The tournament director has confirmed that there has been a total of 174 entries, meaning the competitors will be playing down to 26 players.
Once they reach that magic number, everyone who is still in will bag up for the night and will sleep safe in the knowledge they have locked up a minimum cash.
All the chips went into the middle preflop, with Cem Agpur calling it off for 185,000 in the small blind. He was covered by Mircea Stanescu on the button.
Cem Agpur: A♦K♦ 
Mircea Stanescu: 3♣3♠
Agpur didn't connect on the board of0 8♠7♠5♦10♥Q♥ to send the Turk to the rail, while Stanescu dragged in a pot to launch him into the top ten stacks.
Level: 10
Blinds: 2,000/5,000
Ante: 5,000
Play has resumed at the Merit Poker Cup. A total of 174 entries including 43 re-entries played Day 1a.
For those who didn't make the closing stages they can attempt again tomorrow with Day 1b, which is the last flight.
Players have headed to the buffet for a 75-minute break.
Cards will be back in the air just before 8 p.m. local time and at that moment late registration will close.
Currently 162 players have entered, with 80 remaining. Play will continue until the field has been reduced to 15%, where everyone will be in the money.
With 65,000 in the middle on a completed board of Q♥7♣2♦J♠6♥, Murad Cakir moved all in from the big blind, which covered Sergej Babincev in the hijack.
Babincev used the majority of his time bank and made the call. Cakir said "You win" and tabled K♦10♦ for a busted straight draw. Their was relief in Babincev's face as he flipped over K♥J♥ for second pair to take the pot.
Level: 9
Blinds: 2,000/4,000
Ante: 4,000
Elif bet 7,000 from the hijack and was met with a three-bet of 26,000 from Aren Bezhanyan in the cutoff. Kemal Aslan made it 65,000 from the button, which left Elif stunned and took his full shot-clock to fold.
Bezhanyan announced, "time to gamble!" and moved all in for 93,000 which was quickly called by Aslan.
Aren Bezhanyan : 10♥10♠
Kemal Aslan: A♣K♠
A classic flip, but an ace in the window on the board of A♥Q♦7♠7♥7♣ gave Aslan a boat and sent the Armenian to the rail
The floor have just confirmed there will be a 75-minute dinner break at the end of level 9.
This means late registration for Day 1a will be available to around 7.50pm local time.
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