Day 1a of the Merit Poker Classic $5,300 Main Event is Here!
Welcome to sunny Cyprus and the 2019 Merit Poker Classic in the beautiful Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino. Day 1a of the $5,300 Main Event kicks off today at noon local time to give players their first shot of making it through to Day 2 of the tournament which has a guaranteed prize pool of $3,000,000!
The festival features 40 different events and started on the 2nd of May already. One of the key events was the $2,200 Warm-Up which has 17 players left with partypoker LIVE Ambassador Anatoly Filatov making it into the final day with the chip lead. There was also a $10,300 High Roller which had their Day 2 yesterday which started with 32 players but already increased to more than 60 entries with registration still open today.
The last winner of a $5,300 Main Event here in Cyprus was Andrey Pateychuk who claimed $280,643 by defeating Alkesandr Gofman heads up. That tournament featured a $2,000,000 guaranteed prize pool so the winner of this event will be taking even more back home with them. With a bunch of familiar faces spotted already and more making their way to this Mediterranean island, it promises to be an action-packed week.
The live reporting will be focusing on the Main Event throughout all the exciting activities happening here in North Cyprus. When players sit down, they will start with 100,000 in chips. Eight levels of 60 minutes each have been scheduled today and registration is open until the end of the break after Level 12 on Day 2 with unlimited reentries possible. The first level has a small blind of 300, big blind of 600, and a big blind ante of 600. A ten-minute break has been scheduled after every two levels. Four more starting flights will be coming up which includes two faster versions with 30- and 20-minute levels on Day 1d and 1e.
Day 1 Structure
| Level | Duration | Small Blind | Big Blind | BB Ante |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 60 | 300 | 600 | 600 |
| 2 | 60 | 400 | 800 | 800 |
| Break | 10 | |||
| 3 | 60 | 500 | 1,000 | 1,000 |
| 4 | 60 | 600 | 1,200 | 1,200 |
| Break | 10 | |||
| 5 | 60 | 700 | 1,400 | 1,400 |
| 6 | 60 | 800 | 1,600 | 1,600 |
| Break | 10 | |||
| 7 | 60 | 900 | 1,800 | 1,800 |
| 8 | 60 | 1,000 | 2,000 | 2,000 |
Join the PokerNews live reporting team as they bring you all the action, for the first time ever, from the Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino!