Elias Gutierrez Gunning For Another EPT Cyprus Victory in $25k Second Chance
A few short days ago, Elias Gutierrez bested a 59-entry field in the $25,000 SHR Warm Up to take down his first EPT title and the $417,570 first-place prize. Today, the PokerStars Team Pro finds himself in great position to win a second consecutive $25k title here at the 2024 European Poker Tour Cyprus.
The path to victory will not be easy, however, as the remaining field in Day 2 of $25k Second Chance is riddled with poker talent. Even more of poker’s elite are expected to show up as late-registration will remain open until the start of play at 12:30 p.m. local time. In total, the event has attracted 38 entries so far.
Gutierrez managed to build his stack to 808,000 last night, which places him second in chips of the returning 25 players from Day 1. The top spot belongs to high-roller regular Albert Daher, who bagged up 885,000 and will be looking to add a fourth EPT title to his collection. The only other player to breach the 800k mark yesterday was Hassan Nashar, whose wild play style led to him busting twice and reentering before surging up the ranks to end with 805,000.
Day 2 Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Name | Country | Chips | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Albert Daher | Lebanon | 885,000 | 148 |
| 2 | Elias Gutierrez | Spain | 808,000 | 135 |
| 3 | Hassan Nashar | Senegal | 805,000 | 134 |
| 4 | Johannes Straver | Netherlands | 624,000 | 104 |
| 5 | Teun Mulder | Netherlands | 616,000 | 103 |
| 6 | Vladimir Korzinin | Estonia | 587,000 | 98 |
| 7 | Kayhan Mokri | Norway | 541,000 | 90 |
| 8 | Danilo Velasevic | Croatia | 500,000 | 83 |
| 9 | Aleksejs Ponakovs | Latvia | 454,000 | 76 |
| 10 | Vicente Delgado | Spain | 430,000 | 72 |
Other notables who will return to the Merit Royal Diamond Hotel Casino & Spa for Day 2 include Duco ten Haven (115,000), Leonard Maue (174,000), Recep Aydemir (244,000), and Steve O'Dwyer — who was unable to gain much momentum in Day 1 and will bring 200,000 to work with in his pursuit to add to his over $40 million in live-tournament winnings.
Play on Day 2 will begin on Level 9, which features 3,000/6,000 blinds with a 6,000 big-blind ante. Levels will continue to last 30 minutes each and fifteen-minute breaks will be held after every four levels. A 75-minute dinner break is scheduled at the completion of Level 20, but is subject to change depending on players and tournament staff. Day 2 will continue until a winner is determined.
There is still a long way to go before the next high-roller champion is crowned, so be sure to stick with PokerNews as we continue to bring you all the action from the floor right up until the final card is dealt!