$2,200 Warm Up Day 2 | 2023 Merit Poker Gangster Series

11-24-2023 15:45 UTC+2

Smuskevicius Shows a Bluff

Ryan Lashmar

Level 11 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante

Ankit Ahuja opened to 7,500 from the button and Boris Smuskevicius defended from the big blind.

The flop came A♣Q♦3♠ and Smuskevicius check-called a 5,000 continuation bet from Ahuja.

Both players checked the 10♠ turn leading to the 4♠ river. Smuskevicius bet 11,500 and Ahuja mucked.

Smuskevicius revealed he had 8♦7♥ for pure air before taking the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ankit Ahuja	383,000 -149,000	-149,000
Boris Smuskevicius	130,000 83,000	83,000

Tags: Ankit Ahuja Boris Smuskevicius

11-24-2023 15:30 UTC+2

Michael and Slimen Each Show One

Ryan Lashmar

Level 11 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante

Angelos Michael opened to 7,000 from the cutoff and received calls from Antonis Papadopoulos on the button, Ahmed Slimen in the small blind and Andrei Daniliuk in the big blind.

All four players checked the A♣5♣2♣ flop leading to the Q♠ turn. Action then checked around to Michael, who bet 12,000. Papadopoulos folded, Slimen called and Daniliuk folded.

On the 7♣ river Slimen lead out with a bet of 17,000. Michael considered his options for about one minute before opting to fold, revealing the A♦ in his hand for top pair while doing so.

Slimen revealed he had the K♣ for the nut-flush before scooping the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Angelos Michael	809,000 -36,000	-36,000
Andrei Daniliuk	766,000 46,000	46,000

Ahmed Slimen	201,000 72,500	72,500
Antonis Papadopoulos	157,000 93,500	93,500

Tags: Ahmed Slimen Andrei Daniliuk Angelos Michael Antonis Papadopoulos

11-24-2023 15:09 UTC+2

Sancak Over One Million

Ryan Lashmar

Level 11 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante

With two players seeing a final board of 10♣5♣6♠A♠A♣ and roughly 200,000 already in the pot, Mustafa Sancak moved all in from the cutoff, covering Zhun Wang on the button who had roughly 75,000 behind.

Wang thought about his decision for roughly one minute before sticking in the call. Wang showed K♥K♠ for two pair but the kings were no good as Sancak tabled Q♣9♣ for a flush to send Wang to the rail and extend his chip lead over the rest of the field.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mustafa Sancak	1,190,000 243,000	243,000

Zhun Wang	Busted

Tags: Mustafa Sancak Zhun Wang

11-24-2023 15:01 UTC+2

Updated Chip Counts after First Break

Ryan Lashmar

Level 11 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Mustafa Sancak	947,000 327,000	327,000

Dmitry Gromov	870,000 537,000	537,000

Angelos Michael	845,000 709,500	709,500
Dmitry Yurasov	767,500 -87,500	-87,500

Andrei Daniliuk	720,000 150,000	150,000

Karim Abdelhamid	623,000 276,000	276,000
Inas Eldeghedy	610,000 -11,000	-11,000
Vytautas Milbutas	602,000 260,000	260,000
Arun Sood	593,000 114,000	114,000

Louis Diab	580,000 165,000	165,000
Adem Marjanovic	578,000 278,000	278,000
Sergey Baranski	534,000 -47,000	-47,000
Ankit Ahuja	532,000 208,000	208,000
Khalil Tawil	530,000 91,500	91,500
Feyzullah Karaarslan	519,000 -9,500	-9,500
Tugce Hursoz	399,500 87,500	87,500
Selahaddin Bedir	115,000 1,000	1,000

Level: 11

Blinds: 1,500/3,000

Ante: 3,000

11-24-2023 14:37 UTC+2

Break Time

Ryan Lashmar

Level 10 : Blinds 1,500/2,500, 2,500 ante

Players are now on a 20-minute break. With two levels of late registration still available the tournament has attracted a total of 399 entrants with 165 players remaining.

11-24-2023 14:17 UTC+2

Ghazarian Puts Saad in the Blender

Ryan Lashmar

Level 10 : Blinds 1,500/2,500, 2,500 ante

Harout Ghazarian opened to 5,000 from the hijack and Eli Saad defended from the big blind.

The flop came Q♥5♥4♣ and Saad check-called a 5,000 continuation bet from Ghazarian.

Saad checked again on the J♠ turn and Saad sized up with a bet of 31,000, sending Saad deep into the tank.

"Pocket Fives"? Saad asked his opponent after several minutes had gone by. Ghazarian chose not to reply.

After several more minutes of consideration Saad ultimately decided to fold and Ghazarian took down a decent pot without showdown.

Player	Chips	Progress
Eli Saad	200,000 155,500	155,500
Harout Ghazarian	167,000 -161,000	-161,000

Tags: Eli Saad Harout Ghazarian

11-24-2023 13:56 UTC+2

Ismailov Gets some Value

Ryan Lashmar

Level 10 : Blinds 1,500/2,500, 2,500 ante

Anton Markov opened to 6,000 from under the gun before Christos Christou three-bet to 15,000 from the cutoff. Natik Ismailov called in the big blind and Markov called as well.

The flop came A♥K♥3♠ and action checked around to Christou who bet 12,000. Ismailov called while Markov got out of the way.

Both players checked the 5♥ turn leading to the 2♠ river. Ismailov bet 16,000 and Christou called.

Ismailov showed down 9♥8♥ for a turned flush which was good enough to take the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Christos Christou	398,000 -35,000	-35,000
Natik Ismailov	391,500 16,500	16,500
Anton Markov	270,000 -65,000	-65,000

Tags: Anton Markov Christos Christou Natik Ismailov

Level: 10

Blinds: 1,500/2,500

Ante: 2,500

11-24-2023 13:31 UTC+2

Eldeghedy Shows Down Rockets

Ryan Lashmar

Level 9 : Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante

Leonid Sidelkovskii opened to 6,000 from under the gun and received a call from Nils Pudel in early position before Inas Eldeghedy three-bet to 9,500. Bulent Mermer called in the big blind and both Sidelkovskii and Pudel called as well.

The flop came 9♦7♠2♠ and action checked around to Eldeghedy, who bet 50,000. Mermer folded, Sidelkovskii called and Pudel folded.

The remaining two players checked the 7♦ turn and 10♥ river. Eldeghedy tabled A♣A♠ for two pair and Sidelkovskii quickly mucked.