Welcome to Day 2 of the PokerStars Championship Sochi Main Event. There will be 208 players return to action at noon today inside the Sochi Casino and Resort. So far, the total entries received is 379 but with registration open until the start of Day 2, that number could easily climb.
American pro Jason Wheeler will start the day with the chip lead after a stellar performance on Day 1b. Wheeler begins with 180,800. Following closely behind is Lavrenty Ni (174,800), while Sergey Isaev (158,300), Seyed Ghavam (149,400) and Day 1a chip leader, Andrei Shkerin (144,400).
The remaining players will all be benefiting from a significant overlay as the event needed at least 500 entries to meet the RUB 150,000,000 guarantee. We can expect it to shrink some but equity in the tournament will surely rise.
Some notables still in contention include Daniyar Aubakirov (133,500), Vladimir Troyanovskiy (116,500), PokerStars Team pro Chris Moneymaker (115,200), Alexander Lakhov (103,400), Maxim Lykov (78,700), and Dmitry Chop (76,700).
Moneymaker will start the day on the live-streamed feature table which can be found via PokerStars.tv or on Twitch via the PokerStars Twitch channel
The plan for Day 2 is to play five 75-minute levels with a break in between every second level.
Seyed Ghavam joined the chip leaders in the last levels of Day 1b by eliminating two opponents in one hand and just did so again. Short stack Denis Gashko was already all in when the board showed and Maksim Bura checked out of the big blind. A fourth player in the hand also checked to Ghavam, who bet 7,500. Only Bura called and checked the river.
Ghavam bet 25,000 and Bura had less than that left, called all in after some consideration.
Ghavam rolled over for a full house and Gashko's was revealed, Bura also joined the rail as his were no good.
Jason Wheeler opened for 2,700 and face a three-bet from his neighbor Sergey Isupov to 7,500. The blinds folded and action was back on Wheeler.
Close to five minutes ticked by as Wheeler jiggled his leg restlessly and the table awaited his decision. Wheeler then cut out a bet and raised to 17,500.
I was Isupov’s turn to decode the bet but he had one last look at his cards and let it go.
“You three bet me too much,” Wheeler told Isupov. “I give you the first three, I don’t give you any more. I’m not the Bank of America.”
Jorge Cantos raised to 2,700 and Bertrand" ElkY" Grospellier three-bet to 6,700 from the cutoff. Cantos four-bet all in for 21,000 and Grospellier snap-called.
Bertrand Grospellier:
Jorge Cantos:
The board came and Cantos was drawing dead on the turn. Grospellier's table will move to the featured live stream table for the next two levels when they come back after the upcoming break.
[Removed:19] opened to 3,500 from middle position. Both Jonas Lauck and Oleg Sklyanov called in middle position before Bertrand Grospellier three-bet to 14,000 from the button. Sokolovskiy folded but the other two players both called.
The flop was and Lauck checked to Sokolovskiy who moved all in for 33,600. Grospellier quickly called and Lauck got out of the way.
Sokolovskiy took one look at the of his opponent and slammed his down on the table in disgust.
The turn was the and the river the giving ElkY a full house and eliminating his opponent.
"Unlucky," said the Frenchman, "I'm on an insane run today."
"He called the Isle of Man this morning and asked them to push the 'God Mode' button," remarked a tablemate.
Almost midway through Day 2 here at the PokerStars Championship Sochi and tournament organisers have confirmed the prizepool and payouts.
From the starting field of 387, there will be 55 players going home in the money, with a min-cash worth RUB 735,000 (€11,602 / $12,983).
For any player lucky enough to make the final table of nine, they will be walking home with RUB 2,865,000 (€45,234 / $50,608).
And for the latest PokerStars Championship Main Event Champion here in Russia, they will walk away with the trophy, the glory and RUB 29,100,000 (€459,364 / $514,026) in prize money along with the trophy.
Down to around 25,000, Alexander Kostritsyn shoved from late position and Sergey Isaev tossed in a single chip from the cutoff while everyone else got out of the way.
Sergey Isaev:
Alexander Kostritsyn:
It was all over on the turn of a board and Kostritsyn headed to the rail, while Isaev is among the biggest stacks right now.
and Maksim Bura checked out of the big blind. A fourth player in the hand also checked to Ghavam, who bet 7,500. Only Bura called and checked the 
for a full house and Gashko's 
was revealed, Bura also joined the rail as his 
were no good.
and Cantos was drawing dead on the turn. Grospellier's table will move to the featured live stream table for the next two levels when they come back after the upcoming break.
and Lauck checked to Sokolovskiy who moved all in for 33,600. Grospellier quickly called and Lauck got out of the way.
of his opponent and slammed his 
down on the table in disgust.
and the river the 
.
.
and [Removed:19] was eliminated early in the last level of the day.