2019 Merit Poker Classic

Main Event
Day: 1a
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

Weissman Takes Two Down

Level 8 : 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
Joey Weissman (on the right)
Joey Weissman (on the right)

Joey Weissman has just eliminated two other players and was kind enough to relate what had happened:

The under-the-gun player had raised to 4,000 and Weismann called from the cutoff with {a-Clubs}{5-Clubs}. Rainer Kempe called in the small blind and so did the player in the big blind.

The flop came {7-}{7-Clubs}{4-Clubs}, Kempe and the big blind checked, the initial raiser bet 6,500 and only Weissman and the big blind called.

The turn was the {3-Clubs} to give Weissman the nut-flush. The player in the big blind checked again. The initial raiser shoved and Weissman called. The player in the big blind also shoved and Weissman called again. The big blind player had {q-}{q-} while the under-the-gun player held {8-Clubs}{6-Clubs} for the lower flush and was drawing dead for the straight flush as Weismann had the {5-Clubs} in his hand already.

Player Chips Progress
Joey Weissman us
Joey Weissman
390,000
290,000
290,000
WSOP 1X Winner
Rainer Kempe de
Rainer Kempe
130,000
30,000
30,000
Mario Mosböck at
Mario Mosböck
110,000

Tags: Joey WeissmanRainer Kempe

Tamasyan More Than Triples

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

Boris Kolev raised to 5,000 from mid-position, Christian Rudolph called in the hijack. Garik Tamasyan shoved on the button for 22,000 and both Kolev and Rudolph called.

The flop came {q-Clubs}{6-Spades}{5-Hearts}, Kolev check-folded to the 23,000 bet of Rudolph to let them battle it out.

Garik Tamasyan: {7-Clubs}{5-Clubs}
Christian Rudolph: {q-Diamonds}{j-Diamonds}

The turn was the {7-Diamonds} to give Tamasyan two pair.

The river completed the board with the {2-Diamonds} for Tamasyan to stay ahead and double up.

Player Chips Progress
Bart Lybaert be
Bart Lybaert
230,000
-8,000
-8,000
Christian Rudolph de
Christian Rudolph
185,000
185,000
185,000
Boris Kolev bg
Boris Kolev
117,000
-143,000
-143,000
WSOP 2X Winner
Garik Tamasyan am
Garik Tamasyan
71,000
-138,000
-138,000
Ali Reza Fatehi ir
Ali Reza Fatehi
Busted
Aleksandr Gofman ru
Aleksandr Gofman
Busted

Tags: Boris KolevChristian RudolphGarik Tamasyan

Two More Hands

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

The tournament clock has been paused and the dealers have been instructed to deal two more hands before the remaining players can bag and tag their chips for Day 2.

End-of-Day Chip Counts (full)

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

The full chip counts and a recap of today are to follow.

Player Chips Progress
Maroun Jazzar lb
Maroun Jazzar
574,200
Day 1A Chip Leader
Shahar Levi il
Shahar Levi
532,600
12,600
12,600
Volodymyr Yastreb ua
Volodymyr Yastreb
455,000
155,000
155,000
Christian Rudolph de
Christian Rudolph
432,500
247,500
247,500
Joey Weissman us
Joey Weissman
400,800
10,800
10,800
WSOP 1X Winner
Pavel Kovalenko ru
Pavel Kovalenko
339,900
119,900
119,900
Day 3 Chip Leader
Bart Lybaert be
Bart Lybaert
310,300
80,300
80,300
John One il
John One
302,200
John Two nl
John Two
286,800
Kiryl Radzivonau by
Kiryl Radzivonau
280,000
10,000
10,000
Selahaddin Bedir tr
Selahaddin Bedir
275,000
Denys Chufarin ua
Denys Chufarin
267,400
Andrey Pateychuk ru
Andrey Pateychuk
259,600
49,600
49,600
WPT 1X Winner
EPT 1X Winner
Daria Feshchenko ru
Daria Feshchenko
259,100
-2,900
-2,900
Albert Daher lb
Albert Daher
257,100
97,100
97,100
Elias Moukawem lb
Elias Moukawem
247,000
Markus Prinz de
Markus Prinz
200,000
Boris Kolev bg
Boris Kolev
192,000
75,000
75,000
WSOP 2X Winner
Andrey Kaygorodtsev ru
Andrey Kaygorodtsev
191,500
-65,500
-65,500
Muhtar Taysi tr
Muhtar Taysi
184,400
Vicent Bosca es
Vicent Bosca
184,300
-19,700
-19,700
Abdullah Al Shanti
Abdullah Al Shanti
173,000
Joseph Succar lb
Joseph Succar
171,400
Kassem Hammoud
Kassem Hammoud
168,000
Ioannis Angelou-Konstas gr
Ioannis Angelou-Konstas
167,700
32,700
32,700

Read full

Levi, Rudolph, Weissman, Pateychuk, Loeser, and Kempe All Through To Day 2; Jazzar Takes Day 1a Chip Lead;

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

Day 1a of the $5,300 Main Event here at the Merit Poker Classic has come to an end with 93 entries. Out of those 93 entries, 43 players have made it through to Day 2, Thursday, May 9. Claiming the Day 1a chip lead is Maroun Jazzar with 574,200 in chips.

Trailing Jazzar in the chip counts are Shahar Levi (532,600), Volodymyr Yastreb (455,000) and Christian Rudolph (432,500). Other notable players to have bagged and tagged an above average stack for Day 2 include Joey Weissman (400,800), Pavel Kovalenko (339,900), Bart Lybaert (310,300), Andrey Pateychuk (259,600), Daria Feshchenko (259,100), Albert Daher (257,100), and Boris Kolev with 192,000.

Vicent Bosca, Ioannis Angelou-Konstas, Manig Loeser, Miguel Iglesias, Rainer Kempe, and Mario Mosböck have also made it through this quiet starting day. Unfortunately, not everyone managed to win their hands today as Ali Reza Fatehi, Javier Fernandez, Aleksandr Gofman, and Markus Pohl all failed to win their final all-ins.

Another starting flight will take place tomorrow, Tuesday, May 7 at noon local time with the exact same structure of eight levels of 60 minutes each with a 10-minute break after every two levels. The PokerNews live reporting team will be on hand to bring you all the action as more familiar faces will jump into the Main Event here in the Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino.

Tags: Albert DaherAleksandr GofmanAli Reza FatehiAndrey PateychukBart LybaertBoris KolevChristian RudolphDaria FeshchenkoIoannis Angelou-KonstasJavier FernandezJoey WeissmanManig LoeserMario MosböckMarkus PohlMaroun JazzarMiguel IglesiasPavel KovalenkoRainer KempeShahar LeviVicent BoscaVolodymyr Yastreb

Main Event

Day 1a Completed