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$2,200 Warm Up
Day 1bc Completed
2024 Merit Poker Gatsby Gala Series
$2,200 Warm Up
Day: 1bc
Event Info
2024 Merit Poker Gatsby Gala Series
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1bc
Buy-in
$2,200
Prize Pool
$920,000
Total Entries
463
Level
35
Blinds
250,000 / 500,000
Ante
500,000
Entries
239
Players Left
102
Players Left 1 / 463
Filter
Level 9
: Blinds 1,500/2,500, 2,500 ante
Day 1b of the 2024 Merit Poker Gatsby Gala Series has reached a conclusion here at the Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino. The second of four starting flights attracted 199 entrants and after the dust had settled just 77 players managed to find a bag and advance to Day 2.
Navid Samavati leads the way after bagging 628,000 chips, a stack worth 209 big blinds going into Day 2. Samavati is most closely followed by Traian Stanciu who bagged 608,000 while Dauren Zhaparov rounds out the top three with 597,500.
Day 1b Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
| 1 | Navid Samavati | Iran | 628,000 | 209 |
| 2 | Traian Stanciu | Romania | 608,000 | 203 |
| 3 | Dauren Zhaparov | Kazakhstan | 597,500 | 199 |
| 4 | Dmitry Gromov | Russian Federation | 538,000 | 179 |
| 5 | Banksy | United Kingdom | 537,000 | 179 |
| 6 | Caner Gunes | Turkey | 531,500 | 177 |
| 7 | Mikhail Zavoloka | Russian Federation | 503,500 | 168 |
| 8 | Boris Smuskevicius | Lithuania | 482,500 | 161 |
| 9 | Amir Sonsino | Israel | 470,000 | 157 |
| 10 | Oleg Ustinovich | Russian Federation | 435,000 | 145 |
The day began with 37 entrants and the tournament's slow structure, featuring 60-minute levels and a starting stack worth over 150 big blinds, ensured that players had plenty of room to maneuver in the first few levels of the day. Abdullah Alajmi wasted no time ramping up the aggression, putting an opponent to the test with a massive river shove worth twice what was in the pot in the first level of play. Alajmi had a roller coaster session from there, at one point finding himself among the chip leaders and ultimately finishing with 387,000.
Dmitry Gromov, who has had a number of deep runs and final tables in Merit Poker events, found himself near the top of the counts midway through the day after picking off a huge bluff from Sergey Baranski. Facing an all in river shove from Baranski on a king-high where flushes and straights were possible, Gromov correctly called off with top pair against Baranski's ace-high bluff for a pot worth over 200 big blinds. Gromov was able to ride that momentum until the end of the night, where he bagged a top ten stack with 538,000.
Others to advance from today's starting flight include Fabio Peluso (306,500), Nikolay Fal (267,500), Timur Margolin (235,000), Aylar Lie (178,000), and Felipe Ketzer (137,000). Notables to play day 1b but fall short of making the end of the night include Giorgiy Skhulukhiya, Dean Hutchison and Halil Tasyurek.
Two starting flights remain for this event. Day 1c is already underway, while a turbo Day 1d is scheduled at 10:00 a.m. local time tomorrow, November 21st. The final flight begins just a couple hours before the fields combine for Day 2 at 12:30 p.m. local time the same day. Unlimited reentries and late registration will remain open until the end of Level 12, midway through Day 2.
Stay tuned to PokerNews as we bring you all the action for this event until a winner is crowned on the fourth and final day, taking place November 23.
Level 9
: Blinds 1,500/2,500, 2,500 ante
Level 9
: Blinds 1,500/2,500, 2,500 ante
Level 9
: Blinds 1,500/2,500, 2,500 ante
The second starting flight for the $2,200 Warm Up has reached a conclusion. Stay tuned for full chip counts and a recap of the night's action.
Level 9
: Blinds 1,500/2,500, 2,500 ante
The tournament staff have announced that three more hands will be played before the end of the night.
Level 9
: Blinds 1,500/2,500, 2,500 ante
With two players seeing a board of A♥Q♠9♠8♠10♦ and around 40,000 in the middle, Abdullah Alajmi checked in the big blind and Katherina Aristotelos bet 15,000 from the cutoff. A player in the button folded before Alajmi made the call.
Aristotelos turned over top pair with A♣5♣ and Alajmi mucked.
Level 9
: Blinds 1,500/2,500, 2,500 ante
Timur Margolin opened to 5,000 from middle position and was called by Navid Samavati on the button and Jozef Cibicek in the big blind.
All three players checked the 9♦3♠4♥ flop leading to the 5♣ turn. Cibicek bet 9,000, Margolin called and Samavati folded.
Cibicek checked the J♠ turn and Margolin bet 24,000. Cibicek check-raised to 95,000, sending Margolin into the tank.
After approximately three minutes Margolin opted to fold and Cibicek took the pot without showdown.
Level 9
: Blinds 1,500/2,500, 2,500 ante
Level: 9
Blinds: 1,500/2,500
Ante: 2,500
