Third opening day kicks off

Day 1C of the €350 Oktoberfest got underway at 4pm, with 36 players competing in blinds 100 - 200 (200)... Among the players present at the start, Guy Goossens tried his luck again, while Prescillia Duhoux and Gaetano Morecci made their first attempts...

The game will unfold over 13 levels, with 10 half-hour levels and three 40-minute levels to be played before wrapping up... Competitors start with 50,000 tokens for a session of 5 levels and two and a half hours of poker before the first traditional 30-minute break. They then return for 4 levels, followed by the dinner-break from 9pm to 10pm.

Registration will still be open for the final 30-minute level at the post-dinner break. At the start of the 11th level, levels will rise to 40 minutes...late registrations will be closed for the last two hours of play on Day 1C.

After two of the eight start-up sessions, Circus Casino Resort Namur has provisionally gathered 305 entrants for 72 qualifiers for Day 2 on Saturday, October 12... 

Mardi c'est permis

It's possible to play at poker in Wallonia this Tuesday with Day 1C of the Oktoberfest... which is currently gathering 46 of its 47 entrants.

The second of the 13 levels on the day's program has begun, with competitors battling it out over blinds 200 - 400 (400) with the arrival of Yannick Ansenne, Damien Hupé, Maradona Abaz or Daniel Domb.

Nicolas Destercq tries his luck again, as do Romain Dussart, Guido Kinna and Baptiste Evrard. Stéphanie de Bast from Team Poker Belgium is also in the game, as is Fabio d'Annolfo, runner-up at Winter 2023...

Nikolas Wicquart is also in the game, as is David Pollet... 

Keep Playing

Level 4 has just begun, with blinds now at 200 - 500 (500) and attendance continuing to climb nicely. The table now shows 63 players in contention for 71 entrants. Bennardo Gattuso is here, as are Julien Monfort, Harrie Snijders and Robert Seelen , who arrived after the start.

The average is 56,000 chips, and a few players are ahead of the game, including Mihai Stinca (90,000), Prescillia Duhoux (100,000), Nikolas Wicquart (93,000) and Alexis Houspie (100,000). The latter has just seen Fred Blehaut arrive with the starting stack... 

Health

The 5th level of Day 1C is underway, with 64 players now in the running for 84 entries and blinds in the 300 - 600 (600) range...

In just over a quarter of an hour, the participants in the third of the eight opening days will go on break for the first time, a 30-minute break where they can moisten their lips with the famous Tripick! 

Break

The first break is underway, resuming at 7 p.m. in blinds 400 - 800 (800), with currently 64 players in the running for 89 entries.

The average is 69,000 chips, with many of the regulars off to a good start... 

Chipcount
Marc Popelier 137 000
Guy Goossens 132 000
Alexis Leclair 132 000
Prescillia Duhoux 131 000
Nikolas Wicquart 119 000
Christophe Charles 116 000
Alexis Houspie 115 000
Francois Heine 114 000
Gaetano Morecci 111 000
Rinaldi Luzzadi 104 000

Armen Tamrazyan 99 000
Damien Ducros 98 000
Giuseppe Farruggio 97 000
Harrie Snijders 93 000
Yannick Ansenne 87 000
Jimmy Bord 87 000
Yoann Ramaekers 78 000
Alfred di Paolo 75 000
Leonid Poles 70 000
Nikolas Schmitz 65 000

Daniel Dodet 61 000
Robert Seelen 57 000
Stéphanie de Bast 56 000
Fabio d'Annolfo 46 000
Mihai Stinca 39 000
Pauline Saffer 32 000
Fred Blehaut 27 000

Milan at the top

Despite quarter-hour levels, and a deal, the last duel of the Monday side tournament stretched out to an hour last night at the Circus Casino Resort in Namur! 

Event #3 Single Re-entry at €110 per entry brought together 82 players who ultimately generated a prize pool of €7,165. Despite a 3-way deal, Milan Vasic had to battle for almost an hour in the final duel.

Everyone wanted the trophy, the remaining €400 and the photo to go with it... even if after his defeat the runner-up asked for an N.C.! Milan was celebrating with his friends... 

The tournament rewarded the last 11 players in the running after Alexis Houspie 's bubble (12th). Great collective performance from N.C.! Prescillia Duhoux (7th) reached the final, as did Fabien Perrot (5th). Captured below just before being called, Schumyfab jumped with Queens against Ace 5 for a pot that ensured he could fight for victory! 

Next side Tuesday from 7:30 pm with the €170 Big Tuesday (25,000 chips - 20 minutes), a tournament that counts towards the ranking! 

Event #3 Single Re-Entry Oktoberfest 110€ (82 entries - 7 165€ prizepool)
Champion - Milan Vasic 1 655€*
Runner Up - N.C. 1 235€*
3rd - Armen Tamrazyan 1 235€*
4th - N.C. 695€
5th - Fabien Perrot 535€
6th - Yassine Elmernissi 425€
7th -Prescillia Duhoux 340€
8th - Damien Di Pasquale 270€
9th - Damien Duros 220€
10th - N.C. 175€
11th - N.C. 175€

Serious Business

With the start of Level 7 and blinds rising to 500 - 1000 (1000), things are getting serious on this third starting day of the Oktoberfest. New players and re-entrants resume with 50 blinds!

There are currently 63 players in the running for 93 entries and Damien Hupé seems to have disappeared. Third-place finisher in last night's Event #3, Armen Tamrazyan will also have to go back into the pot to try and join the 72 qualifiers from the first two sessions. Same verdict for Julien Monfort too...

Fast & Furious

"Not bad for a 7 p.m. arrival," says a delighted Walter Van Camberg after finding a nice spot. The Belgian, who has just returned from the WSOP Europe and Rozvadov, left the Czech Republic at 1 p.m. and came straight to Namur's Circus Casino Resort to feel out the cards. 

A passionate poker fan, Walter sees Nicolas Destercq Nicolas opens with 17,000 chips and is 3-bet by his neighbor on the left to 8,500. From the Cutoff, Walter pushes his 58,000 without stopping talking. 

Walter remains at ease when the big blind asks for the count or when Nicolas adds the requested pawns. The UTG1 player ends up folding the Ten face-up, a good decision since Walter has Kings. Destercq is destacked with King 9 after a 7 3 Ace 2 3 board... heading for 95,000 chips at Walter van Camberg's (on the left of the picture with a Nikolas Wicquart chipleader with 330,000 pawns.)

At the same time, at the table just behind, Damien Hupé raises to 12,500 chips after Fabio d'Annolfo 's open at the beginning of the hand paid twice. Fabio goes all-in for 55,000 chips, and if the pair goes all-in, Damien commits his stack with the queens.

Fabio flips the jacks and falls to 20,000 chips, while Damien climbs to ninety K as his victim smilingly congratulates him on finding such a great spot...

59 players remain from the 99 entries on this third opening day, with an average of 84,000 chips. Late registration ends for the first deal of level 11, at around 10.15pm. 

Growing Up

The last level before the dinner break has just begun, it's level 9 and the game is now running on 800 - 1600 (1600)... with Damien Hupé in top form.

The boss of Poker One is involved in a 3-way he's initiated under the gun on a Ten Jack King 2 board with two diamonds on the flop and a third on the turn. The player in the big blind goes all-in with 42,000 chips in a pot of 55,000 and Damien doesn't take long to call. The hijack playing 150,000 behind will hesitate for a long time before returning what he'll say is King Jack.

"If you don't pay him I'll pay," confirms the hijack after showdown , which sees the big blind return Ace 4 with the max flush draw and a Damien Hupé with Ace Queen of Spades for flopped straight. The river is a brick which allows Damien to climb to 147,000 chips, in the right stack with an average of 93,000 chips. 

It's not just Damien's stack that's growing, but the field too, as there are now 55 players in the running for 103 entrants to this third flight of the Oktoberfest, a €350 Mystery Bounty tournament... On the chipcount side, it's still Nikolas Wicquart who dominates with 365,000 pawns.

Amir Pahlawani (255 000 - photo) does what he can, as on this shot against Alexis Houspie where he values river and gets paid to reveal 6 and 2 diamonds for an ambitious small blind defense that turned into a flush in-extremis. "There's nothing I can do against you," Alexis sighs, mucking with his 145,000 chips...

Guy Goossens keeps pace with 200,000 chips ahead of him as Romain Fliegen and Alain Theisen...

Dinner break

The dinner-break ended at 10.15pm, with a return to blinds 1000 - 2000 (2000) for the final half-hour level of the tournament and the last late-entry level.

After 9 levels and 4 hours 30 of poker, 54 players (with 113 entrants) left for a bite to eat. They returned after a 75-minute break with an average of 103,000 chips...

Chipcount
Nikolas Wicquart 380,000
Amir Pahlawani 263,000
Leonid Poles 241,000
Romain Fliegen 227,000
Alain Theisen 223,000
Guy Goossens 223,000
Jimmy Bord 198,000
Samuel Bereket 196,000
Damien Hupé 190,000
Damien Ducros 170,000
Niklas Schmitz 141,000
Romain Dussart 129,000
Marcus Bonna 129,000
Walter van Camberg 125,000
Walid Hassaini 121,000
Alexis Houspie 105,000
Gaetan de Korte 103 00
Giuseppe Farruggio 97,000
Harrie Snijders 76,000
Prescillia Duhoux 76,000
Nicolas Destercq 76,000
Yannick Ansenne 62,000
Guillaume Gillet 51,000
Fabio d'Annolfo 49,000
Stéphanie de Bast 46,000

Reprise

Players return, with 57 candidates for Day 2 and an entry counter currently at 117 for Day 1C. We'll see you in half an hour's time, at the end of late registration and the switch to 40-minute levels.

There will then be three levels and two hours left on poker to try and join the 72 qualifiers from the first two sessions of this €350 Oktoberfest...

120 entries on Day 1C

46 players are competing in the blinds 1000 - 2500 (2500) and it is no longer possible to register for the third starting day, the €350 Oktoberfest. The 11th level is underway, with two hours of play remaining on Day 1C.

Participation has risen to 120 entrants, bringing the provisional attendance to 425 entrants with 5 more starting days to go. Guillaume Gillet jumped just before the close of registration and has apparently not re-entered... to be confirmed in the next few minutes. 

Top 40

Level 12 has just begun, with 40 players still in the running on blinds 1500 - 3000 (3000). 80 minutes remain on poker to join Saturday's Day 2 on Day 1C.

Nikolas Wicquart is approaching 400,000 chips, but it's Amir Pahlawani who has taken the lead with 450,000. Mihai Stinca successfully negotiated a blinds battle to climb to 350,000 chips at a table where Prescillia Duhoux is yo-yoing, but is down to 150,000.

Guy Goossens (270,000) continues his harvest, while Ludovic Ruperto 's has come to a halt. The Frenchman went all in on a check-raise in a 4-player pot. Flop 8 4 Jack with two clubs, everyone checks to the button, which bets 5,000 into 30,000.

The small blind calls, Ruperto sends in 65,000 chips and goes all-in. In MP Romain Fliegen reshoves 205,000 chips and makes the button fold, playing 200,000. The small blind gets out of the way and Ludovic is caught red-handed with Ace 6 and R for no clubs. The German returns Queen 9 of clubs and hits a Queen of hearts turn before a river brick takes him up to 300,000.

Finito also for Yannick Ansenne, Alain Theisen, Guido Kinna, Romain Dussart, Daniel Domb and Giuseppe Farruggio...

Day 2 coming soon

With just 20 minutes left to play on 1500 - 3000 (3000), there's still an hour to go before the survivors of the 13 levels pack up. So far, 37 players are still in the running, with an average of 162,000 chips. Those who have the chips will find that time is running out... for Gaetan de Korte, Alessandro Lauria, Jimmy Bord or Yoann Ramaekers it's already over.

Here are the stacks of some of the candidates picked up on the fly in the final minutes... Harrie Snijders and Marcus Bonna have passed the second... 

Chipcount
Amir Palhawani 390,000
Nikolas Wicquart 380,000
Mihai Stinca 350,000
Harrie Snijders 320,000
Guy Goossens 320,000
Romain Fliegen 300,000
Marcus Bonna 291,000
Leonid Poles 260,000
Walter van Camberg 170,000
Fabio d'Annolfo 150,000
Damien Hupe 80,000

Last Level

The 32 survivors of Day 1C of the Oktoberfest are assembled at 4 tables of 8 players as the final level gets underway. Play is now on 2000 - 4000 (4000) for the final 40 minutes to be played on the third of the eight opening days.

Three women are still in the running, and while Prescillia Duhoux has a slight margin with 140,000 chips for an average of 187,000 chips, it's more complicated for Shandy Wong and Stéphanie de Bast, who have 10 and 18 blinds respectively...

Money Time

With 20 minutes left to play on the final level, 30 players are battling it out on blinds 2000 - 4000 (4000). Mihai Stinca is briefly up to 400,000 but he's probably just bumped into Prescillia Duhoux, who's now on top with 320,000. Mihai is now down to 220,000 chips as the final deals of the third opening day are announced in ten minutes' time.

Amir Pahlawani is still in a strong position with 465,000 chips, but he's been outflanked by Nikolas Wicquart. Dueling blinds on 7 8 9 2 with two clubs on the flop, Nikolas check-called for 22,000 in 60,000 chips.

On the river Ten of clubs, he barely had time to lay down 42,000 chips when his opponent snapped with a chip and revealed Jack 7 of hearts for a straight. Nikolas flips Ri Queen of clubs to climb to 500,000 chips, leading the way.

Shandy Wong' s Ace 6 was defeated by François Heine's Ten, who now has a stack at least equal to the average of 200,000. 

Last Hands

Nicolas Destercq squared up just before the last three hands of the day were announced. In a duel with Toyser, Nicolas called river for his stack with 8 and 4 on 8 7 3 2 2 with a flush draw that didn't go in... The Dutchman opposite calls "nuts", revealing a pair of 2's to climb to 370,000 chips. Destercq slides into the rail and only 17 players remain...

Prescillia Duhoux doubled up well on Mihai Stinca, the player sending in 40 blinds with Ace King after a twice-paid open and Mihai Stinca calling with Ace Jack suit... 

Amir emir of Day 1C, already 96 qualifiers for Day 2

The end of Day 1C was marked by the exits of Stéphanie de Bast and Nicolas Destercq and, above all, the elimination of Samuel Bereket with the Kings against Leonid Poles and his Aces... enough to keep the German in the lead after 7 hours of play.

At the end of 10 half-hour levels and three 40-minute levels, a total of 24 players bagged chips on Day 1C of the Oktoberfest. The third of the eight opening days attracted 120 entrants, bringing the provisional number of qualifiers to 96 and the total number of entrants to 425.

In the end Amir Pahlawani who finished in front, the Briton bagging 521,000 chips. With 498,000 chips, Nikolas Wicquart is not far away for the resumption on Saturday at 2 p.m., the Belgian is finally ahead of Germany's Poles, who has bagged 432,000 pawns. 

Prescillia Duhoux, Guy Goossens, Marcus Bonna, Francois Heine and Harrie Snijders are also in with a big stack. Damien Hupe, Toyser, Fabio d'Annolfo or Damien Ducros and Mihai Stinca have also booked their ticket for Day 2...

See you on Wednesday from 4pm for Day 1D but also a €250 Circus Knockout (30,000 - 30 min. - €100 PKO) over two days at 7pm...


Full Chipcount Day 1C (24 qualifiers for 120 entrants)
Amir Palhawani 519,500
Nikolas Wicquart 498,500
Leonid Poles 432,000
Jeff Kirsch 429,000
Marcus Bonna 414,000
Prescilla Duhoux 387,000
Romain Fliegen 365,500
Harrie Snijders 337,000
Toyser 271,000
Johannes Boeren 270 500

Francois Heine 242 500
Guy Goossens 234 000
Daniel Nielsen 216 000
Fabio d'Annolfo 205 000
Walter van Camberg 187 500
Rinaldo Luzzardi 167 000
Damien Ducros 163 000
Huang Fu 148 000
Jan Adriaanse 122 000

Damien Hupe 120 000
Stephane Rochman 115 500
Mihai Stinca 109 000
Tony Bitto 89 000