Level: 21
Blinds: 12,000/24,000
Ante: 3,000
2016 888Live Poker Festival London
￡220 Opening Event
Day: 2
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
2016 888Live Poker Festival London
Buy-in
£220
Level
30
Blinds
100,000 / 200,000
Ante
30,000
Level 20
: 10,000/20,000, 2,000 ante
Steve Watts squeezed to 145,000 from the big blind after Svetlin Ivanov had opened to 55,000 from middle position and Graham Hawkes had called from the small blind. Both Hawkes and Ivanov called.
The flop of 
saw Watts continue for 175,000, but Ivanov raised all-in for 363,000. Hawkes instantly folded.
"You have the Ace-Queen with the ace of clubs?" asked Watts. Silence from Ivanov.
Eventually, Watts made the call for the extra 188,000.
Steve Watts: 
Svetlin Ivanov: 
Having almost called his cards out of the air, Watts stood up, scared of a club. The turn of 
was no problem, but the 
on the river gave Ivanov the 1.2 million pot and Watts is now one of the short stacks after a series of pretty horrific beats.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
1,200,000
1,057,000
|
1,057,000 |
|
321,000
-389,000
|
-389,000 |
Level: 20
Blinds: 10,000/20,000
Ante: 2,000
Level 19
: 8,000/16,000, 2,000 ante
Michael Harb won a big, big pot from Steve Watts just before the break. On a board of 
, Watts moved all-in on the river with 
, but was called by Harb's 
which made the Broadway straight.
While Watts is still healthy at 710,000 chips and above the average of 603,000 chips at blinds of 10,00/20,000/2,000, Harb has the lead with 1.6m chips in the 888Live Poker Room here at Aspers. 29 remain.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
1,600,000
1,245,500
|
1,245,500 |
|
|
710,000
-790,000
|
-790,000 |
Level 19
: 8,000/16,000, 2,000 ante
Artan Dedusha has just taken a massive pot from Yimin Yang after raising his bet on the turn. With the board showing 
, Yimin Yang bet 105,000 into a pot of 250,000. Dedusha was unmoved and shoved all-in for a further 577,000. Yang tank-folded and Dedusha now has one of the biggest stacks in the room.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
1,070,000 | |
|
330,000
-435,000
|
-435,000 |
Level 19
: 8,000/16,000, 2,000 ante
Steve Watts has busted another player, this time calling a shove with 
and seeing that his opponent held 
.
The board of 
had a major sweat from the turn, but Watts held and is up to 1.5 million.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,500,000
200,000
|
200,000 |
Level: 19
Blinds: 8,000/16,000
Ante: 2,000
Level 19
: 8,000/16,000, 2,000 ante
John Ventry moved all-in pre-flop for 13 big blinds (150,000) with and was called by Thomas Pedersen, who turned over . the board of 
rivered Ventry's chances, and he was extremely unhappy with the result.
As Pedersen piled up over 750,000 chips, Arron Fletcher remarked that "there will be fireworks at this table". He might be right - it has ben a very aggressive table all day.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
750,000
145,000
|
145,000 |
|
|
Busted |
Level 18
: 6,000/12,000, 2,000 ante
Steve Watts is the new chip leader in the room after a huge hand gave him the lead. We caught up with him after the hand to talk through how it happened.
"I had pocket sixes. The flop comes 
and my opponent had . He bet 40,000 and I just called. The turn of a jack led to me leading out for 80,000. He went to call but put in 160,000, so it was ruled as a min-raise and I called. He shoved the river of a and I called it off, obviously."
Watts now has 1.3 million chips, ahead of Hawkes and Fletcher, who have also had excellent days so far. There is still a long way to go.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,300,000
600,000
|
600,000 |
|
1,060,000
90,000
|
90,000 |
|
1,000,000
280,000
|
280,000 |
|
|
765,000
309,000
|
309,000 |
Level 18
: 6,000/12,000, 2,000 ante
We are down to 43 players in the Opening Event, and with ￡138,600 in the prize-pool, everyone seems to be fighting for a decent stack to make a run for the final table.
Chaz Chattha made a move with just six big blinds to his name after losing a pot, and he was called by Arron Fletcher, before Thomas Pedersen re-shoved all-in for well over 400,000 chips. The player in the small blind called it off for his tournament life, but Fletcher folded. Pedersen had and several players at the table looked shocked by his re-shove, but Chattha looked disappointed, turning over .
Chattha needed help, but didn't get it on the 
flop, which kept Pedersen ahead as he paired his eight. The turn of gave Chattha hope for a wheel straight, but the 
on the river scuppered those hopes and he departs, shortly before confirming to us that he'll be around for the Main Event later in the week.
Pedersen takes out two, and now has 605,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
605,000
605,000
|
605,000 |
|
Busted |