WSOPE 2018: Laszlo Bujtas Chip Leads 12 Finalists Coming Into Day 5 of Main Event, Riess & Sinclair in Contention

The 2018 World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) €10,350 NLHE Main Event attracted 534 runners with many familiar names from the international and European circuit in the mix. After several hours of intense play on Day 4, only 12 players remain in contention for the title. Laszlo Bujtas (cover image) is the biggest stack holder among the survivors, with 7,105,000 in chips.

Bujtas has four previous WSOP cashes to his name and has a total of $242,000 live career earnings. On Day 4, he played well to chip up and maintained a healthy stack all through. He shot ahead to take the chip lead after busting Andy Black at 13^th place on the last hand of the day.

Following Bujtas in chips are Germany’s higher roller regular KorayAldemir (6,890,000) and Milos Skrbic (6,125,000)

Day 4 Recap

Day 4 saw 50 players returning to the poker tables. Eliminations came in swiftly and the field narrowed down fast within the first two hours. Short stack Michael Sklenicka (50^th for €18,210) was eliminated on the very first hand, with Julian Thomas (49^th for €18,210) following him to the rail shortly thereafter.

By the time the first break was announced, only 42 players were left standing.

Igor Kurganov (22^nd for €31,623) was sent packing in what was one of the most interesting pots of the tournament. In the hand, Ming Xi moved all in on Kurganov for three times the pot and Kurganov snap-called. He flipped over pocket aces against Xi’s pocket kings on a nine-high board. The turn brought a king and a three-of-a-kind for Xi, and a shocked Kurganov was forced to exit.

The final two tables were redrawn here and despite doubling up, Joel Ettedgi (15^th for €38,187) saw his tournament run end when he 4-bet shoved with ace-nine but was run down by Sinclair’s ace-king.

Ivan Gabrieli (14^th for €47,019) then moved all in with king-queen but saw Ihor Yerofieiev wake up with ace-king. Though Gabrieli turned a straight and flush draw, Yerofieiev’s hand remained dominant through the river and Gabrieli was eliminated.

Bujtas then knocked out Ireland’s poker icon Andy Black (13^thfor €47,019). In the hand, Ryan Riess raised to 130,000 from under the gun and was called off by Xi in the cutoff and Black on the button. Bujtas 3-bet to 680,000 from the big blind, prompting both Riess and Xi to fold. Black, however, decided to move all in for 1,575,000, catching Bujtas off-guard. Though Bujtas chuckled and thought for a while, he finally decided to make the call, putting Black at risk. Black tabled versus Bujtas’ . Black was a firm favorite to win and stayed ahead on the flop , but the changed the dynamics as Bujtas paired his king, and the on the river sealed Black’s fate, sending him to the rail.

Winning the pot vaulted Bujtas straight to the top of the leaderboard and he bagged a stack of 7,105,000 for the final day.

Aymon Hata (24^th for €31,623), Niall Farrell (27^th for €26,712), Sylvain Loosli (34^thfor €23,025), Jack Salter (37^th for €23,025), Allen Kessler (40^th for €23,025), Dario Sammartino (43^rd for €20,262), Marco Slacanac (45^th for €20,262) and Sergio Aido (47^th for €20,262) were among the prominent players who finished in the money on Day 4.

After Bujtas, KorayAldemir (6,890,000) and Milos Skrbic (6,125,000) are the next big stacks coming into the final day, while Day 3 chip leader Ryan Riess (5,980,000) and 2017 WSOP Main Event final-table finisher Jack Sinclair (4,770,000) are the other notables still in the running.

Top 10 Chip Counts At The End of Day 4

1.Laszlo Bujtas – 7,105,000

2. KorayAldemir – 6,890,000

3. Milos Skrbic – 6,125,000

4. Ryan Riess – 5,980,000

5. Jack Sinclair – 4,770,000

6. Ming Xi – 4,635,000

7. Vladimir Troyanovskiy – 4,255,000

8. IhorYerofieiev – 3,175,000

9. Bulcsu Lukacs – 3,125,000

10. Stoyan Obreshkov – 2,855,000

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Image/Content Courtesy: wsop.com