2022 The Festival Bratislava Live Blog – Day 1c

Hungary’s Attila Kuna bagged the overall Main Event chip lead in the €500,000 guaranteed The Festival Series Bratislava €550 Main Event at Banco Casino Bratislava after parlaying his 30,000 opening chip stack on Day 1b to a massive stack of 384,000 in chips to surpass the 296,000 in chips that the Day 1b chip leader Ronald Zapantis bagged yesterday.

The Day 1c field attracted a total of 280 entries with 91 players finding a bag. When taking into account the 305 entries and 90 survivors during the first two opening flights, the field is now up to 585 entries and 181 survivors with two more opening flights to go.

Kuna was the chip leader for at least the final two hours of the day and thus far was the only player to find a bag above 300,000 in chips. However, several other players bagged more than 200,000 on Day 1c including Hans Erlandsson (263,000), Wang Lu (253,000), Markku Tammisto (219,000), Fotios Ntamaris (211,000), and Ioannis Fronimakis (209,000).

Ntamaris was on the final table of the inaugural The Festival Series Main Event here at Banco Casino last year before bowing out in fifth place for €14,000. Time will tell if he will be able to manage an even better result this time around.

Dehlia De Jong was also among the notable players to find a bag but she will have her work cut out for her as she finished the day slightly above a starting stack with 36,000 in chips.

Day 1c Top 10 Chip Stacks

The action for the Main Event will resume for Day 1d at noon on Thursday. Those looking to get into the Main Event action at the last minute will also be pleased to learn that there will also be a turbo-charged Day 1e at 8 p.m. Stay tuned at PokerListings for all your updates.

The Day 1c field attracted 280 entries to bring the total field up to 585 entries. A total of 91 players survived. Here is a look at the chip counts.

The Day 1c survivors have begun to bag and tag their chips for Day 2. Stay tuned at PokerListings for the final chip counts of the third of five opening flights for the €500,000 guaranteed The Festival Series Bratislava Main Event.

Level 12: 1,000/2,000 (2,000)
Entries: 97/280

Unfortunately for our friend Jussi Mattila, also known around the Finnish poker circles simply as Potti-Jussi, is on the rail after losing a massive pot against Espen Gunderson.

Four players limped before Mattila jacked it up to 15,000 from the big blind. Two players folded before Gunderson three-bet to 30,000. Mattila four-bet jammed for more than 100,000 and Gunderson called for about 20,000 less.

Espen Gunderson: Pocket Eights
Jussi Mattila: Ace-King

The board ran dry for Mattila and he was down to about 10 big blinds. Shortly after, he dusted this off as well and we will likely see him back in action in the Main Event before late registration closes after the second blind level of Saturday’s Day 2.

Espen Gunderson – 170,000
Jussi Mattila – 0

Level 11: 800/1,600 (1,600)
Entries: 114/279

Ruurd Nauta three-bet jammed for 14,800 and was called by Konstantinos Nanos, who originally opened with a min-raise.

Ruurd Nauta: Pocket Tens
Konstantinos Nanos: Ace-Eight

Nauta was ahead but his chances of winning the hand decreased significantly after Nanos paired his ace on the nine-ace-five flop. A king on the turn didn’t change anything and Nanos eventually ousted Nauta with two-pair after an eight completed the board on the river.

Konstantinos Nanos – 90,000
Ruurd Nauta – 0

Level 11: 800/1,600 (1,600)
Entries: 127/279

Just before the blinds increased, Gregor Svetcic three-bet jammed for about 40,000 over two players and was called by Robert Perelman, who originally opened from early position for slightly less.

Robert Perelman: J J
Gregor Svetcic: A K

“Good luck,” Perelman said before adding. “But I hope I win.”

Perelman indeed won the flip to leave his opponent with crumbs in his stack after Svetcic bricked the 8 9 5 Q 6 board.

Svetcic seemed to take losing the flip well.

“Some hands play themselves,” he said to the table as the dealer began shuffling the deck for the next hand.

Robert Perelman – 75,000
Gregor Svetcic – 5,000

Level 10: 600/1,200 (1,200)
Entries: 134/279

Szerhij Danasevskij jammed for 19,000 from early position and was called by Simon Hemsworth from the button. Panagiotis Oikonomidis three-bet jammed for more than 100,000 and Hemsworth called off his stack of 53,000.

Szerhij Danasevskij: 9 9
Simon Hemsworth: A A
Panagiotis Oikonomidis: K K

Danasevskij tripled up despite having the worse hand when the chips went into the pot after improving to a full house on the 7 9 2 2 Q board. Meanwhile, Hemsworth still managed to chip up a little bit thanks to winning the side pot against Oikonomidis.

Panagiotis Oikonomidis – 90,000
Simon Hemsworth – 68,000
Szerhij Danasevskij – 60,000

Level 10: 600/1,200 (1,200)
Entries: 135/279

Dehlia De Jong three-bet jammed for 31,000 and was called by a player that originally opened.

De Jong turned over ace-king and was up against king-jack. Both players improved to a pair of kings after a king fell on the board. De Jong’s ace-kicker was the difference in the hand and was awarded the pot.

Dehlia De Jong – 63,000

Players are on their final break of Day 1c. Blinds will increase to 600/1,200 along with a 1,200 big blind ante when the action resumes. We will update you with some of the chip counts from around the room during the break.

Our friend Gatis Reigass, otherwise known as “OptibetPoker” on Twitch, didn’t have much luck in the Main Event today on Day 1c after firing two bullets.

Instead of re-entering, Reigass is now next to the media area about to start a €60 Main Event satellite into tomorrow’s Day 1d. Among the players at the table is the formidable Teresa Clark.

The satellite, which guarantees at least five Main Event seats, had its start time was just pushed back 15 minutes to coincide with the start of the final break of Day 1c. It is a cheap way for a chance to play for at least a €500,000 guaranteed prize pool in the Main Event.

Level 9: 500/1,000 (1,000)
Entries: 154/274

Ruben Tack jammed for under 15 big blinds from the small blind and was called by Jari Pekka Raettyae from the big blind.

Ruben Tack: A J
Jari Pekka Raettyae: 4 4

Tack lost the flip and his stack after the 8 Q 9 8 3 ran out on the board.

Jari Pekka Raettyae – 95,000
Ruben Tack – 0

Level 9: 500/1,000 (1,000)
Entries: 157/273

Jari Pekka Raettyae bet 12,000 into a pot of around 40,000 with the A 4 8 9 Q on the board. Mario Mende tanked for a couple of minutes before he jammed for 27,600. Raettyae snap-called only to be on the losing end of a massive cooler.

Mende turned over Q Q for a rivered set of queens to beat Raettyae, who flopped a set with 8 8 .

Jari Pekka Raettyae – 95,000
Mario Mende – 70,000

Level 8: 400/800 (800)
Entries: 169/272

Fitim Lahi checked with about 20,000 in the pot and the 3 2 K 10 3 on the board. Vojtech Paxian jammed for more than the 15,000 or so Lahi had behind and his opponent went into the tank for a few minutes.

“Are you strong?” Lahi asked Paxian.

Paxian didn’t answer but this didn’t slow down Lahi’s table talk.

“Maybe you are bluffing,” Lahi said. “Especially against me.”

Some more time went by before Lahi decided to call. Paxian turned over K Q for kings over treys. Normally, we get to see an all-in showdown but we will likely never know what Lahi called with as his cards wound up in the muck instead of being exposed.

Vojtech Paxian – 65,000
Fitim Lahi – 0

Level 8: 400/800 (800)
Entries: 172/269

Peter Balogh jammed for approximately 15,000 from early position over the under-the-gun open by Pal Nemeth. Veselin Petrov cold-called from one seat over and it was a heads-up showdown after Nemeth laid down his hand.

Peter Balogh: A 7
Veselin Petrov: A K

Both players improved to the same two pair after the 3 3 A Q J rolled out on the board. Petrov’s king-kicker got the job done and Balogh was on the rail, at least for now.

Veselin Petrov – 100,000
Peter Balogh – 0

Check out the interview below with the Norwegian poker power couple Sturla and Lisbeth Hiller. Sturla had a rough go thus far on Day 1c of the Main Event and was down to just 6,000 in chips. However, he is not only still alive, but is above 20,000 in chips.

Best of luck to both Sturla and Lisbeth at The Festival Series Bratislava at Banco Casino.

Level 7: 400/800 (800)
Entries: 185/269

Luka Bojovic three-bet to 5,500 from the blinds and was called by Adam Jindra, who originally opened from late position.

Bojovic fired out for 2,500 after the J 8 2 were dealt on the flop and Jindra snap-called. The foot came off the gas pedal for Bojovic as he checked the K turn. Jindra fired out for 6,000 and Bojovic called.

The 6 completed the board on the river and Bojovic checked once again. Jindra jammed for more than his opponent had behind and a few moments later Bojovic folded. Instead of mucking his cards, Jindra wanted to show his bluff and turned over the 9 7 as the dealer began to award him the pot.

Adam Jindra – 60,000
Luka Bojovic – 30,000

Level 7: 400/800 (800)
Entries: 187/267

It appears Table 51 is once again an action table as was the case during the first two flights of the Main Event.

We caught up to the table in the back of a fully packed room just after a big hand ended. Didier Vardapin held tens, while Roman Molnar held nines and all of Molnar’s stack went into the pot after both a ten and a nine hit the flop.

Despite flopping a set, Molnar was drawing to just one out. No miracle came and Molnar was on the rail.

Didier Vardapin – 80,000
Roman Molnar – 0

Players are on a 30-minute break.

Blinds will increase to 300/600 with a big blind ante of 600 when the action resumes. We will also post chip counts during the break.

Level 6: 200/500 (500)
Entries: 192/256

Miroslav Lelek checked after the 8 3 9 came on the flop before Marian Flesar bet 4,300 into a pot of around 10,000. Lelek checked again on the J turn. Flesar jammed a huge stack of chips and Lelek snap-called for about 15,000.

Miroslav Lelek: A J
Marian Flesar: K K

Lelek was far behind but still had six outs that could potentially help him. The 2 river wasn’t one of the cards Lelek needed to get ahead and the chip stack went over to Flesar.

Marian Flesar – 125,000
Miroslav Lelek – 0

Level 5: 200/400 (400)
Entries: 207/244

Latvia’s Gatis Reigass is not only a long-time friend of this author but also close with many at The Festival Series including its founder Martin “Franke” von Zweigbergk.

Reigass streams his action at Optibet Poker on the partypoker network on Twitch under his aptly named handle “OptibetPoker”. He live-streamed winning multiple packages to The Festival Series for both the event a few months ago in Tallinn and for the event this time around in Bratislava. We just witnessed him with a fresh stack but he shared this wasn’t his first seat of the day.

“Second bullet,” Reigass shared. “I ran my jacks into aces on a low board for my first bullet.”

We wish Reigass the best of luck on his second bullet.

Level 5: 200/400 (400)
Entries: 207/240

Stefean Rodleithner four-bet jammed from the small blind for 16,100 and was snap-called by Iury Wolf from the button.

Stefean Rodleithner: K K
Iury Wolf: A A

Rodleithner was out of his seat before the 2 J 10 flop. But was sitting back down after improving to a set on the K turn.

“Queen,” Wolf requested as this would have improved him to a Broadway straight.

No queen or ace came on the river as instead the 5 completed the board for Rodleithner to double his stack through Wolf.

Iury Wolf – 40,000
Stefean Rodleithner – 35,000

Level 4: 100/300 (300)
Entries: 206/234

Nandor Blasko checked the with about 20,000 in the pot with the 4 7 8 10 on the board after the turn before Jozsef Dobos bet 9,000. Blasko found a fold in this spot and was likely happy to see that Dobos flash the 10 10 for the top set before collecting the pot.

A few minutes later, we noticed Dobos winning another hand against Blasko. This time it was for the rest of his stack of around 20,000.

Jozsef Dobos – 75,000
Nandor Blasko – 0

Level 4: 100/300 (300)
Entries: 202/222

A few more entries got into the mix during the break to bring the field up to a whopping 222 entries and counting with 20 of those entries already losing their stacks. The room is fully packed but rest assured there is still plenty of space in the poker halls designated primarily for the side events.

Shortly after the break, Tornike Manvdlidze was able to get some value from his hand as follows. Davit Mikhanashvili bet 1,000 into a pot of nearly 4,000 with the Q 2 3 4 7 already on the board. Manvdlidze raised to 8,000 and his opponent went into the tank before he called. Manvdlidze turned over A 5 for a wheel and won the hand after Mikhanashvili mucked.

Tornike Manvdlidze – 45,000
Davit Mikhanashvili – 20,000

Players are on their first 30-minute break of Day 1c. We will provide some chip counts shortly from around the room.

Level 3: 100/200 (200)
Entries: 175/191

Rolf Woods jammed for 8,100 into a pot of a bit less after the 8 10 9 came on the flop and was called by Jari Pekka Raettyae from one seat over. Two other players saw the flop but opted to sit this one out after the action in front of them.

Rolf Woods: K Q
Jari Pekka Raettyae: A 9

“Oops,” said Woods as he began to stand up from the table.

“You still have some outs,” responded Raettyae.

Neither the 2 turn nor the 2 river saved the day for Woods and he was the latest player to lose his opening stack before the first break.

Jari Pekka Raettyae – 55,000
Rolf Woods – 0

Level 3: 100/200 (200)
Entries: 173/182

Sturla Hiller opened for 500 from under the gun. Younes Jarir three-bet to 2,200 from the small blind. Csaba Illes cold-called from the big blind before Hiller called as well.

Jarir bet 2,000 after the A J J came on the flop. Illes called and Hiller folded. Both players checked the 2 turn before Jarir checked again on the 5 river. Illes bet 8,200 and Jarir went into the tank for close to a minute before he called. Illes turned over A K and the pot was chopped up after Jarir had the same hand with different suits with A K .

Younes Jarir – 65,000
Csaba Illes – 45,000
Sturla Hiller – 15,000

Level 3: 100/200 (200)
Entries: 166/174

The Day 1c is already up to 174 entries, making it already the biggest opening flight thus far with Day 1a attracting 134 entries and 39 survivors and Day 1b bringing in another 171 entries with 51 survivors.

The field will continue to grow as Day 1c hasn’t even reached the first break and players can late register all day long.

Level 2: 100/100 (100)
Entries: 158/163

Sohra Mohammadzdeh checked the river with the 3 5 9 3 2 on the board. Younes Jarir fired out for 1,200 before Stig Moen raised to 3,200. Mohammadzdeh cold-called and Jarir opted to fold.

Moen turned over A J before Mohammadzdeh showed A 4 for the wheel.

“Nice hand,” Moen politely said to his opponent after the hand.

Sohra Mohammadzdeh – 40,000
Younes Jarir – 35,000
Stig Moen – 22,000

Level 2: 100/100 (100)
Entries: 147/151

Mario Mende bet 2,200 into a pot of 5,000 after two players checked the 10 J 3 flop. Karol Petocz folded before Giorgi Tqemaladze called.

Tqemaladze check-called a bet of 3,700 on the 9 turn before doing the same for 4,300 on the 6 river.

Mende turned over 9 9 for a set of nines. Tqemaladze opted to show his Q J shortly after for the top pair and the pot was awarded to Mende.

Mario Mende – 48,000
Giorgi Tqemaladze – 24,000

The €250 HORSE mixed-game tournament is set to begin shortly at 1 p.m. There is now a sign informing people that the event will be a freezeout with no re-entries possible. Just in case you miss the sign, we will remind you about this here as well.

If you aren’t familiar with HORSE, it is a rotation of five different games in limit hold’em, limit Omaha hi/lo, razz, stud, and stud hi/lo.

Also starting at 1 p.m. is the €250 Heads-Up event. These aren’t common in Europe primarily due to it not being economical to dedicate one dealer to just two players and all the other staff involved. So this is your chance to play at a great price point!

Best of luck to everyone getting into the action in either of the side events!

Level 1: 100/100
Entries: 123/125

During Day 1a and Day 1b it appeared for the most part that players were playing a bit of small ball during the first two blind levels with opening stacks providing 300 big blinds.

Day 1c seems to be slightly different with two players already on the rail after Oerjahn Winther joined Simo Klandy on the rail.

There was just another player in getting a little jammy on Table 41. Karl Sundin bet 2,500 into a pot of a bit more after the 10 Q 2 flop before Wang Lu jammed a starting stack. Sundin folded and Lu flashed the A K for all sorts of draws as he collected the pot.

Level 1: 100/100
Entries: 108/109

The Day 1c field has already grown past 100 entries. Now it is a question of when it will surpass 200 entries.

One player is already on the rail in Simo Klandy. As of now, Klandy hasn’t re-entered but he has plenty of time to do so if he so chooses with late registration open all day and will even still be open during the first two blind levels of Saturday’s Day 2.

Level 1: 100/100
Entries: 94/94

Stig Moen is a long-time friend of this reporter. We both have a passion for poker and love commentating live poker events.

Don’t let the title confuse you as it is mostly tongue-in-cheek.

But very early on, Moen got involved in a small pot with Sohra Mohammadzdeh. The results are fairly irrelevant as the hand itself provided some light humor for those at the table.

Post flop, Moen bet 300 out of turn. This was confusing to Mohammadzdeh about what to do. Moen first apologized for betting out of turn which can happen to anyone before explaining to Mohammadzdeh about his options.

Moen shared that if Mohammadzdeh checked, his bet would stand but if his opponent instead decided to bet that Moen would be able to act differently as this changed the action.

Although this is clearly correct, the dealer called the floor for an official ruling. As is often the case here at Banco Casino, the floor was over in just a few seconds and said the same as what Moen shared.

Mohammadzdeh let out a huge smile and checked before snap-folding. The entire table and even this reporter had a nice laugh.

Entries: 89/89
Level 1: 100/100

Are Ugland bet 3,000 into a pot of around 5,000 with the 3 J 8 8 10 on the board and was called by Jonas Sundin.

Ugland turned over the J 10 and won the pot after Sundin mucked his hand.

Are Ugland – 35,000
Jonas Sundin – 26,000

Breaking news! The Festival Series just announced its next stop.

The Festival Series will make its triumphant returned on Feb. 13-19 at the Dusk Till Dawn Poker Club located in the heart of the United Kingdom in Nottingham from February 13–19.

We hope to see you there!

Level 1: 100/100
Entries: 84/84

The cards are in the air for Day 1c. It appears almost certain that Day 1c will provide the largest field size with already 4 entries before the first hand was dealt.

Welcome back to the coverage of The Festival Series Bratislava by PokerListings. As will be the case the entire week, our coverage will focus on the Main Event will providing some highlights and information about the plethora of side events.

The Festival Series was founded by Martin “Franke” von Zweigbergk and is more than just a poker festival. Franke’s innovative The Festival Series focuses on much more and is more of a casino festival with blackjack, roulette, slots, and sports wagering tournaments all included in the schedule.

Main Event Guarantees €500K

The poker highlight of The Festival Series Bratislava is, of course, The Festival Series Bratislava €550 Main Event from Oct. 11-16. The Main Event guarantees a whopping €500,000 but it appears based on yesterday’s Day 1a along with many more players still yet to arrive.

Players will have plenty of opportunities to build a big stack with five opening flights from Oct. 11-14 including Day 1a today starting at noon CEST. Not only can players re-enter if they lose all their chips twice per opening flight but also can re-enter (or register for the first time) during the first two blind levels of Saturday’s Day 2.

The first four opening flights will feature 40-minute blind levels with the final opening flight on Friday moving along twice as fast with 20-minute blind levels. Players will bag chips today on Day 1a after 12 blind levels are completed.

The first two opening flights attracted 305 entries with 90 players advancing to Day 2. Ronald Zapantis is currently on top of the chip leaderboard after parlaying his 30,000-opening chip stack into a monstrous stack of 296,000.

Today’s Side Events