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

11-29-2024 00:45 UTC-12

Tekel Survives

Kai Cocklin

Level 20 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

Short-stacked Andrej Tekel shoved for 122,000 from the hijack and was put at risk by Spyridon Apartoglou in the cutoff.

Andrej Tekel: A♣7♠ All in
Spyridon Apartoglou: K♣K♦

Tekel had outs but didn't find any on the 2♥3♣3♦ flop. However, the A♠ turn improved him to top pair and made him a huge favorite to double up. No king arrived on the 3♠ river, and Tekel survived.

Player	Chips	Progress
Spyridon Apartoglou	500,000 200,000	200,000
Andrej Tekel	275,000 155,000	155,000

Tags: Spyridon Apartoglou Andrej Tekel

11-29-2024 00:48 UTC-12

Hutchison Versus Gromov

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 20 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

Dmitry Gromov opened to 24,000 from the hijack and Dean Hutchison defended from the big blind.

The flop came 8♥5♣K♦ and Hutchison check-called a 25,000 bet from Gromov.

Both players then checked the 4♠ turn and A♠ river. Hutchison had a pair with J♥5♥ but Gromov had him beat with K♣Q♠ for second pair to take the pot.

Elsewhere in the tournament area, Atilla Saracoglu was recently eliminated.

Player	Chips	Progress
Dmitry Gromov	820,000 125,000	125,000

Dean Hutchison	535,000 195,000	195,000
Atilla Saracoglu	Busted

Tags: Dean Hutchison Dmitry Gromov

11-29-2024 00:56 UTC-12

Drokin Doubles

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Kai Cocklin

Level 20 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

Volodymyr Drokin opened the button and Marc Foggin shoved from the big blind. Drokin had around 260,000 total and after thinking, he decided to put himself at risk.

Volodymyr Drokin: A♠Q♥ All in
Marc Foggin: K♠9♠

Drokin was in the lead and stayed there throughout the A♥J♣8♣5♣K♣ runout, which earned him a double-up, and continued Foggin's miserable run of luck.

On another table, Vytautas Milbutas just got eliminated.

Player	Chips	Progress
Volodymyr Drokin	540,000 390,000	390,000
Marc Foggin	270,000 165,000	165,000
Vytautas Milbutas	Busted

Tags: Marc Foggin Volodymyr Drokin Vytautas Milbutas

11-29-2024 01:01 UTC-12

Mukhamedzhanov Gets an Easy Double

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Kai Cocklin

Level 20 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

With around 175,000 in the pot on a board of Q♠5♥7♠K♠, Iliyas Mukhamedzhanov had shoved the turn for around 160,000, and Daniyar Aubakirov was in the tank. After some time, the clock was called on Aubakirov and during the countdown, he made the call.

Iliyas Mukhamedzhanov: Q♥7♣ All in
Daniyar Aubakirov: A♣10♠

Mukhamedzhanov was in the lead with his two pair and just needed to fade a jack on the river to double up. No such jack appeared as the 2♦ filled out the board, and Mukhamedzhanov raked in the extra chips.

Player	Chips	Progress
Iliyas Mukhamedzhanov	500,000 300,000	300,000
Daniyar Aubakirov	500,000 150,000	150,000
Shahin Norouzian	Busted

Tags: Daniyar Aubakirov Iliyas Mukhamedzhanov

11-29-2024 01:02 UTC-12

Zavoloka Doubles Through Khorchidian

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 20 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

Dimitrios Barmpathanasis opened to 25,000 from middle position and Mikhail Zavoloka three-bet to 75,000 from the hijack. Nichan Khorchidian called from the button while Barmpathanasis got out of the way.

The flop came 9♦8♥10♥. Zavoloka checked, Khorchidian bet 100,000, Zavoloka shoved for 303,000 and Khorchidian called with a covering stack to put Zavoloka at risk.

Mikhail Zavoloka: K♥J♥ All in
Nichan Khorchidian: 9♥9♣

Khorchidian was ahead with middle set but had to fade plenty of outs from Zavoloka who had both a flush draw and open-ended straight draw. The 2♠ turn was a brick but the 7♥ river g ave Zavoloka the flush and he doubled up through Khorchidian.

Player	Chips	Progress
Dimitrios Barmpathanasis	2,475,000 45,000	45,000
Nichan Khorchidian	1,725,000 25,000	25,000

Mikhail Zavoloka	811,000 511,000	511,000

Tags: Dimitrios Barmpathanasis Mikhail Zavoloka Nichan Khorchidian

11-29-2024 01:15 UTC-12

Shchitnikov Joins the Two-Million Chip Club

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Kai Cocklin

Level 20 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

A huge pot was developing between Ali Al-Kubasi and Pavel Shchitnikov as they got to the turn on a board of 5♣2♦8♥9♣. There were around 750,000 chips in the pot when Al-Kubasi checked it over to Shchitnikov, who shoved for just over 600,000. Al-Kubasi was in the tank and clearly had a weak hand.

"I have nothing, I have nothing," said Al-Kubasi. Eventually, Al-Kubasi made the call, which left him with just 200,000 in his stack.

Pavel Shchitnikov: J♥J♦ All in
Ali Al-Kubasi: 6♣3♣

Al-Kubasi needed to find a club or a four on the river to take the huge pot, but instead the 5♦ paired the board on the river, which meant Shchitnikov's jacks held up and he became the newest member of the two-million chip club.

Player	Chips	Progress
Pavel Shchitnikov	2,000,000 1,100,000	1,100,000
Ali Al-Kubasi	200,000 900,000	900,000

Tags: Ali Al-Kubasi Pavel Shchitnikov

11-29-2024 01:16 UTC-12

Majidi Eliminated by Abelmasov

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 20 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

Igor Abelmasov opened from under the gun, Nicolae Paunescu called from the button and Majid Majidi shoved for 31,000 from the small blind. Henrik Brockmann called in the big blind, Abelmasov called and Paunescu called.

The three players who were not all in checked the 8♣Q♦3♦ flop leading to the 6♥ turn. Brockmann checked, Abelmasov bet 32,000, Paunescu called and Brockmann folded.

Both Paunescu and Abelmasov checked down the 3♣ river. Majidi had completely missed with A♠2♠, Paunescu had 8♠7♠ for two pair and Abelmasov had 10♦10♥ for a better two pair to send Majidi to the rail and take the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Nicolae Paunescu	1,455,000 45,000	45,000
Igor Abelmasov	775,000 105,000	105,000
Henrik Brockmann	565,000 85,000	85,000
Majid Majidi	Busted

Tags: Henrik Brockmann Majid Majidi Igor Abelmasov Nicolae Paunescu

Level: 21

Blinds: 10,000/15,000

Ante: 15,000

11-29-2024 01:26 UTC-12

Khorchidian Versus Barmpathanasis

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 21 : Blinds 10,000/15,000, 15,000 ante

With two players seeing a board of 2♠K♣6♥9♦ and around 250,000 in the middle, Dimitrios Barmpathanasis checked from under the gun and Nichan Khorchidian bet 190,000 from the cutoff. Barmpathanasis made the call.

Both players then checked the 10♦ river. Barmpathanasis showed 8♠8♣ but Khorchidian had him beat with A♦K♥ for top pair to take the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Dimitrios Barmpathanasis	2,170,000 305,000	305,000
Nichan Khorchidian	2,100,000 375,000	375,000

Tags: Dimitrios Barmpathanasis Nichan Khorchidian

11-29-2024 01:31 UTC-12

Grasso Shows the Bluff

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Kai Cocklin

Level 21 : Blinds 10,000/15,000, 15,000 ante

Daniele Grasso had opened from under the gun and Charbel Salloum called from the hijack before Adrian State made a squeeze from the big blind to 115,000. Grasso called, and Salloum folded.

They went to a flop of Q♦9♦10♥ where State check-called a bet of 73,000 from Grasso to see the 9♠ fall on the turn, which went check-check.

A 6♣ completed the runout and after State checked, Grasso shoved for around 300,000.

"Ay ay ay. This hand, this hand," said State as he tried to piece together the puzzle. Eventually State decided to fold and relinquish the pot to Grasso.

"Show just two," asked State. "Just two?" replied Grasso, who then showed A♦J♦ for a missed combo draw as he raked in the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Adrian State	1,550,000 50,000	50,000
Daniele Grasso	700,000 325,000	325,000
Charbel Salloum	500,000 200,000	200,000
Seref Anar	300,000 270,000	270,000
Damir Zhugralin	Busted
Mehmet Karsli	Busted

Tags: Adrian State Daniele Grasso Charbel Salloum