Ryan Mandara, Paul Browne Back Near the Top on Day 2 of the $2,200 Warm Up
History repeated itself on Day 2 of the Merit Poker Western Series $2,200 Warm Up.
Paul Browne and Ryan Mandara entered the day as the two top stacks. They finished it right back where they started, near the top of the leaderboard each with 1,200,000 as 102 survivors have made it through to tomorrow's Day 3. They're looking up only at Valeriy Pak, who bagged a chip-leading stack of 1,320,000.
Maxime Chilaud, who won a high roller here at Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino in November, is also part of the million-chip club after bagging up 1,121,000. He is joined by Andrew Hulme (1,068,000) and Jamie Nixon (1,002,000) as the top stacks heading into Day 3.
Top 10 chip counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Valeriy Pak | Belarus | 1,320,000 | 132 |
| 2 | Ryan Mandara | United Kingdom | 1,200,000 | 120 |
| 3 | Paul Browne | United Kingdom | 1,200,000 | 120 |
| 4 | Maxime Chilaud | France | 1,121,000 | 112 |
| 5 | Andrew Hulme | United Kingdom | 1,068,000 | 107 |
| 6 | Valentin Tsoy | Uzbekistan | 1,021,000 | 102 |
| 7 | Zaid Al-Khashab | Iran | 1,002,000 | 100 |
| 8 | Jamie Nixon | United Kingdom | 1,002,000 | 100 |
| 9 | Nariman Yaghmai | Iran | 993,000 | 99 |
| 10 | Arie Kliper | Israel | 934,000 | 93 |
Other notable players still alive in the tournament include Bartlomiej Swieboda (881,000), Day 1b chip leader Ermanno Di Nicola (847,000), and Michael Lech (425,000). Katherina Aristotelos was the beneficiary of a fortunate runout when she hit a running full house to crack a set and double up, finishing the day with 627,000. Some of the players who weren't as lucky to survive Day 2 include Uri Reichenstein, Joseph Hebert, and Ugur Secilmis.
A total of 523 entries into the event generated a prize pool of $962,320. Only the top 62 players will finish in the money, so plenty of unhappy players will head home with nothing when play resumes tomorrow at noon local time.
PokerNews will be on hand throughout Day 3 as the field reaches the money bubble and plays onward to the final table and the eventual crowning of a new champion in North Cyprus.
an Nixon continued for 45,000. His opponent called as both players checked the 
turn.
and the hijack led out for 75,000. Nixon snap-called as he was shown 
. Nixon, though, turned over 
to take the pot.
. Timur Margolin, in middle position, then shoved all in for 172,000.
for top pair. Margolin showed 
and Munteanu needed help to survive.
and Munteanu, who was barely covered, was eliminated.
when Aristotelos got her last 250,000 in the middle from the big blind.
for top pair and a flush draw.
on the river to make a running full house as the table let out a collective gasp.
, when David bet around 10,000 from under the gun. Hershkovich called in the big blind.
for a set and Hershkovich showed 
for a smaller set as he hit the rail.
when Alexander Lakhov put in 65,000 from the button. Ermanno Di Nicola called from the blinds, as did Samir Mrad under the gun.
for a rivered flush to take the side pot. Mrad, though, turned over 
for a higher flush to earn a triple up.
. Evgenii Korchagin called in the hijack as they saw the 
for top pair, but Lech had 
, but Hulme had 
and Hulme doubled up.
on the turn, when Margolin moved all in for 74,500.
for a pair of tens, while Kokkiliaris, who spent the entire hand pacing around the table, opened up 
