€888 Main Event
Día 1a empezado
€888 Main Event
Día 1a empezado
The Gran Via, with its majestic architecture and luxurious shops, cuts across the heart of the Spanish capital. For the next five days, hundreds of poker hopefuls will get to enjoy its splendor as they chase the prestigious 888poker Live Madrid title.
The first of four starting flights begins today at 3 p.m. local time inside the Casino Gran Via. Players begin with a 50,000 starting stack and will play 11 40-minute levels. They’ll then be joined by the survivors from two more flights taking place over the next two days, as well as a turbo Day 1d flight that begins at 1 p.m. on January 18, on Day 2 at 5 p.m. later that day. Unlimited reentries are allowed, with late registration remaining open until the start of Day 2.
| Date | Time | Flight | Blind Levels |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 15 | 3 p.m. | Day 1a | 40 minutes |
| January 16 | 3 p.m. | Day 1b | 40 minutes |
| January 17 | 3 p.m. | Day 1c | 40 minutes |
| January 18 | 1 p.m. | Day 1d | 20 minutes |
| January 18 | 5 p.m. | Day 2 | 60 minutes |
| January 19 | 3 p.m. | Day 3 | 60 minutes |
Madrid local Manuel Ledesma, who considers the Casino Gran Via his home, overcame a field of 435 entries to take down the title last year and earn €58,000 after a heads-up deal with Juan Lyons. Other notables who finished in the money included Guillermo Sanchez Otero, Jorge Ufano, WSOP bracelet winner Paolo Boi, and David McConachie.
| Place | Player | Country | Prize (EUR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manuel Ledesma | Spain | €58,000 * |
| 2 | Juan Lyons | Spain | €52,000 * |
| 3 | Ramon Fernandez | Spain | €32,500 |
| 4 | Borja Diaz | Spain | €24,300 |
| 5 | Guillermo Sánchez Otero | Spain | €18,205 |
| 6 | Mateo Calzoni | Italy | €13,700 |
| 7 | Greg Campbell | United Kingdom | €10,000 |
| 8 | Carlos Perez-Dosio | Spain | €8,000 |
* Indicates heads-up deal
The 888poker team will be out in full force this week, with Ian Simpson, Vivian Saliba, and Lucia Navarro expected to join the field over the coming days. Stay tuned as PokerNews follows the action all week here in Madrid.
Nivel: 1
Ciegas: 100/100
Ante: 0
Play is now underway with 15 players currently registered.
Four players saw a flop of Q♠7♣4♥ where a player on the button bet 500. Karenis Georgiadi called in the small blind, as did the big blind.
All three players checked the A♦ turn and the 10♥ fell on the river. Georgiadi then bet 1,500 and only the big blind called.
Georgiadi turned over 7♦7♥ for a flopped set and his opponent mucked.
Defending champion Manuel Ledesma is among those who took their seats at the start of the tournament.
| Jugador | Fichas | Progreso |
|---|---|---|
|
|
53,000
53,000
|
53,000 |
|
|
50,000 | |
|
|
||
After a player on the button limped in, Mourad Mengouchi raised to 700 in the small blind and Stefan Cupic three-bet to 2,300 in the big blind. Only Mengouchi called and they went heads-up to the A♦8♥7♠ flop.
Cupic continued for 1,300 and Mengouchi raised to 6,700. Cupic called and the 8♦ fell on the turn.
Mengouchi checked and Cupic bet 4,200. Mengouchi check-raised again, this time making it 16,200 as Cupic stuck around once more to see the 3♥ river.
Mengouchi then moved all in for 24,500, sending Cupic deep into the tank. Several minutes went by before another player called the clock.
"It's 100,000 chips. I can take some time. All in the first level," Cupic angrily said. He eventually called and Mengouchi showed 8♣7♥ for a full house. Cupic mucked A♣J♥ and Mengouchi doubled up.
Cupic was left with around 3,000 and was eliminated shortly afterward as the first casualty of the Main Event.
| Jugador | Fichas | Progreso |
|---|---|---|
|
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
|
Eliminado |
Mourad Mengouchi raised to 900 in the hijack and was called by the cutoff before Justinas Fiseris three-bet to 3,600 in the big blind. Both opponents called.
The flop came Q♠9♠6♦ and Fiseris bet 2,100. Mengouchi then raised to 18,500 as action folded back to Fiseris, who took a few minutes before moving all in for 43,800. Mengouchi also took his time and eventually called to put Fiseris at risk.
Justinas Fiseris: Q♥Q♦
Mourad Mengouchi: A♦K♦
Fiseris showed down top set, while Mengouchi had just ace-high and was left drawing dead after the 6♠ turn improved Fiseris to a full house. The river was the 8♣ and Fiseris doubled up.
Team888 Pro Ian Simpson recently took his seat at this table.
| Jugador | Fichas | Progreso |
|---|---|---|
|
|
98,000
98,000
|
98,000 |
|
|
70,000
30,000
|
30,000 |
|
|
50,000
50,000
|
50,000 |
|
|
||
Nivel: 2
Ciegas: 100/100
Ante: 100
In a blind versus blind battle, the big blind bet 1,500 on a flop of J♣10♣4♦ and John Ishak called.
The turn was the Q♦ and the big blind bet another 7,500. Ishak again called and the 6♠ fell on the river. Both players then checked and Ishak turned over J♦9♦ for top pair to win the pot.
"Good turn for you," a tablemate told him.
Stefan Cupic, who won the high roller event here last year, recently reentered after losing the massive pot to Mourad Mengouchi earlier.
"I want to screenshot it. From winning the high roller to busting the first hand of the Main Event," a friend at another table teased Cupic as he retook his seat in the tournament.
| Jugador | Fichas | Progreso |
|---|---|---|
|
|
65,000
65,000
|
65,000 |
|
|
50,000
50,000
|
50,000 |