2019 Merit Poker Classic

Main Event
Day: 3
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

Newey Fails to Win the All-In

Level 17 : 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
Paul Newey
Paul Newey

Paul Newey shoved from the button for 274,000 and was called by Pavel Yakobson in the big blind.

Paul Newey: {9-Clubs}{9-Diamonds}
Pavel Yakobson: {7-Hearts}{7-Diamonds}

Yakobson shook his head when he saw Newey's hand but was a lot happier when the {10-Clubs}{7-Clubs}{a-Diamonds} came on the flop as he hit a set.

The turn was the {8-Spades} which now gave Newey some extra outs as he picked up an open-ended straight draw but the river was the {a-Clubs} to not help Newey at all as he was sent to the rail.

Player Chips Progress
Pavel Yakobson ru
Pavel Yakobson
700,000
286,500
286,500
Paul Newey gb
Paul Newey
Busted

Tags: Paul NeweyPavel Yakobson

Level: 18

Blinds: 8,000/16,000

Ante: 16,000

Mustafov Not Running Good

Level 18 : 8,000/16,000, 16,000 ante
Fahredin Mustafov
Fahredin Mustafov

Fahredin Mustafov has just been eliminated and was kind enough to relate what had happened:

Elvin Sarkarov raised to 24,000 from the early position and Mustafov found {a-}{a-} on the button and decided to three-bet to 90,000. Sarkarov called.

The flop came {5-}{5-}{q-} rainbow, Sarkarov checked, Mustafov continued with a bet of 65,000 and Sarkarov raised to 215,000. Mustafov made the call.

The turn was the {10-Hearts} to give Mustafov a backdoor-flush. Sarkarov jammed for 615,000 and Mustafov called. Sarkarov showed {j-Clubs}{8-Clubs} and hit the straight on the river when the {9-} fell.

Shortly after, Sarkarov eliminated Mustafov with {j-}{j-} while he held {a-}{q-} when his last 250,000 went in.

Player Chips Progress
Elvin Sarkarov az
Elvin Sarkarov
2,235,000
1,285,000
1,285,000
Fahredin Mustafov bg
Fahredin Mustafov
Busted
Igor Devkin ru
Igor Devkin
Busted
Alain Zeidan lb
Alain Zeidan
Busted

Tags: Elvin SarkarovFahredin Mustafov

Kovalenko Makes the Right Call Against Darie

Level 18 : 8,000/16,000, 16,000 ante
Pavel Kovalenko & Vlad Darie
Pavel Kovalenko & Vlad Darie

Just before the end of the previous level, Alexandru Papazian raised from mid-position and was called by the player in the lojack. Pavel Kovalenko three-bet to 90,000 from the hijack and Vlad Darie four-bet to 260,000 in the cutoff. Action folded back to Papazian who folded and so did the lojack. Kovalenko responded with a five-bet to 415,000 which Darie called after thinking for a while.

They both checked through the {10-Clubs}{q-Spades}{q-Clubs} on the flop to the {7-Diamonds} on the turn. Kovalenko checked and Darie barreled a bet of 155,000 over the line. Kovalenko glared at the board and then decided to make the call.

The river completed the board with the {3-Clubs}, Kovalenko checked for the last time. Darie took a second before announcing he was all-in, having Kovalenko covered. Kovalenko tanked for about three minutes before the clock was called on him by Papazian. The tournament director gave him 30 seconds to take a decision. When the countdown started, Kovalenko put in some chips for the call.

Darie flipped over {a-Spades}{2-Spades} to play the pair of queens on the board with the ace-kicker. Kovalenko got up and sighed in relief while turning over {k-Spades}{k-Diamonds} for two pair, kings and queens.

Player Chips Progress
Pavel Kovalenko ru
Pavel Kovalenko
2,198,000
1,488,000
1,488,000
Day 3 Chip Leader
Karwan Hasan cy
Karwan Hasan
1,760,000
610,000
610,000
Vlad Darie ro
Vlad Darie
883,000
-1,332,000
-1,332,000
WPT 1X Winner
Alexandru Papazian ro
Alexandru Papazian
311,000
-250,000
-250,000
Day 1B Chip Leader
WSOP 2X Winner

Tags: Alexandru PapazianPavel KovalenkoVlad Darie

Zoufri Won't Cash

Level 18 : 8,000/16,000, 16,000 ante

Abdelhakim Zoufri was forced all-in from the big blind and Vladimir Troyanovskiy (cutoff) and Shahar Levi (small blind) were playing for a side pot of 64,000 when the board already read {6-Clubs}{3-Spades}{7-Diamonds}{9-Hearts}. Levi bet 16,000 and Troyanovskiy called.

The river completed the board with the {8-Clubs}, Levi bet another 16,000 which Troyanovskiy called.

Levi tabled {k-Clubs}{8-Diamonds} for the rivered pair of eights, Troyanovskiy tabled {a-Clubs}{8-Spades} for the same pair of eights but with the higher kicker to pick up the side pot. But Zoufri held {a-Hearts}{a-Diamonds} to triple up to 15,000.

The hand right after, Vlad Darie raised to 35,000 from mid-position and it folded to Zoufri who went all-in from the small blind for 15,000. Alexandru Papazian folded in the big blind.

Abdelhakim Zoufri: {8-Diamonds}{5-Clubs}
Vlad Darie: {q-Hearts}{j-Hearts}

The board ran out {3-Spades}{2-Clubs}{7-Clubs}{5-Diamonds}{q-Diamonds} for Zoufri to turn a pair of fives but Darie to river a pair of queens to take the Dutchman out of the running before the bubble.

Player Chips Progress
Shahar Levi il
Shahar Levi
1,300,000
310,000
310,000
Vlad Darie ro
Vlad Darie
1,110,000
227,000
227,000
WPT 1X Winner
Vladimir Troyanovskiy ru
Vladimir Troyanovskiy
580,000
220,000
220,000
Abdelhakim Zoufri nl
Abdelhakim Zoufri
Busted

Tags: Abdelhakim ZoufriAlexandru PapazianShahar LeviVlad DarieVladimir Troyanovskiy

Duta Rivers the Straight

Level 18 : 8,000/16,000, 16,000 ante

Florian Duta raised to 32,000 from the cutoff and was called by Milad Oghabian on the button.

The flop came {7-Hearts}{q-Diamonds}{10-Clubs}, Duta continued with a bet of 42,000 and Oghabian called again.

They both checked through the {5-Hearts} on the turn to the {8-Clubs} on the river. Duta bet 26,000 and Oghabian quickly called and mucked when Duta tabled {j-Hearts}{9-Hearts}.

Player Chips Progress
Ludovic Geilich gb
Ludovic Geilich
1,905,000
105,000
105,000
Anton Morgenstern de
Anton Morgenstern
850,000
490,000
490,000
Day 1C Chip Leader
Florian Duta ro
Florian Duta
535,000
-331,000
-331,000
Milad Oghabian ir
Milad Oghabian
364,000
106,000
106,000
Andrei Boghean ro
Andrei Boghean
270,000
-50,000
-50,000
Lachezar Petkov bg
Lachezar Petkov
254,000
42,000
42,000

Tags: Florian DutaMilad Oghabian

Break

Level 18 : 8,000/16,000, 16,000 ante

The players have been sent for another 15-minute break. Ran Azor was the last one to be eliminated to take the total number of remaining players to 77.

Player Chips Progress
Ran Azor il
Ran Azor
Busted

Level: 19

Blinds: 10,000/20,000

Ante: 20,000