Antoine Hasbani Leads Final 29 of $3,300 OPE Classic Cup
After two days of late-night action were not enough to decide a winner at the Merit Poker Dolce Vita Series, the final 29 players will return for Day 3 of the $3,300 OPE Classic Cup.
Lebanon's Antoine Hasbani will bring the chip lead into the added day, which begins at 3 p.m. local time at the Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino.
The field saw a total of 193 entries by the time late registration closed last night, creating a massive $532,680 prize pool. The top 23 will earn at least $5,110, as the money bubble will be the first order of business when players return to their seats today.
From there, it will be a race to the final table, where the big prizes will be up for grabs. The champion will earn the OPE Classic Cup title, along with the top prize of $132,000.
Top Ten Chip Counts
| Place | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Antoine Hasbani | Lebanon | 1,555,000 | 78 |
| 2 | Walid Bou Habib | Lebanon | 1,275,000 | 64 |
| 3 | Konstantin Voromin | Russian Federation | 1,275,000 | 64 |
| 4 | Cenk Ogun | Netherlands | 1,250,000 | 63 |
| 5 | Roman Gadzhiev | Russian Federation | 1,165,000 | 58 |
| 6 | Iurii Saiapin | Russian Federation | 1,085,000 | 54 |
| 7 | Antoine Farhat | Lebanon | 970,000 | 49 |
| 8 | Mustafa Biz | Turkey | 945,000 | 47 |
| 9 | Jeremie Zouari | France | 935,000 | 47 |
| 10 | Fadi Nakhoul | Lebanon | 910,000 | 46 |
Behind Hasbani, Walid Bou Habib and Konstantin Voromin sit in a tie for second spot with 64 big blinds.
Day 1 chip leader Cenk Ogun is still very much in contention, sitting in fourth place while Russia��s Roman Gadzhiev and Iurii Saiapin are the only other players above one million chips.
Antoine Farhat, Mustafa Biz, Jeremie Zouari and Fadi Nakhoul round out the top ten. WSOP bracelet winner Nikolay Fal sits in the middle of the pack, returning to action with 27 big blinds.
$3,300 OPE Classic Cup Payouts
| Place | Prize | Place | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $132,000 | 8 | $17,150 |
| 2 | $90,000 | 9 | $12,850 |
| 3 | $60,000 | 10-12 | $9,380 |
| 4 | $41,500 | 13-15 | $7,730 |
| 5 | $32,500 | 16-18 | $6,550 |
| 6 | $26,500 | 19-21 | $5,760 |
| 7 | $21,700 | 22-23 | $5,110 |
The added day will begin on Level 19, with blinds of 10,000/20,000 and a 20,000 big blind ante. Play will continue with 40-minute levels and breaks after every two hours until a winner is determined.
Don't miss any of the action as PokerNews continues live coverage of this high roller event at the Merit Poker Dolce Vita Series.