$1,100 IPO Master
Day 1bc Completed
$1,100 IPO Master
Day 1bc Completed
What a difference a day made for Hassan Ali Nashar.
Nashar arrived at the Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino for the start of the Merit Poker Dolce Vita Series ready to gamble, and it cost him on the opening day. He burned through three bullets on Day 1a of the $1,100 IPO Master, including bluffing off 250,000 on one of the last hands of the night with just king-three.
But that same style worked wonders for him today on Day 1b, as Nashar ended up as the only player with over 1,000,000. Nashar won most of his chips in a 600,000-chip pot against Abdelrahman Moursy when Moursy flopped a set of jacks, but Nashar made a straight. He finished the night with 1,025,000 and the clear chip leader over the remaining 194 players.
Day 1b Top 10 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hassan Nashar | Senegal | 1,025,000 | 410 |
| 2 | Ettore Cuzzone | Italy | 756,000 | 302 |
| 3 | Atilla Saracoglu | Turkey | 726,500 | 291 |
| 4 | Muhammed Hakim | Morocco | 648,500 | 259 |
| 5 | Rayan Aljawhari | Lebanon | 587,500 | 235 |
| 6 | Bakhos Joumaa | Lebanon | 568,000 | 227 |
| 7 | Azat Jafarov | Kazakhstan | 531,000 | 212 |
| 8 | Assyl Tleuzhanov | Kazakhstan | 518,000 | 207 |
| 9 | Sergey Nikishov | Russia | 475,000 | 190 |
| 10 | Albert Sapiano | United Kingdom | 463,000 | 185 |
Ettore Cuzzone also used some aggression to build up a big stack on Day 1b. Cuzzone won a big pot off Guillermo Gordo near the end of the night with a massive ten-high bluff on the river. The Italian ended up with 750,000 and in second place behind Nashar.
Other top stacks at the end of the day include Albert Sapiano (463,500), Merit Poker’s own Vytautas Milbutas (376,000), Fabio Peluso (370,500), Danut Chisu (330,000), and Denis Zelenkin (321,500), who won the EAPT Grand Final here in May.
The poker room was packed today as 404 players entered over the course of nine 45-minute levels, far eclipsing the 169 from the opening flight. The 194 surviving players join the 71 remaining from Day 1a, as well as players from the turbo Day 1c and 1d flights still to come, for Day 2 tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. Blinds will pick up on Level 10 at 1,000-2,500 with a 2,500 big blind ante. Late registration remains open through the end of Level 14, with unlimited reentries allowed. The total field currently stands at 573 entries, already surpassing the $500,000 guaranteed prize pool.
PokerNews will be back tomorrow as everyone will be in the same room chasing the crown on the opening event of the Merit Poker Dolce Vita Series.
Day 1c attracted a further 80 entries, with 52 players advancing to Day 2.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
393,000
393,000
|
393,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
270,000
270,000
|
270,000 |
|
|
268,500
268,500
|
268,500 |
|
|
250,500
250,500
|
250,500 |
|
|
234,000
234,000
|
234,000 |
|
|
213,000
213,000
|
213,000 |
|
|
209,000
209,000
|
209,000 |
|
|
206,000
206,000
|
206,000 |
|
|
206,000
206,000
|
206,000 |
|
|
204,000
204,000
|
204,000 |
|
|
201,000
201,000
|
201,000 |
|
|
200,000
200,000
|
200,000 |
|
|
199,000
199,000
|
199,000 |
|
|
197,500
197,500
|
197,500 |
|
|
186,000
186,000
|
186,000 |
|
|
178,500
178,500
|
178,500 |
|
|
174,000
174,000
|
174,000 |
|
|
171,000
171,000
|
171,000 |
|
|
166,000
166,000
|
166,000 |
|
|
163,500
163,500
|
163,500 |
|
|
162,000
162,000
|
162,000 |
|
|
160,000
160,000
|
160,000 |
|
|
158,000
158,000
|
158,000 |
|
|
156,000
156,000
|
156,000 |
|
|
154,500
154,500
|
154,500 |
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,025,000
225,000
|
225,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
756,000
156,000
|
156,000 |
|
|
726,500 | |
|
|
648,500 | |
|
|
587,500 | |
|
|
568,000
118,000
|
118,000 |
|
|
531,000 | |
|
|
518,000 | |
|
|
475,000
360,000
|
360,000 |
|
|
463,000
163,000
|
163,000 |
|
|
455,000 | |
|
|
414,500 | |
|
|
403,500
223,500
|
223,500 |
|
|
400,000 | |
|
|
391,500 | |
|
|
383,000
133,000
|
133,000 |
|
|
382,500 | |
|
|
376,000
76,000
|
76,000 |
|
|
374,500
35,500
|
35,500 |
|
|
||
|
|
374,500
124,500
|
124,500 |
|
|
367,000 | |
|
|
366,000 | |
|
|
346,500 | |
|
|
343,500 | |
|
|
343,000 | |
Day 1b has ended with approximately 200 players remaining out of 404 total entries. They'll combine with the 71 survivors from Day 1a, as well as the players from the turbo 1c and 1d flights, for Day 2 tomorrow at 12:30 p.m.
Stay tuned for chip counts and a recap of the day's action.
Tournament officials announced that players will see three more hands before bagging up for the night.
Antoine Farhat three-bet to 18,500 on the button and both Shuang Luo in middle position and Denis Zelenkin in the cutoff called.
Farhat bet another 18,500 on the J♠10♦Q♦ flop and only Zelenkin called. The turn was the Q♣ and Farhat bet 35,000.
Zelenkin again called as the J♦ fell on the river. Zelenkin then led out for 45,000 and Farhat folded 9♥9♣ face up. Zelenkin showed 10♠9♠ as he took the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
250,000
250,000
|
250,000 |
|
|
80,000
80,000
|
80,000 |
|
|
70,000
10,000
|
10,000 |
In a battle between the blinds, the big blind bet 7,000 on a flop of 3♠7♠2♣ and Robert Burlacu called.
The turn was the 6♥ and the big blind bet another 22,000. Burlacu again called and checked the 8♠ river. His opponent then bet 50,000 and Burlacu called.
The big blind showed K♦K♥, but Burlacu had 7♦6♠ for two pair to win the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
200,000
180,000
|
180,000 |
Around 150,000 was already in the pot as Ettore Cuzzone and Guillermo Gordo went to the turn on a board of 4♥A♥3♠3♥. Cuzzone then bet 80,000 in the cutoff and Gordo called on the button.
The river was the J♥ and Cuzzone announced another bet. Gordo folded before Cuzzone could even put in any chips and Cuzzone slammed down 10♣9♦ for a bluff as he took the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
600,000
150,000
|
150,000 |
|
|
270,000
130,000
|
130,000 |
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
800,000
150,000
|
150,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
450,000
170,000
|
170,000 |
|
|
410,000
130,000
|
130,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
370,000
60,000
|
60,000 |
|
|
300,000
170,000
|
170,000 |
|
|
300,000
20,000
|
20,000 |
|
|
270,000 | |
|
|
250,000 | |
|
|
250,000
30,000
|
30,000 |
|
|
170,000
40,000
|
40,000 |
|
|
130,000
45,000
|
45,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
130,000
130,000
|
130,000 |
|
|
130,000 | |
|
|
110,000
10,000
|
10,000 |
|
|
60,000 | |