$3,300 Main Event Day 1b | 2024 Merit Poker Carmen Series

03-22-2024 14:30 UTC+2

Assorted Chip Counts after First Break

Ryan Lashmar

Level 3 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Mario Scalia	260,500 260,500	260,500
Sergey Baranski	212,000 7,000	7,000
Mark Smith (UK)	199,000 199,000	199,000
Yunsheng Sun	166,000 166,000	166,000
Eduard Norel	152,000 152,000	152,000
Andrei Spataru	147,000 147,000	147,000
Christos Leantzis	131,000 26,000	26,000
Aleksandr Kirichenko	103,000 103,000	103,000
Fabio Peluso	100,000 100,000	100,000

Aylar Lie	100,000 100,000	100,000
Damir Gabdullin	98,000 98,000	98,000
Hadi Khordbin	96,000 96,000	96,000
Nikolay Fal	87,000 87,000	87,000

Andrei Daniliuk	76,500 76,500	76,500
Dmitry Gromov	72,000 72,000	72,000

Level: 3

Blinds: 400/800

Ante: 800

03-22-2024 14:04 UTC+2

Break Time

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Ryan Lashmar

Level 2 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Players are on their first 15-minute break of the day.

The field has grown to 102 total entrants of which 95 players remain.

03-22-2024 13:50 UTC+2

Share Your Thoughts About Our Live Coverage!

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Ryan Lashmar

Level 2 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Help PokerNews improve by taking part in our Live Event Coverage Survey!

Have your say while helping to improve your experience with us. The survey takes just a few minutes to complete, so be sure to share your thoughts.

Take our short survey here

03-22-2024 13:33 UTC+2

Burlacu Forces Two Folds

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Ryan Lashmar

Level 2 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Robert Burlacu opened to 1,500 from middle position and received calls from Sergey Baranski in the hijack and a player in the big blind.

The flop came K♥Q♥4♦ and action checked around to Baranski who bet 1,800. The big blind called only for Burlacu to put in a check-raise to 10,200, forcing a fold from both of his opponents.

Player	Chips	Progress
Sergey Baranski	205,000
Robert Burlacu	108,000

Tags: Robert Burlacu Sergey Baranski

03-22-2024 13:16 UTC+2

Shakiba Shows Down Queens

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Ryan Lashmar

Level 2 : 300/600, 600 ante

Christos Leantzis opened to 1,200 from under the gun and Miad Shakiba three-bet to 4,300 from the next seat over. A player in middle position then four-bet to 9,500, forcing Leantzis out of the pot while Shakiba made the call.

The flop came 8♦7♣2♥. The early position player checked and called a 6,500 bet from Shakiba.

Both players checked the 4♦ turn leading to the 6♣ river, Shakiba bet 7,800 and was called by his opponent.

Shakiba turned over Q♦Q♠ for an overpair which was good enough to take down the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Miad Shakiba	123,000 123,000	123,000
Christos Leantzis	105,000 105,000	105,000

Tags: Christos Leantzis Miad Shakiba

Level: 2

Blinds: 300/600

Ante: 600

03-22-2024 12:54 UTC+2

Bortsov Makes the Right Call

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Ryan Lashmar

Level 1 : 200/500, 500 ante

Anatoly Nikitin opened to 1,200 from under the gun and received calls from a player in the small blind and Sergey Bortsov in the big blind.

The flop came Q♣10♠9♠ and action checked around to Nikitin who fired a 2,200 continuation bet. The player in the small blind got out of the way while Bortsov made the call.

Both remaining players checked the 9♦ turn leading to the 8♦ river. Bortsov checked, Nikitin bet 8,000 and Bortsov called.

Nikitin tabled 8♣7♣ for Eights and Nines after missing his straight draw. Bortsov showed down Q♥5♠ for a better two pair to take the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Sergey Bortsov	114,000 14,000	14,000
Anatoly Nikitin	85,000 15,000	15,000

Tags: Anatoly Nikitin Sergey Bortsov

03-22-2024 12:35 UTC+2

Hot Start for Tot after Brutal Cooler

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Ryan Lashmar

Level 1 : 200/500, 500 ante

Darius Samual had raised from the hijack versus an early position limper and received a call from a late position player before Aleksandar Tot three-bet from the small blind. Samuel made the call while the other two players got out of the way.

Samual called a small continuation bet from Tot on the Q♦10♣7♦ flop creating a pot of 47,000 heading into the Q♥ turn. Tot checked, Samual bet 20,000 and Tot called.

On the 2♠ river Tot checked again and Samual bet 27,200, leaving a single white T-25,000 chip behind. Tot moved all in with a covering stack and Samual made the call.

Samuel showed A♥A♦ for aces up but Tot turned over Q♠Q♣ for quad queens to score the early knockout and a full double up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Aleksandar Tot	201,000 101,000	101,000
Darius Samual	Busted

Tags: Aleksandar Tot Darius Samual

03-22-2024 12:21 UTC+2

Sancak Calls Down Graf

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Ryan Lashmar

Level 1 : 200/500, 500 ante

With two players seeing a board of 7♠9♣A♥6♣ and roughly 3,500 in the middle, Viktor Graf bet 1,000 from the small blind and Mustafa Sancak called from the button.

On the 5♣ river Graf bet again, this time for 2,400 and once again Sancak made the call.

Graf could only show K♠3♠ for a bluff while Sancak turned over 10♣10♦ for a pair of tens to take the pot.