$3,300 Main Event Day 1b | 2024 Merit Poker Gatsby Gala Series

11-26-2024 00:37 UTC-12

Assorted Chip Counts After First Break

Ryan Lashmar

Level 3 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Fabio Peluso	278,000 183,000	183,000

Sofia Merkulova	260,000 178,000	178,000
Kaspars Butans	185,000
Bogdan Munteanu	183,000 7,000	7,000
Aylar Lie	177,000 7,000	7,000
Aytekin Yayla	170,000 70,000	70,000
Ruslan Bakhtiev	160,000 25,000	25,000
Eyal Eshkar	140,000 140,000	140,000
Sandra Cotescu	135,000 13,000	13,000

Level: 3

Blinds: 400/800

Ante: 800

11-26-2024 00:06 UTC-12

First Break

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 2 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Players are on the first 15-minute break of the day. The field has grown to 85 entrants and 80 players remain.

11-26-2024 00:06 UTC-12

Cotescu Gets a Set to Fold

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 2 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

A player from under the gun opened to 1,200 and was called by Stephane Gabarre in the small blind and Sandra Cotescu in the big blind.

The flop came 9♣J♠5♥ and action checked around to the original raiser who continued for 2,000. Both Gabarre and Cotescu called.

The under the gun player bet 7,000 when checked to on the Q♥ turn. Gabarre got out of the way before Cotescu check-raised to 20,000, receiving a call from her opponent.

Cotescu bet 35,000 on the A♠ river. The under the gun player showed 5♣5♠ for a flopped set before folding and Cotescu took down a healthy pot without showdown.

Player	Chips	Progress
Sandra Cotescu	122,000 122,000	122,000
Stephane Gabarre	58,500

Tags: Stephane Gabarre Sandra Cotescu

11-25-2024 23:50 UTC-12

Munteanu Versus Bakhtiev

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 2 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

With two players seeing a board of 9♠3♥8♥J♣ and around 15,000 in the middle, Ruslan Bakhtiev checked from the small blind and Bogdan Munteanu bet 12,300 from the big blind. Bakhtiev made the call.

Bakhtiev checked again on the 2♣ river and Munteanu sized up with a 45,200 bet that Bakhtiev called.

Munteanu showed an overpair with A♣A♠ and Bakhtiev mucked.

Player	Chips	Progress
Bogdan Munteanu	190,000
Ruslan Bakhtiev	135,000

Tags: Bogdan Munteanu Ruslan Bakhtiev

11-25-2024 23:35 UTC-12

Lie Flips Joumaa to the Rail

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 2 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Bakhos Joumaa opened to 1,200 from under the gun and a player in early position three-bet to 3,500. Lie four-bet to 10,000 from the cutoff and Joumaa five-bet shoved for around 55,000. The early position player got out of the way before Lie called with a coveirng stack to put Joumaa at risk.

Bakhos Joumaa: 7♦7♠ All in
Aylar Lie: A♥K♣

Joumaa was in front on the 8♥5♠J♣ flop before Lie took the lead on the K♥ turn. Lie remained ahead on the J♥ river to score the early knockout and take down a big early pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Aylar Lie	170,000 170,000	170,000
Bakhos Joumaa	Busted

Tags: Aylar Lie Bakhos Joumaa

11-25-2024 23:20 UTC-12

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 2 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

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Level: 2

Blinds: 300/600

Ante: 600

11-25-2024 23:03 UTC-12

Ghaeli Shows Down Cowboys

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 1 : Blinds 200/500, 500 ante

Alisa Sibgatova opened to 1,100 from under the gun and received a call from Aleksandr Chernikov in the hijack before Ehsan Ghaeli three-bet to 5,600 from the button. Alfred Nader called in the big blind, Sibgatova folded and Chernikov called.

The flop came 10♣9♠3♥ and action checked around to Ghaeli who bet 8,500. Both opponents made the call.

All three players then checked the 3♦ turn and 2♠ river. Nader showed top pair with J♠10♠ but Ghaeli had an overpair with K♠K♥ to win the hand.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ehsan Ghaeli	128,000 28,000	28,000
Alisa Sibgatova	98,500
Aleksandr Chernikov	88,000 12,000	12,000
Alfred Nader	85,000 85,000	85,000

Tags: Aleksandr Chernikov Alfred Nader Alisa Sibgatova Ehsan Ghaeli

11-25-2024 22:53 UTC-12

Three Streets of Value for Isaia

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 1 : Blinds 200/500, 500 ante

Alessio Isaia opened to 1,500 from the cutoff and Sofia Merkulova defended from the big blind.

The flop came A♥2♥K♣ and Merkulova check-called a 2,500 continuation-bet from Isaia.

Merkulova check-called another bet from Isaia on the 8♥ turn, this time for 4,000.

On the 4♦ river Merkulova checked and Isaia bet 10,000. Merkulova made the call.

Isaia turned over the nut-flush with K♥Q♥ and took down a sizable early pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Alessio Isaia	120,000 120,000	120,000

Sofia Merkulova	82,000 18,000	18,000

Tags: Alessio Isaia Sofia Merkulova