2026 NOIR Poker Series

$5,500 Main Event
Day: 1b
1a1b1cd
Event Info
2026 NOIR Poker Series
Event Info
Buy-in
$5,500
Prize Pool
$3,000,000
Total Entries
769
Players Left
113
Average Chip Stack
680,531
Total Chips
76,900,000
Level Info
Level
18
Blinds
15,000 / 25,000
Ante
25,000
Players Info - Day 1b
Entries
228
Players Left
34
Players Left 113 / 769
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"Imagine How Sick I Am"

Tim Baker
Tim Baker
Level 9 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
Wael Sarkis
Wael Sarkis

Wael Sarkis raised to 6,500 from the hijack, and only Tim Gerwig called from the big blind.

Gerwig check-called Sarkis' continuation bet of 7,000 on the 4♠7♠5♣ flop.

When Gerwig saw the 6♣ come on the turn, he led all in for 37,000. Sarkis went into the tank, during which he said, "I'm so sick I want to call with ace-high."

Another time bank was used before Sarkis continued, "Imagine how sick I am."

In the end, Sarkis wasn't quite sick enough, as he found a fold and surrendered the pot to Gerwig, who quietly went about his business.

Tags: Tim GerwigWael Sarkis

Chouity Doubles Up Huang; Busts Next Hand

Tim Baker
Tim Baker
Level 9 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante

After losing the majority of his stack in the previous hand while doubling up Yuxi Huang, Nicolas Chouity moved all in from the button after facing an opening raise to 6,000 from the hijack. His opponent quickly called in an attempt to send him to the rail.

Nicolas Chouity: 3♠3♣ All in
Hijack: 8♦8♣

Chouity was in rough shape with the smaller pair, and the 2♥9♠9♣7♦5♦ runout offered him no help.

With his tournament coming to an end, Chouity gathered his belongings and headed for the nearest exit.

Tags: Nicolas ChouityYuxi Huang

Nashar Leads After the Break

Tim Baker
Tim Baker
Level 9 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
Hassan Nashar
Hassan Nashar

Level: 9

Blinds: 1,500/3,000

Ante: 3,000

Jontulovic Takes a Different Line

Tim Baker
Tim Baker
Level 8 : Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Bogdan Jontulovic
Bogdan Jontulovic

Bogdan Jontulovic moved all in for 33,000 from under the gun and was looked up by Elie Farah on the button.

Bogdan Jontulovic: 9♦9♣ All in
Elie Farah: K♥K♣

Jontulovic knew he was in trouble, but rather than asking the dealer for a nine like most players might, he took a different approach.

"Two diamonds on the flop, just two," he said.

The dealer obliged, producing the 10♦8♥Q♦ flop. Not only had Jontulovic gotten his two diamonds, but he had also picked up a gutshot straight draw.

The 7♠ turn gave him even more outs as he improved to an open-ended straight draw, although Farah's cowboys remained in front.

Then came the 6♠ river, completing Jontulovic's straight and earning him a full double-up.

The unlikely escape drew plenty of laughs and smiles from around the table. Everyone seemed amused by the outcome except, naturally, Farah, who found himself on the wrong end of the bad beat.

Elie Farah
Elie Farah

Tags: Bogdan JontulovicElie Farah

A Few of Bezhanyan's Chips Get Chopped Up

Tim Baker
Tim Baker
Level 8 : Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante

There was a raise to 5,000 from under the gun, with Aren Bezhanyan calling on the button and Hassan Nashar defending from the big blind.

The dealer spread the 9♦6♥3♠ flop, and Nashar checked. The under-the-gun player bet 7,000, which both Bezhanyan and Nashar called.

The 2♥ turn checked through before the K♠ completed the board. All three players checked again, and the under-the-gun player showed K♥Q♠ for a pair of kings. Bezhanyan mucked, but Nashar tabled K♦Q♦ for the same hand, and the two players chopped up Bezhanyan's chips.

Tags: Aren BezhanyanHassan Nashar

Queens Don't Help Yaghmai

Tim Baker
Tim Baker
Level 8 : Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante

After some raising back and forth, Nariman Yaghmai and the player in the hijack got all of the chips into the middle, creating a pot worth around 260,000, with the hijack player at risk.

Hijack: K♥K♠ All in
Nariman Yaghmai: Q♠Q♣

It was a cooler involving two of the biggest pairs in the deck, and Yaghmai needed to find a queen or be left with just a few big blinds.

No lady arrived for Yaghmai on the 5♠A♥3♥3♦8♣ runout, and the majority of his stack was shipped across the table.

Tags: Nariman Yaghmai

One Day 2 Seat, Four Possible Paydays

Tim Baker
Tim Baker
Level 8 : Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Alexander Sokolovsky
Alexander Sokolovsky

One of the more unusual features of the Merit Poker Noir Main Event is that players can cash not once, not twice, but as many as four times.

Sound strange? Alexander Sokolovsky is currently doing his best to prove that it isn't.

Sokolovsky made it through the opening flight with 40,000 chips, which amounted to just two big at the time. Rather than placing all of his hopes on performing an unlikely miracle , he decided to take full advantage of one of the more intriguing rules on the schedule.

Players are allowed to enter multiple Day 1 flights and can advance to Day 2 with more than one stack. Before Day 2 gets underway, only the biggest stack remains in play, while the others are removed. However, every stack that survives is guaranteed a payout worth at least one and a half times the buy-in.

In short, players can keep firing in an attempt to build a stack capable of making a deep run, all while knowing that any extra stack they bag will still earn them some money.

It's a format that offers plenty of flexibility, encourages players to chase chips, and perhaps allows them to sleep a little easier at night.

As for Sokolovsky, he has already secured one cash. The question now is whether he can collect a few more, or will he have to run up his micro-stack on Day 2.

Merit Poker Noir
Merit Poker Noir

Level: 8

Blinds: 1,000/2,500

Ante: 2,500

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