Day 3 of the PokerStars Championship Main Event at the Sochi Casino & Resort gets underway at Noon today with 82 players remaining from a field of 387.
Nadar Kakhmazov begins the day as the chip leader with 481,500 with Seyed Ghavam in second place on 415,500 and Oleg Chebotarev third on 371,500.
There are other big names in contention to keep an eye on today including Team PokerStar Pros Bertrand ‘Elky’ Grospellier (265,000) and Chris Moneymaker (118,000). Jason Wheeler (210,000) certainly looks in the mood to make a deep run and you wouldn’t rule out Nacho Barbero (216,000), Mikhail Rudoy (223,000), Jonas Lauck (219,000) or Vladimir Troyanovskiy (161,500).
The Prizepool for the main event is RUB 150,000,000 meaning the eventual winner will get RUB 29,100,000 (€459,364 / $514,026) to go with the title and the trophy.
With 55 places getting paid the bubble will burst at some point today with one unlucky player going away empty handed and a min-cash worth RUB 735,000 (€11,602 / $12,983).
Day 3 will consist of one 75-minute level and four levels of 90 minutes.
The PokerNews live reporting team will bring you all the drama of the bubble, big hands and eliminations as the inaugural PokerStars Championship Main continues.
The big stack of Nadar Kakhmazov has vanished while Daniyar Aubakirov is thriving and players at the table confirmed what happened. Kakhmazov's raise from the cutoff was three-bet by Aubakirov in the big blind. On a flop nothing much happened with a bet and a call. But the turn provided fireworks with a bet worth 25,000 by Aubakirov, a raise to 100,000 by Kakhmazov and the shove of Aubakirov with kings.
Kakhmazov called with tens for a set while Aubakirov had the redraw for the flush draw with the in his hand. The river brought the and Aubakirov scored a huge double.
Soon after, Kakhmazov raised to 6,000 and Nacho Barbero three-bet to 19,000 which Kakhmazov called. On the flop, Kakhmazov check-called a bet worth 20,500 and check-folded the turn to a bet worth 32,500.
Artsiom Zhadinsky opened to 7,500 from early position and Alexander Lakhov three-bet to 20,000 in the hijack, which Zhadinsky called. On a flop of , Zhadinsky check-raised from 18,000 to 55,000 and Lakhov called to see the pot grow to 158,000. Zhadinsky had 166,500 left and moved all in, and Lahkov called with the superior stack.
Artsiom Zhadinsky:
Alexander Lakhov:
The on the river was a blank and Zhadinsky doubled.
Hand 2
Zhadinsky opened and Dmitry Manashov called in the cutoff. Vladislav Tonkikh shoved for 59,000 in the big blind and Zhadinsky called, Manashov folded.
Vladislav Tonkikh:
Artsiom Zhadinsky:
It was all good for Tonkikh on the flop and the turn, but the river gave Zhadinsky a set and he busted Tonkikh.
Hand 3
Now it was Manashov that shoved for his last 30,500 and Zhadinsky called in the big blind. Manashov had and Zhadinsky looked him up with . It looked certain to be three in a row for Zhadinsky after the flop, but Manashov imprved on the turn and held up thanks to the river to double.
Earlier this week we spoke to PokerStars Team Pro Bertrand 'ElkY' Grospellier, and he said that he was struggling on Day 1b with little sleep, but was enjoying playing in the beautiful Sochi Casino & Resort.
"Actually I didn't sleep much for the last few nights, so it's weird," he said with play getting close to the money in the Main Event, "I'm feeling good here. I'm focussed about the tournament and just trying to play my best game.
"Luckily there are very short days so it's not that hard to focus. It's not that hard to focus for six or seven hours a day Yesterday we finished at seven, today we'll finish at seven so it's not too hard. Definitely not the toughest schedule!"
Grospellier has been under the lights of the feature table for a couple of days, but says that he thinks players do change the way they play under the lights.
"Some players will play tighter because they don't want to look stupid. Some play crazy because they want to be able to show a nice bluff on the TV! It polarises their behaviour a little bit, so that adds an extra element.
"I'm neutral to it. The only thing I don't like is the way they slow things up for the all-ins. It just means we play slower than other tables. It's not completely fair.
Sporting some of his trademark sunglasses, Grospellier says that he's enjoying being able to wear them after his nose surgery.
"When I was in Monaco I was on the feature table for two days under the lights. And I couldn't wear my sunglasses because of the surgery, and it was brighter than in here, so I got this really bad headache."
With most players aiming for the cash, the Frenchman insists that he's not going to settle for securing a Russian flag for his Hendon Mob.
"I'd rather make the final table and win the championship than get a flag! I'm not here for the flag. That doesn't matter for me. If I need to go all-in on the bubble, I'll do it, especially if it means I have a bigger chance of winning the tournament."
In the last hand before the break, Jason Wheeler opened to 9,000 and was called by Nikolay Prokhorskiy from two seats over and Mikhail Galitski in the big blind. The flop of was checked to Wheeler and his first barrel worth 13,500 was called by both opponents.
On the turn, Galitski checked and Wheeler fired a second barrel of 26,000. This time, only Prokhorskiy called and the came on the river. Wheeler made it 68,000 to go and Prokhorskiy had slightly more than that behind. "I don't know man, it might be ICM suicide," Prokhorskiy said half in Russian, half in English.
The call came half a minute later and Wheeler rolled over for a full house to claim a big pot several minutes into the break.
Chris Moneymaker was getting very short. The Team PokerStars pro came back from break with less than 10 big blinds and got his stack in the middle against Vladimir Troyanovskiy.
Moneymaker:
Troyanovsky:
Moneymaker instantly hated the spot and stood up from the table, gathering his belongings. Moneymaker stood by as the dealer rolled out a board. "I can't believe that held," said Moneymaker as he slid back into his chair and started stacking his new chips.
Seyed Ghavam raised to 13,000 and Nacho Barbero flat-called from two seats over in the cutoff. Out of the big blind, Daniyar Aubakirov raised it up to 45,000 and Ghavam quickly folded. Barbero had a stack of around 180,000 and took a long time to make his decision. The clock was about to be called and the Argentinian moved all in, Aubakirov snap-called.
Daniyar Aubakirov:
Nacho Barbero:
The appeared right in the window, and the rest of the board ran out to leave Barbero drawing dead after the turn and reduce the field to the last 56.
Bertrand 'ElkY' Grospellier raised to 10,000 from the hijack and Roman Seleznev (pictured above in the green) three-bet all in for 14,500 from the cutoff.
Grospellier:
Seleznev:
The board ran out giving Grospellier a pair of nines and eliminating Seleznev in 56th place.
The remaining players are all guaranteed RUB 735,000 ($12,983 / €11,602) with around 30 minutes left in the penultimate level of the day.
Jason Wheeler opened to 11,000 and Day 1a chip leader Andrei Skherin called in the small blind, Dmitry Nikitin defended the big blind. The flop came and the action checked to Wheeler, who continued for 16,500. Only Shkerin called and checked again the turn with some 30,000 behind. Wheeler bet 60,000 and Shkerin called all in.
Jason Wheeler:
Andrei Shkerin:
The river failed to improve Shkerin and he was eliminated in 47th place.
Maxim Lykov raised to 15,000 and Olga Finogenova moved all in for 16,000 from one seat over. Pavel Shirshikov in the big blind squeezed to 70,000 and the action folded back to Lykov, who reraised to 150,000. Shirshikov moved all in over the top and Lykov called it off for around 335,000.
Pavel Shirshirkov:
Maxim Lykov:
Olga Finogenova:
The flop gave Finogenova trips tens, and the turn and river kept her in the lead for the triple up while Lykov busted in a massive setup.
flop nothing much happened with a bet and a call. But the 
turn provided fireworks with a bet worth 25,000 by Aubakirov, a raise to 100,000 by Kakhmazov and the shove of Aubakirov with kings.
in his hand. The river brought the 
and Aubakirov scored a huge double.
, Zhadinsky check-raised from 18,000 to 55,000 and Lakhov called to see the pot grow to 158,000. Zhadinsky had 166,500 left and moved all in, and Lahkov called with the superior stack.
on the river was a blank and Zhadinsky doubled.
flop and the 
turn, but the 
river gave Zhadinsky a set and he busted Tonkikh.
. It looked certain to be three in a row for Zhadinsky after the 
flop, but Manashov imprved on the 
was checked to Wheeler and his first barrel worth 13,500 was called by both opponents.
turn, Galitski checked and Wheeler fired a second barrel of 26,000. This time, only Prokhorskiy called and the 
came on the river. Wheeler made it 68,000 to go and Prokhorskiy had slightly more than that behind. "I don't know man, it might be ICM suicide," Prokhorskiy said half in Russian, half in English.
board. "I can't believe that held," said Moneymaker as he slid back into his chair and started stacking his new chips.
and the action checked to Wheeler, who continued for 16,500. Only Shkerin called and checked again the 
flop gave Finogenova trips tens, and the 
