IPFC Main Event Set to Surpass €300K

The Israeli Poker Federation Cup Main Event is on course to exceed its €300,000 guarantee, with more than 1,250 entries already registered across the opening flights. Saturday is expected to be the busiest day of the series, with three starting flights scheduled and the first kicking off at 12:00 PM.

Main Event Field Builds Toward the Guarantee

The €300,000 guaranteed Main Event has drawn a strong turnout at Banco Bratislava. Across the first three flights, a total of 701 entries were recorded, and 70 players have already secured their places for Day 2, along with a guaranteed payout.

Israeli players have been a notable presence throughout the field, reflecting the event's identity as a flagship stop on the Israeli poker calendar. A livestream from Banco Bratislava will be available during Day 2, accessible through the event website.

Flight 1E Chip Leaders

Flight 1E drew 359 entries. The top stacks advancing from that flight were:

• Lior Reuven Bram (Israel) — 2,995,000
• Cheng Wei Yin (Belgium) — 2,925,000
• Vasil Bozili (Albania) — 2,190,000
• Andrej Desset (Slovakia) — 2,135,000
• Oron Bader (Israel) — 2,115,000

Flight 1F Chip Leaders

Flight 1F added 236 entries. The leading stacks were:

• Asher Segev (Israel) — 3,760,000
• Lukas Pazma (Slovakia) — 3,575,000
• Zurab Ejibia (Georgia) — 1,910,000
• Erwin Hammer (Austria) — 1,395,000
• Liran Kamran Kamran Gojayev (Israel) — 1,340,000

Flight 1G Turbo Chip Leaders

The turbo flight, 1G, registered 106 entries. The top stacks were:

• Yarden Cauly (Israel) — 1,950,000
• Amos Ofir Hirari (Israel) — 1,925,000
• Tal Moriel (Israel) — 1,120,000
• Roman Seidl (Slovakia) — 1,025,000
• Dror Tal (Israel) — 990,000

High Roller Title Goes to Israeli Player

Friday's focus was the final day of the High Roller, which drew 136 entries and generated a prize pool of €57,528, shared among 17 players. The final four players agreed to a deal and played off for the title, which was won by Israeli player Ofir Amos Hirari, who collected €12,014.

High Roller final standings:

• 1. Amos Ofir Hirari — €12,014
• 2. Alon Pery Pinhasi — €9,600
• 3. Mladen Stojanovic — €8,283
• 4. Zdenek Svoboda — €6,631
• 5. Josef Ahmed — €3,775
• 6. Artur Meburnutov — €2,900
• 7. Alon Gershoni — €2,300
• 8. Martin Ilavsky — €1,825
• 9. Moshe Michel Kadosh — €1,500

Cash Game Action and Side Events

Friday also brought strong participation in the cash game area at Banco Bratislava, where action has been running continuously for days. Both Hold'em and Omaha players have found plenty of tables and action throughout the series.

Looking ahead to Saturday, players have the option of the Banco Bratislava Cup, which offers a €30,000 prize pool for a €115 buy-in. Starting stacks are 100,000 chips, with 25-minute levels.

What to Watch

With three flights still to come and entries already above 1,250, the Main Event prize pool is expected to clear its €300,000 guarantee. The structure rewards patience in the early levels, but the turbo flight shows how quickly stacks can swing when levels shorten — a reminder that chip leaders from faster flights often arrive at Day 2 with different risk profiles than those who grinded through slower structures.

For players still in contention, the priority on Day 2 is straightforward: protect a playable stack, pick spots against shorter stacks, and avoid marginal confrontations against the largest stacks at the table. As always, ICM pressure increases as the money bubble approaches, and pay jumps near the final table tend to tighten opening ranges considerably.