$3,300 Main Event
Day 1b Completed
2023 Merit Poker Gangster Series
$3,300 Main Event
Day: 1b
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1b
2023 Merit Poker Gangster Series
Buy-in
$3,300
Prize Pool
$1,562,160
Entries
566
Level
36
Blinds
250,000 / 500,000
Ante
500,000
Entries
148
Players Left
65
Shuang Luo Leads the Way in Day 1b of $3,300 Main Event
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Day 1b of the 2023 Merit Poker Gangster Series $3,300 Main Event here at the Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino has come to a close. China's Shuang Luo finished the night with the chip lead, ending the night with 670,500 chips, a stack that will be worth 268 big blinds heading into Day 2. Luo is most closely followed by WPT champion Dmitry Gromov (627,500) and Romania's Razvan Sabau (585,000).
Luo has momentum on her side with an impressive showing at the recent 2023 EPT Cyprus, where she scored four finishes in the money. Those include a victory in the $330 Women's event for $6,578 as well as a deep run in the $5,300 Main Event, where she ultimately finished 41st for $18,700. She has just under $190,000 in career tournament earnings and a previous best cash of ¥ 600,000 ($92,788) from a first-place finish at a 2021 event in Beijing, which she will be looking to surpass with a final table finish in this event.
$3,300 Main Event Day 1b Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shuang Luo | China | 670,500 | 268 |
| 2 | Dmitry Gromov | Russian Federation | 627,500 | 251 |
| 3 | Razvan Sabau | Romania | 585,000 | 234 |
| 4 | Bakhos Joumaa | Lebanon | 485,500 | 194 |
| 5 | Roman Nuraev | Russian Federation | 416,000 | 166 |
| 6 | Guoliang Wei | China | 401,500 | 161 |
| 7 | Fadi Barakeh | Lebanon | 400,000 | 160 |
| 8 | Volodymyr Drokin | Ukraine | 391,000 | 156 |
| 9 | Ihar Soika | Belarus | 370,000 | 148 |
| 10 | Romain Retiere | France | 348,000 | 139 |
Day 1b attracted a total of 148 entrants to bring the overall field size between the first two starting flights to 303. Of those 148 entrants, 65 players were able to advance to Day 2 after nine hour-long levels of play today. The deep structure of the event, which featured a 250-big blind starting stack, ensured that there was plenty of room to maneuver. A good example of this occurred in the second level of the day, where WPT champion Benjamin Hamnett ran pocket queens into the pocket kings of Parahat Nurmuhammedov but lost the absolute minimum, losing under ten big blinds in that hand and preserving the majority of his stack.
Gromov took the chip lead midway through the day after picking off a bluff from Ankit Ahuja and would hold on to the chip lead until Luo began to close the gap in the last few levels of the day.
Other notables to advance to Day 2 today include Bakhos Joumaa (458,500), Guoliang Wei (401,500), Ahuja (322,000), Halil Tasyurek (159,000), previous Merit Poker Main Event champion Maxime Chilaud (131,000), winner of the 2023 Gangster Series $2,200 Warm Up Ivan Govorov (129,500) and winner of the 2023 Gangster Series $5,300 High Roller Giorgiy Skhulukhiya.
Others who entered Day 1b but were not fortunate enough to finish the night with chips in a bag include Tugce Hursoz, Albert Daher, Hamnett and Oleg Netaliev, who finished runner up in the last Merit Poker Main Event at the 2023 Retro Series this past August for $417,900.
As always, stay tuned to PokerNews for all your live coverage needs for this event until a winner is crowned on December 3.
End of Night Chip Counts (full)
Level 9
: 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
670,500 | |
|
||
|
627,500 | |
|
||
|
585,000 | |
|
458,500 | |
|
416,000
416,000
|
416,000 |
|
401,500
26,500
|
26,500 |
|
||
|
|
400,000 | |
|
391,000 | |
|
370,000 | |
|
348,000 | |
|
340,500 | |
|
337,500
337,500
|
337,500 |
|
322,000 | |
|
320,000
320,000
|
320,000 |
|
317,000
52,000
|
52,000 |
|
307,500
307,500
|
307,500 |
|
296,000
296,000
|
296,000 |
|
290,000
290,000
|
290,000 |
|
284,500 | |
|
274,500
227,100
|
227,100 |
|
263,000
135,000
|
135,000 |
|
|
253,500 | |
|
248,000
248,000
|
248,000 |
|
247,000
247,000
|
247,000 |
|
245,000
245,000
|
245,000 |
That's a Wrap for Day 1b of $3,300 Main Event
Level 9
: 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Play has concluded for Day 1b of the 2023 Merit Poker Gangster Series $3,300 Main Event. The day attracted a total of 149 entrants with 65 players finishing the night with chips in a bag and advancing to Day 2.
Stay tuned for a full recap of the day's action as well as full updated chip counts that will be available shortly.
Assorted End of Night Chip Counts
Level 9
: 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
670,500
5,500
|
5,500 |
|
|
||
|
|
627,500
11,000
|
11,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
585,000
399,000
|
399,000 |
|
|
458,500
86,500
|
86,500 |
|
|
400,000
25,000
|
25,000 |
|
|
391,000
391,000
|
391,000 |
|
|
370,000
-111,000
|
-111,000 |
|
|
348,000
40,000
|
40,000 |
|
|
340,500
14,500
|
14,500 |
|
|
322,000
161,000
|
161,000 |
|
|
284,500
24,500
|
24,500 |
|
|
253,500
51,500
|
51,500 |
|
219,000
18,000
|
18,000 |
|
159,000
52,000
|
52,000 |
|
129,500
41,000
|
41,000 |
Barakeh Pays Nikulin Back
Level 9
: 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Ivan Govorov opened to 5,000 from middle position and received calls from Fadi Barakeh in the cutoff and Shuang Luo on the button before Kostiantyn Nikulin three-bet to 15,000 from the small blind. All three opponents made the call.
The flop came A♥8♠10♠ and Nikulin fired a 35,000 continuation bet. Govorov folded, Barakeh called and Luo folded.
Barakeh called another bet for 50,000 from Nikulin on the K♣ turn.
On the 3♠ river Nikulin bet 50,000, Barakeh moved all in for 64,000 and Nikulin called with a covering stack.
Nikulin tabled A♣J♣ for top pair but Barakeh showed down J♠6♠ for a rivered flush to secure a full double up through Nikulin, shortly after Nikulin had done the same to him. Nikulin was left with a bit more than 30 big blinds and be eliminated a few hands later.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
665,000
120,000
|
120,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
375,000
159,000
|
159,000 |
|
|
88,500
-130,500
|
-130,500 |
|
Busted | |
Final Four Hands
Level 9
: 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
The tournament staff have announced that four more hands will be played before the end of the night.
Nikulin Spikes the River
Level 9
: 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Ivan Govorov opened to 5,000 from middle position and received calls from Fadi Barakeh in the hijack and Kostiantyn Nikulin in the small blind.
The flop came 9♥8♦4♥ and Nikulin lead out with a bet of 13,000. Govorov got out of the way while Barakeh made the call.
On the J♣ turn Nikulin moved all in for 86,500, sending Barakeh into the tank.
"Flush draw?" Nikulin inquired of his opponent while he was thinking the decision over.
"You want me to call?" Barakeh asked Nikulin.
"Yes, Call! Yes or no?" Nikulin replied.
After another minute Nikulin called the clock on Barakeh and shortly afterwards Barakeh made the call with a covering stack to put Nikulin at risk.
Kostiantyn Nikulin: 8♥6♥
Fadi Barakeh: 10♦9♣
"One time!" Nikulin requested just before the river came the Q♥, giving Nikulin the flush to pull ahead of Barakeh's second pair and secure a full double up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
219,000
41,000
|
41,000 |
|
|
219,000
-54,000
|
-54,000 |
|
|
216,000
-66,000
|
-66,000 |
Assorted Chip Counts after Final Break
Level 9
: 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
616,500
-50,500
|
-50,500 |
|
|
||
|
|
545,000
3,000
|
3,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
481,000
481,000
|
481,000 |
|
|
375,000
108,000
|
108,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
372,000
-38,000
|
-38,000 |
|
|
326,000
-10,000
|
-10,000 |
|
311,000
-76,000
|
-76,000 |
|
|
308,000
-26,000
|
-26,000 |
|
|
273,000
5,000
|
5,000 |
|
|
260,000
125,000
|
125,000 |
|
|
161,000
86,000
|
86,000 |
|
|
107,000
13,500
|
13,500 |
|
105,000
-94,000
|
-94,000 |
Level: 9
Blinds: 1,000/2,500
Ante: 2,500