghe Butuc
Moldova
608,000
3
Maksim Shornikau
Belarus
483,000
4
Agostino Ascone
Italy
473,000
5
Henrik Juncker
Denmark
466,000
6
Grzegorz Grochulski
Poland
457,000
7
Raoul Kanme
Netherlands
429,000
8
Alexander Norden
Sweden
418,000
9
Simon Lauchenauer
Switzerland
404,000
10
Stephane Abehassera
France
400,000
Stephane Abehassera
The overall chip leader heading into Day 2 is still Mengshi Tian, who bagged 889,000 chips in Day 1e and remains way out ahead of the competition.
Day 2 will kick off on Saturday, December 9th at noon local time.
Stay tuned as PokerNews follows the Eureka Main Event deeper into the money and all the way down to a winner.
