Simas Karaliunas Bags Big on Day 1c of the Merit Poker Gangster Series Main Event
Day 1c of the 2023 Merit Poker Gangster Series $3,300 Main Event hosted by the Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino attracted a total of 114 runners, with late registration still open till the end of level 14 on Day 2.
After nine levels of play, 62 players remained. Among the big stacks sits Simas Karaliunas of Lithuania, who bagged 504,500, along with Damir Gabdullin of Russia with 463,500, with both claiming a spot inside the top three.
Karaliunas found himself in a few interesting spots throughout the day, including a big pot that was won when his opponent limp-back-jammed with seven-duece and was called by the ace-ten of Karaliunas to scoop a massive pot and accumulate a ton of chips.
Later in the day, he would make a huge hero call when Dawid Smolka was caught with his hand in the cookie jar holding an under-pair. Karaliunas tank-called after a player at the table called the clock and he scooped another big pot.
Top Ten Chip Counts
| Place | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John One | Turkey | 764,500 | 306 |
| 2 | Simas Karaliunas | Lithuania | 504,500 | 202 |
| 3 | Damir Gabdullin | Russia | 463,500 | 185 |
| 4 | Ali El-Siblani | Lebanon | 431,000 | 172 |
| 5 | Mariappan Subramaniam | Singapore | 415,500 | 166 |
| 6 | Kostiantyn Nikulin | Israel | 358,500 | 143 |
| 7 | Amir Sonsino | Israel | 345,000 | 138 |
| 8 | George Alahwal | Jordan | 311,000 | 124 |
| 9 | Anatoly Korochenskiy | Russia | 287,000 | 115 |
| 10 | Nikolay Tyurin | Russia | 280,000 | 112 |
Some other notable names to find a bag on Day 1 include WPT champion Benjamin Hamnett with 95,000, Russian crusher Oleg Netaliev who has finished runner-up in a Merit Poker Main Event in the past with 118,500, and two-time WSOP bracelet winner Dmitry Yurasov with 231,000.
Day 2 of the event is set to begin at 12:00 p.m. local time. Players who qualified on the first day will be returning to level 10. The blinds will be set at 1,000/2,500/2,500, and players are scheduled to play for another nine levels concluding around 9:45 p.m. local time. Each level will last for 60 minutes.
As always, stay tuned into PokerNews for all the updates on the Merit Poker Gangster Series and all the other best events happening around the world!