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Level 1
: Blinds 200/500, 500 ante
Day 1b of the Main Event has gotten underway with 47 players taking their seats.
2026 NOIR Poker Series
$5,500 Main Event
Day: 1b
Players Left 113 / 769
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Chip Counts
Chip Counts
Level: 1
Blinds: 200/500
Ante: 500
Day 1b of the $5,500 Merit Poker Main Event gets underway today at the Merit Poker Noir Series, with cards in the air at 12 p.m. inside the Merit Royal Diamond Hotel Casino & Spa. The second of four starting flights follows the same structure as Day 1a, with players looking to build a stack and secure both a place in the money and a return for Day 2.
The opening flight attracted 216 entries, with just 32 players advancing by the end of the night. Three-time bracelet winner Timur Margolin finished atop the standings after bagging 1,760,000. Joris Ruijs ended the night in second place with 1,560,000, while Jay O'Leary completed the top three with 1,525,000.
Current Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Timur Margolin | Israel | 1,760,000 |
| 2 | Joris Ruijs | Netherlands | 1,560,000 |
| 3 | Jay O'leary | United Kingdom | 1,525,000 |
| 4 | Dmitrii Kravchenko | Ukraine | 1,495,000 |
| 5 | Gilles Simon | Netherlands | 1,490,000 |
| 6 | Merijn van Rooij | Netherlands | 1,355,000 |
| 7 | Oleg Silin | Russian Federation | 1,355,000 |
| 8 | Xiaosheng Zheng | China | 1,040,000 |
| 9 | Selahaddin Bedir | Turkey | 1,000,000 |
| 10 | Kenar | Turkey | 785,000 |
Players will once again begin with 100,000 chips, with 40-minute levels in play throughout the day. Late registration will remain open until the start of Level 11, with a dinner break scheduled before that. As with Day 1a, play will continue until just 15% of the field remains, with every surviving player guaranteed a place in the money. Day 1c and Day 1d will then take place tomorrow, featuring 30-minute and 25-minute blind levels, respectively.
Remaining Main Event Schedule
| Date | Day | Time | Blind Levels |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 3 | Day 1b | 12 p.m. | 40 minutes |
| August 4 | Day 1c | 12 p.m. | 30 minutes |
| August 4 | Day 1d | 6 p.m. | 25 minutes |
| August 5 | Day 2 | 12 p.m. | 60 minutes |
| August 6 | Final Day | 12 p.m. | 60 minutes |
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Follow PokerNews for live coverage throughout the day, including chip counts and the latest updates, as Day 1b of the $3,000,000 guaranteed Main Event gets underway.
$5,500 Main Event
Day 1b Started
