2023 Merit Poker Gangster Series

$3,300 Main Event
Day: 3
Event Info

2023 Merit Poker Gangster Series

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
a9
Prize
$295,500
Event Info
Buy-in
$3,300
Prize Pool
$1,562,160
Entries
566
Level Info
Level
36
Blinds
250,000 / 500,000
Ante
500,000
Players Info - Day 3
Entries
96
Players Left
21

$3,300 Main Event

Day 3 Started

Day 3 Seat Draw

TableSeatPlayerChip CountBig Blinds
11Alper Kerim629,00063
12Ahmed Slimen851,00085
13Nils Pudel998,000100
14Antoine Hasbani541,00054
15Mustafa Biz528,00053
16Christos Leantzis1,284,000128
17Mohamad El Siblani410,00041
18Naji Abdo206,00021
19Frederic Popot768,00077
     
21Lois Dufouleur639,00064
22Dmitry Gromov1,092,000109
23Hakan Karabalcik519,00052
24Andreas Mavrikioy334,00033
25Jun Yang217,00022
26Guiyang Wang334,00033
27Abdullah Akbarpoor781,00078
28Dmitry Yurasov500,00050
29Baris Caliskan280,00028
     
31Cengiz Seker366,00037
32Mehmet Samsa290,00029
33Can Miral775,00078
34Mantas Bagocius767,00077
35Michel Habib439,00044
36Walid Bou Habib483,00048
37Ghassan Khalil316,00032
38Erdal Gulseven345,00035
39Nikolay Losev475,00048
     
41Damir Gabdullin764,00076
42Baurzhan Akimov400,00040
43Jenya Gavrilovich315,00032
44Parahat Nurmuhammedov1,065,000107
45Mark Smith (UK)1,535,000154
46Nikolay Fal592,00059
47Adem Marjanovic368,00037
48Maksim Shornikau267,00027
49Edgard Raffoul288,00029
     
51Motokatsu Uhara296,00030
52Safi Haidar433,00043
53Maher Achour262,00026
54Justin Steinbrenner240,00024
55Selahaddin Bedir732,00073
56Mekan Yusupov900,00090
57Mikalai Vaskaboinikau1,269,000127
58Bassel Moussa397,00040
59Daniel Henriques454,00045
     
61Engin Sezerer401,00040
62Sinead Priestley552,00055
63Volodymyr Drokin670,00067
64Adrian State562,00056
65Halil Tasyurek510,00051
66Jakub Michalak567,00057
67Leonid Sidelkovskiy370,00037
68Tomasz Szczerbinski235,00024
69Adi Rajkovic529,00053
     
71Anatoly Korochenskiy630,00063
72Chakib M'Hiri830,00083
73Aleksandr Pak378,00038
74Simas Karaliunas1,300,000130
75Hadi Khordbin480,00048
76Pascal Hartman553,00055
77Hadi Khadra1,224,000122
78Georgio Azar236,00024
79Ege Guven519,00052
     
81Shuang Luo1,014,000101
82Alexey Popov1,301,000130
83Ivan Govorov243,00024
84Nuno Correia528,00053
85Zhao Cheng263,00026
86Victor Yugay998,000100
87Maksim Skripkin312,00031
88Ali Soleimanian86,0009
89Alain Hajj366,00037
     
91Guoliang Wei348,00035
92Florian Guimond86,0009
93Toby Joyce851,00085
94Marian Cantea172,00017
95Alisa Sibgatova331,00033
96Sebastian Ferreira618,00062
97Aleksei Petrov1,678,000168
98Iurii Saiapin630,00063
     
101Nikolay Tyurin315,00032
102Bogdan-Andrei Munteanu619,00062
103Razvan Sabau1,209,000121
104John One1,095,000110
105Oleg Netaliev798,00080
106Fabian Quoss660,00066
107Maximilian Wieser963,00096
108Iraklis Manikaros904,00090
     
111Robert Heidorn600,00060
112Issam Tannouri327,00033
113Yunsheng Sun856,00086
114Elias Abou Saleh103,00010
115Bulut Celik261,00026
116Romain Retiere703,00070
117Ihar Soika925,00093
118Antoine Labaky202,00020

Petrov Leads the Final 96 Players in Day 3 of $3,300 Main Event

Aleksei Petrov
Aleksei Petrov

The penultimate day is upon us in the 2023 Merit Poker Gangster Series $3,300 Main Event here at the Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino. Day 1a chip leader Aleksei Petrov both started Day 2 and finished Day 2 with the largest stack in the room and will have 1,678,000 chips going into Day 3 today, a stack worth 168 big blinds. Petrov is most closely followed by the United Kingdom's Mark Smith (1,535,000) and Russia's Alexey Popov (1,301,000).

Day 2 Top Ten Chip Counts

RankPlayerCountryChip CountBig Blinds
1Aleksei PetrovRussian Federation1,678,000168
2Mark SmithUnited Kingdom1,535,000154
3Alexey PopovRussian Federation1,301,000130
4Simas KaraliunasLithuania1,300,000130
5Christos LeantzisCyprus1,284,000128
6Mikalai VaskaboinikauBelarus1,269,000127
7Hadi KhadraLebanon1,224,000122
8Razvan SabauRomania1,209,000121
9John OneUnknown1,095,000110
10Dmitry GromovRussian Federation1,092,000109

Day 2 of the Main Event started with 195 survivors across the four Day 1 starting flights. Five more levels of late registration were available to start the day which attracted a further 119 entrants, bringing the total field size to 566 and generating a total prize pool of $1,562,160.

Some notable players to advance to 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).

Simas Karaliunas
Simas Karaliunas

Day 3 of the Main Event will start at 12:00 p.m. local time and play ten hour-long levels. The money bubble will burst today with the top 71 finishers being guaranteed at least a min-cash of $4,840 but all eyes will be on the title and top prize of $295,500. The blinds will start at 5,000/10,000 with a 10,000 big blind ante.

As always, stay tuned to PokerNews as we bring you all the updates for this event from the moment cards are in the air until a winner is crowned tomorrow, December 3 on the final day.

Level: 19

Blinds: 5,000/10,000

Ante: 10,000

Joyce Goes for It Early

Level 19 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
Toby Joyce
Toby Joyce

Toby Joyce opened in middle position to 20,000 before the action folded all the way to Guo Liang Wei in the big blind who defended.

The 95Q flop landed and the action checked to Joyce who continued for 17,000. Wei Called.

The K hit the turn and it was checked over to Joyce again. He sat in the tank for a moment and then sized up with a bet of 70,000.

Wei called again and the 7 river hit the felt and it was checked to Joyce for the last time. After about a full minute in the tank he emptied the clip and moved all in.

Wei thought it over for a bit but eventually he found a fold and Joyce scooped to gain some serious momentum to start the day.

Player Chips Progress
Toby Joyce ie
Toby Joyce
980,000
129,000
129,000
Guoliang Wei cn
Guoliang Wei
240,000
-108,000
-108,000
WSOP 1X Winner

Guimond Doubles Through the Chip Leader

Level 19 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

Aleksei Petrov had opened from the hijack before Florian Guimond moved all in from the small blind for 66,000. Petrov called with a covering stack to put Guimond at risk.

Florian Guimond: JJ
Aleksei Petrov: K7

The board ran out J6Q92. Guimond's set of jacks were good at showdown and he secured a full double up.

Player Chips Progress
Aleksei Petrov ru
Aleksei Petrov
1,590,000
-88,000
-88,000
Day 2 Chip Leader
Florian Guimond fr
Florian Guimond
157,000
71,000
71,000

Tags: Aleksei PetrovFlorian Guimond

Khalil Coolers Miral

Level 19 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

After a series of preflop raises, Ghassan Khalil found himself all in for roughly 290,000 against Can Miral who covered.

Can Miral: QQ
Ghassan Khalil: 1010

The board ran out Q4JAK. Miral had flopped a set but Khalil rivered the straight to secure a full double up.

Player Chips Progress
Ghassan Khalil lb
Ghassan Khalil
630,000
314,000
314,000
Can Miral tr
Can Miral
605,000
-170,000
-170,000

Tags: Can MiralGhassan Khalil

Ace High is Good

Level 19 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

Yunsheng Sun opened in middle position to 22,000 and got called in one spot when Romain Retiere defended his big blind.

The 942 flop checked through to a J turn and Retiere opted to lead for 30,000. Sun called.

The 3 landed on the river and action slowed back down and checked through.

Retiere tabled A7 and after a moment of examination, Sun mucked. Ace-high was good enough to scoop for Retiere.

Player Chips Progress
Yunsheng Sun cn
Yunsheng Sun
720,000
-136,000
-136,000
Romain Retiere fr
Romain Retiere
325,000
-378,000
-378,000

Tags: Romain RetiereYunsheng Sun

Correia Flushes Out Govorov

Level 19 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
Ivan Govorov
Ivan Govorov

Ivan Govorov opened to 22,000 from middle position and Nuno Correia three-bet to 60,000 from the hijack. Govorov made the call.

The flop came KQ5 and Govorov check-called a 32,000 continuation bet from Correia.

Govorov checked again on the J turn and Correia bet 80,000. Govorov moved all in for 450,000 and Correia snap-called with a covering stack.

Ivan Govorov: JJ
Nuno Correia: KQ

Govorov was ahead with a set of jacks but Correia had several outs with his two pair and flush draw. Correia drilled the flush on the 10 river to send Govorov to the rail and take down a sizable early pot.

Player Chips Progress
Nuno Correia pt
Nuno Correia
1,425,000
897,000
897,000
Ivan Govorov ru
Ivan Govorov
Busted

Tags: Ivan GovorovNuno Correia