Seat 5: Lavrentiy Ni, 28, Almaty/Kazakhstan - 2,949,000
Only Jason Wheeler had a more impressive start to the PokerStars Championship Sochi Main Event than Lavrentiy Ni, a 28-year-old player from Almaty, Kazakhstan. Ni put his foot firmly on the pedal right from Day 1, bagging up the second biggest stack among all contenders. He has capitalized on his strong opening performance so far. Ni has made it from the base camp close to the summit, but the most difficult step still awaits him. He faced his fellow countryman Daniyar Aubakirov on the final table (out in seventh), among other rivals.
Ni's previous live tournament cashes for just over $50,000 with the better half earned thanks to a second place in the 2016 Merit Poker Retro Cup $730 NLH Warm-Up Event in Kyrenia, Cyprus. He banked $29,255 for his efforts back then.
Ni is guaranteed to more than double his lifetime earnings with his PokerStars Championship Main Event reward. Now sitting in 21st place, Ni will ladder to the Kazakhstan's top ten and would catapult himself into the pole position with a win here in Sochi