$5,300 High Roller
Day 2 Completed
2024 Merit Poker Carmen Series
$5,300 High Roller
Day: 2
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 2
2024 Merit Poker Carmen Series
Buy-in
$5,300
Prize Pool
$667,000
Entries
145
Level
28
Blinds
60,000 / 120,000
Ante
120,000
Entries
121
Players Left
30
Bojan Berberovic Alone in the Millionaire's Club After Day 2 of the Merit Poker Carmen Series High Roller
Level 17
: Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
Day 2 of the Merit Poker Carmen Series High Roller ended short of the money bubble as 30 players return tomorrow with their sights on securing a payday.
Bojan Berberovic is in the best position to do just that, ending the day as chip leader and the only player above 1,000,000. Berberovic doubled up with a set of threes in a massive pot against Mikalai Vaskaboinikau that catapulted him to the top of the counts as he ended up with 1,156,000.
He’s followed by Rachid El-Yaacoubi (964,000), Milos Skrbic (892,000), Halil Tasyurek (850,000), and Mikhail Zavoloka (750,000). El-Yaacoubi was a Day 2 entrant and quickly found a double up after putting a brutal cooler on Saman Nakhjavani, hitting a full house on the turn against Nakhjavani’s flopped full house. He then spiked a straight on the river in a three-way all in for a double knockout of the luckless Vaskaboinikau and Boris Angelov.
Day 2 Top 10 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bojan Berberovic | Montenegro | 1,156,000 | 96 |
| 2 | Rachid El-Yaacoubi | France | 964,000 | 80 |
| 3 | Milos Skrbic | Serbia | 892,000 | 74 |
| 4 | Halil Tasyurek | Turkey | 850,000 | 71 |
| 5 | Mikhail Zavoloka | Russia | 750,000 | 63 |
| 6 | Dmitrii Kuzin | Russia | 719,000 | 60 |
| 7 | Andrei Spataru | Romania | 641,000 | 53 |
| 8 | Michel Habib | Lebanon | 639,000 | 53 |
| 9 | Dawid Smolka | Poland | 619,000 | 52 |
| 10 | Daniel Henriques | Portugal | 617,000 | 51 |
Other notables to survive the day include Michel Habib (639,000), Day 1 chip leader Dawid Smolka (619,000), Maxime Chilaud (606,000), and Jakub Michalak (569,000). The players whose hopes for the title ended today include Western Series High Roller champion Maksim Shornikau, Fabio Peluso, Giorgiy Skhulukhiya, Boris Kolev, Toni Kaukua, Darko Svesko, and Fausto Tantillo.
Day 2 saw 80 new entries join the 65 from the first day to create a total field of 145 and a prize pool of $667,000. The top 17 will finish in the money, with the champion tomorrow walking away with $174,500. The action on Day 3 kicks off at noon local time on Level 18 with blinds of 6,000-12,000 and a 12,000 big blind ante.
Come back to PokerNews tomorrow as the 30 surviving players play down to a new champion here at the Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino.
End-of-Day Chip Counts (full)
Level 17
: Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
1,156,000
56,000
|
56,000 |
|
||
|
964,000
4,000
|
4,000 |
|
892,000
472,000
|
472,000 |
|
850,000
570,000
|
570,000 |
|
750,000
-50,000
|
-50,000 |
|
719,000
-1,000
|
-1,000 |
|
641,000
501,000
|
501,000 |
|
632,000
-188,000
|
-188,000 |
|
619,000
-241,000
|
-241,000 |
|
||
|
617,000
167,000
|
167,000 |
|
606,000
-74,000
|
-74,000 |
|
569,000
-181,000
|
-181,000 |
|
541,000
101,000
|
101,000 |
|
456,000
-64,000
|
-64,000 |
|
430,000
-70,000
|
-70,000 |
|
405,000
75,000
|
75,000 |
|
402,000
72,000
|
72,000 |
|
390,000
290,000
|
290,000 |
|
||
|
389,000
119,000
|
119,000 |
|
372,000
22,000
|
22,000 |
|
288,000
88,000
|
88,000 |
|
281,000
1,000
|
1,000 |
|
254,000
-376,000
|
-376,000 |
|
253,000
183,000
|
183,000 |
|
|
||
|
233,000
73,000
|
73,000 |
Play Concludes
Level 17
: Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
Play has ended with 30 players remaining.
Stay tuned for chip counts and a recap of the day's action.
Zavoloka Busts Peluso At the End
Level 17
: Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
Rachid El-Yaacoubi raised to 20,000 in early position before Fabio Peluso moved all in for 79,000 in middle position. Bojan Berberovic called in the hijack, but Mikhail Zavoloka reraised to 255,000 in the small blind. Both El-Yaacoubi and Berberovic folded.
Fabio Peluso: A♣5♣ 
Mikhail Zavoloka: A♦K♦
Zavoloka had Peluso dominated as the flop came K♠8♥J♥ to give him top pair. The rest of the board came K♥8♦ and Zavoloka finished with trips to send Peluso to the rail.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,100,000
50,000
|
50,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
960,000
210,000
|
210,000 |
|
|
800,000
600,000
|
600,000 |
|
Busted | |
|
|
||
Gavrilovich Dodges the River to Bust Wilf
Level 17
: Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
Heads-up in a blind versus blind battle and the board showing 9♥2♣5♣4♥, Jenya Gavrilovich bet 50,000 before Saar Wilf moved all in for 130,000. Gavrilovich quickly called.
Wilf had 10♣6♣ for straight and flush draws, while Gavrilovich showed Q♥Q♦. The 5♠ river missed Wilf and sent him to the rail.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
500,000
220,000
|
220,000 |
|
Busted |
Five More Hands
Level 17
: Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
Tournament officials announced that players will see five more hands before play concludes on Day 2.
Dziubdziela Doubles Off Kuzin
Level 17
: Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
Dmitrii Kuzin raised to 20,000 in early position before Marcin Dziubdziela moved all in for 176,000 in the big blind. Kuzin tanked for several minutes until calling.
Marcin Dziubdziela: A♥K♣
Dmitrii Kuzin: A♠8♠
Dziubdziela had Kuzin dominated as the board ran out 2♣Q♦3♥A♦5♥ to earn him a double up.
Mahmod Hanif, Candido Cappiello, Jovan Kenjic, and Mehdi Chaoui were also recently eliminated as the field continues to thin towards the end of the night.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
720,000
-20,000
|
-20,000 |
|
|
350,000
-90,000
|
-90,000 |
|
Busted | |
|
Busted | |
|
Busted | |
|
Busted |
Henriques Fires All Three Streets
Level 17
: Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
Three players saw a flop of 2♣5♦8♦ where Daniel Henriques bet 15,000 from the big blind. Mahmod Hanif called on the button, as did Dmitrii Kuzin in the small blind.
The turn was the 8♣ and Henriques bet 45,000. Hanif called, while Kuzin folded this time.
The 4♠ fell on the river and Henriques led out for another 30,000. Hanif called, then mucked when Henriques showed 10♦8♥ for trips.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
740,000
510,000
|
510,000 |
|
|
450,000
180,000
|
180,000 |
|
|
100,000
-450,000
|
-450,000 |
Berberovic Turns Rags Into Riches
Level 17
: Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
Action folded to Bojan Berberovic in the small blind who raised enough to put Nikolay Fal all in. Fal called for around 60,000.
Nikolay Fal: A♣6♣
Bojan Berberovic: Q♣3♠
Berberovic took the lead on the K♣K♥3♥ flop with two pair, then improved to a full house as the board ran out Q♥Q♠ to send Fal to the rail.
With that pot, Berberovic became the first player to crack 1,000,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,050,000
270,000
|
270,000 |
|
|
||
|
Busted | |