$3,300 Main Event
Day 1cd Started
$3,300 Main Event
Day 1cd Started
The flagship event of the 2023 Merit Poker Gangster Series here at Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino is already well underway, with two starting flights complete and two more still to go in the $3,300 Main Event. The event has featured a total of 303 entrants so far across the first two days, of which 133 players survived to advance to Day 2.
Top Ten Chip Counts from Day 1a and Day 1b
Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Aleksei Petrov | Russian Federation | 766,000 | 306 |
2 | Shuang Luo | China | 670,500 | 268 |
3 | Dmitry Gromov | Russian Federation | 627,500 | 251 |
4 | Razvan Sabau | Romania | 585,000 | 234 |
5 | Adem Marjanovic | Austria | 525,000 | 210 |
6 | Bakhos Joumaa | Lebanon | 485,500 | 194 |
7 | Christos Leantzis | Cyprus | 470,000 | 188 |
8 | Sinead Priestley | United Kingdom | 432,000 | 173 |
9 | Selahaddin Bedir | Turkey | 430,500 | 172 |
10 | Maximilian Wieser | Austria | 428,500 | 171 |
Aleksei Petrov currently holds the biggest stack from the first two starting flights. The Russian player finished Day 1a with 766,000 and is the only player with a stack worth over 300 big blinds going into Day 2. Petrov is most closely followed by Day 1b chip leader Shuang Luo (670,500) and WPT champion Dmitry Gromov (627,500).
Other notables to make it to Day 2 so far include Selahaddin Bedir (430,500), Guoliang Wei (401,500), Ankit Ahuja (322,000), Victor Yugay (279,000), Halil Tasyurek (159,000), previous Merit Poker Main Event champion Maxime Chilaud (131,000), winner of the 2023 Gangster Series $2,200 Warm Up Ivan Govorov (129,500) and winner of the 2023 Gangster Series $5,300 High Roller Giorgiy Skhulukhiya (99,000).
Day 1c begins at noon local time and will feature a similar structure as the first two starting flights. Players will start with 100,000 chips and play nine 40-minute levels. There will be a break after every three levels. Unlimited reentries and late registration will be available until the end of Level 14 on Day 2. There will also be a turbo Day 1d starting flight featuring 25-minute levels beginning today at 7:00 p.m. local time.
As always, PokerNews will be on-site to cover all the action today from when cards are in the air until players bag and tag at the end of the night.
Level: 1
Blinds: 200/500
Ante: 500
Cards are in the air for Day 1c of the $3,300 Main Event. There are currently 24 entrants registered to start the day.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Berc Sindiroglu |
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
Sarkis Akopian
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
George Ibrahim |
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
Abdullah Akbarpoor |
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
David Aslanyan |
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
Anatoly Korochenskiy |
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
Tugce Hursoz |
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
Gabriel Semaan |
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
Ming Xi |
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
Edgard Saliba |
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
Eli Saad |
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
Jun Yang |
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
Bulent Ekinci |
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
Bugra Gocumlu
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
Jihad Yehya
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
Bulut Celik |
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
Kostiantyn Nikulin |
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
Nikolay Tyurin |
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
Ahmet Bicik
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
Mohamad El-Sayed |
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
Ondrej Drozd |
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
Vladimir Lelgant |
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
Aleksandr Kirichenko |
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
There was cutoff open to 1,200 before the button called and the small blind folded. The action was then on the runner-up from the 2023 Merit Poker Gangster Series $5,300 High Roller, Aleksandr Kirichenko, in the big blind.
He took a moment and then put in a large three-bet to 5,600.
Both of his opponents sat in the tank for a moment before they eventually released their hand. Kirichenko dragged a small pot early to move in the right direction on Day 1.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Aleksandr Kirichenko |
110,000
10,000
|
10,000 |
Nikolay Tyurin opened to 1,200 from middle position and received calls from Jihad Yehya in the small blind and Bulut Celik in the big blind.
The flop came 2?2?4? and action checked back around to Tyurin who fired a 2,000 continuation bet. Yehya got out of the way while Celik made the call.
Celik check-called another bet from Tyurin on the 7? turn, this time for 3,500.
Both players checked the 3? river. Celik tabled 5?3? for a missed flush and straight draw that turned into two pair on the river to take down an early pot.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Bulut Celik |
108,000
8,000
|
8,000 |
Nikolay Tyurin |
105,000
5,000
|
5,000 |
Jihad Yehya
|
98,000
-2,000
|
-2,000 |
Edgard Saliba opened to 1,000 from under the gun and received a call from Ghanim Dashti in the cutoff.
The flop came A?3?2? and Saliba fired a 1,500 continuation bet that was called by Dashti.
Both players checked the 8? turn leading to the 5? river. Saliba bet 2,500 and Dashti made the call.
Saliba could only show J?9? for a bluff while Dashti tabled 10?10? for a pair of tens to take the pot.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Ghanim Dashti |
102,000
102,000
|
102,000 |
Edgard Saliba |
87,800
-12,200
|
-12,200 |
Level: 2
Blinds: 300/600
Ante: 600
Action was opened under the gun to 1,500 before there was a call from Amir Sonsino on the button and the big blind defended.
The Q?10?4? flop landed and after the big blind checked the original raiser continued for 2,600. It was then on Sonsino who took only a moment before putting in a raise to 6,600. The big blind folded but the orignal raiser called.
The Q? rolled off on the turn and paired the board. It got checked over to Sonsino who put out 7,000 and after a tank his opponent folded.
The pot was pushed to Sonsino who has accumulated a big stack early on.
Player | Chips | Progress |
---|---|---|
Amir Sonsino |
175,000
175,000
|
175,000 |