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Casino Deltin Royale was a sight to behold on Saturday as Day 1B of the 2018 World Poker Tour (WPT) India ₹55,000 Main Event took center stage. Registering 270 entries, the total number of entries for the event reached 540, obliterating the 527-entry record that was set at the 2017 WPT Main Event. With Day 1C turbo flight numbers yet to begin, the field size is very likely to cross the 600-mark barrier.
Showing his class yet again, the ever-consistent Akshay Nasa (cover image) topped the 90 survivors on Day 1B, bagging a huge 213,500 in chips. Given Nasa`s recent form, he looks primed for a deep run on Day 2 . Karun Kapur (204,500) and Alok Ranjan (204,000) round out the top three stacks.
Many poker heavyweights were seen in action today. Well-known players like Arjun Arora (198,500), Manish Jain (196,500), Yuvraj Chaudhary (140,500), Gautam Sachdeva (95,000) and Dhaval Mudgal (65,000) managed to make it through to Day 2
However, many others like Team PokerStars India pros Aditya Agarwal and Muskan Sethi, Adda52 Team pro Nikita Luther, and Adda52 Celebrity pro Minissha Lamba, hit the rail before the end of play.. They do however get a last chance to enter the event through the Day 1C turbo flight later tonight.
The second starting flight at last year`s WPT India Main Event had registered 283 entries. While this year Day 1B pulled in a slightly lower 270 entries, the total entry count of 527 runners set last edition has been eclipsed. Adding the the 270 entries on Day 1A, the entry-count at this year’s WPT India Main Event presently stands at 540 entries, with Day 1C yet to commence.
It took 13 levels of play for the field size to be trimmed down to 90 runners, and it was Akshay Nasa (213,500) who bagged the biggest stack among the surviving players. Nasa had an impressive start at the series as he was the opening day chip leader in the ₹35K Superstack. He eventually finished 15th in the event for ₹1.28 Lakhs.
The 2017 WPT India Main Event runner-up Arjun Arora (198,500) was another player who found a big stack to bag on Day 1B. After losing a few hands to Yuvraj Chaudhary during level 13, Arora bounced back strong, bagging the fifth-largest stack of the day and will be looking to make right the missed opportunity to win the title this time around.
Some others who made Day 2 include Gautam Sachdeva (95,000), winner of the WPT Vietnam Main Event Dhaval Mudgal (65,000), Amit Gaikwad (56,000), Vivek Rughani (51,000), Adda52 Team pro Kunal Patni (36,000) and winner of ₹35K Superstack Abhishek Jalan (30,000).
Nevertheless, there were several big names who busted out before the bags were brought out. India`s PokerGuru and Team PokerStars pro Aditya Agarwal joined the action late during level 9. A veteran player, Agarwal’s over a decade-long poker career is glittered with numerous domestic and international scores. He maintained a commendable stack early on but was eliminated before play wrapped up for the day.
India’s latest World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet winner, Nikita Luther has had a fabulous year thus far. The Adda52 Team pro started the year on high note at the 2018 WSOP and posted a total of four scores at the world’s biggest poker festival. She continued that form all the way through to the 2018 Asian Poker Tour (APT) Vietnam.
Luther opened her WPT scorecard at the WPT500 Aria Las Vegas in July 2017 where she finished 5th for $65,000 (₹46.66 Lakhs). Hunting her maiden WPT title, Luther entered Day 1B in level 7. She was able to double up very early on when her topped an opponents on the rundown . However, unable to maintain the momentum, she busted out towards the end of level 10.
Joining Luther at the rail was Team PokerStars India pro Muskan Sethi. Following her exit from Day 1A, Sethi fired another bullet today. She fared no better in her second attempt and was eliminated when her pocket eights ran into Gautam Sachdeva’s pocket tens!
Last year’s ₹55K Main Event winner and defending champion, Vikash Mantri had another short day today. He moved all-in for 6,000 with and was called by Sahil Arora holding . The runout missed both players and Arora’s king-high kicker won him the pot while possibly sending Mantri off to the Day 1C registration line.
Others who missed the Day 1B hurdle include Adda 52 Celebrity pro Minissha Lamba, Masha Soboleva and WPT Asia Swing winner Kevin Ayow.
Nasa, along with Karun Kapur (204,500) and Alok Ranjan (204,000), are the three biggest stacks from Day 1B.
1. Akshay Nasa – 213,500
2. Karun Kapur – 204,500
3. Alok Ranjan – 204,000
4. Sharoul Parthasarathi – 200,000
5. Arjun Arora – 198,500
6. Manish Jain – 196,500
7. Ronit Misura – 191,500
8. Mani Singh – 177,500
9. P Sharad Rao – 176,500
10. Dinesh Singh – 156,000
The 90 Day 1B survivors will join the 81 Day 1A hopefuls, and those who will qualify from Day 1C later tonight, for Day 2 action tomorrow.
Content and images courtesy: onlinepokernews.in/PokerNews India
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