$2,200 Warm Up Day 2 | 2024 Merit Poker Gatsby Gala Series

11-21-2024 07:54 UTC-12

Cotescu and Chen Both Over a Million

Kai Cocklin

Level 17 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante

Both Sandra Cotescu and Zhen Chen have chip stacks that sit north of a million, and both just played a small pot together.

Cotescu had raised from early position to 18,000 and Zhen Chen called from the next seat over.

They saw a flop of Q♣A♣9♥, which went check-check to the A♠ turn. Cotescu checked, Chen bet 58,000, and Cotescu quickly folded.

Perhaps they are playing it safe against each other, but those two are among the big stacks in the room as the final break of the night approaches.

Player	Chips	Progress
Sandra Cotescu	1,250,000 85,000	85,000
Zhen Chen	1,150,000 200,000	200,000

Tags: Sandra Cotescu Zhen Chen

11-21-2024 08:06 UTC-12

Break Time

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Kai Cocklin

Level 17 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante

Players are on their final 15-minute break of the night.

11-21-2024 08:13 UTC-12

Top Stacks At Final Break

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 17 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Victor Fryda	1,650,000 795,000	795,000
Joris Ruijs	1,300,000 30,000	30,000
Florian Guimond	1,300,000 460,000	460,000

Traian Stanciu	1,250,000 220,000	220,000
Marco Leonzio	1,225,000 300,000	300,000
Zhen Chen	1,215,000 65,000	65,000
Sandra Cotescu	1,175,000 75,000	75,000
Dori Yacoub	1,100,000 25,000	25,000
Ruslan Bakhtiev	960,000 365,000	365,000
Daniele Grasso	950,000 275,000	275,000

Elie Farah	940,000 510,000	510,000
Pouya Ranjehdel	880,000 80,000	80,000
Yaniv Shushan	825,000 85,000	85,000
Danielle Noja	800,000 219,000	219,000
Dumitru Pora	785,000 35,000	35,000
Bakhos Joumaa	750,000 25,000	25,000
Iurii Saiapin	750,000 5,000	5,000
Aleksandr Pak	700,000 700,000	700,000
Fadhil Farag	700,000 546,500	546,500
Gurcan Gungoren	695,000 331,500	331,500
Hadi Khordbin	650,000 250,000	250,000
Apostolos Stylianou	600,000 20,000	20,000
Aylar Lie	280,000 180,000	180,000

Level: 18

Blinds: 5,000/10,000

Ante: 10,000

11-21-2024 08:30 UTC-12

Khordbin Versus Neagoe Versus Fal

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 18 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

Hadi Khordbin opened to 20,000 from the button and received calls from Darius Neagoe in the small blind and Nikolay Fal in the big blind.

The flop came J♦9♦6♥ and action checked around to Khordbin who bet 20,000. Both opponents made the call.

All three players checked the 10♦ turn leading to the 10♥ river. Neagoe bet 32,000, Fal got out of the way and Khordbin made the call.

Neagoe had trips with Q♣10♠ but Khordbin had him beat with 8♥7♥ for a straight to take the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Hadi Khordbin	860,000 210,000	210,000
Darius Neagoe	610,000 110,000	110,000

Nikolay Fal	540,000 75,000	75,000

Tags: Darius Neagoe Hadi Khordbin Nikolay Fal

11-21-2024 08:36 UTC-12

Pak's Cowboys Send Gungoren's Jacks to the Rail

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Kai Cocklin

Level 18 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

Aleksandr Pak in the cutoff and Gurcan Gungoren in the small blind got their chips into the middle preflop with very similar stacks, but it was the latter at risk for around 675,000.

Gurcan Gungoren: J♠J♥ All in
Aleksandr Pak: K♣K♠

Pak had the advantage going to the runout and stayed in the lead on the 10♥7♣4♠ flop. The 3♥ turn did put some chop opportunities out there as any six would put a straight on board, however the 3♦ river was a brick, which meant Gungoren was eliminated.

Player	Chips	Progress
Aleksandr Pak	1,400,000 700,000	700,000
Gurcan Gungoren	Busted

Tags: Aleksandr Pak Gurcan Gungoren

11-21-2024 08:48 UTC-12

Tot Puts a Dent in Fryda's Mountain

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Kai Cocklin

Level 18 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

Aleksandar Tot was seen raking in a chunky pot with his cards already exposed to the table.

The full board read 10♦3♠6♥K♦9♦ and with around 350,000 in the middle, the rest of Tot's stack of approximately 250,000 went in on the river, with Victor Fryda having put in the same.

Fryda's cards were already mucked and Tot's Q♣J♠ was good for the pot as he rivered a straight.

Player	Chips	Progress
Victor Fryda	1,300,000 350,000	350,000
Aleksandar Tot	800,000 400,000	400,000

Tags: Aleksandar Tot Victor Fryda

11-21-2024 08:49 UTC-12

Stylianou Claims the Rest of Buhaichuk's Stack

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 18 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

With two players seeing a board of 9♠5♠K♣3♥6♣ and around 275,000 in the middle, Yevhen Buhaichuk moved all in from the big blind. Apostolos Stylianou considered his options for about a minute before making the call with a covering stack.

Buhaichuk had K♠J♠ for top pair while Stylianou turned over a set with 5♥5♦ to send Buhaichuk to the rail.

One of his tablemates commented that Stylianou should have snap-called with his set. Stylianou argued that Buhaichuk could have had seven-four suited or eight-seven while dragging in the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Apostolos Stylianou	1,070,000 470,000	470,000
Yevhen Buhaichuk	Busted

Tags: Apostolos Stylianou Yevhen Buhaichuk

11-21-2024 08:58 UTC-12

Fryda Recoups Some Chips From Kirichenko

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Kai Cocklin

Level 18 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

There were already around 150,000 chips in the pot on a board of 9♦7♠J♠Q♣ when Aleksandr Kirichenko checked it over to Victor Fryda, who fired out 100,000. Kirichenko called.

A Q♥ paired the board on the river and Kirichenko checked it over again, and without too much thinking, Fryda checked back.

Kirichenko then revealed A♠3♠ for a busted flush draw, and Fryda tabled 9♠8♠ for a missed straight and flush with a pair to take the pot.

A 10♠ river would have been fun, well, not so fun for Kirichenko!

Player	Chips	Progress
Victor Fryda	1,450,000 150,000	150,000
Aleksandr Kirichenko	400,000 400,000	400,000

Tags: Aleksandr Kirichenko Victor Fryda

11-21-2024 09:06 UTC-12

Munteanu Gets a Fold from Sibgatova

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 18 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

Bogdan Munteanu opened to 20,000 from the button and Alisa Sibgatova defended from the big blind.

The flop came A♣5♠4♦ and Sibgatova check-called a 20,000 bet from Munteanu.

Both players checked the 2♥ turn leading to the J♠ river. Sibgatova checked, Munteanu bet 40,000 and Sibgatova folded.

Player	Chips	Progress
Bogdan Munteanu	785,000 785,000	785,000
Alisa Sibgatova	515,000 30,000	30,000