Russians Took the Entire Top 3 in an MPP Event in Cyprus
The $3300 Paradise Mystery Bounty tournament, part of the Mediterranean Poker Party series in Cyprus, turned out to be a great success for Russian players. Alexander Raznikov, Alexey Istomin and Leonid Orman took all three top spots.
Day 2 of the tournament, which drew 290 entries, began with non-stop action. Over the first four levels, 26 of the 44 remaining players were eliminated. A major contribution came from Chengxu Hu, who knocked out five opponents.
Later it was Hu who pulled the biggest envelope, worth $100,000. The Chinese player also made it to fourth place and busted in a three-way all-in against Orman and Raznikov. That hand helped the future champion seize a commanding chip lead.
In the decisive heads-up hand, Alexey Istomin shoved his last 9 BB with K3, and Raznikov called with T5, hit a pair of tens on the flop and held on through the turn and river.
Raznikov earned $85,000, while the $55,000 for second place helped Istomin pass the $1,000,000 mark in career live tournament winnings. Orman, who finished third, took home $38,000.
After the win, Raznikov compared poker to paragliding and said he is open to backing for the upcoming Triton series in Cyprus:
"As a paraglider, I wait for the weather conditions to become perfect, and then I start the flight. It's the same in poker. Sometimes you just have to watch and wait.
This win gave me more opportunities to play in the future. Triton is coming to Cyprus in November, and I'm interested in playing higher stakes. So if anyone wants to become my backer, I'm open to offers!"
📰 Subscribe to Pokerflow
Day 2 of the tournament, which drew 290 entries, began with non-stop action. Over the first four levels, 26 of the 44 remaining players were eliminated. A major contribution came from Chengxu Hu, who knocked out five opponents.
Later it was Hu who pulled the biggest envelope, worth $100,000. The Chinese player also made it to fourth place and busted in a three-way all-in against Orman and Raznikov. That hand helped the future champion seize a commanding chip lead.
In the decisive heads-up hand, Alexey Istomin shoved his last 9 BB with K3, and Raznikov called with T5, hit a pair of tens on the flop and held on through the turn and river.
Raznikov earned $85,000, while the $55,000 for second place helped Istomin pass the $1,000,000 mark in career live tournament winnings. Orman, who finished third, took home $38,000.
After the win, Raznikov compared poker to paragliding and said he is open to backing for the upcoming Triton series in Cyprus:
"As a paraglider, I wait for the weather conditions to become perfect, and then I start the flight. It's the same in poker. Sometimes you just have to watch and wait.
This win gave me more opportunities to play in the future. Triton is coming to Cyprus in November, and I'm interested in playing higher stakes. So if anyone wants to become my backer, I'm open to offers!"
📰 Subscribe to Pokerflow
