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$1,100 IPO Master
Day 1a Completed
2024 Merit Poker Dolce Vita Series
$1,100 IPO Master
Day: 1a
Event Info
2024 Merit Poker Dolce Vita Series
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1a
Buy-in
$1,100
Prize Pool
$862,040
Total Entries
937
Level
34
Blinds
250,000 / 500,000
Ante
500,000
Entries
169
Players Left
71
Players Left 1 / 937
Filter
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Two massive pots, both against the same player who came to gamble, were enough to catapult Seyedali Hosseinirami to the chip lead on Day 1a of the $1,100 IPO Master.
Hosseinirami twice spiked a set in three-way all ins that also involved Hassan Nashar, the last a massive pot where Hosseinirami’s set of jacks sent Nashar and Alisa Sibgatova to the rail. That pot moved Hosseinirami up to 921,500 and atop the leaderboard as 71 players advanced out of a starting field of 169 on the opening day of the Merit Poker Dolce Vita Series festival.
Abdallah Eddine doubled up with a flopped full house, then made the nut straight to win a big pot off Federico Fulciniti. He finished with 857,500 and is looking up only at Hosseinirami in the chip counts. Other top stacks include Youssef Habib (510,000), Sergey Bortsov (486,000), 2023 Merit Poker Western Series runner-up Aleksandr Chernikov (417,000), and high roller Selahaddin Bedir (366,000).
Day 1a Top 10 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seyedali Hosseinirami | Iran | 921,500 | 369 |
| 2 | Abdallah Eddine | Lebanon | 857,000 | 343 |
| 3 | Youssef Habib | Lebanon | 510,000 | 204 |
| 4 | Sergey Bortsov | Israel | 486,500 | 195 |
| 5 | Mariia Dviniatina | Russia | 447,000 | 179 |
| 6 | Siavash Ziarat | Iran | 444,500 | 178 |
| 7 | Svetoslav Nikolov | Bulgaria | 426,000 | 170 |
| 8 | Hichem Ladhari | Tunisia | 423,500 | 169 |
| 9 | Aleksandr Chernikov | Russia | 417,000 | 167 |
| 10 | Houman Sahafi | Iran | 381,500 | 153 |
Miroslav Rizov (360,000), Maher Achour (296,500), Fausto Tantillo (260,000), Candido Cappiello (194,500), Maxim Lykov (179,500), Giorgiy Skhulukhiya (133,000), and Simone Andrian (118,000) also survived the opening flight. Those who weren’t as lucky included Merit Poker Carmen Series champion Elie Farah, Dmitry Gromov, Fabio Peluso, and Romain Retiere. They’ll have to try again on a later flight if they hope to make a run for the title.
Day 1b begins tomorrow at noon local time. There is also a Day 1c at 8:30 p.m. with 20-minute levels, and a turbo Day 1d flight at 10 a.m. on July 26 with 15-minute levels. All surviving players return for Day 2 at 12:30 p.m. on July 26. Late registration remains open through Level 14 on Day 2.
PokerNews will be back tomorrow providing all the action from the second opening flight here along the idyllic shores of the Mediterranean in North Cyprus.
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Day 1a has ended with approximately 75 players remaining out of a starting field of 169.
Stay tuned for chip counts and a recap of the day's action.
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Hassan Ali Nashar hasn't been afraid to gamble and get his chips in so far today, and Seyedali Hosseinirami was just the beneficiary.
Nashar raised to 35,000 under the gun and Hosseinirami called in middle position. Alisa Sibgatova then moved all in for 160,000 in the hijack. "I have three-high," Nashar said as he reshoved for 256,000. Hosseinirami spent a few minutes in the tank before eventually calling, having both players covered.
Alisa Sibgatova: 10♦10♥ 
Hassan Ali Nashar: K♦3♣
Seyedali Hosseinirami: J♠J♦
A massive pot of more than 600,000 was at stake as the flop came J♣7♦A♠, giving Hosseinirami a set. The A♣ turn improved him to a full house, and Nashar and Sibgatova were both already drawing dead by the K♥ river as Hosseinirami scooped the entire pot to sent both opponents to the rail.
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Tournament officials announced that players will see four more hands before bagging up for the night.
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
With around 40,000 in the pot on a flop of 6♠2♦6♣, Ali Fazel bet 10,500 from the big blind and Selahaddin Bedir called in early position.
The turn was the 5♦ and Fazel bet 32,000. Bedir again called and the 10♥ fell on the river. Fazel then bet 90,000.
Bedir spent a minute in the tank but eventually called as Fazel showed K♣Q♣ for a bluff. Bedir turned over 9♣9♠ as he took the pot.
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
In a blind versus blind battle, Ahmet Akyun got his last 81,000 in the middle as Simone Andrian called to put him at risk.
Ahmet Akyun: 7♦7♣
Simone Andrian: Q♠Q♥
Akyun was dominated by Andrian's pair of queens until the flop brought 7♠3♠5♣, giving him a set. The rest of the board came 8♣6♥ and Akyun found his miracle double up.
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Heads-up on a board of 5♠3♠4♦5♥, Khusanbek Abdullaev bet 10,000 from the big blind and Aibek Kozhomzharov called in the cutoff.
The river was the 3♣ and Abdullaev moved all in. Kozhomzharov called for his last 45,000 and Abdullaev showed A♣4♣ for two pair. Kozhomzharov, though, had 7♣6♣ for a flopped straight as he took the pot and doubled up
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Atil Okay related a hand that took place at his table a few minutes earlier, when Bruno Benveniste doubled up off Tulga Bahadir with aces against ace-king while Okay laid down A♣Q♣.
Soon after, Svetoslav Nikolov and Benveniste went heads-up to a flop of 4♣Q♠J♥ where Nikolov bet 17,500 from the small blind. Benveniste called in early position.
Nikolov bet another 35,000 on the 3♠ turn and Benveniste again called. The river was the 2♥ and Nikolov moved all in for 120,000.
Benveniste called as Nikolov turned over Q♦J♠ for top two pair. Benveniste mucked as he was left with just 3,500.
Benveniste moved all in the next hand with 7♦6♦ and Nikolov called with ace-queen. An ace on the flop gave Nikolov a big lead and sent Benveniste to the rail.
"You got my chips indirectly through him," Bahadir told Nikolov.
