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

08-12-2023 16:05 UTC+2

Oleg Ustinovich Eliminated In 15th Place ($21,800)

Maxime Taldir

Level 21 : Blinds 10,000/25,000, 25,000 ante

At the secondary table, Oleg Ustinovich and his stack of 250,000 chips were called by Damir Zhugralin.

Oleg Ustinovich: K♦K♥
Damir Zhugralin: A♠Q♣

Ustinovich’s kings held on the flop 4♦6♦3♦ and on the turn 2♣. But the A♥ came on the river to give a pair of aces to Zhugralin and send Ustinovich to the rail. Finishing 15th, Ustinovich wins.

Player	Chips	Progress
Damir Zhugralin	1,700,000 235,000	235,000
Oleg Ustinovich	Busted

Tags: Damir Zhugralin Oleg Ustinovich

Level: 22

Blinds: 15,000/30,000

Ante: 30,000

08-12-2023 16:08 UTC+2

Nikolay Ponomarev Eliminated In 14th Place ($21,800)

Maxime Taldir

Level 22 : Blinds 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante

In the cutoff, Nikolay Ponomarev moved all in for 220,000 chips. Mustafa Biz on the button called, and the blinds folded.

Nikolay Ponomarev: J♠J♥
Mustafa Biz: 8♥8♠

Ponomarev was in a very good position to double up after the flop 5♥A♠6♦. But a terrible 8♣ came on the turn, giving Biz a set. The 7♠ landed on the river, leading to Ponomarev’s elimination.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mustafa Biz	1,800,000 340,000	340,000
Nikolay Ponomarev	Busted

Tags: Mustafa Biz Nikolay Ponomarev

08-12-2023 16:25 UTC+2

Franco Doubles Through Chernikov

Maxime Taldir

Level 22 : Blinds 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante

Aleksandr Chernikov opened from the hijack, then Sonny Franco in the cutoff three-bet with almost all of his stack of 400,000 chips. Chernikov re-raised to force him to go all in. Franco waited a few seconds to see if there was an elimination at the other table, and he eventually called.

Sonny Franco: A♥10♦
Aleksandr Chernikov: A♦Q♦

Once again, Franco was on the edge of elimination against Chernikov. But once more, he was lucky enough to hit a flush on the river on 6♥9♥4♦K♥Q♥ to double up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Aleksandr Chernikov	2,000,000 -250,000	-250,000
Sonny Franco	850,000 380,000	380,000

Tags: Aleksandr Chernikov Sonny Franco

08-12-2023 16:38 UTC+2

Petakovic With Nines

Maxime Taldir

Level 22 : Blinds 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante

From early position, Milos Petakovic raised to 60,000 chips. However, George Alahwal on the button wanted more, so he three-bet all in to 960,000 chips. Petakovic looked at his cards again and called.

George Alahwal: 7♥7♠
Milos Petakovic: 9♣9♥

The board 5♦8♣J♦6♠5♠ didn't change the situation, and Petakovic doubled up to 1,400,000 chips, leaving Alahwal short with 320,000 chips.

Player	Chips	Progress
Milos Petakovic	1,400,000 605,000	605,000
George Alahwal	320,000 -580,000	-580,000

Tags: George Alahwal Milos Petakovic

08-12-2023 16:43 UTC+2

Players On A Break

Maxime Taldir

Level 22 : Blinds 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante

There are 13 players left at the end of Level 23. The remaining players just stood up to go on a 10-minute break.

08-12-2023 16:47 UTC+2

Updated Chip Counts

Maxime Taldir

Level 22 : Blinds 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Mustafa Biz	2,235,000 435,000	435,000
Uri Reichenstein	2,145,000 -15,000	-15,000
Aleksandr Chernikov	1,790,000 -210,000	-210,000
Maxime Chilaud	1,615,000 -225,000	-225,000
Damir Zhugralin	1,590,000 -110,000	-110,000
Denis Kapustin	1,415,000 -85,000	-85,000
Milos Petakovic	1,395,000 -5,000	-5,000
Hassan Barakat	790,000 130,000	130,000
Sonny Franco	775,000 -75,000	-75,000
Daniel Kyosev	730,000 -75,000	-75,000
Rustam Khamatgareev	540,000 195,000	195,000
George Alahwal	320,000
Kemal Aslan	155,000 -285,000	-285,000

Level: 23

Blinds: 20,000/40,000

Ante: 40,000

08-12-2023 17:00 UTC+2

George Alahwal Eliminated In 13th Place ($21,800)

Maxime Taldir

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

On the very first hand after the break, George Alahwal moved all in for 220,000 from early position. In the small blind, Milos Petakovic reshoved, and the big blind folded.

George Alahwal: K♥J♠
Milos Petakovic: A♠J♣

A king could save Alahwal. However, the only figure card on the board was a jack on 10♠3♠2♦J♦A♣, leading to Alahwal's elimination in 13th place for $21,800.

Player	Chips	Progress
Milos Petakovic	1,700,000 305,000	305,000
George Alahwal	Busted

Tags: George Alahwal Milos Petakovic

08-12-2023 17:12 UTC+2

Big Pot Between Chipleaders

Maxime Taldir

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

On a A♠9♥7♥8♦2♦ board, Mustafa Biz seemed to struggle after Uri Reichenstein, in middle position, bet 585,000 chips on the river.

According to Reichenstein, he opened preflop with 80,000. Biz then three-bet to 250,000. Aleksandr Chernikov in the small blind called, as did Reichenstein.

Biz bet 250,000 again on the flop. Only Reichenstein called to see the turn, where the two players in the pot checked.

BAck to the river, Biz finally decided to fold and let this one million-chip pot to Reichenstein.