$3,300 Main Event
Day 1cd Completed
2024 Merit Poker Gatsby Gala Series
$3,300 Main Event
Day: 1cd
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1cd
2024 Merit Poker Gatsby Gala Series
Buy-in
$3,300
Prize Pool
$1,694,640
Entries
614
Level
38
Blinds
400,000 / 800,000
Ante
800,000
Entries
162
Players Left
88
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
The penultimate starting flight of the 2024 Merit Poker Gatsby Gala Series $3,300 Main Event has concluded here at the Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino. Day 1c attracted 133 entrants, bringing the field size to 419 so far. By the end of the night, 72 players managed to find a bag and advance to Day 2.
Amir Hassan ended the day with the largest stack at 530,000, worth 212 big blinds going into Day 2. Hassan is most closely followed by Arian Kashani with 437,500 while Mustafa Biz rounds out the top three with 422,000.
Day 1c Top Ten Chip Counts
| Place | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amir Hassan | Tunisia | 530,000 | 212 |
| 2 | Arian Kashani | United Kingdom | 437,500 | 175 |
| 3 | Mustafa Biz | Turkey | 422,000 | 169 |
| 4 | Lavrentiy Ni | Kazakhstan | 365,000 | 146 |
| 5 | Marc Foggin | United Kingdom | 362,000 | 145 |
| 6 | Azamat Tulepbergenov | Kazakhstan | 355,500 | 142 |
| 7 | Mehdi Chaoui | Morocco | 342,500 | 137 |
| 8 | Hasan Basol | Germany | 341,000 | 136 |
| 9 | Maxim Son | Kazakhstan | 335,000 | 134 |
| 10 | Yiannakis Papapetrou | Cyprus | 333,000 | 133 |
Hassan has already been having a good series at Merit after making the final two tables of the $2,200 Warm Up, ultimately finishing 15th for a career-best live cash of $10,670. Kashani also has momentum on his side, after recently taking down the UKIPT Nottingham Main Event for a career-best score of £201,900.
Others to make it through Day 1c include 2023 Carmen Series Main Event Champion Elie Farah (265,500), 2024 Dolce Vita Series OPE Classic champion Walid Bou Habib (197,000), Alessio Isaia (143,000), Jeremy Saderne (135,000) and Darius Neagoe. Some notables who weren't as fortunate and fell before the end of the night include 2023 Western Series Main Event champion Mohamed Mokrani and Mihai Niste.
The final starting flight is already underway, with the turbo Day 1d having started at 7:00 p.m. After that, the fields will combine for Day 2 tomorrow, November 28 at noon local time. Late registration will remain open until Level 14, midway through Day 2 and a winner will be crowned on the fifth and final day, taking place December 01.
As always, stay tuned to Pokernews as we bring you all the action for the remainder of the 2024 Gatsby Gala Series.
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
379,500
379,500
|
379,500 |
|
||
|
347,500
347,500
|
347,500 |
|
339,500
339,500
|
339,500 |
|
304,000
304,000
|
304,000 |
|
272,500
272,500
|
272,500 |
|
221,000
221,000
|
221,000 |
|
205,000
205,000
|
205,000 |
|
141,000
141,000
|
141,000 |
|
|
125,000
125,000
|
125,000 |
|
124,000
124,000
|
124,000 |
|
100,500
100,500
|
100,500 |
|
90,500
90,500
|
90,500 |
|
80,500
80,500
|
80,500 |
|
|
73,500
73,500
|
73,500 |
|
48,000
48,000
|
48,000 |
|
|
47,000
47,000
|
47,000 |
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
530,000
135,000
|
135,000 |
|
||
|
437,500
87,500
|
87,500 |
|
422,000
244,000
|
244,000 |
|
365,000
250,000
|
250,000 |
|
362,000
362,000
|
362,000 |
|
355,500
153,500
|
153,500 |
|
342,500
342,500
|
342,500 |
|
|
341,000
341,000
|
341,000 |
|
|
335,500
95,500
|
95,500 |
|
333,000
138,000
|
138,000 |
|
|
325,500
49,500
|
49,500 |
|
320,000
20,000
|
20,000 |
|
309,500 | |
|
305,000
195,000
|
195,000 |
|
285,000
210,000
|
210,000 |
|
281,500
21,500
|
21,500 |
|
278,000
278,000
|
278,000 |
|
271,500
28,500
|
28,500 |
|
270,000
270,000
|
270,000 |
|
265,500
39,500
|
39,500 |
|
|
262,000
48,000
|
48,000 |
|
|
257,500
257,500
|
257,500 |
|
256,000
136,000
|
136,000 |
|
234,500
114,500
|
114,500 |
|
223,500
83,500
|
83,500 |
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
The action has concluded for Day 1c of the Main Event. Stay tuned for chip counts and a recap of the day's action.
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Miad Shakiba shoved for around 35,000 from the button and was snap-called by Kaido Mikk who had him covered from the big blind.
Miad Shakiba: A♠3♥ 
Kaido Mikk: A♥A♦
The aces held up on the 5♦6♦9♣8♣4♥ runout and Mikk took the pot while Shakiba was sent to the rail in one of the last hands of the night.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
260,000
48,000
|
48,000 |
|
Busted |
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
The floor have announced that four more hands will be played before players bag up for the evening.
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
A player opened to 5,500 from under the gun and Samuel Dray three-bet to 18,500 from the hijack, receiving a call from his opponent.
The flop came 5♠4♠2♥ and the under the ugn player check-called a 10,000 bet from Dray.
Dray bet 15,000 when checked to on the K♠ turn and this time his opponent opted to fold.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
145,000
15,000
|
15,000 |
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
A big pot had brewed between Maxime Chilaud and the under-the-gun player with around 125,000 in the middle on a full board of 10♠5♣7♦J♥6♣. Chilaud was in the small blind and fired out 53,000 on the river, which sent his opponent into the tank.
After some time thinking, the under-the-gun player elected to fold, and Chilaud was pushed the pot, which brought his stack up to around 220,000.
Chilaud is no stranger to the Merit Poker series and has three titles under his belt, including a Main Event win in the Carmen Series in March 2023 for $376,800, his second-biggest score of his career.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
220,000
110,000
|
110,000 |
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Azamat Tulepbergenov opened to 4,000 from middle position, Fahredin Mustafov three-bet to 12,500 from the cutoff, Elie Farah called from the small bind and Tulepbergenov called.
All three players checked the flop and turn leading to a final runout of Q♦J♥2♣K♦7♣. Action then checked around to Mustafov who bet 30,000. Farah folded while Tulepbergenov made the call.
Mustafov had top pair with K♥8♥ but Tulepbergenov had him beat with K♣10♥ for top pair with a better kicker to take the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
305,000
5,000
|
5,000 |
|
|
202,000
77,000
|
77,000 |
|
80,000
50,000
|
50,000 |
