Cheng Zhao was all in from under the gun and at risk against Mustafa Biz on his left.
Cheng Zhao: K?10? 
Mustafa Biz: 9?9?
Zhao found immediate help on the K?4?3?A?6? runout, pairing his king to earn the early double.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
125,000
-50,000
|
-50,000 |
|
94,000
50,000
|
50,000 |
Cheng Zhao raised to 5,000 in middle position and was called by Iurii Saiapin on the button. Chip leader Cenk Ogun then raised to 23,000, with both players making the call.
Ogun led out for 15,000 on the 3?4?10? flop before Zhao raised to 30,000. Saiapin got out of the way. Ogun took some time before three-betting enough to put Zhao all in.
After taking some time of his own, Zhao opted to lay it down. Ogun showed 10?10? for a flopped set while raking in the chips.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
432,000
15,200
|
15,200 |
|
||
|
296,000
-3,500
|
-3,500 |
|
|
44,000
-67,500
|
-67,500 |
|
Busted | |
A new champion will be crowned today at the Merit Poker Dolce Vita Series, as 46 returning players will be joined by new entries on Day 2 of the $3,300 OPE Classic Cup 8-Handed.
The dramatic final day will begin at 8 p.m. local time at the Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino, where Cenk Ogun brings a big lead into action holding 416,800 chips. Ogun was the only player to collect more than 170 big blinds on the opening night of play.
Mohamad El-Sayed leads a strong Lebanese contingent, sitting second in chips with 332,500. He posted a top-40 finish earlier this year at the 2024 Merit Poker Western Series $2,200 Warm Up, looking for another deep run in this high roller field.
A total of 74 entries were recorded on Day 1, with the list expected to expand even further as play begins tonight. The event features unlimited reentries and late registration remains open through the first four levels of play.
| Place | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cenk Ogun | Netherlands | 416,800 | 208 |
| 2 | Mohamad El-Sayed | Lebanon | 332,500 | 166 |
| 3 | Kemal Aslan | Turkey | 312,000 | 156 |
| 4 | Iurii Saiapin | Russian Federation | 299,500 | 150 |
| 5 | Fadi Nakhoul | Lebanon | 292,500 | 146 |
| 6 | Antoine Hasbani | Lebanon | 284,500 | 142 |
| 7 | Konstantin Voromin | Russian Federation | 283,000 | 142 |
| 8 | Zvezdan Tadic | Serbia | 256,000 | 128 |
| 9 | Iraklis Manikaros | Greece | 255,000 | 128 |
| 10 | Andrei Daniliuk | Russian Federation | 227,000 | 114 |
The current top five spots are rounded out by Kemal Aslan (312,000), Iurii Saiapin (299,500) and Fadi Nakhoul (292,500).
Other notables returning with more than 100 big blinds include Antoine Hasbani (284,500), Konstantin Voromin (283,000) and Iraklis Manikaros (255,000).
WSOP bracelet winner and EPT champion Maxim Lykov also remains firmly in contention, returning to action with 198,500 chips.
Play will resume on Level 9 with blinds of 1,000/2,000 and a 2,000 big blind ante, while new entries on Day 2 will sit down with a starting stack of 100,000 chips. Action is scheduled to continue with 40-minute levels until a the OPE Classic title is decided.
Official prize pool and payout information will be announced after late registration closes, so stay tuned as the PokerNews live reporting team provides full coverage from the Merit Poker Dolce Vita Series.
