$10,500 High Roller | 2023 Merit Poker Retro Series

08-12-2023 23:54 UTC+2

Uri Reichenstein Eliminated In 2nd Place ($246,300)

Maxime Taldir

Level 31 : Blinds 125,000/250,000, 250,000 ante

On the button, Damir Zhugralin opened to 600,000. Then in the big blind, Uri Reichenstein moved all in for 5,785,000. Zhugralin snap-called.

Uri Reichenstein: K♣J♠
Damir Zhugralin: Q♣Q♦

A queen came on the flop 2♣Q♦K♦ to give Zhugralin a set, but Reichenstein still had a straight draw. The turn K♦ didn't change anything. Finally, the 4♥ completed the board, and ended the tournament.

After an amazing comeback in heads up, Damir Zhugralin is crowned the winner of the 2023 Merit Poker Retro Series $10,500 High Roller and wins $350,000. Finishing second, Uri Reichenstein goes back home with $246,300.

Stay tuned on PokerNews for the full recap of the event !

Player	Chips	Progress
Damir Zhugralin	15,300,000 6,700,000	6,700,000
Uri Reichenstein	Busted

Tags: Damir Zhugralin Uri Reichenstein

08-12-2023 22:04 UTC+2

Milos Petakovic Eliminated In 4th Place ($117,600)

Maxime Taldir

Level 27 : Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante

With the shortest stack of the remaining players (655,000 chips), Milos Petakovic moved all in from the button and was called by Uri Reichenstein in the big blind.

Milos Petakovic: A♥3♦
Uri Reichenstein: A♣2♦

The dealer revealed a board of 9♠K♥9♣5♣A♠, and the pot was split.

On the following hand, Petakovic, sitting in the cutoff, went all in again for 730,000 chips. This time, he was called by the big blind, Mustafa Biz.

Milos Petakovic: J♥10♦
Mustafa Biz: A♣7♣

On 9♠7♠7♥K♠10♣, Petakovic stayed behind all the way through. As a result, Petakovic finished this High Roller in 4th place, earning $117,600.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mustafa Biz	2,500,000 1,150,000	1,150,000
Milos Petakovic	Busted

Tags: Milos Petakovic Mustafa Biz Uri Reichenstein

08-12-2023 21:47 UTC+2

Denis Kapustin Eliminated In 5th Place ($88,500)

Maxime Taldir

Level 27 : Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante

Uri Reichenstein opened from the button to 200,000. In the big blind, Denis Kapustin took a long moment to think about his decision. And he eventually shoved for 2,405,000. Reichenstein snap-called.

Denis Kapustin: 9♣8♣
Uri Reichenstein: A♠K♥

Once again, Reichenstein hit top pair on the flop 8♠6♦A♥, and two pairs on the turn K♦. The 4♠ completed the board and Kapustin finished fifth for $88,500.

Already chipleader before the break, Reichenstein now have almost 10 millions chips,more than three times the second stack.

Player	Chips	Progress
Uri Reichenstein	9,700,000 2,800,000	2,800,000
Denis Kapustin	Busted

Tags: Denis Kapustin Uri Reichenstein

08-12-2023 21:38 UTC+2

Maxime Chilaud Eliminated In 6th Place ($70,900)

Maxime Taldir

Level 27 : Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante

Maxime Chilaud (Photo Caroline Darcourt - Winamax)

After the restart, Damir Zhugralin opened to 200,000 from the hijack. In the cutoff, Uri Reichenstein three-bet to 525,000. But they weren't done yet because Maxime Chilaud in the big blind moved all in for 890,000 chips. Zhugralin with A♠Q♥ chose to fold, and Reichenstein called.

Maxime Chilaud: 9♠9♦
Uri Reichenstein: K♥4♥

A king appeared directly on the flop Q♣6♥K♣. From that point, Reichenstein had a better pair, and the best two pairs after the turn 6♠ and the river 5♠. Chilaud will not win another tournament in Cyprus this time, and he finished 6th for $70,900.

Player	Chips	Progress
Uri Reichenstein	6,900,000 1,415,000	1,415,000
Maxime Chilaud	Busted

Tags: Maxime Chilaud Uri Reichenstein Damir Zhugralin

08-12-2023 20:30 UTC+2

Sonny Franco Eliminated In 7th Place ($59,100)

Maxime Taldir

Level 26 : Blinds 40,000/80,000, 80,000 ante

Under the gun, Sonny Franco opened to 275,000 chips, more than half his stack. In the hijack, Uri Reichenstein three-bet to 475,000, and Franco just called.

On 7♠7♣5♠, the French player added his last 170,000 chips in the pot, and Reichenstein called.

Sonny Franco: 6♦6♣
Uri Reichenstein: A♠Q♥

Franco was worried about the "ace of spades" of Reichenstein. And he had reasons to worry because Reichenstein hit a pair thanks to the turn A♥. The 4♥ completed the board and Franco was eliminated in 7th place for $59,100.

Player	Chips	Progress
Uri Reichenstein	5,600,000 600,000	600,000
Sonny Franco	Busted

Tags: Sonny Franco Uri Reichenstein

08-12-2023 20:16 UTC+2

Hassan Barakat Eliminated In 8th Place ($47,500)

Maxime Taldir

Level 25 : 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante

All in with his single 5,000 chip left, Hassan Barakat was a mere spectator when Denis Kapustin raised from the button to 160,000. Milos Petakovic called from the big blind, and a J♥3♦6♦ flop appeared on the felt.

On this first street, Kapustin bet 100,000, and was once again called. He raised his bet to 225,000 on the turn 4♣. But this time, Petakovic folded his A♣9♥.

Hassan Barakat: K♣6♣
Denis Kapustin: J♠7♠

Kapustin was in the lead with his pair of jacks. And he maintained his lead after the river 5♥, which gave him a straight. Finishing 8th, Barakat won $47,500.

Player	Chips	Progress
Denis Kapustin	2,400,000 350,000	350,000
Hassan Barakat	Busted

Tags: Denis Kapustin Hassan Barakat Milos Petakovic

08-12-2023 19:48 UTC+2

Daniel Kyosev Eliminated In 9th Place ($35,700)

Maxime Taldir

Level 25 : Blinds 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante

From early position, Day 1 chipleader Daniel Kyosev moved all in for 530,000 chips. He received a call from Uri Reichenstein on the button. The blinds folded, and both players flipped their cards.

Daniel Kyosev: A♠K♠
Uri Reichenstein: Q♥Q♦

A queen came on the flop 6♦3♦Q♠, giving a set to Reichenstein, and even a full house after the turn 3♥. The river brought the 8♥, and Kyosev left the final table in 9th place, winning $35,700.

Player	Chips	Progress
Uri Reichenstein	4,100,000 400,000	400,000
Daniel Kyosev	Busted

Tags: Daniel Kyosev Uri Reichenstein

08-12-2023 17:35 UTC+2

Aleksandr Chernikov Eliminated In 10th Place ($26,300)

Maxime Taldir

Level 24 : Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante

On the secondary table, Damir Zhugralin opened to 125,000 from the button, and Aleksandr Chernikov shoved for almost 1,300,000 chips. Zhugralin made the call.

Aleksandr Chernikov: Q♦8♦
Damir Zhugralin: J♠J♣

Already the 20th the $2,200 Warm-Up event, Chernikov signs another deeprun in the 2023 Merit Poker Retro Series. However, he didn't reach the final table because the board 3♥4♣A♥2♦K♦ kept Zhugralin in the lead. For his 10th place, Chernikov wins $26,300.

Player	Chips	Progress
Damir Zhugralin	2,815,000 1,225,000	1,225,000
Aleksandr Chernikov	Busted

Tags: Aleksandr Chernikov Damir Zhugralin

08-12-2023 17:30 UTC+2

Rustam Khamatgareev Eliminated In 11th Place ($26,300)

Maxime Taldir

Level 23 : Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante

Hassan Barakat, in the cutoff, shoved 570,000 chips. Everybody folded to Rustam Khamatgareev in the big blind, who took a long moment before eventually calling with a very short stack of 170,000 chips.

Rustam Khamatgareev: K♠8♥
Hassan Barakat: A♣K♣

Khamatgareev seemed to know he was going to be eliminated. And that's exactly what happened on the board 5♥7♣Q♣A♥J♠. He left the tournament in 11th place for $26,300.

Player	Chips	Progress
Hassan Barakat	805,000 15,000	15,000
Rustam Khamatgareev	Busted

Tags: Hassan Barakat Rustam Khamatgareev

08-12-2023 17:15 UTC+2

Kemal Aslan Eliminated In 12th Place ($26,300)

Maxime Taldir

Level 23 : Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante

After he doubled up after the break, Kemal Aslan shoved a second time for 125,000 chips from the small blind. Daniel Kyosev in the big blind called, and Rustam Khamatgareev, who had opened to 80,000 in the hijack, also called.

Kyosev and Khamatgareev checked on the flop 10♣5♦Q♥ and the turn 6♠. But when Kyosev bet on the river K♠, Khamatgareev immediately folded.

Kemal Aslan: 2♥2♦
Daniel Kyosev: J♦9♦

Aslan had no chance because Kyosev hit a straight on the river. Kemal Aslan was eliminated in 12th place, earning $26,300.