Mikhail Mazunin Leads Day WPT Prague

Boy did the superstars of poker come out of the woodwork for Day 1B of the PartyPoker World Poker Tour in Prague. The tables were simply littered with talent from across the globe, which included no fewer than nine members of the WPT Champions Club fraternity. Davidi Kitai, Giacomo Fundaro, Olivier Busquet, Matthew Waxman, Morten Christensen, Eugene Katchalov, Sean Jazayeri, Bertrand Grospellier and Jonathan Roy all stepping into the Kings Casino to try and repeat the performances of former glories.

179-players entered Day 1B and we believe 91 ended it. When you add the two starting days that means so far we have received 294 players with Day 1C still to play at 13:00 (CET) Wednesday. The man who finished on the top of the charts on Day 1B was Mikhail Mazunin who bagged and tagged 203,600 chips.

Here is the recap of Day 1B.

We are not sure what the Corinthian Hotel put in the French players wine last night, but several of them turned up with bunny rabbit hats on. Lucille Cailly, Gaelle Baumann, Celine Bastian, Ilan Boujenah and Paul Guichard were all looking cuddly and fluffy at the tables. Then in walked WPT Champions Club member, Davidi Kitai, adorned with a white fluffy hat containing rams horns. It truly was a sight to be hold.

(Photo: Celine Bastian)

Ilan Boujenah looked the cuddliest of the quintet, but he didn’t stick around long enough for us to get our arms around him. Boujenah moving all-in – blind – on a board of [Jx] [9x] [2x] (two spades), and when the [Jx] arrived on the turn, his opponent Piotr Franczak called. The Pole was holding [Jx] [Tx] for trips and Boujenah [Qs] [8s] for the draw. The draw missed and Boujenah hopped out of the tournament, the very first rabbit eliminated.

(Photo: Ilan Boujenah)

The first two levels ended with 152 entrants and 150 players remaining. Franczak had the lead after the double up through Boujenah.

The third level was where our chip leader, Piotr Franczak, tangled with Jonathan Duhamel. You couldn’t help think that Franczak was starting to get a little carried away with his newfound superstardom. It was all over his body language and the way that he was playing his cards. We caught the action on the turn with the board showing [Ac] [Ah] [6c] [Jh]. A raising war broke out with Duhamel moving all-in with pocket jacks for the boat, and Franczak called with pocket tens for a bluff catcher. The ten on the river meaning absolutely nothing. Franczak was knocked off his perch. But he would be back.

Giacomo Fundaro is a man with confidence oozing out of every pore. He just took down WPT Mazagan for a $166,000 payday, and it was good to see him mixing it up just a few days later. Unfortunately, his afternoon didn’t last as long as his recent exploration into the African world of poker. Ryan Franklin disposing of him in a pre flop flip. It was ace-king for Franklin and pocket jacks for Fundaro. The ace on the flop sending the moody Italian back to find the spare change needed to re-enter on Day 1C.

(Photo: Giacomo Fundaro)

Level Three ended with 162 entrants and 157 players still remaining.

The fourth level saw the exit of another rabbit, as well as our ram. Gaelle Baumann ran her short stack – and pocket nines – into the much tougher looking pocket tens. Baumann left and hilariously the hat was later found sitting on top of the bonce belonging to Manuel Bevand. Then Konstantin Danilov eliminated the ram, Davidi Kitai. The board was reading [8x] [5x] [3s] [Ts] when Kitai called a Danilov shove. It was a great call by our former champion. Danilov turned over [7s] [6s] for the draw and Kitai held ace-jack for the best hand. The dealer burned and turned the river, and it was the [7x] sending Kitai out.

(Photo: Davidi Kitai)

Jan Ramik started to make a name for himself during the fifth level. He eliminated both Kevin MacPhee and WPT Champions Club member Morten Christensen to take his stock to around 85,000 chips. Jean Phillipe Rohr was another casualty in the fifth level. Mikhail Mazunin finding a backdoor nut flush to pin Rohr’s trips to the wall. That elimination put Mazunin into the chip lead. A lead he would maintain throughout the day, apart from one minor hiccup.

The final level before dinner was crazy. Everywhere you looked, talented players were dropping like footballs in the hands of the Manchester United goalkeeper while taking crosses. Nicolas Levi, Philippe Ktorza, Ramzi Jelassi and Artem Metalidi all leaving us in in quick succession.

We also lost two further WPT Champions Club members. Matthew Waxman jamming 15BB with [7d] [5d] only to find a caller in the shape of Zolton Szabo. He was holding [Kx] [Qx] and it was good enough to send Waxman out for the second consecutive day. Olivier Busquet was next out of the door. He flopped trip nines on a [9x] [9x] [3x] board, but fellow WPT Champions Club member Jonathan Roy also flopped a boat with pocket treys. Busquet went to town with three barrels and Roy just sat there catching them. When you are hot, you are hot and it’s Roy’s time now.

(Photo: Jonathan Roy)

Just as the clock ticked down to the dinner break Piotr Franczak reared his head again. He got it in with Rasmus Vogt on a board of [Th] [7c] [2c] [4h] [3h]. We are not sure at what stage the money went in but it was definitely post flop, Franczak held [As] [Kd] and Vogt held [Ac] [Ah]. That hand left him with just 375 chips. He managed to triple up twice before eventually being eliminated by Celine Bastian in a blind skirmish.

(Photo: Piotr Franczak)

We ended for dinner with 175-entrants and 145-players remaining. Mikhail Mazunin leading the way with 140,000 chips.

It seems as though someone fancied a little rabbit for dinner. Slowly cooked as well. Lucille Cailly returning from lunch only to run pocket queens into pocket aces, and then become the victim of a slow roll. The other notable action of the seventh level involved Leonid Bilokur. He doubled through Yann Dion in a flip AK v QQ with the all-important king arriving right on cue on the river.

(Photo: Lucille Cailly)

The level ended with Mazunin still in the lead and 126-players remaining.

The penultimate level of the day saw us lose Liv Boeree. Finding herself on the short stack she moved all-in with A6 and was called by AQ. The right hand won and Boeree was out.

At the top of the counts WSOP bracelet holder Brian Lemke came from nowhere to take the chip lead with 160,000 chips, but it wouldn’t be long before Mazunin got it back again. 117-players remained.

The final level of the night is always one of happiness. Players are tired, but ready to break out a few beers and relax. Manuel Bevand was having a storming afternoon, and after one particularly nice four bet he suggested that everyone have a round of Tequila. Mathew Frankland was busy multi-tabling on his iPhone whilst also playing live, but one table stood out amongst the others for pure happiness.

Table Two started with Andras Fekete, Amichai Barer, Kara Scott, Mathew Heap, Thomas Muhlocker, Nicholas Galtos, Benjamin Hannig and Konstantin Puchkov all huddled together, and it ended exactly the same way. Not a single person eliminated throughout the entire 90-minutes. Now that’s a table.

One person who could have done with a berth at Table Two was Bertrand "ElkY" Grospellier. The Frenchman losing out to Erik Olofsson 55<JJ in the final level. But we are sure we will see the Triple Crown winner again tomorrow.

The chase at the top was tight. But in the end Mikhail Mazunin reclaimed his rightful place after eliminating Juus Nevalinna in the final level of the day. Mazunin finished with 203,600 chips.

We have to do this all over again at 13:00 (CET) for Day 1C. Last chance saloon as they say. Make sure you join us right here for all of the live updates.