Maher Achour and Nerses Sargsian checked the 4♠J♠6♦ flop before Sargsian bet 1,175,000 from middle position on the 5♦ turn. Achour called in the big blind.
The river was the 7♦ and Achour led out for 2,100,000. Sargsian called, then mucked when Achour turned over 8♦5♠ for a straight.
Ghassan Bitar moved all in for 1,060,000 from under the gun and found folds until Basel Khabbazeh, who moved all in from the small blind.
Ghassan Bitar: Q♥8♥ 
Basel Khabbazeh: 9♣9♥
Bitar was unable to connect on the K♣10♠2♥5♦7♥ board, ending his run in 32nd place. Naji Abdo was also eliminated at another table just prior to this hand.
Asaf Groofi raised to 210,000 in the hijack before Nerses Sargsian three-bet to 640,000 in the cutoff. Groofi four-bet to 1,300,000 and Sargsian called.
Groofi slowed down and checked the K♦Q♥6♠ flop as Sargsian bet 300,000. Groofi called and they both checked the A♥ turn.
The river was the J♣ and Groofi led out for 700,000. Sargsian used a few time banks before announcing he was all in for 1,800,000.
Groofi slammed the table and began burning through his own time banks, taking several minutes before folding as Sargsian took the massive pot without a showdown.
Navid Samavati was all in and at risk against Adrien Buetas on the button.
Navid Samavati: A♣9♥
Adrien Buetas: A♠10♣
Buetas was the only one to catch a piece of the 6♥6♦7♠10♥Q♠ board, claiming the pot and sending Samavati to the rail.
Mohamad El-Sayed raised to 200,000 in early position and received three callers.
The flop came K♥7♥3♦ and El-Sayed continued for 150,000. Mihai Niste then raised to 375,000 in middle position and Dashinka called in the small blind. El-Sayed moved all in for 1,300,000 and only Niste called.
Mohamad El-Sayed: K♦Q♥
Mihai Niste: A♥J♥
El-Sayed was ahead with a pair of kings, while Niste was on a flush draw. The 4♣ turn and 3♠ river were safe for El-Sayed and he doubled up.
Amir Saeid and Sinan Unlu were recently eliminated on other tables.
Lebanon’s Walid Bou Habib defeated a field of 193 entries to claim the trophy in the $3,300 OPE Classic Cup
Habib lifted his total career earnings above $2.3 million, with each of his last ten recorded cashes coming right here at Merit.
“It is one amongst the major results which I have made,” Habib told PokerNews moments after the win. “To get the trophy, it’s always nice because I’m trying to make a nice collection of trophies. I have already three PokerStars trophies, and also four or five from Merit so it will be my, maybe, tenth trophy.”
The tournament needed an extra day to complete, as players battled for a piece of the massive $532,680 prize pool.
| Place | Player | Country | Prize (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Walid Bou Habib | Lebanon | $132,000 |
| 2 | Julien Liarte | France | $90,000 |
| 3 | Antoine Hasbani | Lebanon | $60,000 |
| 4 | Konstantin Voronin | Russian Federation | $41,500 |
| 5 | Iurii Saiapin | Russian Federation | $32,500 |
| 6 | Jeremie Zouari | France | $26,500 |
| 7 | Fadi Nakhoul | Lebanon | $21,700 |
| 8 | Azamat Tulepbergenov | Kazakhstan | $17,150 |
Level: 29
Blinds: 50,000/100,000
Ante: 100,000
Asaf Groofi raised to 160,000 in the hijack, Gregory Luttke moved all in for 1,000,000 in the cutoff, and Groofi snap-called.
Gregory Luttke: A♠4♠
Asaf Groofi: J♠J♣
Luttke was looking for an ace to survive but found no help on the 10♦8♣4♦9♥6♣ board as he was sent to the rail.
At another table, Kirill Burtin was all in for 1,600,000 from the big blind and up against Navid Samavati in early position.
Kirill Burtin: Q♠Q♣
Navid Samavati: 8♣8♥
Burtin had Samavati dominated as the board ran out J♠6♦A♠3♠7♦ to earn him a double up.
Ermanno Pacini limped in middle position and Osman Ihlamur raised to 340,000 in the small blind.
Ihlamur checked the Q♠8♥9♣ flop before Pacini fired a bet of 235,000. That was enough to take down a small pot, as Ihlamur mucked his hand.
Kirill Burtin raised to 160,000 in the cutoff, Fausto Tantillo three-bet to 450,000 in the big blind, and Burtin called.
Both players checked the Q♠9♦J♠ flop. Tantillo then bet 1,000,000 on the A♦ turn and Burtin called.
The river was the 6♦ and Tantillo moved all in. Burtin had around 1,200,000 remaining and tanked for several minutes, burning through multiple time banks, and eventually slammed his cards down into the muck.
"Aces," Tantillo told him after the hand.
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