$2,200 Merit Poker Cup Day 1bc | 2024 Merit Poker Carmen Series

03-28-2024 15:57 UTC+3

Priestley Knocks Out Yildizhan

Ryan Lashmar

Level 3 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

Dmitry Gromov opened to 2,000 under the gun and was called by Sinead Priestley in early position. A player in the hijack three-bet to 8,000 before Ekin Yildizhan four-bet shoved for just over 25,000. Gromov got out of the way before Priestley, who covered Yildizhan slightly, moved all in, forcing out the player in the hijack and putting Yildizhan at risk.

Ekin Yildizhan: 7♣7♦ All in
Sinead Priestley: 10♦10♥

Priestley was in excellent shape with the bigger pocket pair and remained ahead on the 5♥3♥9♠Q♦K♥ runout to secure more than a full double up while Yildizhan made his exit from the tournament area.

Player	Chips	Progress
Dmitry Gromov	101,000 3,000	3,000

Sinead Priestley	81,000 3,000	3,000
Ekin Yildizhan	Busted

Tags: Dmitry Gromov Sinead Priestley

03-28-2024 15:42 UTC+3

Sibgatova Takes from Bortsov

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 3 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

Sergey Bortsov opened to 3,200 from the cutoff and received calls from Mario Scalia on the button, Alisa Sibgatova in the small blind and a player in the big blind.

The flop came 5♠4♠2♦ and action checked around to Bortsov who bet 7,000. Sibgatova made the call while Scalia and the big blind got out of the way.

Sibgatova lead the K♣ turn with a bet of 7,500 that was called by Bortsov.

Both players checked the A♠ river. Bortsov tabled 7♥6♦ for a missed draw. Sibgatova showed down 6♣3♥ for a flopped straight to take the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mario Scalia	199,000 3,000	3,000
Alisa Sibgatova	118,000 6,000	6,000
Sergey Bortsov	83,300 14,700	14,700

Tags: Alisa Sibgatova Mario Scalia Sergey Bortsov

03-28-2024 15:28 UTC+3

Assorted Chip Counts After First Break

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 3 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Vadim Volkhonskiy	260,000 32,000	32,000
Denis Zelenkin	244,000 144,000	144,000
Mario Scalia	202,000 202,000	202,000
Ali Zebarjad	172,000 88,000	88,000
Georges Hanna	140,000 40,000	40,000
Nikolay Fal	122,500 122,500	122,500

Alisa Sibgatova	112,000 23,900	23,900
Bakhos Joumaa	110,000 110,000	110,000
Andrey Pateychuk	103,100 103,100	103,100

Giorgiy Skhulukhiya	100,000 100,000	100,000
Andrey Litvinov	99,000 99,000	99,000
Dmitry Gromov	98,000 200	200

Level: 3

Blinds: 500/1,000

Ante: 1,000

03-28-2024 15:04 UTC+3

Break Time

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 2 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

Players are now on their first 15-minute break of the day. The field has grown to 73 total entrants of which 69 players remain.

03-28-2024 14:55 UTC+3

Become a Bigger Part of the Action With MyStack by PokerNews

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 2 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

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03-28-2024 14:48 UTC+3

Priestley Shoves the Turn

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 2 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

With three players seing a board of 6♣Q♥3♠, Sinead Priestley checked in the big blind and Sergey Bortsov checked from middle position. Miad Shakiba bet 3,000 from the hijack and was called by both opponents.

Action checked around to Shakiba again on the K♠ turn and he sized up with a bet of 15,500. Priestley moved all in for roughly 45,000 and both Bortsov and Shakiba opted to fold.

Player	Chips	Progress
Sergey Bortsov	98,000 2,000	2,000
Miad Shakiba	82,000 28,000	28,000
Sinead Priestley	78,000 22,000	22,000

Tags: Miad Shakiba Sergey Bortsov Sinead Priestley

03-28-2024 14:30 UTC+3

Shakiba Takes Multiway Pot

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 2 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

Alisa Sibgatova opened to 1,200 from early position and received calls from Miad Shakiba in the cutoff and Dmitry Gromov in the big blind.

The flop came J♠3♥8♥. Gromov checked, Sibgatova bet 2,500, Shakiba called and Gromov folded.

On the 8♦ turn Sibgatova bet 5,500 only for Shakiba to raise to 15,500. Sibgatova opted to fold and Shakiba took the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Miad Shakiba	110,000 110,000	110,000
Dmitry Gromov	98,200 98,200	98,200

Alisa Sibgatova	88,100 11,900	11,900

Tags: Alisa Sibgatova Dmitry Gromov Miad Shakiba

03-28-2024 14:09 UTC+3

Volkhonskiy Delivers the Ultimate Cooler

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 2 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

In a preflop confrontation, Georgios Skarparis found himself all in for roughly a starting stack of 100,000 and was up against Vadim Volkhonskiy who covered him.

Georgios Skarparis: A♠A♣ All in
Vadim Volkhonskiy: K♦K♥

Volkhonskiy had the second-best possible starting hand but was in bad shape against Skarparis' pocket aces. That all changed when Volkhonskiy drilled top set on the K♠J♠4♦ flop leaving Skarparis drawing only to an ace or running spades. Skarparis found no help on the 6♥ turn or Q♣ river and made his exit from the table while Vilkhonskiy dragged in a massive early pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Vadim Volkhonskiy	228,000 228,000	228,000
Georgios Skarparis	Busted

Tags: Georgios Skarparis Vadim Volkhonskiy

Level: 2

Blinds: 400/800

Ante: 800