Playground

Said Jalali Bags Day 1a Chip Lead

Day 1a of the MSPT Canadian Poker Championship Main Event has concluded here at Playground in Montreal. The opening flight drew 107 entries, with 12 players advancing to Day 2 by the end of the night.

Said Jalali set the pace ending the night with 744,000, good for the Day 1a chip lead. Jalali began picking up speed in the last few levels of the night after turning a gutshot to crack Anas Slaoui’s pocket kings, and from there he continued to accumulate chips en route to bagging the chip lead.

Others to advance at the end of the night include Shaan Siddiqui (407,000) and Merritt Kuhn (321,000). Some players to join in Day 1a but fall before the end of the night include Griffin Benger, Eric Afriat, and Stuart Taylor.

Play ended with 28 minutes left in Level 16 and the blinds at 4,000/8,000 (8,000). All 12 of the remaining players from today’s starting flight are in the money and will return on Monday at 11:00 a.m. for Day 2, where they will battle it out for the lion’s share of the $1,000,000 guaranteed prize pool.

Any players who bagged in tonight’s flight still can play any of the three remaining starting flights. Players who bag more than once will see their biggest stack advance to Day 2. All smaller bagged stacks will be forfeited, and players will earn a min-cash for each forfeited stack.

Stay tuned to MSPTPoker.com for all your live coverage needs from the tournament floor here at Playground.

Full Day 1a end-of-night chip counts

Player Name	Chip Count	Previous	Progress
Said Jalali	744,000	345,000
Albert Nguyen	617,000	617,000
Joey Messina	563,000	270,000
Mohamed Kechiche	423,000	268,000
Shaan Siddiqui	407,000	266,500
Merritt Kuhn	321,000	321,000
Md Saif Uddin	291,000	8,000
Jean Rene Lafleur	262,000	76,000
Elie Kortbawi	258,000	258,000
Christopher Mancini	183,000	183,000
Matthew Wade	173,000	173,000
Olivier Pellerin	89,000	89,000

Kortbawi Eliminates Kornik on Stone Bubble

Lily Kornik shoved for 101,000 from the hijack, and Elie Kortbawi re-shoved from the small blind, slightly covering Kornik.

Lily Kornik:
Elie Kortbawi:

Kornik was ahead with jacks on the flop. Kortbawi picked up a few more outs on the turn before the river gave him a pair of queens to eliminate Kornik.

Elie Kortbawi - 258,000
Lily Kornik - eliminated

Hand-for-hand

With 13 players remaining and 12 advancing at the end of the night, Day 1a of the Main Event is now hand-for-hand!

Cermeno-Sandoval eliminated by Benger

Photo: Ricardo Cermeno-Sandoval

Ricardo Cermeno-Sandoval shoved for 42,000 from the button 42,000 and Griffin Benger re-shoved from the small blind with a covering stack to put him at risk.

Ricardo Cermeno-Sandoval:
Griffin Benger:

Benger’s ace was ahead on the flop. Cermeno-Sandoval picked up a straight draw on the turn, but the river was a brick, resulting in his elimination.

Griffin Benger - 135,000
Ricardo Cermeno-Sandoval - eliminated

Jalali puts a bad beat on Slaoui

Photo: Said Jalali

Freederic Moss opened to 10,000 from middle position, Said Jalali called from the hijack, and Anas Slaoui three-bet to 35,000 from the cutoff. Only Jalali called.

The flop came . Action checked around to Slaoui, who fired a small continuation bet. Moss folded and Jalali shoved, covering Slaoui who had a bit over 100,000 left. Slaoui snap-called, putting himself at risk.

Anas Slaoui:
Said Jalali:

The gutshot came in for Jalali right away on the turn and after the river Slaoui was sent to the rail.

Elsewhere in the tournament area, Eric Afriat was recently eliminated.

Said Jalali - 345,000
Anas Slaoui - eliminated
Eric Afriat - eliminated

Mancini leads into Afriat

With the board reading and around 75,000 in the middle, Matthew Wade checked from early position, and Christopher Mancini checked from the hijack. Eric Afriat bet 30,000 from the button, Wade folded and Mancini called.

Mancini led out with a 44,000 bet on the river, which was enough to get a fold from Afriat.

Christopher Mancini - 255,000
Matthew Wade - 145,000
Eric Afriat - 130,000

Day 1A Late Registration Concludes

Registration has ended for the first starting flight of the MSPT Canadian Poker Championship $1,150 Main Event. The first starting flight drew 107 entries, and 32 players remain.

The remaining field has just returned to Level 13, with the blinds now up at 2,000/4,000 (4,000). The day will conclude when 12 players remain, at which point the surviving players will bag their chips and be in the money going into Day 2.

Proctor Sends One Out

Photo: Kevin Proctor

A player opened to 6,500 from under the gun, Nimer Ltaif shoved for around 20,000 from early position, and Kevin Proctor re-shoved for around 60,000 from middle position. The first raiser folded, leaving Ltaif at risk against Proctor.

Nimer Ltaif:
Kevin Proctor:

Proctor had his opponent’s ace dominated. The flop produced a sweat, giving Ltaif the nut-flush draw, but Proctor remained ahead as the rest of the board ran out , sending his opponent to the rail.

Kevin Proctor - 90,000
Nimer Ltaif - eliminated

Benger cracks aces with queens

Photo: Griffin Benger

With the board reading and around 25,000 in the middle, Griffin Benger checked from the small blind and Michael Hooper bet 10,000 from the big blind. Benger called.

Benger check-called a 30,000 bet from Hooper on the turn. On the river Benger checked, Hooper shoved with a covering stack, and Benger called all-in for a little more than 30,000.

Hooper showed an overpair with , but Benger had him beat with for a set to double up.

Griffin Benger - 160,000
Michael Hooper - 121,000