Day 1a of the $3,500 buy-in, $2 million guaranteed WPT Cyprus Championship produced one of the day’s most memorable moments when Brazilian content creator Romulo Dorea turned a desperate spot into a rare triple elimination.
The drama unfolded in Level 4 (300/500/500) at Table 16. Action began with Chiboub Abdelmajid moving all-in for 22,000 from under the gun. Ingles Garcia followed with 19,500 from the hijack, Andreas Christodolou shoved for 15,000 on the button, and Dorea, seated in the big blind with all three players covered, decided to get involved.
- Chiboub Abdelmajid: A♦K♠
- Ingles Garcia: Q♥Q♣
- Andreas Christodolou: 10♠10♣
- Romulo Dorea: J♥J♦
The flop came 9♠7♠2♣, a board that left Dorea’s chances at just 8.54% according to the odds. The K♣ turn vaulted Abdelmajid into the lead with top pair, leaving Dorea hunting for one of only two remaining jacks to stay alive in the hand.
The river brought the J♠ — the one card Dorea needed — giving him a set and sweeping the pot in a single blow. The miracle card sent all three opponents to the rail and pushed Dorea’s stack to 167,000, worth 278 big blinds at the time.
Speaking after play wrapped, Dorea recalled the decision-making process:
“The guy slow-played queens. Someone opened, there were calls, then a short stack shoved. With jacks, I’m ahead of that range, so I called. Then two more players went all-in, and it was just a small extra call for me. Jacks are my favorite hand — I had a good feeling.”
The momentum carried through the session. By the end of the day, Dorea had built his stack to 228,000, the seventh largest among the 127 players advancing from Day 1a.
The WPT Cyprus Championship runs through August 18, with more big hands and dramatic moments certain to follow.
