$5,300 High Roller
Day 3 Started
2024 Merit Poker Gatsby Gala Series
$5,300 High Roller
Day: 3
Event Info
2024 Merit Poker Gatsby Gala Series
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 3
Buy-in
$5,300
Prize Pool
$473,800
Entries
103
Level
27
Blinds
50,000 / 100,000
Ante
100,000
Entries
31
Players Left
9
Players Left 1 / 103
Filter
(1)
| Table | Seat | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Danielle Noja | Lebanon | 229,000 | 23 |
| 1 | 2 | Mehmet Muratli | Turkey | 292,000 | 29 |
| 1 | 3 | Lachezar Petkov | Slovenia | 337,000 | 34 |
| 1 | 4 | Adrian State | Romania | 260,000 | 26 |
| 1 | 5 | Aleksandr Chernikov | Russia | 305,000 | 31 |
| 1 | 6 | Bulut Celik | Turkey | 116,000 | 12 |
| 1 | 7 | Razvan Belea | Romania | 196,000 | 20 |
| 1 | 8 | Traian Stanciu | Romania | 246,000 | 25 |
| 2 | 1 | Michael Angelos | Cyprus | 357,000 | 36 |
| 2 | 2 | Mehmet Demirkol | Turkey | 636,000 | 64 |
| 2 | 3 | Simone Andrian | Italy | 531,000 | 53 |
| 2 | 4 | Zhen Chen | China | 484,000 | 48 |
| 2 | 5 | Zhewen Hu | China | 492,000 | 49 |
| 2 | 6 | Mikhail Zavoloka | Russia | 253,000 | 25 |
| 2 | 7 | Ali Al-Kubasi | Iraq | 471,000 | 47 |
| 2 | 8 | Eyal Eshkar | Israel | 586,000 | 59 |
| 3 | 1 | Felipe Ketzer | Brazil | 373,000 | 37 |
| 3 | 2 | Dmitry Yurasov | Russia | 199,000 | 20 |
| 3 | 3 | Atilla Saracoglu | Turkey | 140,000 | 14 |
| 3 | 4 | Antoine Talvard | France | 184,000 | 18 |
| 3 | 5 | Nichan Khorchidian | Lebanon | 541,000 | 54 |
| 3 | 6 | Andrey Pateychuk | Russia | 193,000 | 19 |
| 3 | 7 | Uladzimir Zhyharau | Belarus | 268,000 | 27 |
| 3 | 8 | Walid Bou Habib | Lebanon | 240,000 | 24 |
| 4 | 1 | Jeremy Saderne | France | 220,000 | 22 |
| 4 | 2 | Timor Margolin | Israel | 210,000 | 21 |
| 4 | 3 | Nemo Koering | France | 284,000 | 28 |
| 4 | 4 | Fahredin Mustafov | Bulgaria | 460,000 | 46 |
| 4 | 5 | Elie Saad | Lebanon | 795,000 | 80 |
| 4 | 6 | Alisa Sibgatova | Russia | 163,000 | 16 |
| 4 | 7 | Mehdi Chaoui | Morocco | 294,000 | 29 |
The $5,300 High Roller at the 2024 Merit Poker Gatsby Gala Series returns for Day 3 at the Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino with 31 players still in contention from the 103-entry field. After late registration closed at the end of Level 12, the field nearly doubled from Day 1’s 54 entries, creating a prize pool of $473,800.
Leading the charge into the money is Elie Saad of Lebanon, who bagged a commanding 795,000 chips — almost eight starting stacks. Mehmet Demirkol (636,000) and Eyal Eshkar (586,000) round out the top three stacks heading into what promises to be an intense day of play.
Among the standouts is Simone Andrian, who bagged 531,000 chips, becoming the fifth player to clear the half-million mark. The Italian player has already cashed in the $2,200 Warm-Up earlier this series and now looks to continue his run as the money bubble looms.
Top Ten Chip Counts
| Place | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elie Saad | Lebanon | 795,000 | 80 |
| 2 | Mehmet Demirkol | Turkey | 636,000 | 64 |
| 3 | Eyal Eshkar | Israel | 586,000 | 59 |
| 4 | Nichan Khorchidian | Lebanon | 541,000 | 54 |
| 5 | Simone Andrian | Italy | 531,000 | 53 |
| 6 | Zhewen Hu | China | 492,000 | 49 |
| 7 | Zhen Chen | China | 484,000 | 48 |
| 8 | Ali Al-Kubasi | Iraq | 471,000 | 47 |
| 9 | Fahredin Mustafov | Bulgaria | 460,000 | 46 |
| 10 | Felipe Ketzer | Brazil | 373,000 | 37 |
Bulgaria's Fahredin Mustafov begins Day 3 in ninth place with 373,000 chips and will aim to leverage his extensive experience to secure a cash and push deeper into the tournament. Ranked third on Bulgaria's all-time money list, Mustafov is closing in on an impressive $7,000,000 in career earnings, solidifying his status as one of his nation’s most accomplished players.
Play gets underway at 6 p.m. and blinds resume at Level 17 (5,000/10,000 with a 10,000 big blind ante), with the goal of playing down to a final table. The final 13 players will secure a min-cash of $9,500, while the eventual champion will walk away with a top prize of $132,300.
Stay tuned as PokerNews brings you all the updates, big hands, and bustouts on the road to the High Roller title!
Level: 17
Blinds: 5,000/10,000
Ante: 10,000
Level 17
: Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
Cards are in the air for Day 3 of the $5,300 High Roller!
Level 17
: Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
Adrian State raised to 20,000 from under the gun and got a call from Danielle Noja in the button. Mehmet Muratli also made the call from the small blind, and the big blind folded.
On the K♠7♠J♥ flop, Muratli checked and State continued for 20,000. Noja folded, and Muratli called.
An 8♣ landed on the turn and after Muratli checked, State sized up with a bet of 65,000. Muratli quickly folded.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
330,000
70,000
|
70,000 |
|
250,000
42,000
|
42,000 |
|
200,000
29,000
|
29,000 |
Level 17
: Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
Mehdi Chaoui opened from under the gun to 20,000 and Timur Margolin called in the hijack before Fahredin Mustafov three-bet the button to 62,000. Alisa Sibgatova was in the big blind and ripped in her stack of around 150,000, which got quick folds from everybody else at the table.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
400,000
60,000
|
60,000 |
|
270,000
107,000
|
107,000 |
Level 17
: Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
Atilla Saracoglu shoved for 115,000 from early position and Antoine Talvard reshoved in the next seat for 145,000.
Atilla Saracoglu: A♦10♦ 
Antoine Talvard: K♦K♠
Talvard was ahead with his Cowboys, but fell behind on the 3♥A♣5♣ flop as Saracoglu paired his ace. A 9♥ turn and 3♣ river didn't change anything, which meant Saracoglu doubled up and Talvard was left very short.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
250,000
110,000
|
110,000 |
|
30,000
154,000
|
154,000 |
Level 17
: Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
There were already around 60,000 chips in the pot on a flop of 9♣2♦8♣ when Razvan Belea and Danielle Noja got their chips in the middle, with the former at risk for his stack of around 150,000.
Razvan Belea: A♣A♦
Danielle Noja: 10♠10♦
"It felt like aces," said Noja.
Nothing changed on either the Q♠ turn or 6♥ river, and Noja sent a big portion of his stack over to Belea.
On the other table, Antoine Talvard couldn't spin up his stack after losing most of it moments earlier and hit the rail.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
360,000
164,000
|
164,000 |
|
||
|
|
60,000
140,000
|
140,000 |
|
|
Busted | |
Level 17
: Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante
Elie Saad raised from the hijack and Alisa Sibgatova was the only called in the cutoff.
They went to a flop of J♣K♥4♥ where Saad continued for 15,000, and Sibgatova called to see the 10♠ fall on the turn. Again, Saad kept on firing with a bet of 25,000, which Sibgatova called.
On the K♠ river, both players elected to check and Saad showed 10♥7♥ for a pair of tens, which was good for the pot as Sibgatova mucked.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
800,000
5,000
|
5,000 |
|
||
|
|
320,000
50,000
|
50,000 |
