Daniel Shademanpour Ends Day 1b as Chip Leader in $10,400 Merit Millions Event
Day 1b of the $10,400 Merit Millions Event has concluded inside the Merit Royal Diamond Hotel Casino & Spa, with 17 players from 30 entries making it through to Day 2. These survivors will join the 34 players who advanced from Day 1a, all aiming for the $1,000,000 guaranteed first-place prize.
Emerging as the Day 1b chip leader is Daniel Shademanpour, who bagged 3,175,000 chips. His stack grew significantly in the penultimate level when he doubled up through Krasimir Yankov with Big Slick, positioning him as one of the biggest stacks of the day. Shademanpour will be looking to carry his momentum into Day 2 as he aims to secure a deep run in the event.
Day 1b Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Daniel Shademanpour | Iran | 3,175,000 | 159 |
| 2 | Jan Petersen | Denmark | 2,890,000 | 145 |
| 3 | Joseph Haddad | United Arab Emirates | 2,370,000 | 119 |
| 4 | Konstantin Voronin | Russia | 2,125,000 | 106 |
| 5 | Onur Ozgur | Turkey | 2,110,000 | 106 |
| 6 | Damir Zhugralin | Kazakhstan | 2,015,000 | 101 |
| 7 | Giorgiy Skhuluhiya | Georgia | 1,985,000 | 99 |
| 8 | Chady Ojeil | Lebanon | 1,935,000 | 97 |
| 9 | Abdullah Alajmi | Kuwait | 1,860,000 | 93 |
| 10 | Antoine Hasbani | Lebanon | 1,795,000 | 90 |
Following closely behind Shademanpour with 2,890,000 chips is Denmark’s Jan Petersen. Petersen's day was highlighted by a key elimination of the dangerous Dmitry Gromov where he found himself on the right side of a battle of premium pocket pairs. Later, Petersen flopped a set of deuces in a multi-way pot, extracting three streets of value from Abdullah Alajmi, which further boosted his stack.
Joseph Haddad is third on the leaderboard with 2,370,000 chips, a portion of which came from a correct hero-call on Mehdi Chaoui’s river bluff shove while holding pocket jacks. In fourth place is Konstantin Voronin, who ended up with 2,125,000 chips after the counts were finalized. Voronin had already bagged a stack from Day 1a, but he has now more than doubled it for Day 2. Will he look to build an even bigger stack during Day 1c or 1d?
Some other familiar faces advancing to the second stage of the tournament include Damir Zhugralin (2,015,000), Giorgiy Skhuluhiya (1,985,000), Chady Ojeil (1,935,000), Andrei Boghean (1,505,000), and short-stacked Johnny Lodden (585,000).
Tomorrow, Day 1c of the $10,400 Merit Millions Event kicks off at 1 p.m., following the same structure as the previous flights and giving players another shot at securing a place in Day 2. Later in the evening, Day 1d will start at 8 p.m. and feature a turbo structure with 30-minute levels, offering a faster-paced option for those looking for one last chance to build a stack. So far, with two of the four opening flights completed, 51 players have secured their spot for Day 2 out of a total of 97 entries.
Remaining Merit Millions Event Schedule
| Date | Day | Time | Blind Levels |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 11 | Day 1c | 1 p.m. | 40 minutes |
| April 11 | Day 1d | 8 p.m. | 30 minutes |
| April 12 | Day 2 | 12 p.m. | 40 minutes |
| April 13 | Day 3 | 12 p.m. | 60 minutes |
Stay tuned to PokerNews for live updates, chip counts, and all the key hands as the action unfolds. With the stakes rising and the pressure mounting, you won’t want to miss a moment of the drama!