$3,300 Main Event
Day 2 Completed
2023 Merit Poker Gangster Series
$3,300 Main Event
Day: 2
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 2
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
314
Players Left
96
Aleksei Petrov Starts and Finishes Day 2 with Chip Lead in Merit Poker Gangster Series $3,300 Main Event
Level 17
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
The action has come to a close in Day 2 of the 2023 Merit Poker Gangster Series $3,300 Main Event here at the Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino.
Russia's Aleksei Petrov began the day with the overall chip lead and finished the day with the chip lead as well, ending with 1,678,000 chips after nine hour-long levels of play. That stack will be worth 168 big blinds going into tomorrow's Day 3. Petrov is most closely followed by the United Kingdom's Mark Smith (1,535,000) and Russia's Alexey Popov (1,301,000).
Petrov currently has $288,327 in career tournament earnings under his belt with a previous best score of $87.612 from a victory in Sochi this past June. That score would be surpassed with a fourth-place or better finish in this event.
Day 2 Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aleksei Petrov | Russian Federation | 1,678,000 | 168 |
| 2 | Mark Smith | United Kingdom | 1,535,000 | 154 |
| 3 | Alexey Popov | Russian Federation | 1,301,000 | 130 |
| 4 | Simas Karaliunas | Lithuania | 1,300,000 | 130 |
| 5 | Christos Leantzis | Cyprus | 1,284,000 | 128 |
| 6 | Mikalai Vaskaboinikau | Belarus | 1,269,000 | 127 |
| 7 | Hadi Khadra | Lebanon | 1,224,000 | 122 |
| 8 | Razvan Sabau | Romania | 1,209,000 | 121 |
| 9 | John One | Unknown | 1,095,000 | 110 |
| 10 | Dmitry Gromov | Russian Federation | 1,092,000 | 109 |
Day 2 began with 195 survivors who bagged chips from one of four Day 1 flights. Late registration was open for the first five levels of play today, which attracted an additional 119 entrants. That brought the total field size to 566 entrants which generated a prize pool of $1,562,160. Of those 566 total entrants, 96 players managed to bag and tag by the end of the night and will advance to tomorrow's Day 3.
With five full levels of late registration and reentries available from the start of play today, the action was fast-paced from the moment cards were in the air as players attempted to position themselves for a deep run in today's event. Russia's Damir Gabdullin got off to a good start today after scoring a double knockout to put himself among the chip leaders in the second level of the day. In another early highlight, two-time braclet winner Dmitry Yurasov ran a suited king-queen into the ace-king of Iraklis Manikaros and failed to improve, resulting in Yurasov being forced to reenter while Manikaros chipped up early.
Petrov found himself among the biggest stacks in the room throughout the day, at one point delivering a cooler to Gabriel Semaan who flopped top pair against Petrov's overpair, allowing the latter to rake in a large pot late in the day.
The United Kingdom's Mark Smith also enjoyed one of the largest stacks in the room throughout the later levels of the day. Smith was consistently able to apply pressure to shorter stacks and win a plethora of pots without showdown.
Other notable stacks to bag and tag for tomorrow's Day 3 include anonymous player and Day 1c chip leader "John One" (1,095,000), World Poker Tour champion Dmitry Gromov (1,092,000), Day 1b chip leader Shuang Luo (1,014,000), Victor Yugay (998,000), Yunsheng Sun (856,000), Oleg Netaliev (798,000), Selahaddin Bedir (732,000), Halil Tasyurek (510,000), two-time braclet winner Dmitry Yurasov (500,000) and Guoliang Wei (348,000).
Other players not as fortunate to finish the night with chips in a bag include winner of the 2023 Gangster Series $5,300 High Roller Giorgiy Skhulukhiya, Ankit Ahuja, previous Merit Poker Main Event winner Maxime Chilaud, runner up of the 2023 Gangster Series $2,200 Warm Up Andrei Daniliuk , runner up of the 2023 Gangster Series $5,300 High Roller Aleksandr Kirichenko, World Poker Tour champion Benjamin Hamnett, Day 1d chip leader Fadi Nakhoul and Koray Korkmaz .
Day 3 of the Main Event is scheduled to start at 12:00 p.m. local time tomorrow, December 2 2023 and play an additional ten hour-long levels. As always, stay tuned to PokerNews for all your live coverage needs for this event from the moment cards are in the air until a winner is crowned on the final day which will take place on December 3 2023.
End of Night Chip Counts (full)
Level 17
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
1,678,000
413,000
|
413,000 |
|
||
|
1,535,000 | |
|
1,301,000
1,127,500
|
1,127,500 |
|
1,300,000 | |
|
1,284,000 | |
|
1,269,000
488,000
|
488,000 |
|
1,224,000 | |
|
1,209,000
4,000
|
4,000 |
|
1,095,000 | |
|
||
|
1,092,000 | |
|
||
|
1,065,000 | |
|
1,014,000
9,000
|
9,000 |
|
||
|
998,000 | |
|
998,000 | |
|
963,000 | |
|
||
|
925,000 | |
|
904,000
614,000
|
614,000 |
|
900,000
900,000
|
900,000 |
|
856,000
436,000
|
436,000 |
|
851,000 | |
|
|
851,000 | |
|
830,000
830,000
|
830,000 |
|
798,000 | |
|
|
781,000 | |
|
775,000
627,500
|
627,500 |
End of the Night
Level 17
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
Play has concluded for Day 2 of the $3,300 Main Event.
Stay tuned for a full recap of the day's action and chip counts going into Day 3 that will be available soon.
Assorted End of Night Chip Counts
Level 17
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,535,000
-105,000
|
-105,000 |
|
|
1,300,000
628,000
|
628,000 |
|
|
1,284,000
214,000
|
214,000 |
|
|
1,224,000
1,099,000
|
1,099,000 |
|
|
1,205,000
140,000
|
140,000 |
|
|
1,095,000
-255,000
|
-255,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
1,092,000
212,000
|
212,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
1,065,000
565,000
|
565,000 |
|
|
998,000
719,000
|
719,000 |
|
|
998,000
496,000
|
496,000 |
|
|
963,000
534,500
|
534,500 |
|
|
||
|
|
925,000
285,000
|
285,000 |
|
|
851,000
171,000
|
171,000 |
|
|
851,000
61,000
|
61,000 |
|
|
798,000
3,000
|
3,000 |
|
|
781,000
11,000
|
11,000 |
|
500,000
230,000
|
230,000 |
|
||
|
348,000
-53,500
|
-53,500 |
|
||
Final Three Hands
Level 17
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
The tournament staff have announced there will be three more hands played tonight.
Max Pressure from Smith
Level 17
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
With three players seeing a board of J♠7♥6♠ and roughly 60,000 already in the middle, Robert Heidorn checked in the big blind and Oleg Netaliev checked from under the gun. Mark Smith bet 28,000 only for Heidorn to check-raise to 84,000. Netaliev got out of the way and Smith moved all in, covering Heidorn who with roughly 560,000 behind already had an above-average stack himself.
Heidorn took about 30 seconds before deciding to fold and Smith was awarded a sizable pot without having to see a flop.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,640,000
120,000
|
120,000 |
|
|
795,000
200,000
|
200,000 |
|
558,000
291,000
|
291,000 |
Gulseven Puts in the Last Bet
Level 17
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
Erdal Gulseven opened in middle position to 16,000 before the action moved to Selahaddin Bedir on the button who called and Alisa Sibgatova defended her big blind.
The Q♠3♦A♠ flop hit the felt and the action checked to Gulseven who continued for 10,000. Both of his opponents called.
The 6♥ turn landed and the action slowed down and checked through to a 9♣ river.
Sibgatova checked and then Gulseven stepped back on the gas with a bet of 35,000. Unfortunately, if this was a value bet it would get no more action and Gulseven scooped after both of his opponents mucked.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
410,000
250,000
|
250,000 |
|
360,000
-177,000
|
-177,000 |
|
320,000
-450,000
|
-450,000 |
Small Pair Does the Job for Karaliunas
Level 17
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
With three players seeing a board of 3♣6♣3♥ and roughly 50,000 already in the middle, Simas Karaliunas checked in the big blind and Christos Leantzis checked from early position.
Dmitry Gromov bet 25,000 from the cutoff and received a call from Karaliunas while Leantzis made the call.
The two remaining players checked both the Q♣ turn and 2♠ river. Karaliunas tabled 5♣5♠ which was good enough to take the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,070,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
|
672,000
467,000
|
467,000 |
Level: 17
Blinds: 3,000/6,000
Ante: 6,000