🇮🇹 IPS - Italian Poker Sport 56th Ed. ✍️ LIVE BLOG

Welcome back from Europe’s largest poker room, the King’s Resort in Rozvadov, Czech Republic, where this weekend — the first weekend of February — the 🇮🇹 IPS – Italian Poker Sport Main Event takes center stage.

A €1.5 million guaranteed tournament with a €380 buy-in, the IPS Main Event is set to keep players and fans busy all the way through to late Tuesday night. Are you ready for another poker adventure here at King’s? 😉

Report Day1 D - CLICK HERE

Report Day1 E - CLICK HERE

Sat 7 Feb - 23:15 - Cigar is the super chip leader of Day1G, followed by Tounnoiti and Ouertani; Flight H at 796 entries.

It closes with 157 players out of 1,265 entries at Day1G. A day with 2,061 entries and 40 minutes still of late registration at Day1H Speed. Flight H with 393 players at the tables out of 797 entries.

Awaiting the total count, leading is Mateo Cigar with 2.2 million chips with the average at 400,000. At 1,349,000 chips Mouram Tounnoiti and at 1,290,000 Wissam Ouertani and at 1,200,000 Stojanovic and Tobias Schaaf.

For Italy among others a great stack for Santo Sidoti at 1 million as well as Peter Barab and Gianmarco Vassalli close to 987,000.

Qualified: Pasquale De Stefano at 478,000, Giorgio Soceanu, Mousa Awad at 566,000, Ondrej Mar at 469,000 and short stacks Vincenzo Bortone and Pasquale Frezza.

After two bubbles in Friday’s two Flights, Wissam Ouertani finally prevails: “They were two dramatic Day1s because I busted on the full bubble and three players from the money. Today I cashed in the luck I was owed. I had an excellent table where I managed to grow well. I often clashed with Soceanu who qualified but gave me a lot of chips.” Wissam finally smiles.

Sat 7 Feb - 22:45 - 20 minutes break on Day1 H with over 700 entries, bubble-time on Day1 G!

We’re deep in the bubble phase here at the IPS – Italian Poker Sport Main Event with a €1.5 million guarantee. Only 185 players remain, battling for one of the 159 Day 2 seats—meaning fewer than 20 eliminations to go.

Level 15 is currently underway with blinds at 5,000/10,000 and a 10,000 ante. At least one more level will be played, roughly another hour of action. The average stack has climbed to 350,000—seven times the 50,000 starting stack.

As always, the chip leader at the end of the day will secure a ticket for the upcoming King’s Million Main Event, boasting a €1,000,000 guarantee.

Meanwhile, Day 1H Speed has reached Level 8 and is approaching another 20-minute break. There are still 422 players in the field from a total of 768 entries. Currently split across two floors, blinds are now 800/1,600 with a 1,600 ante, set to increase to 1,000/2,000 ante 2,000 after the break.

Stay tuned for more updates.

Sat 7 Feb - 20:45 - Over 500 left after the dinner break on Day1 H!

There are 242 players left fighting for a seat on Day 2 tomorrow here at Day 1G of the IPS Napoli Sport Main Event, with a total of 1,265 entries. The current blinds are 3,000-6,000 with a 6,000 ante.

The day will end upon reaching 12.5% of the field, while 15% of the field will reach the money. Therefore, it will take no fewer than three more levels before bagging up, as the target is 159 players left.

Meanwhile, on the left side of the room, the players registered for Day 1H Speed are on dinner break. There are 457 players seated out of 561 entries, and Level 5 has just started.

Sat 7 Feb - 19:45 - Late registration closed at 1,265 entries and Manu leads; Day1H soars to 475 entries

Costica Manu tops all 340 players in play at Day1G of the IPS Main Event (€1.5M guarantee, 1,265 entries) with 700,000 chips. 190 will cash and 159 will qualify for Day2.

At Day1H Speed there are 387 players out of 475 entries, with many strong players in action including Claudio Di Giacomo.

Close behind the chip leader is Naser Nawrozi with 600,000, then steady Daniele Borghi on 520,000 alongside Hungarian Mateo Ciglar.

Among the Italian players Davide Slanzi has 450,000, Mark Kis and Bude Budisavljevic 400,000, Jordan Cooper 350,000, Mauro Leonardo has risen to 300,000 and Alessio Fratti sits on 220,000.

Vincenzo Bortone and Attila Janosi downswing; still in play are Prela Niki, Christopher Campisano and Alfonso Mannoni. Around average are Chikkita Banana and regular Mousa.

In the Ladies Event Melissa Wardeinier wins; Samantha Algeri loses heads‑up after holding top pair K against 8‑9 offsuit and seeing her opponent complete a straight on the river.

Sat 7 Feb - 18:00 - 1,239 entries in Day1G and Day1H kicks off with 180 players!

One more level to register and 1,239 entries in Day1G. Day1H starts with 180 players at the tables! A huge Italian Poker Sport event approaching the guarantee with many levels still open for late registration.

Super Daniele Borghi on 520,000 — he’s the chip leader while the average is around 120,000 chips. A rush level for the Bologna player, sporting Riccardo Orsolini’s game jersey. At his table short stacks include Davide Nughes and Antonio Iannei, as well as other Italians like Franco Lasia (historic IPS winner) and Francesco Modafferi.

At 300,000 chips are Nikolay Tsanev and Santo Sidoti; the Dutchman Petr Bouwmans sits on 270,000, and Boyan Toshev and Sehad Hadzic have 220,000 each.

Roberto Palmieri returns to average after a flush-over-flush: Q♦J♦ vs Sebastian Kotowicz’s 3♦5♦, who dropped from 210,000 to 125,000. Board: 2♦ 6♥ K♦ 9♦ 4♦.

A clash of titans between Vincenzo Bortone and Giorgio Soceanu. Both shoved on a Q‑10‑3 board with two diamonds. Bortone had K♦7♦ while Soceanu showed A Q offsuit. A diamond 6 on the turn and a queen on the river decided the hand.

Sat 7 Feb - 16:30 - Super Flight G and guaranteed prize pool near — Zaria‑Albore‑Chotza on top

A huge Day1G with three levels of late registration and 1,185 entries. Only a few hundred entries left to hit the IPS Main Event guaranteed €1.5 million while about 600 players are still in the rooms.

Huge field — here’s who’s in the Poker Arena at the King’s Resort.

On top is Ukrainian Octavian Zaria with 300,000 chips while the average is 93,000. Then Alessio Albore 230,000, Kostantin Chotza 220,000, Leonardo Mauro 200,000 and Attila Janosi, winner of the Skill Poker Master Bratislava, on 145,000.

Zoran Stojanovic surged to 170,000 with a hand that stunned the table. Mauro opened, a player to the Italian’s right flat-called with AA, Stojanovic jammed directly for 70,000, Mauro folded and the other player called. Stojanovic had J9, hit two jacks and eliminated the opponent.

Also at the tables: Lorenzo Pannunzi, Wissam Ouertani after two unlucky flights yesterday, Lucio D’Angelo, Roberto Di Giuseppe at average, Andrea Proietti and Slobodan “manitu” Stanculovic at average.

Sat 7 Feb - 3:00 - Bubble time on Day1 F!

Welcome to the Italian Poker Sport. We’re at the final flight of the IPS Main Event, live from the PokerStars Resort in Rozvadov. The 16th level is currently underway, with just 12 minutes remaining, blinds at 6,000/12,000 with a 12,000 ante.

88 players remain out of a total 576 entries in this evening’s Turbo Flight. The bubble is about to burst, as 87 players will reach the money, while the Day will officially end at 72 left, representing 12.5% of the field.

Stay tuned for full coverage of Day 1F of the IPS Main Event.

Sat 7 Feb - 2:00 - The Dark and Mihaylov lead, close to the money — Recupero is in!

There are 116 players left out of 576 entries at level 4,000/8,000/8,000 — average stack 240,000. Seventy‑two players will qualify for Day 2 and 87 will cash.

Leading is The Dark with 800,000 chips, just behind him Bulgarian player Kostadyn Mihaylov, and Simone Recupero has climbed to 700,000.

Here are the counts of the biggest stacks:

The Dark 800,000

Kostadyn Mihaylov 800,000

Simone Recupero 700,000

Shay Sarid 670,000

Cengis Schwalben 600,000

Patryk Politowski 600,000

Thomas Demir 400,000

Andrea Atzeni 380,000

Luciano Perrone 340,000

Yaaov Bettach 300,000

Vincenzo De Angelis 300,000

Wissam Ouertani is still in the field after losing a brutal hand worth 600,000: “Villain opens AK and I defend with 9♦7♦. The flop comes K T 9 with two diamonds. A 9 falls on the turn and we go all‑in. On the river a K appears and I drop down the chip count.” A bad beat for the Italian who bubbled Day1E.

Sat 7 Feb - 1:00 - 576 entries in Day1F Speed — Dumitra, former winner Recupero and Stanescu on top

There were 576 entries in Day1F with 147 players left at the close of late registration. Seventy‑two players will qualify for Day2 and 87 will cash.

Many Italians at the tables, though some did not take off: Samantha Algeri, Giorgio Silvestrin, Claudio Daffinà and Marco Di Persio (the three at the same table), Morgan Nani around 120,000, Giorgio Soceanu short next to Valentin Dumitra on 600,000 chips.

Dumitra is among the chip leaders together with Simone Recupero, the IPS November 2025 winner, above 600,000, and Romeo Stanescu, who eliminated a short opponent in an all‑in with KJs clubs and hit a runner‑runner flush draw.

Wissam Ouertani, bubbled Day1E, is in with 328,000 chips: “I played 13 hours and busted with the table chip leader. He was applying bubble pressure and I jammed with TT — he had AA.”

Out: King’s Resort regular Mousa and Paul Covaciu.

Fri 6 Feb - 23:30 - Franz Holzner leads Day 1E with 1.2 million!

A total of 87 players have advanced to Day 2 from Day 1E of the IPS – Italian Poker Sport Main Event, out of 693 entries with Franz Holzner in the lead with over 1.2 million.

From the Italian side, Antonio De Lucia advanced with 459,000, well above the average of 398,000, while Giovanni Socci bagged 300,000 after a day-long grind to stay alive.

A special mention goes to JCSH, who mounted a stunning comeback: after bluffing off most of his stack and being left with just 1,000 chips, he managed to go 4up, 2up, 4up, 2up to finish the day with a respectable 200,000. All details on our daily report at THIS LINK.

Fri 6 Feb - 22:30 Everyone ITM on Day1E! 486 entries and late open on Flight F

Everyone cashed on Day1E with 104 paid positions. Now they’re playing for the 87 Day2 seats on Sunday. Meanwhile on Day1F Speed there are 290 players out of 486 entries with late registration still open for 3 levels.

After the bubble crash the fight for the top counts: Stepan Budac on 1,000,000 chips, then Tegin Lin on 900,000, and German Franz Holzner growing to 800,000 chips. Chasing are Czech Jakub Fiala on 750,000 and then Jack Sparo (that’s a nickname) on 650,000 chips.

Interesting table with mixed‑game specialist and WSOP bracelet winner Ivo Donev on 320,000 among Wissam Ouertani and Giovanni Socci around 230,000. Socci had entered in late registration then climbed to above average. He then got cracked — AA vs AQs hearts: two hearts on the flop and a rivered flush. He fell to 1,800 chips, then climbed back and made the money.

Ouertani shortly after busted on the bubble together with another player.

Among the Italians, Antonio De Lucia is doing well around full average at 350,000 (330,000 at time of writing) at the same table as another former Battle of Malta winner, Adrien Ziemchod, who is below average.

Triple up at table 503: Czech “malibu” open‑jam for 80,000 (8 BB) and gets called by SB Francisco Voidoc. Table chip leader Robert Reichen decides to re‑shove and Voidoc folds. malibu holds A10 vs KQ and the flop brings KQ, sending the short to 240,000 — he’ll cash. Voidoc said he had found KQ.

Fri 6 Feb - 20:30 - Over 1,000 entries in the Poker Arena — Frenchman Marquet leads Day1E

153 players left of 693 entries in the late stage of Day1E with 87 seats up for grabs for Day 2. After the dinner break Day1F Speed resumed with 369 entries and 304 players ready to battle.

In Flight E the Frenchman Michel Marquet surged to 600,000, chased by the German Franz Holzner on 550,000 chips, the Dutch player of Eastern origins Tegin Li on 500,000, and former Battle of Malta winner the Greek Dimitrios Anastasakis on 450,000. Among the Italians, Wissam Ouertani stands out with 400,000 chips, as does Israeli Siarey Narozhny.

Michael Shimanovich doubled up through Detlef Klein and moved to about 230,000, well above average. The two clashed and busted on the turn on 4♦ K♥ J♦ 9♥ 2♦, with Klein holding a straight with Q♥10♥ and the Israeli holding K♦10♦ with top pair and a second-nut flush draw on the turn. The 2♦ turned everything around and sent Shimanovich into orbit.

Pel Nieuwenhuis has 350,000, Andrei Ionut Pop 330,000, Franco Cozzala 300,000, while Filip Siwiaszczyk fell to 270,000 chips and next to him reg Pistolepete is slightly below average. Slightly above average on 220,000 is Antonio De Lucia, while Roberto Palmieri is super short.

Bad beat for Fatos “KingofKings” Haxhaj, who had to fold after an opponent shoved on the river and tabled A♦ on 8♣ 2♠ 5♦ 10♠ J♣.

Slovenian Edis Becic, notable for a RemidaPoker Team appearance in Nova Gorica with his team, is around average.

Fri 6 Feb - 19:00 - Two flights underway!

We’re back at the tables here at King’s Resort Rozvadov, with plenty of action still unfolding in the IPS – Italian Poker Sport Main Event.

Players in Day 1E (Turbo) have just returned from the break and are now deep into Level 11. There are 203 players still in contention out of a massive 693 total entries, a number that is now definitive with late registration closed. Blinds are 2,000/4,000 with a 4,000 ante, and the average stack has climbed to 170,000 chips, well above the 50,000 starting stack. According to the schedule, at least five more levels are planned, although with such a large field it wouldn’t be surprising to see play extended further to reach the required 12.5% of the field advancing to Day 2.

Meanwhile, action is also underway in Day 1F, the second flight on today’s schedule. The tournament has reached Level 4, with blinds at 300/600 and a 600 ante. So far 319 players have registered, and 282 are still seated, with the average stack hovering just above the starting level.

As expected, all eyes are firmly on the Main Event. Even in the largest poker room in Europe, the IPS continues to draw hundreds of players from across the continent, creating a packed, intense atmosphere at every table.

Stay with us on the Live Blog for all the upcoming updates as the day progresses.

Fri 6 Feb - 16:00 - 40-min break on Day1 E!

We’re approaching the 40-minute break here at King’s Resort Rozvadov, where 352 players are currently at the tables in Day 1A of the IPS – Italian Poker Sport Main Event, out of a total of 610 entries so far.

As we speak, Level 7 is coming to an end, with blinds at 600/1,200 with a 1,200 ante. The average stack stands at 87,000 chips, compared to the 50,000 starting stack.

Action will resume at 4:40 PM, while at 6:00 PM the second of today’s two flights will get underway: Day 1B Speed, played with 30-minute levels.

As usual, play will continue until 12.5% of the field remains, while 15% of the field will be in the money, securing a €750 minimum cash.

The atmosphere is lively inside the largest poker room in Europe, and there is still plenty of poker to be played as the day goes on.

Fri 6 Feb - 04:00 - Saftmänni is Day1 D chip leader!

Saftmänni closes Day 1D of the IPS – Italian Poker Sport Main Event as the chip leader, bagging over 1.1 million chips.

All the details from today’s action are available in our Daily Report at THIS LINK!

Fri 6 Feb - 02:00 - 67 level at the 14th level!

We’re reporting from Level 14 here at King’s Resort Rozvadov, with blinds at 4,000/8,000 and 67 players still in contention out of a definitive field of 339 entries, as late registration closed several levels ago.

At the end of the day, 43 players will advance to Day 2, meaning more than 20 eliminations are still needed.

As a reminder, 15% of the field will be in the money, with a €750 min-cash on a €380 buy-in, roughly double the entry fee.

There is also a €1,150 chip leader bonus, awarded as a ticket to the next King’s Million.

Looking around the tables, Michele Tozzi is sitting right on the average stack with 250,000 chips.

Former King’s Resort dealer Christian Dumitra has gone through some swings and is currently at 120,000.

Also still in action is Miss Globo Russia Alina Bubnova, holding an average stack of around 200,000 chips.

In the same area, Musa is playing 150,000, alongside Lucas Pazman, EuroRounders trophy winner, at the same table.

Among the Italians, keep an eye on Gennaro Proscia, winner of the Pirates Poker Treasure Main Event last year, with just under 200,000 chips, as well as Stefan Brust, fresh off a recent victory in one of our events.

Plenty of King’s Resort regulars are still battling, all aiming to secure a seat for Day 2.

Thu 5 Feb - 23:30 - 166 left at the 9th level!

Quick update from King’s Resort Rozvadov, where the 🇮🇹 IPS – Italian Poker Sport Main Event has reached Level 9, with one level still to play before late registration closes.

The field has climbed to 317 entries, with 166 players still in action at blinds 1,000/2,000 with a 2,000 ante. There are roughly 20 minutes left in the current level before moving into the tenth and final level of late registration.

Several familiar faces are already in the mix, including Stefan Brusca and Mursa, both Romanian players and former EuroRounders trophy winners. No luck instead for Antonio Fragale, eliminated about an hour after registering, while on the Italian side Michele Tocci and Christopher Campisano are still battling at the tables.

Play will continue down to 12.5% of the field, with 15% of the entries reaching the money.

Thu 5 Feb - 21:30 - Over 270 entries after the dinner break on Day1 D!

We’ve reached Level 6 here at King’s Resort, Rozvadov, where the Day 1D Speed of the 🇮🇹 IPS – Italian Poker Sport 56th Edition Main Event is currently underway.

This is a 30-minute level flight of the €380 buy-in Main Event.

At the moment, 206 players remain out of 271 total entries.

Play is at 500/1,000 with a 1,000 ante, with the average stack slightly above the starting stack, sitting at around 65,000 chips from the initial 50,000.

Late registration will remain open until the end of Level 10, while the day will conclude once 12.5% of the field is reached. As a reminder, 15% of the field will finish in the money.

There are also chip leader prizes awarded to the top stacks at the end of the day, and action is expected to continue deep into the night.

More updates to follow!

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