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

11-28-2024 02:40 UTC-12

Saad's Aces Taken Down by Lahmani's Kings

Kai Cocklin

Level 14 : Blinds 2,000/3,500, 3,500 ante

Elie Saad was under the gun and opened up the action, only to be three-bet by Oshri Lahmani to 20,000 in the next seat. The two players then got their stacks into the middle with Saad at risk for around 100,000.

Elie Saad: A♣A♦ All in
Oshri Lahmani: K♥K♦

Saad was on the right side of a cooler, but there was still a runout of five cards to sweat. The flop of 4♦7♣J♣ was safe for Saad and he even picked up a backdoor flush draw, but the K♠ on the turn was the worst card in deck for the Lebanese player as his opponent improved to a set. Only an ace on the river could save Saad, but instead the 3♣ rolled off, which meant Lahmani took the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Oshri Lahmani	350,000 204,000	204,000
Elie Saad	Busted

Tags: Elie Saad Oshri Lahmani

Level: 14

Blinds: 2,000/3,500

Ante: 3,500

11-28-2024 02:27 UTC-12

Kashani Doubles Through Hassan

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 13 : Blinds 1,500/3,500, 3,500 ante

Amir Hassan opened to 7,000 from the hijack and was called by a player in the cutoff before Arian Kashani three-bet to 30,000 from the button. Hassan called while the cutoff got out of the way.

The flop came 4♠4♥9♣. Hassan checked and Kashani bet 15,000. Hassan check-raised to 45,000 and Kashani called.

On the 5♠ turn Hassan bet 60,000 and was again called by Kashani.

Hassan checked the 8♠ river and Kashani moved all in for 68,500. Hassan made the call and showed two pair with J♠J♥. Kashani turned over trips with A♦4♦ to secure a full double up through his opponent.

Player	Chips	Progress
Arian Kashani	480,000 247,000	247,000
Amir Hassan	345,000 245,000	245,000

Tags: Amir Hassan Arian Kashani

11-28-2024 02:24 UTC-12

Noja Collects the Rest of Skhirtladze's Stack

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Kai Cocklin

Level 13 : Blinds 1,500/3,500, 3,500 ante

Danielle Noja opened from under the gun and Tamazi Skhirtladze shoved from middle position for around 50,000. When it got back to Noja, he felt in the mood to gamble.

"Go on then, I'll gamble with ya," he said.

Tamazi Skhirtladze: A♦K♣ All in
Danielle Noja: 9♠9♥

Noja was a slight favorite and maintained his lead going into the 5♥7♥2♦ flop. An 8♣ on the turn added a meaningless gutshot straight draw for Noja, and his pocket nines held up as the 3♠ hit the river.

"It's always good when you can beat ace-king with pocket nines," Noja added as he raked in the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Danielle Noja	750,000 175,000	175,000
Tamazi Skhirtladze	Busted

Tags: Danielle Noja Tamazi Skhirtladze

11-28-2024 02:13 UTC-12

Jontulovic Puts Hutchison to the Test

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 13 : Blinds 1,500/3,500, 3,500 ante

With two players seeing a board of 9♣3♥5♣ and a bit more than 20,000 in the middle, Bogdan Jontulovic checked in the big blind and Dean Hutchison bet 13,000 from the hijack. Jontulovic check-raised to 27,500 and Hutchison called.

Jontulovic shoved on the Q♦ turn, covering Hutchison who had a bit under 60,000 behind. Hutchison opted to fold and Jontulovic took the pot without showdown.

Player	Chips	Progress
Bogdan Jontulovic	220,000 32,000	32,000
Dean Hutchison	56,000 2,500	2,500

Tags: Bogdan Jontulovic Dean Hutchison

11-28-2024 02:10 UTC-12

Mokrani Spikes a Six to Crack Isaia's Queens

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Kai Cocklin

Level 13 : Blinds 1,500/3,500, 3,500 ante

Mohamed Mokrani was all-in for his stack of around 90,000 and was way behind to the overpair of Alessio Isaia.

Mohamed Mokrani: 6♥6♦ All in
Alessio Isaia: Q♠Q♣

Mokrani was miles behind but catapulted himself into the lead on the 10♣6♠3♠ flop as he made middle set. Isaia needed to find running spades or a queen, but the first of those options was eradicated on the 3♥ turn. The J♣ river was close, but not close enough for Isaia as Mokrani's full house earned him an unlikely double-up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Alessio Isaia	200,000 57,000	57,000

Mohamed Mokrani	190,000 190,000	190,000

Tags: Alessio Isaia Mohamed Mokrani

11-28-2024 01:57 UTC-12

Yacoub Snap Check-Backs a Boat

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Kai Cocklin

Level 13 : Blinds 1,500/3,500, 3,500 ante

There were already around 60,000 chips in the pot when Mikalai Vaskaboinikau checked it over to Dori Yacoub, who took his time before he fired out 25,000. Within a second, Vaskaboinikau called.

A J♥ double-paired the board on the river and after Vaskaboinikau, Yacoub instantly checked back.

Vaskaboinikau showed A♦7♦ for just ace-high, but Yacoub checked back a full house holding 8♥6♥ to scoop the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Dori Yacoub	375,000 25,000	25,000
Mikalai Vaskaboinikau	120,000

Tags: Dori Yacoub Mikalai Vaskaboinikau

11-28-2024 01:51 UTC-12

Ruijs Falls to Khorchidian

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 13 : Blinds 1,500/3,500, 3,500 ante

Nichan Khorchidian opened to 8,000 from middle position, Joris Ruijs three-bet shoved for around 75,000 from the button and Khorchidian called with a covering stack to put Ruijs at risk.

Joris Ruijs: 2x2x All in
Nichan Khorchidian: Q♥Q♣

Ruijs was dominated by Khorchidian's bigger pocket pair and couldn't catch up on the 6♣4♥5♦5♠6♦ runout, resulting in his elimination courtesy of Khorchidian.

Player	Chips	Progress
Nichan Khorchidian	655,000 135,000	135,000

Joris Ruijs	Busted

Tags: Joris Ruijs Nichan Khorchidian

11-28-2024 01:42 UTC-12

Liklikadze Rivers a Flush

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Kai Cocklin

Level 13 : Blinds 1,500/3,500, 3,500 ante

There were around 50,000 chips in the middle on a board of 8♠Q♠10♣4♥ when Grigoli Liklikadze fired out 32,000 from the big blind, and Aleksei Gortikov called on the button.

A 4♠ on the river brought in the front door flush draw and paired the board, then Liklikadze bet out 35,000. Gortikov had seemingly already made up his mind as to what he would do if his opponent bet as he called without any hesitation.

Liklikadze then showed a flush with J♠7♠, and Gortikov mucked.

Player	Chips	Progress
Grigoli Liklikadze	475,000 135,000	135,000
Aleksei Gortikov	300,000 253,000	253,000

Tags: Aleksei Gortikov Grigoli Liklikadze

11-28-2024 01:34 UTC-12

Top Stacks After Second Break

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 13 : Blinds 1,500/3,500, 3,500 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Kirill Shcherbakov	1,045,000 55,000	55,000

Mikhail Zavoloka	895,000 95,000	95,000

Denis Kapustin	840,500 59,500	59,500
Andrey Pateychuk	835,000 135,000	135,000

Mukhtar Nasiradinov	776,500 256,500	256,500
Dawid Smolka	730,000 35,000	35,000
Fabio Peluso	659,000 1,000	1,000

Oleg Ustinovich	655,000 198,500	198,500
Milad Souderjani	655,000 205,000	205,000
Dauren Zhaparov	645,000 10,000	10,000
Daniyar Aubakirov	635,000 15,000	15,000
[Removed:544]	601,000 4,500	4,500
Amir Hassan	590,000 30,000	30,000

Spyridon Apartoglou	586,500 134,000	134,000
Tugce Hursoz	585,000 245,500	245,500
Felipe Ketzer	575,000 100,000	100,000
Danielle Noja	575,000 125,000	125,000
Maksim Skripkin	560,000 19,000	19,000
Azamat Tulepbergenov	545,000 95,000	95,000
Nichan Khorchidian	520,000 162,500	162,500

Henrik Brockmann	510,000 75,000	75,000