$2,200 NL Warmup
Day 3 Completed
2023 Merit Poker Carmen Series
$2,200 NL Warmup
Day: 3
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 3
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
126
Players Left
21
Koray Korkmaz Ends Day 3 With a Bang to Snag the Chip Lead in the Merit Poker Carmen Series $2,200 Warmup
Level 26
: Blinds 40,000/80,000, 80,000 ante
Koray Korkmaz began Day 3 of the Merit Poker Carmen Series $2,200 Warmup needing a three-outer on the river to stay in the tournament. He ended it by winning a massive pot with another lucky river and taking the tournament chip lead into tomorrow's final day.
Korkmaz busted Kubanychbek Abakirov on the second-last hand of the night, rivering the nut flush to beat Abakirov's top pair as Korkmaz ended with 7,050,000. The Merit Poker regular, who has 34 cashes in events here at the Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino, needed a miracle just to get this far. He was all in and down to his last card in the first level of Day 3 but spiked a king to double up. Korkmaz continued his rise up the leaderboard by winning a 3,400,000-chip coin flip with queens against Viktor Ustimov’s ace-king.
Korkmaz leads the 21 remaining players out of a starting field of 611 that still have a chance at capturing the $206,800 top prize and prestigious Merit Poker trophy. Eduard Barsegian (5,080,000), Dmitry Gromov (4,900,000), and Julien Loire (4,610,000) are his closest challengers, while Nicolas Chouity, with nearly $4 million in live tournament earnings, is in sixth place with 3,800,000.
Ustimov (3,100,000), Ran Ilani (2,655,000), Recep Aydemir (1,795,000), and Arie Kliper (1,500,000) will also be back on the tournament’s final day as they play down to a champion tomorrow.
Day 3 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Koray Korkmaz | 7,050,000 | 71 |
| 2 | Eduard Barsegian | 5,080,000 | 51 |
| 3 | Dmitry Gromov | 4,900,000 | 49 |
| 4 | Julien Loire | 4,610,000 | 46 |
| 5 | Boris Angelov | 4,550,000 | 46 |
| 6 | Nicolas Chouity | 3,800,000 | 38 |
| 7 | Basel Khabbazeh | 3,440,000 | 34 |
| 8 | Damir Zhugralin | 3,400,000 | 34 |
| 9 | Viktor Ustimov | 3,100,000 | 31 |
| 10 | Mikhail Zamyatin | 3,005,000 | 30 |
| 11 | Michael Uguccioni | 2,865,000 | 29 |
| 12 | Cenk Nigbolu | 2,755,000 | 28 |
| 13 | Ran Ilani | 2,655,000 | 27 |
| 14 | Recep Aydemir | 1,795,000 | 18 |
| 15 | Petr Skripka | 1,570,000 | 16 |
| 16 | Arie Kliper | 1,500,000 | 15 |
| 17 | Gurcan Gungoren | 1,275,000 | 13 |
| 18 | Luc Bindel | 1,270,000 | 13 |
| 19 | Maksim Skripkin | 935,000 | 9 |
| 20 | Saman Nakhjavani | 920,000 | 9 |
| 21 | Jakub Michalak | 825,000 | 8 |
Day 3 began with 126 players remaining, and the first order of business was to reach the money. Only 71 players would walk away with something for three days of play, and Yulian Bogdanov, Toni Kaukua, Michele Guerrini, and defending champion Selahaddin Bedir all fell short of making the money.
Gabi Livshitz (70th), Philippe Souki (51st), and Uri Reichenstein (45th) all busted shortly after the bubble burst. Ali Moein, who built up a massive chip lead on Day 1 of the tournament, managed to ride that stack to a 54th-place finish. Rabih Saad, the start-of-day chip leader, lasted until Korkmaz busted him in 25th place after both players flopped sets, Saad with nines and Korkmaz holding aces.
The 21 survivors will return tomorrow at 1 p.m. local time. Blinds will pick up in Level 27, at 50,000-100,000 and a 100,000 big blind ante. The feature and final tables will be streamed on a delay on Merit Poker’s YouTube and Facebook channels.
Just 21 remain. By the end of tomorrow, there will be only one, and PokerNews will follow the action the entire way until a champion is crowned here in North Cyprus.
End-of-Day Chip Counts (full)
Level 26
: Blinds 40,000/80,000, 80,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
7,050,000 | 50,000 |
|
5,080,000 | 1,280,000 |
|
4,900,000 | -900,000 |
|
4,610,000 | 410,000 |
|
4,550,000 | 650,000 |
|
3,800,000 | 600,000 |
|
3,440,000 | 140,000 |
|
3,400,000 | 900,000 |
|
3,100,000 | -100,000 |
|
3,005,000 | 1,005,000 |
|
2,865,000 | 1,215,000 |
|
2,755,000 | 55,000 |
|
2,655,000 | 1,055,000 |
|
1,795,000 | 245,000 |
|
1,570,000 | 670,000 |
|
1,500,000 | 250,000 |
|
1,275,000 | -1,725,000 |
|
1,270,000 | -330,000 |
|
935,000 | 135,000 |
|
920,000 | -780,000 |
|
825,000 | -1,375,000 |
Play Concludes
Level 26
: Blinds 40,000/80,000, 80,000 ante
The remaining 21 players are bagging up their chips for the night.
The final day of the tournament will resume at 1 p.m. local time tomorrow.
Kubanychbek Abakirov Eliminated in 22nd Place ($8,320)
Level 26
: Blinds 40,000/80,000, 80,000 ante
While the other outer table was already bagging their chips, Kubanychbek Abakirov bet 385,000 from the cutoff on a flop of 
before Koray Korkmaz, in the hijack, shoved all in. Abakirov called for his last 2,300,000.
Kubanychbek Abakirov: 
Koray Korkmaz: 
Abakirov had top pair, while Korkmaz was chasing a flush. The 
was safe for Abakirov, but the 
came on the river as Korkmaz gave a big fist pump after hitting his flush to send Abakirov out in 22nd just as the night was coming to an end.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
7,000,000 | 3,200,000 |
|
Busted |
Roman Gadzhiev Eliminated in 23rd Place ($8,320)
Level 26
: Blinds 40,000/80,000, 80,000 ante
Julien Loire raised to 160,000 from under the gun before Roman Gadzhiev shoved all in from the cutoff. Loire quickly called.
Julien Loire: 
Roman Gadzhiev: 
The board ran out 
and Loire's queens stayed in front. It took several minutes for the stacks to be counted to determine if Loire was covered.
Loire had 2,165,000 remaining, leaving Gadzhiev with less than 100,000. Gadzhiev was eliminated in 23rd place a few hands later.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
4,200,000 | |
|
Busted |
Michael Teplitski Eliminated in 24th Place ($8,320)
Level 26
: Blinds 40,000/80,000, 80,000 ante
As the commotion around the double up of Julien Loire was taking place, Michael Teplitski was eliminated in 24th place on the other outer table.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
Busted |
Rabih Saad Eliminated in 25th Place ($7,335)
Level 26
: Blinds 40,000/80,000, 80,000 ante
Rabih Saad three-bet to 425,000 from the button, then called all in when Koray Korkmaz shoved in middle position.
Rabih Saad: 
Koray Korkmaz:
The came in the window to give Saad hope, but it was followed by the 
as Korkmaz made top set. Saad began filming the rest of the board as it ran out 
.
The stacks were counted down and Saad had around 1,800,000. Korkmaz barely had him covered and sent the start-of-day chip leader to the rail in 25th place.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
3,800,000 | 1,900,000 |
|
Busted |
Nigbolu Takes It With Ace-High
Level 26
: Blinds 40,000/80,000, 80,000 ante
Cenk Nigbolu raised to 160,000 and was called by Viktor Ustimov on the button and big blind Roman Gadzhiev.
The flop came 
and Nigbolu continued for 125,000. Only Gadzhiev called to the turn.
Nigbolu bet another 250,000 and Gadzhiev again called. The river came the and both players checked.
Gadzhiev showed for a missed straight draw, while Nigbolu took the pot with 
.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
3,200,000 | -100,000 |
|
|
2,700,000 | 1,000,000 |
|
|
2,200,000 | 400,000 |
Aleksandr Ivanov Eliminated in 26th Place ($7,335)
Level 26
: Blinds 40,000/80,000, 80,000 ante
At the main feature table, Gurcan Gungoren raised to 250,000 from under the gun before Aleksandr Ivanov, down to his last 340,000, moved all in on the button. Gungoren called.
Aleksandr Ivanov:
Gurcan Gungoren: 
Ivanov remained ahead on the 
flop, but Gungoren spiked the on the turn to make a pair. The river came the 
and Ivanov was sent to the rail in 26th place.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
3,000,000 | -100,000 |
|
Busted |