$3,300 Main Event Day 2 | 2024 Merit Poker Gatsby Gala Series

11-27-2024 22:44 UTC-12

Grasso Versus Daniliuk

Ryan Lashmar

Level 10 : Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante

Daniele Grasso opened to 5,500 from middle position and Andrei Daniliuk defended from the big blind.

Both players checked the J♦4♥8♠ flop leading to the 10♦ turn. Daniliuk bet 6,000 and Grasso called. Both players then checked the 6♠ river.

Daniliuk had a pair with 7♣7♦ but Grasso had him beat with A♣8♦ for a pair of eights to take the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Daniele Grasso	295,000 5,000	5,000
Andrei Daniliuk	98,000 19,000	19,000

Tags: Andrei Daniliuk Daniele Grasso

11-27-2024 22:45 UTC-12

Tekel More than Doubles and Eliminates Logothetis

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Kai Cocklin

Level 10 : Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante

Andrej Tekel opened from under the gun and Alexis Logothetis shoved from the button for 16,500. Sercan Okten in the big blind then four-bet to 37,500, and Tekel shoved for almost 190,000. Okten didn't need to think for too long before he called.

Alexis Logothetis: K♥Q♦ All in
Andrej Tekel: A♣K♠ All in
Sercan Okten: 10♠10♥

Okten had a shot at eliminating two players in one hand, but it was Logothetis' survival hopes that were boosted after the J♦Q♣4♥ flop as he paired his queen.

"Hold!" shouted Logothetis.

The 2♠ was a safe turn card, which also gave Tekel just one more shot at surviving. One more shot as all he needed as the A♠ came on the river, which improved him to top pair and sent Logothetis to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Andrej Tekel	400,000 299,000	299,000
Sercan Okten	180,000 22,500	22,500
Alexis Logothetis	Busted

Tags: Alexis Logothetis Andrej Tekel Sercan Okten

11-27-2024 22:56 UTC-12

Shcherbakov Wins a Big One from Tsouloftas

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Kai Cocklin

Level 10 : Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante

On a full board of 9♦Q♥4♣Q♦8♦ there were around 100,000 chips already in the middle when Georgios Tsouloftas fired out 68,000 from early position. Kirill Shcherbakov was facing then bet and after around a minute, he reached for raising chips and made it 178,000.

Tsouloftas took off his headphones and asked the dealer to confirm the amount, then after thinking it over, he called.

Shcherbakov quickly revealed a flush with A♦3♦, and Tsouloftas shook his head as he paid the bet and mucked his cards. With that pot, Shcherbakov climbs to the top of the pile!

Player	Chips	Progress
Kirill Shcherbakov	875,000 229,500	229,500

Georgios Tsouloftas	250,000 209,500	209,500

Tags: Georgios Tsouloftas Kirill Shcherbakov

11-27-2024 22:58 UTC-12

El Yaacoubi Gets a Fold from Skhulukhiya

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 10 : Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante

Gihad Ismail opened to 8,000 from early position and received calls from Rachid El Yaacoubi in middle position before Giorgiy Skhulukhiya three-bet to 31,000 from the big blind. Ismail folded before El Yaacoubi made the call.

Skhulukhiya continued for 23,000 on the J♣7♥4♣ flop and El Yaacoubi made the call.

On the 10♣ turn Skhulukhiya checked and El Yaacoubi bet 75,000. Skhulukhiya opted to fold and El Yaacoubi won the pot without showdown.

Player	Chips	Progress
Rachid El Yaacoubi	275,000 159,500	159,500
Giorgiy Skhulukhiya	220,000 35,000	35,000
Gihad Ismail	100,000 2,500	2,500

Tags: Gihad Ismail Giorgiy Skhulukhiya Rachid El Yaacoubi

11-27-2024 23:04 UTC-12

Break Time

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Kai Cocklin

Level 10 : Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante

Players are on a 15-minute break.

Level: 11

Blinds: 1,500/2,500

Ante: 2,500

11-27-2024 23:21 UTC-12

Top Stacks After First Break

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 11 : Blinds 1,500/2,500, 2,500 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Kirill Shcherbakov	922,000

Andrey Pateychuk	765,000

Mikhail Zavoloka	705,000

Dawid Smolka	695,000
Fabio Peluso	660,000

Mustafa Biz	655,000
[Removed:544]	605,500
Felipe Ketzer	595,000
Henrik Brockmann	555,000
Maksim Skripkin	541,000
Denis Kapustin	535,000
Sandra Cotescu	521,500
Mukhtar Nasiradinov	520,000
Pavel Shchitnikov	485,000

11-27-2024 23:29 UTC-12

Tulepbergenov Delivers the Ultimate Cooler

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 11 : Blinds 1,500/2,500, 2,500 ante

Azamat Tulepbergenov opened to 5,500 from under the gun and Cihan Abdurrezzak three-bet to 17,000 from early position. Tulepbergenov four-bet to 42,000, Abdurrezzak five-bet shoved for around 250,000 and Tulepbergenov called with a covering stack to put Abdurrezzak at risk.

Cihan Abdurrezzak: K♥K♦ All in
Azamat Tulepbergenov: A♥A♦

Tulepbergenov remained ahead with the best starting hand on the Q♣10♦2♠9♥6♣ runout and he dragged in a colossal pot while Abdurrezzak was sent to the rail in brutal fashion.

Player	Chips	Progress
Azamat Tulepbergenov	640,000 284,500	284,500
Cihan Abdurrezzak	Busted

Tags: Azamat Tulepbergenov Cihan Abdurrezzak

11-27-2024 23:32 UTC-12

Ilani Forces Folds on the Turn

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Kai Cocklin

Level 11 : Blinds 1,500/2,500, 2,500 ante

With around 25,000 chips in the middle on a flop of 4♥10♣2♠, Rustu Gorgunel checked from the big blind and Ran Ilani fired out 8,000 from early position. The cutoff folded, the button called, as did Gorgunel.

When the 7♥ hit the turn, Gorgunel checked again and Ilani kept up the pressure with a bet of 30,000. The button quickly got out of the way, and after a short time thinking, Gorgunel also folded.

Ilani's stack is now up around 425,000 as the second level of the day gets underway.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ran Ilani	425,000 75,000	75,000
Rustu Gorgunel	155,000 84,500	84,500

Tags: Ran Ilani Rustu Gorgunel

11-27-2024 23:39 UTC-12

Habib Check-Raises Turn

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Kai Cocklin

Level 11 : Blinds 1,500/2,500, 2,500 ante

Walid Bou Habib opened from the hijack and the button flatted.

On the all-diamond 7♦4♦8♦ flop, both players tapped the table to see an A♣ land on the turn, where Habib checked and the button fired 21,000. Habib then put in a check-raise to 63,000, which was enough to get the job done as his opponent let it go.

Player	Chips	Progress
Georges Hanna	300,000 20,000	20,000
Walid Bou Habib	200,000 3,000	3,000

Tags: Walid Bou Habib