€1,650 Main Event Day 2 | 2026 Merit Poker Montenegro Championship

01-22-2026 17:15 UTC+2

Esau's Bluff Catch Puts Him Over a Milly

Tim Baker

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

On a completed board of 9♣2♥K♣6♣J♥ and with roughly 350,000 in the middle, Igor Abelmasov shoved from the big blind for Paul Esau's stack of 361,000.

Esua, who was seated on the button, was visibly uncomfortable with the spot he was in. After giving a lot of thought, Esau flicked in a chip to indicate a call.

Abelmasov turned over a bluff with A♠10♣, and had to send over a large portion of his stack to Esau, who revealed 9♥9♠ for a flopped set.

Esau's correct bluff catch earned him the pot of over a million, while Abelmasov was down to around 350,000

Player	Chips	Progress
Paul Esau	1,050,000 550,000	550,000

Igor Abelmasov	350,000 400,000	400,000

Tags: Paul Esau's Igor Abelmasov

01-22-2026 17:13 UTC+2

Grummitt Drills a Straight to Crack Kings

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Kai Cocklin

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

Paul Grummitt just hit a nice turn card to stack Hakan Kuscu.

There were around already 70,000 in the pot on a flop of 8♥6♦7♦ when the last Kuscu's stack of around 50,000 went into the middle against Grummitt.

Hakan Kuscu: K♠K♥ All in
Paul Grummitt: 9♥9♣

Grummitt had an open-ender, and drilled it on the 5♥ turn. Kuscu's only hope was a chop, but the 5♠ river wasn't what he needed, sending him to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Paul Grummitt	190,000 100,000	100,000
Hakan Kuscu	Busted

Tags: Hakan Kuscu Paul Grummitt

01-22-2026 17:02 UTC+2

Buhaiov Steals the Pot From Mosyk

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Tim Baker

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

Nazar Buhaiov raised under the gun to 7,000 and was three-bet to 21,000 by Maksym Bosyk on his direct left. Buhaiov called when the action got back to him.

Buhaiov check-called a bet of 15,000 from Bosyk on the K♣5♠4♠ flop.

The J♣ turn checked through for the J♠ to complete the board.

Buhaiov bet 65,000, and this was enough to get Bosyk to fold.

Player	Chips	Progress
Nazar Buhaiov	230,000 120,000	120,000
Maksym Bosyk	210,000 30,000	30,000

Tags: Maksym Bosyk Nazar Buhaiov

01-22-2026 17:02 UTC+2

Eight Levels on Day 2

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Kai Cocklin

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

It has been announced that Day 2 of the Main Event will play eight levels, with no dinner break.

Currently, the field has reached 389 entries with around one and a half levels of late registration to go.

01-22-2026 16:50 UTC+2

Reichenstein Squeezes Some Value Out of Rashed

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Tim Baker

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

From the button, Dani Rashed made it 8,000 and Uri Reichenstein defended the big blind.

Check, check came after the 10♣J♥7♠ flop, and the 6♥ arrived on the turn. Reichenstein took the betting lead by firing out for 17,000, and Rashed called.

A 7♣ rolled out on the river, and Reichenstein bet 55,000. Rashed made the call, but then mucked upon seeing Reichenstein's top pair with A♠J♣.

Player	Chips	Progress
Uri Reichenstein	605,000 105,000	105,000
Dani Rashed	350,000 160,000	160,000

Tags: Uri Reichenstein Dani Rashed

01-22-2026 16:45 UTC+2

WSOP Bracelet Winners in Action

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Kai Cocklin

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

WSOP bracelet winners Shai Zurr and Gabi Livshitz were both in action at their respective tables, but neither of them managed to win the pot.

First, in a blind-on-blind confrontation with Dmytro Gorbal, Livshitz had his stack of around 100,000 in the middle from the big blind.

Gabi Livshitz: 2♥2♦ All in
Dmytro Gorbal: Q♥Q♦

Livshitz was in trouble, and was deeper in the hole when the A♣Q♠5♦ flop gave Gorbal a set. No running cards appeared on the 9♠4♦ runout, and Livshitz hit the rail.

Elsewhere, there was a raise before the button three-bet to 18,000. Zurr then four-bet the small blind to 51,000, which only the button called.

On the 10♠Q♠4♠ flop, Zurr check-folded to the shove of the button.

Player	Chips	Progress
Dmytro Gorbal	350,000 185,500	185,500
Shai Zurr	240,000 140,000	140,000

Gabi Livshitz	Busted

Tags: Dmytro Gorbal Gabi Livshitz Shai Zurr

01-22-2026 16:35 UTC+2

Selected Stacks at Second Break

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Kai Cocklin

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

Player	Chips	Progress
Nikolai Isaev	1,050,000 150,000	150,000

Fausto Tantillo	880,000 20,000	20,000

Atilla Saracoglu	790,000 90,000	90,000

Igor Abelmasov	750,000 150,000	150,000
Timur Margolin	700,000 110,000	110,000

Anton Markachev	620,000 383,500	383,500
Amir Hassan	600,000 30,000	30,000
Giorgiy Skhulukhiya	575,000 50,000	50,000
Zhengpeng Liu	530,000 80,000	80,000
Paul Esau	500,000 20,000	20,000

Ufuk Erkmen	500,000 15,000	15,000
Uri Reichenstein	500,000 10,000	10,000
Srdan Milicevic	475,000 75,000	75,000
Saljo Curovic	450,000 128,500	128,500
Andrei Daniliuk	425,000 50,000	50,000
Mikhail Ostapenko	390,000 49,500	49,500
Erdal Gulseven	380,000 155,000	155,000
Jean-Baptiste Pano	370,000 206,500	206,500
Jon Kyte	350,000 50,000	50,000

Antoine Hasbani	280,000 150,500	150,500