Main Event
Day 2a Completed
Main Event
Day 2a Completed
Laurent Polito finished the day as chip leader with an astonishing 806,000. Stephan Ouzilou is in second with an almost as impressive 729,500 and some way behind them in third is Gregory Benac with 435,000.
This really was Polito’s day. He is the only player to hold two WPT National Titles, namely the PMU.fr WPT National Cannes back in May this year and the Euro Finals of Poker 2013, Paris and he had a spectacular day in the hunt for his third title.
For a short time it was a tousle between Polito and Stephan Ouzilou for the chip lead but Polito went on an absolute tear, twice busting two players at once for significant pots. In the first instance there was a three way all-in when Polito held aces against tens and jacks which propelled him to over 500,000. Not too long after that he got it in with queens against and and held to propel him to the 800,000 mark.
Ouzilou gained ground towards the end of the day but he couldn't quite find the big hands at the right time in the way that Polito did.
The three players who began at the top gradually fell away. Omar Lakhdari started in the lead but he ended up with 270,000. Gregory Fournier started in second place but failed to make Day 3, while Day 1a chip leader Guillaume Wilhelm managed to make it through with 288,000.
There were 181 players who started the day and 50 survived the seven one-hour levels to battle it out on Day 3 when the two Day 2s will merge. At stake is the WPT National title and first place prize money of €140,000.Second place will receive €94,500 with third getting €61,000. Tomorrow will be the money bubble day with 81 places paid and a min-cash worth €2,000.
Can Laurent Polito make it an extraordinary three World Poker Tour National titles? The only thing guaranteed in poker is that PokerNews will be there to bring you the coverage. Be sure to join us as the two fields finally join together with all the competitors finally in the same room at the same time.
Cards are in the air at 4 p.m. local time and the plan is to play down to a final 14 so be sure to join us then.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Laurent Polito | 806,000 | |
Stephan Ouzilou | 729,500 | |
Gregory Benac |
435,000
398,300
|
398,300 |
Jean-Luc Berrebi |
395,000
353,000
|
353,000 |
Mustapha Amaouche |
349,500
256,200
|
256,200 |
Johann Beaudet |
338,500
259,200
|
259,200 |
Benjamin Brami
|
330,500
233,800
|
233,800 |
Guillaume Wilhelm |
288,000
110,300
|
110,300 |
Faouzi Degachi |
287,500
245,000
|
245,000 |
Franck Kalfon |
274,000
222,100
|
222,100 |
Carlo Savinelli |
274,000
225,300
|
225,300 |
Omar Lakhdari |
270,000
-40,000
|
-40,000 |
Pascal Rabany |
260,900
180,900
|
180,900 |
Nabil Hijazy |
256,000
143,100
|
143,100 |
Nicolas Merceron |
250,000
131,200
|
131,200 |
Etienne De La Fouchardiere |
248,000
186,100
|
186,100 |
Vinh Luong Hoa | 244,000 | |
Quang-Dai Le |
237,000
197,900
|
197,900 |
Brice Benhamida |
197,500
120,800
|
120,800 |
Adrien Delompre |
197,000
142,800
|
142,800 |
Luca Dal Cerro |
195,500
150,300
|
150,300 |
Tarek Bouchama |
193,500
101,300
|
101,300 |
Choua Sitbon
|
187,000
152,600
|
152,600 |
Bruno Soutavong |
185,500
55,500
|
55,500 |
Suat Uyanik |
181,500
132,000
|
132,000 |
That's it for Day 2a.
Laurent Polito hung on to the lead and is a little bit ahead of second placed Stephan Ouzilou.
Full chip counts and a recap to follow shortly.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Laurent Polito |
806,000
6,000
|
6,000 |
Stephan Ouzilou |
729,500
259,500
|
259,500 |
Rather than fixing the intro, Rich and Donnie brought back Jason Somerville to catch up with him and talk Run it Up and Ultimate Poker.
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There was an open shove for 60,000 when it folded round to Stephan Ouzilou who doesn’t really like to fold. Ouzilou then quizzed the player for a while and they engaged in conversation. You don’t need to speak French to understand that it was the universal poker language equivalent of, “Are you ready to go home?” Which was probably met with an, “I’m not bothered either way. It’s up to you, my chips are in the middle.”
Ouzilou folded and saved his chips and was shown the by his opponent to which Ouzilou merely shrugged.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Stephan Ouzilou | 470,000 |
With 55 players left and under an hour to play Laurent Polito is still in a commanding lead. Here’s an update on some of the other players we’ve been keeping a close eye on.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Omar Lakhdari |
310,000
95,000
|
95,000 |
Sebastien Le Baron
|
255,000
105,000
|
105,000 |
Bruno Soutavong |
130,000
-48,000
|
-48,000 |
Sebastien Didier |
120,000
-75,000
|
-75,000 |
Pascal Rabany |
80,000
-79,000
|
-79,000 |
Christophe Carta |
73,000
-23,000
|
-23,000 |
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One last 15-minute break and then the final level of the day will commence.