$5,300 High Roller
Day 3 Started
2023 Merit Poker Western Series
$5,300 High Roller
Day: 3
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 3
2023 Merit Poker Western Series
Buy-in
$5,300
Prize Pool
$676,200
Entries
147
Level
31
Blinds
125,000 / 250,000
Ante
250,000
Entries
17
Players Left
1
Day 3 Seat Draw
| Table | Seat | Player | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
| 1 | 1 | Toni Kaukua | 1,490,000 | 37 |
| 1 | 2 | Viktor Ustimov | 468,000 | 12 |
| 1 | 3 | Giorgiy Shkulukhiya | 515,000 | 13 |
| 1 | 4 | Koray Korkmaz | 235,000 | 6 |
| 1 | 5 | [Removed:446] | 405,000 | 10 |
| 1 | 6 | Iulian-Remus Blebea | 805,000 | 20 |
| 2 | 1 | Andreas Christofouro | 1,100,000 | 28 |
| 2 | 2 | Dawid Kuliberda | 685,000 | 17 |
| 2 | 3 | Recep Aydemir | 150,000 | 4 |
| 2 | 4 | Jack Sinclair | 140,000 | 4 |
| 2 | 5 | Yauhen Kontush | 1,035,000 | 26 |
| 2 | 6 | Mihai Niste | 350,000 | 9 |
| 3 | 1 | Joseph Mouwad | 350,000 | 9 |
| 3 | 2 | Roman Kolotiuk | 1,310,000 | 33 |
| 3 | 3 | Osman Ilhamur | 2,010,000 | 50 |
| 3 | 4 | Jenya Gavrilovich | 1,450,000 | 36 |
| 3 | 5 | Fausto Tantillo | 2,260,000 | 57 |
17 Players Return at 6 p.m. For Day 3 of $5,300 High Roller
Day 2 of the Merit Poker Western Series $5,300 High Roller will conclude this evening as the 17 remaining players out of a field of 147 will battle for the $170,000 grand prize out of the $676,200 prizepool. All of the remaining players are now in the money and will look to maximize their winnings. Play begins at 6 p.m. at the sparkling Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino
Fausto Tantillo (2,260,000) of Palermo, Italy enters the day as the chip leader. The Sicilian has just over $500,000 in career earnings thus far with his largest single result being $85,000, which he will surpass if he finishes in the top two slots.
Right behind him to start the day in second place is Osman Ihlamur (2,010,000) of Turkey. He has a very comparable resume to Tantillo with close to the same amount of career earnings (~$534,000) and a similar career-best score of $72,000.
The two stacks are the only players who have above 50 big blinds and after them, there is a bit of a drop-off where the top five stacks are rounded out by Toni Kaukua (1,490,000), Jenya Gavrilovich (1,450,000) and Roman Kolotiuk (1,300,000).
Players Remaining By Chip Count
| Position | Player | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fausto Tantillo | 2,260,000 | 57 |
| 2 | Osman Ihlamur | 2,010,000 | 50 |
| 3 | Toni Kaukua | 1,490,000 | 37 |
| 4 | Jenya Gavrilovich | 1,450,000 | 36 |
| 5 | Roman Kolotiuk | 1,310,000 | 33 |
| 6 | Andreas Christoforou | 1,100,000 | 28 |
| 7 | Yauhen Kontush | 1,035,000 | 26 |
| 8 | Iulian-Remus Blebea | 805,000 | 20 |
| 9 | Dawid Kuliberda | 685,000 | 17 |
| 10 | Giorgiy Skhulukhiya | 515,000 | 13 |
| 11 | Viktor Ustimov | 468,000 | 12 |
| 12 | [Removed:446] | 405,000 | 10 |
| 13 | Mihai Niste | 350,000 | 9 |
| 14 | Joseph Mouwad | 350,000 | 9 |
| 15 | Koray Korkmaz | 235,000 | 6 |
| 16 | Recep Aydemir | 150,00 | 4 |
| 17 | Jack Sinclair | 140,000 | 4 |
The stacks are all pretty shallow and clumped together in the bottom half of the chip counts, so there is expected to be a lot of jostling for position with well-timed preflop jams and calls.
North Cyprus regular players Koray Korkmaz (235,000) and Recep Aydemir (150,000) are two of the shortest stacks to enter the day and will be looking to move up quickly, while Jack Sinclair (140,000) is the shortest stack to start the day with only a handful of big blinds.
Play will start at 6 p.m. with 32 minutes remaining in Level 23 with blinds at 20,000/40,000/40,000. Live streaming will start once the final table is reached and updates will be delayed in tune with the stream at that point.
Stay tuned, as PokerNews will be there for live updates at the start of play before moving to follow the live streaming at the final table.
Start Slightly Delayed
The players are getting prepared for the streaming table and unpacking their chips as play will be starting soon.
Level: 23
Blinds: 20,000/40,000
Ante: 40,000
Shuffle Up and Deal
Level 23
: Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante
Day 3 is underway with the button in seat 1 to start the night.
Jack Sinclair Eliminated in 17th Place ($9,200)
Level 23
: Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante
On the feature streaming table, Jack Sinclair jammed the 
under the gun and was called by the 
of Mihai Niste.
The board ran out 
and Sinclair was eliminated on the first hand of the day.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
490,000 | 140,000 |
|
Busted |
Jenya Gavrilovich Eliminated in 16th Place ($9,200)
Level 23
: Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante
There was a big hand brewing between two of the largest stacks on table 3 as the pot had at least 800,000 in it on the turn as the board read 
. Fausto Tanillo bet 275,000 from under the gun and was called by Jenya Gavrilovich in the big blind.
The river was the 
. Tantillo jammed all in to put a massive decision in the hands of Gavrilovich who sat back and immediately put forward all of his time banks, indicating that a long tank was to come.
He stood up, just as he had done late in Day 2 and peered over the table to assess the situation. He played with chips in his hands. Eventually he called.
Tantillo tabled the 
for top pair which out-kicked Gavrilovich who had the 
and just like that he was gone in 16th place.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
3,710,000 | 1,450,000 |
|
Busted |
Recep Aydemir Eliminated in 15th Place ($10,700)
Level 23
: Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante
Recep Aydemir jammed the 
for his few big blinds left from the small blind. Joseph Mouwad was in the big blind with the 
and called.
The flop came 
. The turn was the to give Mouwad a flush and leave Aydemir drawing dead as the river changed nothing and he was eliminated in 15th place.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
500,000 | 150,000 |
|
Busted |
Kormaz Gets a Small Double
Level 23
: Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante
Koray Korkmaz was all in from the big blind for just over two big blinds.
Koray Korkmaz: 
Toni Kaukua:
The flop hit Korkmaz as it came 
, the turn was the 
and the river came the to secure his small double up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
1,330,000 | -160,000 |
|
190,000 | -45,000 |