$2,200 Warm Up
Day 1bc Completed
2023 Merit Poker Gangster Series
$2,200 Warm Up
Day: 1bc
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1bc
2023 Merit Poker Gangster Series
Buy-in
$2,200
Prize Pool
$833,520
Entries
453
Level
34
Blinds
250,000 / 500,000
Ante
500,000
Entries
241
Players Left
108
Dmitry Yurasov Dominates Day 1b of $2,200 Warm Up to Bag Overall Chip Lead
Level 8
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Day 1b of the Merit Poker 2023 Gangster Series $2,200 Warm Up has reached a conclusion. Dmitry Yurasov has emerged as both the Day 1b leader and overall chip leader of the tournament so far at Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino, finishing the evening with a staggering 866,000 chips. That stack will be worth 289 big blinds going into Day 2, leading the way after Day 1b attracted 182 entrants for a total of 289 after the first two starting flights.
Yurasov is no stranger to poker tournament success. With just over $3,500,000 in live tournament earnings and two WSOP bracelet wins under his belt already, the Russian pro will be a force to be reckoned with going into Day 2 on Friday. Yurasov finished the night with more than double the chips of all but five players who bagged and tagged at the end of the night. He is most closely followed by Sergey Baranski (581,000), Andrei Daniliuk (570,000) and Feyzullah Karaarslan (528,500).
Day 1b Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dmitry Yurasov | Russian Federation | 866,000 | 289 |
| 2 | Sergey Baranski | Belarus | 581,000 | 194 |
| 3 | Andrei Daniliuk | Russian Federation | 570,000 | 190 |
| 4 | Feyzullah Karaarslan | Turkey | 528,500 | 176 |
| 5 | Khalil Tawil | Lebanon | 438,500 | 146 |
| 6 | Agharazi Babayev | Azerbaijan | 435,500 | 145 |
| 7 | Giorgiy Skhulukhiya | Georgia | 417,500 | 139 |
| 8 | Andrei Vavilonskii | Russian Federation | 386,000 | 129 |
| 9 | Natik Ismailov | Russian Federation | 375,000 | 125 |
| 10 | Damir Gabdullin | Russian Federation | 368,000 | 123 |
After eight hour-long levels, 90 players were able to find a bag at the end of the night and advance to Day 2. Action was fast and furious to start the day despite the deep structure, with several coolers happening in the first few levels. In one notable early highlight, Parahat Nurmuhammedov flopped the nut-flush only for Georgios Skarparis to turn a full house to send Nurmuhammedov to the reentry desk.
Agharazi Babayev had a roller coaster day today after failing to find a bag in yesterday's Day 1a flight. Babayev enjoyed the chip lead in the early levels only to lose a big chunk of his stack to Angelos Michael after the latter rivered a set of sixes. Babayev continued to slide down the chip counts from that point but surged right back up after picking off a massive bluff and would ultimately finish the evening with the sixth-largest stack of the day at 435,500.
Other notables to advance to Day 2 today include Dmitry Gromov (333,000), David Hu (227,000), Tinay Aksoy (206,000) and Guoliang Wei (128,000). Others who were not as fortunate and failed to find a bag at the end of the night include Frederico Senno, Matthew Davenport and Ramez Haddad.
Two starting flights remain for this event. Day 1c is already underway, while a turbo Day 1d is scheduled at 10:00 a.m. local time on November 24. The final flight begins just a couple hours before the fields combine for Day 2 at 12:30 p.m. local time the same day. Unlimited reentries and late registration will remain open until the end of Level 12, midway through Day 2.
PokerNews will be on site to cover the rest of this event from the start of Day 2 until a winner is crowned on Day 4 on November 26, so stay tuned for all your live coverage. The series continues with the $5,300 High Roller on November 26 and the $3,300 Main Event starting on November 28.
End of Day Chip Counts (full)
Level 8
: 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
866,000 | |
|
||
|
581,000
525,000
|
525,000 |
|
570,000
383,000
|
383,000 |
|
||
|
528,500
25,500
|
25,500 |
|
438,500 | |
|
435,500 | |
|
417,500
36,500
|
36,500 |
|
386,000
-49,000
|
-49,000 |
|
375,000
375,000
|
375,000 |
|
368,000
368,000
|
368,000 |
|
342,000
342,000
|
342,000 |
|
333,000
233,000
|
233,000 |
|
||
|
327,000
327,000
|
327,000 |
|
319,000 | |
|
|
310,500 | |
|
300,000 | |
|
280,000
280,000
|
280,000 |
|
275,000
175,000
|
175,000 |
|
270,000
-54,000
|
-54,000 |
|
266,000
266,000
|
266,000 |
|
|
261,500
261,500
|
261,500 |
|
|
259,000
159,000
|
159,000 |
|
|
249,500
249,500
|
249,500 |
|
247,500
247,500
|
247,500 |
|
244,000
144,000
|
144,000 |
Play concludes for Day 1b
Level 8
: 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
After eight hour-long levels, play has come to a close for Day 1b of the $2,200 Warm Up. The day attracted a total of 182 entrants.
Stay tuned for full chip counts and a recap of the day's action that will follow shortly.
Assorted End of Night Chip Counts
Level 8
: 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
866,000
-14,000
|
-14,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
438,500
338,500
|
338,500 |
|
|
435,500
-54,500
|
-54,500 |
|
|
319,000
-36,000
|
-36,000 |
|
|
310,500
141,500
|
141,500 |
|
|
300,000
183,000
|
183,000 |
|
229,000
7,000
|
7,000 |
|
|
198,000
-45,000
|
-45,000 |
|
100,000
-29,000
|
-29,000 |
Vavilonskii Pressures Joumaa
Level 8
: 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Bakhos Joumaa opened to 5,500 from middle position and received calls from Tinay Aksoy in the cutoff, Andrei Vavilonskii on the button and Guoliang Wei in the big blind.
The flop came K♣6♣J♠. Wei checked, Joumaa bet 8,000, Aksoy called and Vavilonskii raised to 32,000. Wei folded, Joumaa called and Aksoy folded leaving players heads up going into the turn.
On the J♣ turn Joumaa lead out with a bet of 40,000. Vavilonskii made the call.
The river was the 5♣. Joumaa thought for roughly two minutes before checking. Vavilonskii took his time to weigh his options as well before betting 95,000. Joumaa's hand hit the muck and Vavilonskii took down a sizable pot without showdown towards the end of the night.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
435,000
435,000
|
435,000 |
|
|
355,000
273,000
|
273,000 |
|
235,000
235,000
|
235,000 |
|
91,500
91,500
|
91,500 |
|
||
Final Five Hands
Level 8
: 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
The floor has announced there will be five more hands before play concludes for Day 1b.
Slimen Shows Two
Level 8
: 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Dmitry Yurasov opened to 8,000 from the small blind and Ahmen Slimen defended from the big blind.
The flop came A♣Q♦4♦. Yurasov bet 6,000, Slimen raised to 17,000 and Yurasov folded.
Slimen revealed his hand as A♦10♦ for top pair before scooping the small pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
880,000
147,000
|
147,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
111,000
23,500
|
23,500 |
Babayev Chops Down Doe
Level 8
: 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
With two players seeing a board of 9♠2♠J♣5♦ and over 100,000 already in the middle, the enigmatic player known only as "John Doe" bet 60,000 and Agharazi Babayev made the call.
The river was the J♦. Doe moved all in, covering Babayev who had 125,000 behind. Babayev nearly beat Doe into the pot.
Doe could only show A♥10♦ for a bluff while Babayev tabled K♦J♥ for trip jacks to scoop a gargantuan pot worth nearly 200 big blinds.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
490,000
260,000
|
260,000 |
|
164,000
-209,000
|
-209,000 |
Level: 8
Blinds: 1,000/2,500
Ante: 2,500