€10,200 Mystery Bounty
Day 1 Completed
2023 PokerStars EPT Paris
€10,200 Mystery Bounty
Day: 1
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1
2023 PokerStars EPT Paris
Buy-in
€10,200
Prize Pool
€1,027,200
Entries
107
Level
27
Blinds
100,000 / 200,000
Ante
200,000
Entries
71
Players Left
45
Level 8
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
The 2023 PokerStars European Poker Tour Paris festival has officially commenced at the Hyatt Regency Paris Etoile and High Roller regulars from all over the world took to the tables for Day 1 of Event #3 $10,200 Mystery Bounty.
A total of 71 entries were recorded to generate a cash prize pool of €326,600 but both figures are subject to change. The late registration for the first high-stakes contest of the series, which is operated by Club Barriere Paris in the heart of the French capital, is still open for another two levels on Day 2.
Upon completion of eight 30-minute levels, only 45 players advanced with chips to their name. Nikita Kuznetsov leaped into the top spot with a stack of 376,500, followed by Kayhan Mokri (346,500) and fellow countryman Viktor Ustimov (334,000).
Mokri in particular has enjoyed a very successful start into the current year after he cashed during three tournaments of the 2023 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure on The Bahamas. This included a deep run in the $25,000 PCA High Roller and a runner-up finish to Andrew Chen in a $10,200 Mystery Bounty Event. Besides his cash prize of $90,400 in the latter tournament, Mokri also pulled two $100,000 bounty envelopes as well and will certainly hope to repeat that feat here in Paris.
Top 10 Chip Counts After Day 1
| Place | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds Day 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nikita Kuznetsov | Russia | 376,500 | 126 |
| 2 | Kayhan Mokri | Norway | 346,500 | 116 |
| 3 | Viktor Ustimov | Russia | 334,000 | 111 |
| 4 | Julien Sitbon | France | 330,500 | 110 |
| 5 | Alexandros Theologis | Greece | 298,500 | 100 |
| 6 | Felipe Ketzer | Brazil | 291,000 | 97 |
| 7 | Tom Orpaz | Israel | 271,500 | 91 |
| 8 | Stefan Schillhabel | Germany | 265,000 | 88 |
| 9 | Andre Marques | Portugal | 252,000 | 84 |
| 10 | Casimir Seire | Finland | 243,500 | 81 |
The overnight top ten also features well-known poker pros such as Julien Sitbon, Alexandros Theologis, Stefan Schillhabel, and Casimir Seire. Brazil's Felipe Ketzer was the chip leader for a large portion of the day before he doubled Theologis in the final hands of the night to fall from grace.
Football Star Neymar Reaches Day 2
While many of the biggest names in the world of poker reeled in a small rail during the high-stakes contest, nobody gathered more attention than football star Neymar Jr. The Cultural Ambassador for PokerStars joined in the first half followed by his entourage and numerous other poker players from his home country of Brazil.
One day after the Champions League match of Paris Saint Germain against Bayern Munich, the charismatic striker took to a different pitch and showcased his talents with the cards. A topsy-turvy day up and down the flanks of the leaderboard ended with a small profit as Neymar claimed a stack of 103,500 for his Day 2 berth. In the second half of the contest, he doubled in a flip against Theologis before also notching up the elimination of Jakov Nesterov.
The only other PokerStars ambassador to enter the fray on Day 1 was fellow Brazilian Andre Akkari. Unlike Neymar, he was not able to advance but can still take advantage of the single re-entry option until the start of level 11. The very same opportunity also arises for all the Day 1 players who lost their entire stack just once.
Steve O'Dwyer and Orpen Kisacikoglu won't be back in the mix, however, as both exhausted two entries without success. Other High Roller regulars such as Tom Vogelsang, Pedro Garagnani, Chris Brewer, Stephen Chidwick, Conor Beresford, Rui Neves Ferreira, and Timothy Adams are set to return with stacks near the average.
All those wishing to join the action can do so until approximately 1:30 p.m. local time on Thursday, February 16. The tournament recommences one hour prior to that at 12:30 p.m. local time with level nine and returning blinds of 1,500-3,000 and a big blind ante of 3,000.
Stay tuned for the high-stakes poker action from Paris, as the tournament will play down to a winner and the PokerNews live reporting team will be on the floor to provide as many key hands as possible.
Level 8
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
376,500
18,500
|
18,500 |
|
||
|
346,500
6,500
|
6,500 |
|
334,000
104,000
|
104,000 |
|
330,500
10,500
|
10,500 |
|
298,500
3,500
|
3,500 |
|
291,000
-9,000
|
-9,000 |
|
271,500
151,500
|
151,500 |
|
265,000
105,000
|
105,000 |
|
252,000
127,000
|
127,000 |
|
243,500
68,500
|
68,500 |
|
232,500
-22,500
|
-22,500 |
|
231,000
1,000
|
1,000 |
|
218,000
88,000
|
88,000 |
|
204,500
111,500
|
111,500 |
|
195,000
75,000
|
75,000 |
|
193,000
-12,000
|
-12,000 |
|
||
|
170,000
70,000
|
70,000 |
|
153,500
43,500
|
43,500 |
|
151,000
11,000
|
11,000 |
|
142,000
-18,000
|
-18,000 |
|
141,500
70,000
|
70,000 |
|
141,000
-49,000
|
-49,000 |
|
120,000
35,000
|
35,000 |
|
117,000
-18,000
|
-18,000 |
|
111,500
-13,500
|
-13,500 |
Level 8
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Out of a field of 71 entries, only 49 players finished level eight with chips at their disposal. They have bagged up for the night and full counts as well as a recap of today's action are to follow.
Level 8
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
In a battle of the blinds, it all escalated as Felipe Ketzer took on Alexandros Theologis. The latter was the effective stack for what appeared to be 60 big blinds during the final hands of the night.
Alexandros Theologis: 
Felipe Ketzer: 
The 
flop kept Theologis firmly ahead and he soared to an even bigger lead with the 
turn, leaving Ketzer with just four outs to avoid a major setback. No ten appeared thereafter as the 
river locked up a big double for Theologis worth 150,500.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
300,000
-160,000
|
-160,000 |
|
|
295,000
160,000
|
160,000 |
Level 8
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Jules Dickerson raised to 6,000 and then called all-in when Kayhan Mokri simply pushed all-in with the covering stack with the Frenchman ending up at risk for around 85,000.
Jules Dickerson: 
Kayhan Mokri: 
Dickerson jumped into the lead on the 
flop and remained ahead with the turn. However, the 
river brought a fourth club on the board and that sent Dickerson out very late on Day 1. Motoyoshi Okamura vanished at almost the same time as the late carnage burst through the field.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
340,000
130,000
|
130,000 |
|
Busted | |
|
Busted |
Level 8
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Out of a field of 71 entries, just 51 players remain and they will be playing another five hands before bagging up. Steve O'Dwyer won't be among them as he was eliminated for a second time. Andre Akkari was also spotted on his way to the rail before he briefly stopped at the table of Neymar Jr.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
Busted | |
|
||
|
Busted | |
|
|
||
Level 8
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
In a three-way limped pot the 
flop was checked and Mehdi Chaoui also checked the 
turn, as did Tom Vogelsang. Davidi Kitai on the button bet 4,500 and Chaoui was the only caller.
No action followed on the river and Chaoui revealed the for a set of kings that received no major value.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
320,000
120,000
|
120,000 |
|
|
230,000
45,000
|
45,000 |
|
|
205,000
105,000
|
105,000 |
|
|
||
|
65,000
-45,000
|
-45,000 |
Level 8
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Neymar Jr. opened the action with a min-raise to 5,000 from under the gun. It folded all the way to Jakov Nesterov in the big blind, who gave it some consideration before then pushing all-in for 40,500. The instant call by the football striker followed, who was looking to notch up another strike in the game.
Jakov Nesterov: 
Neymar Jr.:
The Brazilian was way ahead and that remained to be the case throughout the 
runout as Nesterov departed.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
95,000
-25,000
|
-25,000 |
|
||
|
Busted | |
Level 8
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
South Korea's Sung Joo Hyun was all-in before the flop for the last 76,500 out of the big blind and looked up by Fahredin Mustafov in the cutoff.
Sung Joo Hyun:
Fahredin Mustafov:
The 
flop and 
turn changed nothing whatsoever and clubs were no threat, as Hyun had the superior one at his disposal. On the river, his double-up was confirmed and that put a dent into the stack of Mustafov.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
460,000
-35,000
|
-35,000 |
|
|
230,000
20,000
|
20,000 |
|
|
190,000
45,000
|
45,000 |
|
|
175,000
75,000
|
75,000 |
|
|
160,000
70,000
|
70,000 |
|
65,000
-100,000
|
-100,000 |