PokerStars European Poker Tour Cyprus: Day 1a Highlights
The PokerStars European Poker Tour (EPT) Cyprus $5,300 Main Event kicked off with Day 1a, held at the luxurious Merit Royal Diamond Hotel and Spa. This year’s event attracted an impressive 474 entries, surpassing last year’s participation and contributing to a projected prize pool of $2,682,050. As the first of multiple starting flights, Day 1a saw 106 players survive to bag their chips, setting the stage for a thrilling tournament.
The Challenge of Winning Twice
Historic achievements in poker are rare, and one of the most elusive feats is winning an EPT Main Event back-to-back. No player has ever accomplished this, as the only triple champions, like the likes of Victoria Coren Mitchell or Kevin MacPhee, had substantial gaps between their victories. However, with reigning EPT Barcelona Main Event champion Stephen Song in the mix and currently sitting on a top three stack, this year’s tournament has the potential to break new ground in EPT history.
Stephen Song’s Strong Start
Day 1a witnessed a robust performance from Stephen Song, who quickly established himself as a player to watch. Early on, he seized the chip lead with a powerful trip queens hand that eliminated the formidable Ryan Mandara. Capitalizing on this initial momentum, Song continued to build his stack throughout the day, ending with 261,500 chips, placing him in third place overall.
Rivals Climb the Chip Counts
The competition was fierce, and as Day 1a came to a close, it was Kirill Shcherbakov who topped the flight with an impressive stack of 284,000 chips. Shcherbakov, who has nearly $750,000 in live tournament earnings, demonstrated his skill and acute awareness at the table, effectively dominating opponents. Close behind him was Ren Lin, who finished the day with 264,500 chips after leveraging his experience and infectious personality to win several early pots.
Top Performers of Day 1a
Narrowing the gap at the top of the chip leaderboard, players showcased impressive skills, with only a few thousand chips separating the leading contenders. Below is a summary of the top ten chip counts at the end of Day 1a:
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kirill Shcherbakov | Russia | 284,000 |
| 2 | Ren Lin | USA | 264,500 |
| 3 | Stephen Song | USA | 261,500 |
| 4 | Yevhen Pavlenko | Ukraine | 253,000 |
| 5 | Ahmed Abdellatif | Australia | 249,000 |
| 6 | Sergei Varnaev | Russia | 248,500 |
| 7 | Ivan Zabiiakin | Russia | 233,000 |
| 8 | Fahredin Mustafov | Bulgaria | 222,000 |
| 9 | Rongshan Li | China | 215,000 |
| 10 | Artsiom Lasouski | Belarus | 210,000 |
The event also saw Niklas Astedt, the world’s top-ranked online player, finishing in 12th place with a notable stack of 186,000 chips.
Notable Players and Early Exits
Day 1a had its share of notable figures. PokerStars ambassadors like Felix Schneiders (172,000) and Sam Grafton (106,000) secured their spots, while others, such as Rania Nasreddine, who reached the final tables of EPT Monte Carlo and Barcelona earlier this year, faced early exits but will likely bounce back in Day 1b.
Looking Ahead to Day 1b
With the excitement of Day 1a behind us, all eyes now turn to Day 1b, set to commence on Tuesday, October 15th, at noon local time. This flight will serve as the final opportunity for hopefuls to secure a place among the 106 survivors from Day 1a. Late registration remains open until the start of Day 2, offering players a maximum of two entries across both flights.
As anticipation builds, PokerNews will provide live coverage of the EPT Cyprus Main Event, delivering timely updates and updates from the tournament floor as the action unfolds and vying for the coveted title of champion. Will Stephen Song manage to rewrite poker history, or will a new contender rise to prominence? The adventure continues, and the stakes have never been higher.
