$2,200 NL Warmup
Day 1ab Completed
2023 Merit Poker Carmen Series
$2,200 NL Warmup
Day: 1a
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1a
2023 Merit Poker Carmen Series
Buy-in
$2,200
Prize Pool
$1,124,240
Entries
611
Level
38
Blinds
600,000 / 1,200,000
Ante
1,200,000
Entries
125
Players Left
62
Mikhail Zamyatin Bags the Chip Lead on Day 1a of the Merit Poker Carmen Series $2,200 Warmup
Level 8
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
The curtain has fallen on Day 1a of the Merit Poker Carmen Series $2,200 Warmup, and the rest of the field is looking up at Mikhail Zamyatin on the chip leaderboard.
Aces over kings is the worst cooler in poker, and being on the right side of it is one reason why the Russian with more than $600,000 in live tournament earnings built up the biggest stack on the opening flight. He busted Valeriy Pak in a nearly 200,000-chip pot on his way to bagging up 522,500 for the day. Zamyatin is no stranger to success here at the Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino. He was runner-up in a side event during the Merit Poker Western Series in January.
Stepan Kiba, Sergei Efimov, and Artem Kazantsev spent most of the day sitting at the same table and kept tangling in big pots as each took turns building up a massive stack. Efimov finished Day 1a ahead in that table trio with 415,000, while Kiba isn’t far behind with 333,500 and Kazantsev bagged 231,000.
Day 1a Top 10 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mikhail Zamyatin | 522,500 | 209 |
| 2 | Luc Bindel | 430,000 | 172 |
| 3 | Sergei Efimov | 415,000 | 166 |
| 4 | Aliaksandr Hirs | 407,000 | 163 |
| 5 | Maksim Skripkin | 406,000 | 162 |
| 6 | Harald Sammer | 395,000 | 158 |
| 7 | Damir Zhugralin | 382,500 | 153 |
| 8 | Denis Kapustin | 365,500 | 146 |
| 9 | Stepan Kiba | 333,500 | 133 |
| 10 | Murat Altunok | 315,500 | 126 |
Day 1a attracted 125 total entries, with 62 players making it through to Day 2. Notables to survive eight hour-long levels include Luc Bindel (430,000), Fausto Tantillo (283,500), Michele Guerrini (252,500), Dragos Trofimov (168,500), Yiannis Liperis (129,500), and Maxime Chilaud (119,500). Those who weren’t as lucky include Aleksandr Chernikov, runner-up in the Western Series Main Event, and 2022 WSOP finalist Philippe Souki. They will have to try again in another flight if they want to get their hands on the prestigious Merit Poker trophy.
There are still three more starting flights remaining in this tournament before the prize pool is determined. Day 1b begins at noon tomorrow, while there will be a turbo Day 1c tomorrow night and a turbo Day 1d on Friday. The remaining players combine on Day 2 on March 24, with late registration and unlimited reentries available until the end of Level 12.
Stay tuned for more coverage as PokerNews brings you all the action from the remainder of the festival along the shores of the Mediterranean in North Cyprus.
End-of-Day Chip Counts (full)
Level 8
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
522,500 | 82,500 |
|
430,000 | 290,000 |
|
415,000 | 85,000 |
|
407,000 | |
|
406,000 | 56,000 |
|
395,000 | 235,000 |
|
382,500 | |
|
365,500 | |
|
333,500 | -26,500 |
|
315,500 | 5,500 |
|
304,000 | 24,000 |
|
294,500 | |
|
|
292,000 | |
|
290,000 | 150,000 |
|
287,500 | |
|
283,500 | 138,500 |
|
270,000 | |
|
264,000 | |
|
252,500 | -7,500 |
|
247,500 | -32,500 |
|
235,000 | 235,000 |
|
231,000 | 1,000 |
|
227,500 | |
|
226,000 | |
|
207,000 |
Three More Hands
Level 8
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Tournament officials announced that players will see three more hands before bagging up their chips for the night.
Atanasov Flops the Nuts to Double His Short Stack
Level 8
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Stefan Atanasov was in the small blind and moved all in for his last 15,000. Michele Guerrini in middle position called to put him at risk.
Stefan Atanasov: 
Michele Guerrini: 
Guerrini had Atanasov crushed until the 
flop gave Atanasov the nut flush as a collective gasp rose from the table. The board ran out 
and Atanasov stayed alive near the end of the night.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
260,000 | 155,000 |
|
30,000 |
Vaizman Drops a Chuck to Zhugralin, Then Doubles Back
Level 8
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Heads-up on a board of 
, Damir Zhugralin bet 21,000 and was called by Moshe Vaizman.
The river came the and Zhugralin fired out another 65,000. Vaizman quickly called, then mucked as Zhugralin turned over 
for the nut flush to eclipse 400,000 chips.
But he wouldn't stay there for long. The next hand, Vaizman got his last 85,000 in the middle in a blind versus blind confrontation against Zhugralin.
Moshe Vaizman:
Damir Zhugralin: 
Vaizman was dominated and at risk of heading for the exit until the 
flop gave him top pair. The board ran out 
and Vaizman doubled up.
"Easy game," he said as more than made his money back off Zhugralin.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
330,000 | 330,000 |
|
170,000 | 170,000 |
Big Stacks on the Last Level
Level 8
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
440,000 | 120,000 |
|
|
360,000 | -20,000 |
|
|
330,000 | 155,000 |
|
|
320,000 | 320,000 |
|
|
280,000 | 280,000 |
Dziubdziela Cracks Reiser's Aces
Level 8
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Stefan Reiser four-bet from the button as action folded back to Marcin Dziubdziela in the cutoff, who moved all in for his last 67,500. Reiser snap-called.
Marcin Dziubdziela: 
Stefan Reiser: 
Dziubdziela was crushed by Reiser's aces until the 
flop gave him top set. The board ran out 
and Dziubdziela earned the miracle double up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
130,000 | |
|
125,000 | -85,000 |
Tantillo Hits the River to Double
Level 8
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
There was already around 65,000 in the middle as Fausto Tantillo and Israel Zilberman saw the river on a board of 
. Tantillo, in the cutoff, moved all in for his remaining 42,000 as Zilberman went into the tank.
Zilberman began spinning around the $1 cash chip he uses as a card protector as he thought about the decision for several minutes. He eventually called with 
for two pair, kings and fours, but Tantillo turned over for a rivered flush to win the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
145,000 | 55,000 |
|
135,000 | -65,000 |
Level: 8
Blinds: 1,000/2,500
Ante: 2,500