bwin WPT Merit Chypre Classique

Félicitations à Alexey Rybin qui vient d'être couronné champion du bwin WPT Merit Chypre Classic après avoir éliminé Albert Daher lors d'un tête-à-tête court et rapide.

Not only has Alexey Rybin won the title, joined the WPT Champions Club and won a $25k seat to the WPT Championships; but he did so after going wire-to-wire as the chip leader on every single day he played; a feat that has not been accomplished since Kevin Saul did the same thing at the Bellagio Cup back in 2008.

Malgré sa domination à l'approche de la table finale, Rybin sera le premier à admettre qu'il n'a pas fait ce qu'il voulait aujourd'hui. Andrei Nikonov et Albert Daher ont incroyablement bien joué, et Rybin a eu la chance d'être au bon endroit au bon moment, mais n'est-ce pas ça le poker ?

* * * * *

Just a single elimination in the first level of the day, and it was the short stack Pierre Sayegh who finished in sixth position. He saw his opportunity to squeeze with [Ac] [9c] and was called by Albert Daher who held pocket sevens. The lucky number sevens held up and one man from Beirut had eliminated another.



Daher n’a pas eu longtemps pour célébrer puisque Sergey Rybachenko lui a pris un morceau dans un gros doublé pour le Russe. Rybachenko fait tapis avec une paire de six, et Daher suit avec un as-neuf hors combinaison. Une fois de plus, la paire de poche a tenu et soudain, Daher était le short stack.

L'homme du niveau était Andrei Nikonov, qui n'a pas perdu un seul pot à noter qu'il a utilisé son avantage positionnel pour se rapprocher presque du leader Alexey Rybin.

Votre 25th Level saw Alexey Rybin lose the chip lead for the first time since Day 1A and it was Nikonov who stepped up to the plate and put on that particular crown. A six bet pot impliquant Nikonov et Rybachenko forçant le Russe à reculer pour donner à Nikonov une avance somptueuse.

Quelques mains plus tard, le puissant Russe était éliminé et ce, dans les circonstances les plus malheureuses. Rybachenko s'en sort avec une paire de rois contre l'as roi du short stack Daher.

"Une fois… je n'en ai pas encore utilisé", a déclaré Daher.

Ça a marché. L'as sur la rivière paralysa le Russe et Daher trouva lui-même une paire de rois pour éliminer Rybachenko après qu'il ait fait tapis avec une paire de dix quelques mains plus tard.



Votre 26th level saw Rybin moving all in for the first time since Day 1A as the once dominant force started to get short. Then he doubled up through Kayhan Tugrul in a hand that would prove to be the demise from the man from Turkey. It was ace king for Rybin, ace ten for Tugrul and as Rybin moved up to 1.7m chips, Tugrul was down to 380k. Just a few short hands later and Rybin would turn a set of threes to eliminate Tugrul in fourth place after he moved all in with queen jack.



Le niveau s'est terminé avec une main intéressante entre Daher et Rybin. C'était un pari à trois pot on a flop of [9h] [6h] [4s] when the aggressor – Rybin – slid 275k across the felt only to be raised by Daher who made it 625k. Rybin asked to see the hand after folding and Daher duly obliged – [Qd] [2d] for the bluff – and as the trio headed to the break Daher must have been feeling pretty good about himself.

Albert Daher was the quickest out of the traps in the 27th Level when he took a big chunk of change from Andrei Nikonov. It’s not often that the Russian loses a pot d'importance, mais lorsque Daher a transformé une série de six dans un pot vaut 3 million you could say that was significant. You can read about the finer details ici.

Daher et Nikonov s'y livraient bec et ongles, et le seul homme qui aimait la vie était Alexeï Rybine. Puis, juste au bon moment, Rybin a trouvé as-roi au bouton, a fait tapis et a reçu un call volontaire en la personne de Daher qui détenait as-cinq au big blind. Juste comme ça, ils étaient tous les trois au coude à coude.

After a short break we resumed for Level 28 and it was Andrei Nikonov who was eliminated in third place. Alexey Rybin opening on the button, Nikonov three-betting from the small blind, Rybin moved all in and Nikonov called. It was a cooler with the ace queen of Rybin soon to beat the ace-jack of Nikonov and we were heads up with Albert Daher facing Rybin for the title.



La rencontre en tête à tête n'a pas duré longtemps et c'est Rybin qui a pris les devants. pot was already huge when Rybin moved all in on a board of [Ad] [Kh] [Jh] [2d], Daher made the call Rybin showed ace king and Daher threw his hand into the muck in frustration despite there being one more card to come.

When the smoke cleared Daher was left with just 315,000 chips and despite doubling up twice was still facing a 6:1 chip disadvantage when the chips went into the middle for the third and final time. It was [As] [5h] for Rybin, [Ks] [9c] for Daher, and the [Ah] on the flop handing Rybin the title as he finished what he started back on Day 1A.

Have a look at Rybins interview with Jesse May just after the victory.

Albert Daher a été un joueur incroyablement excitant au bwin WPT Merit Chypre, mais il vient de échouer face à un homme qui a mené cette affaire du début à la fin.

Daher opens to 120,000 on the button, Rybin moves all in and Daher calls.

Épreuve de force

Rybin: [As] [5h]
Daher: [Ks] [9c]

Rybin a donc une légère avance avant le flop.

Flop: [Ah] [Th] [7s]

Vous pouvez voir le soulagement sur le visage de Rybin alors que le sang s'écoule de celui de Daher.

Tourner: [7c]

Its all over bar the shouting.

Rivière: [2c]

Alexey Rybin is the winner of bwin WPT Merit Cyprus Classic and wins $258,000, including a $25k seat at the WPT Championships.

Il y a un indice dans le titre. Alexey Rybin fait tapis et Albert Daher couche sa main.

Albert Daher opens to 120,000, on the button, and Alexey Rybin puts him in his place with a three bet; Daher folds.

Alexey Rybin ouvre le bouton puis se couche lorsqu'Albert Daher fait tapis.

Un autre all-in rapide et un call. 

Épreuve de force

Daher: [2[ s] [2d]
Rybin: [Ah] [6h]

Board: [8[ s] [5h] [5d] [Ks] [3s]

Le deuxième doublé rapide pour Daher ; Rybin commence-t-il à devenir nerveux ?

Daher ~ 1.2m
Rybin ~ 6.4m

The all in and call wasnt going to take long. Alexey Rybin was holding [Qd] [5c] and Albert Daher was holding [Ks] [Qh].

Board: [Jc] [Ts] [4[ s] [7c] [Ah]

Broadway pour Daher qui entame le retour le plus improbable.

Daher ~ 650,000
Rybin ~ 7.2m

Albert Daher opens from the button, Alexey Rybin three bets to 400,000 and Daher calls.

Flop : [Ad] [Kh] [Jh]

Rybin bets 515,000 and Daher calls.

Tourner: [2d]

Rybin moves all-in for 2,825,000 and Daher hates life. He asks Rybin if he has a good hand and if he would show and he nods his head silently. After several minutes thought Daher calls, Rybin shows [Ah] [Kd] for two pair, and Daher mucks his hand in frustration.

The hand is dead, despite the fact that a river card has not yet been dealt. The chips are given to Rybin and Daher is left with just 315,000 chips. 

Rybin ~ 7.4m
Daher ~ 315,000

Albert Daher ouvre et Alexey Rybin suit.

Flop: [Tc] [9h] [8h]

Les deux joueurs checkent

Tourner: [5h]

Les deux joueurs checkent.

Rivière : [Comme]

Daher bets 260,000, Rybin calls and then mucks when he sees the [Ac] [Qc] of his opponent.

À un moment donné du tournoi, il semblait qu'Andrei Nikonov aurait pu remporter ce titre, mais hélas, cela n'a pas été le cas.

Alexey Rybin opens to 125,000, on the button, Nikonov announces a raise and starts to count out his three bet when Rybin announces he is all-in; Nikonov calls and we have a showdown with Nikonov at risk of elimination.

Épreuve de force

Rybin : [Annonce] [Qs]
Nikonov : [Ac] [Jh]

Board: [Ts] [8d] [6c] [2[ s] [3d]

Nikonov is out in 3rd and Rybin takes on Daher for the title.

Albert Daher opens to 120,000, on the button, and Andrei Nikonov defends the big blind. The flop is [Ks] [9[ s] [4h] and Daher wins the pot avec 150,000 c-pari.

Andrei Nikonov opens the button and Alexey Rybin calls in the big blind. The dealer hands them the [Jh] [5c] [4h] on the flop and Nikonov takes it down with an uncontested c-bet.

Andrei Nikonov opens to 160,000 from the small blind, Albert Daher raises to 355,000 from the big blind and Nikonov folds.

Alexey Rybin opens to 125,000, from the small blind, and Andrei Nikonov calls in the big blind.

Flop: [Ac] [Qs] [7h]

Rybins checke puis se couche tandis que Nikonov feint de parier.

Albert Daher opens the button, for 100,000, Alexey Rybin (SB) calls, Andrei Nikonov (BB) three bets to 320,000 and only Daher makes the call.

Flop: [Kh] [Th] [5s]

Nikonov leads for 290,000, Daher raises to 625,000 and Nikonov mucks his hand.

Alexey Rybin opens to 100,000, on the button, and Albert Daher calls in the big blind. The flop is a heartful [Kh] [9h] [2h] and Rybin takes it down with an uncontested c-bet.

Alexey Rybin opens the button, for 100,000, and takes the blinds and antes.

Then Andrei Nikonov opens the button, for 100,000 and both blinds call.

Flop: [As] [7h] [5h]

The action checks to Nikonov who bets 145,000 and only Rybin calls.

Tourner: [8h]

Rybin leads for 400,000 and Nikonov folds his hand.

Alexey Rybin opens to 100,000, on the button, Andrei Nikonov calls in the small blind, Albert Daher three bets to 400,000 from the big blind and both players fold.

Andrei Nikonov opens on the button for 100,000 and Alexey Rybin defends his big blind.

Flop: [Ad] [7c] [5c]

Les deux joueurs checkent.

Tournez : [Th]

Rybin check-calls a 125,000 Nikonov bet.

Rivière: [9d]

A quick check by Rybin, who then folds when Nikonov bets 200,000

Alexey Rybin moves all in from the button for 908,000 and Albert Daher calls in the big blind.

Épreuve de force

Rybin : [Annonce] [Ks]
Daher: [Ah] [5c]

Rybin trouve à nouveau As-Roi.

"Why cant you have queens or something?" Asks Daher.

Board: [As] [Jh] [7s] [Tc] [2d]

Rybin doubles to around 1.8m and Daher is down to 3.1m