2019 Merit Poker Classic

Main Event
Day: 1b
Event Info

2019 Merit Poker Classic

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
k10
Prize
$565,157
Event Info
Buy-in
$5,300
Prize Pool
$2,990,267
Entries
649
Level Info
Level
35
Blinds
400,000 / 800,000
Ante
800,000

Main Event

Day 1b Completed

Papazian Takes Day 1b Chip Lead; Romero, Margolin, Hallaert, Riess All Make Day 2

Level 8 : 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
Alexandru Papazian
Alexandru Papazian

After eight levels of 60 minutes each, Day 1b of the $5,300 Main Event at the Merit Poker Classic has come to an end. As expected, the second of five starting flights was busier than the first with 161 entries (132 uniques with 29 reentries) coming in throughout the day and 80 of them making it through to Day 2 which will take place on Thursday, May 9. At the top of the chip counts at the end of the day is Romania’s Alexandru Papazian with 727,900 in chips.

Following Papazian on the podium are [Removed:61] (617,700) and Aleksandr Chernikov (510,400). Other notable players to make it through include James Romero (406,700), Duff Charette (384,300), Timur Margolin (364,500), Kenny Hallaert (323,900), Uri Reichenstein (285,000), Ryan Riess (240,000), Vladimir Troyanovskiy (217,000), and many more.

The partypoker team members were represented by Dzmitry Urbanovich, Josip Simunic, Ludovic Geilich, and Kristen Bicknell. Urbanovich was the only one to not make it through out of the four players but will have enough chances to make it through as there are three more starting flights and the registration and reentry period will remain open for the first four levels of Day 2 till approximately 5:30 PM local time on Thursday May 9.

The PokerNews live reporting team will on the floor to bring you all the Day 1c action from the first bet until the final chip has been bagged here in the Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino.

2019 Merit Poker Classic $5,300 Main Event Schedule

DayDateStarting TimeLate RegEntriesSurvivorsFurther Information
1aMonday May 6th12:00Thursday May 9, ~19:009343Play 8 Levels of 60 minutes
1bTuesday May 7th12:00Thursday May 9, ~19:0016180Play 8 Levels of 60 minutes
1cWednesday May 8th12:00Thursday May 9, ~19:00--Play 8 Levels of 60 minutes
1dWednesday May 8th21:30Thursday May 9, ~19:00--Play 8 Levels of 30 minutes
1eThursday May 9th10:00Thursday May 9, ~19:00--Play 8 Levels of 20 minutes
2Thursday May 9th13:30Thursday May 9, ~19:00--Play 6 Levels of 75 minutes
3Friday May 10th12:00Closed--TBD
4Saturday May 11th12:00Closed--TBD
5Sunday May 12th12:00Closed--Play down to a winner

Tags: Aleksandr ChernikovAlexandru PapazianDuff CharetteDzmitry UrbanovichJames RomeroJosip SimunicKenny HallaertKristen BicknellLudovic GeilichMatthias De MeulderRyan RiessTimur MargolinUri ReichensteinVladimir Troyanovskiy

End-of-Day Chip Counts (full)

Level 8 : 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante

The full chip counts will be posted as soon as PokerNews receives them. A recap of today is to follow.

Player Chips Progress
Alexandru Papazian ro
Alexandru Papazian
Day 1B Chip Leader
WSOP 2X Winner
727,900 207,900
[Removed:61] us
[Removed:61]
617,700 617,700
Aleksandr Chernikov ru
Aleksandr Chernikov
510,400 10,400
Oliver Ruesing de
Oliver Ruesing
491,000 -33,000
Bassel Alanaz lb
Bassel Alanaz
416,500 416,500
James Romero us
James Romero
WPT 1X Winner
406,700 190,700
Bas de Laat nl
Bas de Laat
388,800 -1,200
Duff Charette ca
Duff Charette
384,300 134,300
Niko Koop de
Niko Koop
371,300 19,300
Edgard Raffoul lb
Edgard Raffoul
365,600 365,600
Timur Margolin il
Timur Margolin
WSOP 2X Winner
364,500 22,500
Levan Karamanishvili sk
Levan Karamanishvili
349,700 -198,300
Kenny Hallaert be
Kenny Hallaert
323,900 158,900
Hadi Khordbin ir
Hadi Khordbin
299,200 299,200
Uri Reichenstein il
Uri Reichenstein
285,000 20,000
Ulan Dzholdoshbekov ru
Ulan Dzholdoshbekov
284,300 284,300
Kristen Bicknell ca
Kristen Bicknell
267,400 167,400
Joep Raemaekers nl
Joep Raemaekers
261,800 168,800
Elvin Sarkarov az
Elvin Sarkarov
259,700 259,700
Julian Menhardt at
Julian Menhardt
258,400 258,400
Bartlomiej Machon pl
Bartlomiej Machon
251,000 71,000
Pavel Plesuv md
Pavel Plesuv
WSOP 1X Winner
WPT 1X Winner
250,300 150,300
Ben Farrell gb
Ben Farrell
248,000 133,500
Ryan Riess us
Ryan Riess
WSOP Main Event Champion
WSOP 1X Winner
WPT 1X Winner
240,000 -3,000
Nariman Yaghmai ir
Nariman Yaghmai
234,100 234,100

Read full

Some Chip Counts

Level 8 : 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
Player Chips Progress
Alexandru Papazian ro
Alexandru Papazian
Day 1B Chip Leader
WSOP 2X Winner
520,000 141,000
Aleksandr Chernikov ru
Aleksandr Chernikov
500,000 80,000
Timur Margolin il
Timur Margolin
WSOP 2X Winner
342,000 82,000
Duff Charette ca
Duff Charette
250,000 102,000
Ryan Riess us
Ryan Riess
WSOP Main Event Champion
WSOP 1X Winner
WPT 1X Winner
243,000 48,000
Fahredin Mustafov bg
Fahredin Mustafov
212,000 -103,500
Bartlomiej Machon pl
Bartlomiej Machon
180,000
Vladimir Troyanovskiy ru
Vladimir Troyanovskiy
180,000 70,000
Abdelhakim Zoufri nl
Abdelhakim Zoufri
135,000 94,000
Daniel Prior at
Daniel Prior
111,000 31,000
Vojtech Ruzicka cz
Vojtech Ruzicka
110,000 13,000
Krasimir Yankov bg
Krasimir Yankov
75,000
Maria Lampropulos ar
Maria Lampropulos
57,000 -83,000

partypoker Pros Clash

Level 8 : 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
Josip Simunic
Josip Simunic

partypoker Team Online Josip Simunic raised to 5,000 from the cutoff and was called by fellow partypoker team member Ludovic Geilich, in the big blind.

They both checked through the {j-Spades}{k-Diamonds}{8-Diamonds} flop to the {9-Diamonds} on the turn. Geilich now bet 19,500 and Simunic called.

The river completed the board with the {3-Spades} and now Geilich shoved. Simunic tanked, going through the options, but opted to fold in the end.

Player Chips Progress
Josip Simunic at
Josip Simunic
170,000 -70,000
Ludovic Geilich gb
Ludovic Geilich
154,700 154,700

Tags: Josip SimunicLudovic Geilich

Level: 8

Blinds: 1,000/2,000

Ante: 2,000