$5,300 Main Event
Day 1a Completed
2018 Caribbean Poker Party
$5,300 Main Event
Day: 1a
Level 8
: 8,000/16,000, 16,000 ante
Two days in, and Francois Billard has two big stacks in the bags in the first two $10 million guaranteed events of the partypoker 2018 Caribbean Poker Party.
On Day 1a of the $25,500 MILLIONS World, Billard put 3,010,000 in the bag at the close of eight levels, good for the fifth-biggest stack of the players who made it through.
On Day 1a of the $5,300 Main Event, Billard made it a double by bagging 4,050,000, good for the unofficial chip lead out of the roughly 115 players who advanced in the field of 185 runners. Billard has over $2 million in cashes and a number of six-figure scores, and with his fantastic start to this series, he's put himself in position to add to that if he can continue to crush.
Billard's count puts him just a hair above partypoker team pro Joao Simao. Simao, who finished with 3,995,000, has been on quite a run in his sponsor's big events in 2018.
At partypoker MILLIONS Germany in February, Simao got second and fourth in a couple of €25K high rollers for just under €450,000 total. Then, he got fourth in the €5,300 Main Event for €280,000. He followed that up with two big cashes at the partypoker Latin American Poker Championship — second in the $5,300 High Roller for $50,000 and fourth in the $1,100 Main Event for $60,000.
Two of Simao's teammates also bagged big: Kristen Bicknell (3,260,000) and Philipp Gruissem (2,910,000). Bicknell had a swingy day as she started off by making a huge bet-fold for most of her stack when she said she had a small flush on an unpaired board.
She managed to run it back up from there, impressing partypoker Chairman Mike Sexton — who also bagged, albeit only 760,000 at a neighboring table.
Dylan Linde, Brian Hastings, Andreas Eiler, Cliff Josephy and MILLIONS World chip leader Chance Kornuth also made it through with strong stacks.
Players who failed to advance still have plenty of time. There remains two more starting flights, plus players can buy in for the first few levels on Day 2. Coverage and play resumes Sunday at noon with Day 1b, when the tournament will move ever closer to its $10 million guarantee with another eight-level day.
Level 8
: 8,000/16,000, 16,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
4,050,000
-350,000
|
-350,000 |
|
3,995,000
-105,000
|
-105,000 |
|
||
|
3,695,000
-105,000
|
-105,000 |
|
||
|
3,615,000
115,000
|
115,000 |
|
||
|
3,260,000
-240,000
|
-240,000 |
|
||
|
3,160,000
3,160,000
|
3,160,000 |
|
2,950,000
2,950,000
|
2,950,000 |
|
2,935,000
35,000
|
35,000 |
|
2,910,000
2,910,000
|
2,910,000 |
|
|
||
|
2,910,000
-190,000
|
-190,000 |
|
||
|
2,875,000
-225,000
|
-225,000 |
|
2,850,000
2,850,000
|
2,850,000 |
|
|
2,830,000
2,830,000
|
2,830,000 |
|
2,815,000
2,815,000
|
2,815,000 |
|
2,760,000
2,760,000
|
2,760,000 |
|
2,730,000
2,730,000
|
2,730,000 |
|
2,675,000
2,675,000
|
2,675,000 |
|
2,665,000
2,665,000
|
2,665,000 |
|
2,610,000
2,610,000
|
2,610,000 |
|
2,590,000
2,590,000
|
2,590,000 |
|
2,580,000 | |
|
|
2,530,000
2,530,000
|
2,530,000 |
|
2,500,000
2,500,000
|
2,500,000 |
|
|
2,485,000
2,485,000
|
2,485,000 |
|
2,460,000
2,460,000
|
2,460,000 |
Level 8
: 8,000/16,000, 16,000 ante
Kristen Bicknell in the small blind and an opponent on the button each checked a board of 
and the 
hit. Bicknell bet 175,000 and her opponent snap-called.
Bicknell tabled 
for top pair turned into a flush, and her opponent disgustedly mucked his 
.
Each table will get through three more hands before the day is finished.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
4,400,000
500,000
|
500,000 |
|
|
4,100,000
400,000
|
400,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
3,500,000
1,700,000
|
1,700,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
3,500,000
-200,000
|
-200,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
3,100,000
600,000
|
600,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
3,100,000
1,575,000
|
1,575,000 |
|
|
2,900,000
-125,000
|
-125,000 |
|
2,500,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
|
||
|
2,300,000
500,000
|
500,000 |
|
|
||
|
2,100,000
1,030,000
|
1,030,000 |
|
1,970,000
370,000
|
370,000 |
|
1,900,000
500,000
|
500,000 |
|
|
||
|
1,750,000
-100,000
|
-100,000 |
|
1,600,000
330,000
|
330,000 |
|
1,600,000
250,000
|
250,000 |
|
|
||
|
1,500,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
|
||
|
950,000
-750,000
|
-750,000 |
|
456,000
-746,000
|
-746,000 |
|
||
Level: 8
Blinds: 8,000/16,000
Ante: 16,000
Level 7
: 7,000/14,000, 14,000 ante
In what looked to be a three-bet pot, Brian Hastings bet 50,000 into about 150,000 from the button on a 
flop. His opponent in the cutoff called and the turn was the 
. The cutoff checked and Hastings bet bigger with 250,000. This time, his opponent thought about a minute, counted down his stack, then folded.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
3,900,000
620,000
|
620,000 |
|
|
3,800,000
800,000
|
800,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
3,700,000
450,000
|
450,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
2,400,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
1,350,000
10,000
|
10,000 |
|
|
||
|
1,150,000 | |
|
||
|
1,100,000
-200,000
|
-200,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
1,070,000
620,000
|
620,000 |
|
1,000,000
-345,000
|
-345,000 |
|
303,000
-617,000
|
-617,000 |
|
291,000
-1,409,000
|
-1,409,000 |
Level 7
: 7,000/14,000, 14,000 ante
It was a tough start for Kristen Bicknell, who had less than half of a starting stack not longer after sitting down. However, the partypoker pro has run it up since then and is now pushing 2 million.
In one recent and, she bet 100,000 from late position on 
and an opponent in the big blind called. On the 
river, the big blind checked and Bicknell bet 350,000. Her opponent thought about 90 seconds and called but couldn't beat 
for a backdoor flush.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
3,250,000
150,000
|
150,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
3,025,000 | |
|
|
3,000,000
180,000
|
180,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
2,500,000
400,000
|
400,000 |
|
|
||
|
2,000,000
600,000
|
600,000 |
|
|
1,800,000 | |
|
|
||
|
|
1,800,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
1,600,000
-50,000
|
-50,000 |
|
|
1,270,000
1,024,000
|
1,024,000 |
|
1,100,000 | |
|
620,000 | |
|
455,000
-2,045,000
|
-2,045,000 |
Level: 7
Blinds: 7,000/14,000
Ante: 14,000
Level 6
: 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
With 
on the board, a player under the gun bet 240,000. Brian Hastings called on his left, and Alan Schein immediately shoved all in. It was about 800,000. The bettor thought briefly and mucked. Hastings took some time but then splashed in some chips.
Brian Hastings: 
Alan Schein: 
Hastings was in great shape fading hearts and the river was the . Schein rapped the table and left with a "good hand."
Players then headed to dinner break for 90 minutes.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
3,700,000
1,500,000
|
1,500,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
3,100,000
2,100,000
|
2,100,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
2,500,000
-160,000
|
-160,000 |
|
|
2,300,000
750,000
|
750,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
2,100,000
1,175,000
|
1,175,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
1,700,000
-455,000
|
-455,000 |
|
|
1,700,000
50,000
|
50,000 |
|
|
1,650,000
350,000
|
350,000 |
|
|
1,400,000
652,000
|
652,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
1,400,000
300,000
|
300,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
1,340,000
90,000
|
90,000 |
|
|
||
|
575,000 | |
|
|
450,000
-600,000
|
-600,000 |
|
Busted | |
