$3,300 Main Event Day 3 | 2023 Merit Poker Retro Series

08-16-2023 17:55 UTC+2

Yasyuchenya Runs Into Aces

Maxime Taldir

Level 24 : Blinds 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante

On the feature table, Yossi Eluz opened to 50,000 from under the gun. He was called by Milos Petakovic seated on his left, and by Elena Yasyuchenya in the big blind.

All three of them saw a 3♠2♠5♦ flop. Eluz bet 80,000 more chips. Petakovic called, but Yasyuchenya check-raised to 225,000. Eluz quickly folded. Petakovic took more time to make a decision, but eventually called.

On the turn, Yasyuchenya moved all in for 540,000 chips, and Petakovic called with only 455,000 chips.

Milos Petakovic: A♠A♣
Elena Yasyuchenya: 9♥4♣

Yasyuchenya tried to apply pressure with her pair, but she ran into aces that completed a straight for Petakovic. Yasyuchenya was already drawing dead on the turn, so the river 10♦ didn't change anything. Petakovic doubled up to 1,600,000, while Yasyuchenya has only 85,000 chips left.

Player	Chips	Progress
Yossi Eluz	2,500,000 1,020,000	1,020,000
Milos Petakovic	1,600,000 350,000	350,000
Elena Yasyuchenya	85,000 -400,000	-400,000

Tags: Elena Yasyuchenya Milos Petakovic Yossi Eluz

08-16-2023 17:40 UTC+2

Big Confrontation Between Rebei And Volkov

Maxime Taldir

Level 24 : 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante

After an open by Ran Ilani, Karim Rebei in middle position three-bet. Then in the big blind, Ruslan Volkov moved all in for little bit more than 1,700,000 chips. Ilani folded, but Rebei called.

Karim Rebei: K♦K♥
Ruslan Volkov: A♦A♠

The dealer fanned a very low board of 5♣2♥7♣7♠4♠, keeping Volkov's aces ahead. And after counting both stacks, it appeared that Rebei was covered and eliminated.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ruslan Volkov	3,800,000 2,000,000	2,000,000
Karim Rebei	Busted

Tags: Karim Rebei Ruslan Volkov

Level: 24

Blinds: 15,000/30,000

Ante: 30,000

08-16-2023 17:20 UTC+2

Massive Stack For Eychenne

Maxime Taldir

Level 23 : Blinds 10,000/25,000, 25,000 ante

Thomas Eychenne is on a crazy run, as he has just eliminated three players in a row.

First, on a 10♥9♦4♦K♥3♣ board, he knocked out Luca Guglielmoni with K♣10♦, which gave him two pairs. "I bet small on the flop, then half pot on the turn, and I moved all in on the river and he called," Eychenne explained later. Guglielmoni had KxJx. After this hand, Eychenne took the chiplead with 4,000,000 chips.

A few hands later, Eychenne revealed his cards again, but this time it was preflop, against a short stack.

Opponent: A♣J♠
Thomas Eychenne: A♦A♥

With the best possible hand, Eychenne won an additional 450,000 chips after the 8♠5♠J♦7♥4♥ board.

On the next hand, he was, once again, involved in a hand where he called Farid Hobeiche's stack of 450,000 chips.

Farid Hobeiche: 2♣2♠
Thomas Eychenne: 7♥7♣

"This is crazy," said Eychenne, who claimed the pot again on 5♣K♥Q♥4♣10♦. He now has 5,200,000 chips.

Player	Chips	Progress
Thomas Eychenne	5,200,000 3,050,000	3,050,000
Farid Hobeich	Busted
Luca Guglielmoni	Busted

Tags: Farid Hobeiche Luca Guglielmoni Thomas Eychenne

08-16-2023 17:06 UTC+2

New Eliminations (108th-128th, $4,390)

Maxime Taldir

Level 23 : Blinds 10,000/25,000, 25,000 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Koray Korkmaz	Busted
Ashkan Fattahi	Busted
Sina Alamzad	Busted
Wissam Turkie	Busted
Hadi Khordbin	Busted
Alain Hajj	Busted
Joy Ghossoub	Busted
Fausto Tantillo	Busted
Yury Bochkarev	Busted
Gabi Livshitz	Busted
Christos Leantzis	Busted
Andrey Pateychuk	Busted

Omar Lakhdari	Busted
Daniel Rezaei	Busted
Kemal Aslan	Busted
Manoel Gomes Filho	Busted
Mohamed Mokrani	Busted
Mario Scalia	Busted
Kristaps Vismanis	Busted
Antoine Hasbani	Busted

08-16-2023 16:50 UTC+2

Volkov Takes A Small Pot From Rebei

Maxime Taldir

Level 23 : Blinds 10,000/25,000, 25,000 ante

On a J♣8♣9♠ board, Karim Rebei in the cutoff and Ruslan Volkov in the big blind both checked.

Then the 4♥ came on the turn, and Rebei bet 30,000. He was quickly called by Volkov. The river was the 3♠, but this last card brought no more action as Rebei and Volkov checked again.

Volkov revealed his cards first and showed 5♥5♣ for a pocket pair. "You win", said Rebei, while laughing and mucking his cards.

Player	Chips	Progress
Karim Rebei	1,900,000 400,000	400,000
Ruslan Volkov	1,800,000 339,000	339,000

Tags: Karim Rebei Ruslan Volkov

08-16-2023 16:35 UTC+2

Updated Chip Counts

Maxime Taldir

Level 23 : 10,000/25,000, 25,000 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Mohammed Almiristany	3,000,000 1,847,000	1,847,000
Aleksandr Ivanov	2,800,000 1,831,000	1,831,000
Randy Hofmanner	2,500,000 200,000	200,000
Eli Saad	2,400,000 1,000,000	1,000,000
Nenad Dukic	2,350,000 250,000	250,000
Dominik Panka	2,300,000 650,000	650,000

Benjamin Hamnett	2,300,000 1,521,000	1,521,000

Temirlan Zhakenov	2,200,000 200,000	200,000
Thomas Eychenne	2,150,000 550,000	550,000
Michel Atallah	2,050,000 1,100,000	1,100,000
Uri Reichenstein	2,050,000 1,000,000	1,000,000
Dmitry Gromov	2,000,000 600,000	600,000

Karo Nuri	1,900,000 850,000	850,000
Florian Guimond	1,850,000 -150,000	-150,000

Farid Hobeiche	1,700,000 565,000	565,000
Rachid El Yaacoubi	1,700,000 621,000	621,000
Iakov Onuchin	1,500,000 -100,000	-100,000
Karim Rebei	1,500,000 -200,000	-200,000
Vlado Banicevic	1,500,000 400,000	400,000
Yossi Eluz	1,480,000 1,072,000	1,072,000
Vladislav Doroshkov	1,400,000 203,000	203,000
Mekan Yusupov	1,400,000 400,000	400,000
Milos Petakovic	1,250,000 761,000	761,000
Milad Oghabian	1,250,000 -183,000	-183,000
Ara Melkisetian	1,250,000 -10,000	-10,000

Read full

Level: 23

Blinds: 10,000/25,000

Ante: 25,000

08-16-2023 16:10 UTC+2

15-Minute Break

Maxime Taldir

Level 22 : Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante

20 players were eliminated since the bubble burst. The 123 players left are currently on a 15-minute break.

08-16-2023 16:04 UTC+2

Guglielmoni Doubles Through Pankov

Maxime Taldir

Level 22 : Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante

"Luca, Luca," yelled Mauro Guglielmoni from the small blind when his stack of 420,000 chips was called by Vitalii Pankov on the button. Luca (Guglielmoni) was already playing a hand at another table, so he couldn't come and see if Mauro would be eliminated or not.

Mauro Guglielmoni: A♦K♣
Vitalii Pankov: K♠Q♣

"He is safe," said the other players at the table to Luca when a flop 6♠9♦A♥ landed on the table. The 3♦ and the 8♦ completed the board, and Guglielmoni doubled up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mauro Guglielmoni	890,000 532,000	532,000
Luca Guglielmoni	720,000 472,000	472,000
Vitalii Pankov	110,000 -374,000	-374,000

Tags: Mauro Guglielmoni Vitalii Pankov