$2,200 NL Warmup Day 3 | 2023 Merit Poker Carmen Series

03-25-2023 10:15 UTC+3

Day 3 Seat Draw

David Salituro

Table	Seat	Player	Chip Count	Big Blinds
1	1	Fausto Tantillo	793,000	79
1	2	Wissam Khalifeh	234,000	23
1	3	Danielle Noja	571,000	57
1	4	Yuksel Savsa	445,000	45
1	5	Aliaksandr Hirs	1,087,000	109
1	6	Uri Reichenstein	101,000	10
1	7	Recep Aydemir	577,000	58
1	8	[Removed:422]	690,000	69
1	9	Michal Wojtkowiak	402,000	40

2	1	Marcin Dziubdziela	86,000	9
2	2	Yulian Bogdanov	573,000	57
2	3	Michael Uguccioni	1,100,000	110
2	4	Dmitry Yurasov	123,000	12
2	5	Harout Ghazarian	383,000	38
2	6	Roman Gadzhiev	520,000	52
2	7	Elie Dib	603,000	60
2	8	Helmut Phung	428,000	43
2	9	Denis Kapustin	465,000	47

3	1	Rabih Saad	1,738,000	174
3	2	Alexandru Cinca	1,267,000	127
3	3	Joseph Khneisser	112,000	11
3	4	Semen Kapitonov	331,000	33
3	5	George-Mircea Tomescu	168,000	17
3	6	Andrei Kaigorodtcev	26,000	3
3	7	Yury Bochkarev	320,000	32
3	8	Kubanychbek Abakirov	900,000	90
3	9	Fahredin Mustafov	1,360,000	136

4	1	Elias Abou Saleh	44,000	4
4	2	Koray Korkmaz	600,000	60
4	3	Rashad Iskandarov	533,000	53
4	4	Khaled Khamis	231,000	23
4	5	Ghassan Abou Khalil	138,000	14
4	6	Toni Kaukua	325,000	33
4	7	Daniel Rezaei	340,000	34
4	8	Mustafa Ercan	225,000	23
4	9	Mustafa Gulal	242,000	24

5	1	Stepan Kiba	966,000	97
5	2	Sergey Baranski	686,000	69
5	3	Edgard Raffoul	422,000	42
5	4	Erdal Gulseven	465,000	47
5	5	Andrew Hulme	310,000	31
5	6	Sergey Bobrik	138,000	14
5	7	Vladimir Kochelaevskii	566,000	57
5	8	Jack Rizk	199,000	20
5	9	Natan Chauskin	235,000	24

6	1	Andre Mehreb	402,000	40
6	2	Jakub Michalak	690,000	69
6	3	Murat Altunok	994,000	99
6	4	Liron Shapira	456,000	46
6	5	Harald Sammer	425,000	43
6	6	Parahat Nurmuhammedov	930,000	93
6	7	Damir Zhugralin	550,000	55
6	8	Atanas Pavlov	920,000	92
6	9	Sergei Efimov	315,000	32

7	1	Eduard Barsegian	1,170,000	117
7	2	Mikhail Zamyatin	581,000	58
7	3	Zulfiya Kolgu	85,000	9
7	4	Oleg Tsoy	336,000	34
7	5	Aleksei Shchaelev	310,000	31
7	6	Khalil Tawil	165,000	17
7	7	Anatoly Suvorov	500,000	50
7	8	Daniel Shademanpour	300,000	30
7	9	Samuel Kabelitz	143,000	14

8	1	Leonid Bozhkov	305,000	30
8	2	Gurcan Gungoren	680,000	68
8	3	Terence Etim	351,000	35
8	4	Osman Ihlamur	293,000	29
8	5	Nikolay Tyurin	920,000	92
8	6	Gabriel Akiki	715,000	72
8	7	Philippe Souki	970,000	97
8	8	Florian Duta	654,000	65
8	9	Danut Chisu	350,000	35

9	1	Basel Khabbazeh	671,000	67
9	2	Rawand Chaychi	436,000	44
9	3	Roman Kolotiuk	540,000	54
9	4	Maged Traboulsy	170,000	17
9	5	Gabi Livshitz	875,000	88
9	6	Julien Loire	218,000	22
9	7	Federico Macori	271,000	27
9	8	Dmitry Gromov	695,000	70
9	9	Aleksandr Ivanov	854,000	85

10	1	Malek Abi Naser	143,000	14
10	2	Maximilian Silz	206,000	21
10	3	Ahmad Abdelhadi	135,000	14
10	4	Maher Nouira	297,000	30
10	5	Mohammad Qasem	525,000	53
10	6	Maan El Hachem	386,000	39
10	7	Georges Sultanem	136,000	14
10	8	Ido Aboudi	318,000	32
10	9	Selahaddin Bedir	991,000	99

11	1	Aleksandr Chernikov	720,000	72
11	2	Daniel Laidlaw	124,000	12
11	3	Saman Nakhjavani	1,022,000	102
11	4	Fedor Dedelov	124,000	12
11	5	Daniel Montagnolli	213,000	21
11	6	Tanios Habib	177,000	18
11	7	Maksim Shornikau	381,000	38
11	8	Michele Guerrini	653,000	65
11	9	Michael Teplitski	378,000	38

12	1	Boris Angelov	558,000	56
12	2	Cenk Nigbolu	569,000	57
12	3	Maksim Skripkin	688,000	69
12	4	Nicolas Chouity	681,000	68
12	5	Stefan Reiser	298,000	30
12	6	Ryan Mandara	400,000	40
12	7	Andrey Danilyuk	311,000	31
12	8	Mehmet Kolgu	270,000	27
12	9	Dmitrii Kuzin	222,000	22

13	1	Vitalii Pankov	80,000	8
13	2	Petr Skripka	1,284,000	128
13	3	Volodymyr Drokin	216,000	22
13	4	Ran Ilani	1,366,000	137
13	5	Viktor Ustimov	890,000	89
13	6	Jacek Pustula	223,000	22
13	7	Daniel Myers	487,000	49
13	8	Oskar Prehm	371,000	37
13	9	Dmitry Pokhabov	625,000	63

14	1	Valeriy Pak	68,000	7
14	2	Stefan Atanasov	225,000	23
14	3	Ali Moein	1,031,000	103
14	4	Arie Kliper	313,000	31
14	5	Boris Kolev	535,000	54
14	6	Alisa Sibgatova	153,000	15
14	7	Evgenii Katymaev	174,000	17
14	8	Luc Bindel	422,000	42
14	9	Charbel Salloum	680,000	68

$2,200 NL Warmup

Day 3 Started

03-25-2023 12:02 UTC+3

Rabih Saad Leads 126 Survivors in a Race to the Money on Day 3 of the Merit Poker Carmen Series $2,200 Warmup

David Salituro

The race to the money bubble is on when Day 3 of the Merit Poker Carmen Series $2,200 Warmup begins at noon local time.

Leading the way is Rabih Saad, who has built up a stack of 1,738,000 heading into the penultimate day of the tournament. Ran Ilani (1,366,000) and Alexandru Cinca (1,267,000) are close behind, while Fahredin Mustafov (1,360,000) and Petr Skripka (1,284,000) round out the top five on the chip leaderboard.

Top 10 Chip Counts

Rank	Player	Chip Count	Big Blinds
1	Rabih Saad	1,738,000	174
2	Ran Ilani	1,366,000	137
3	Fahredin Mustafov	1,360,000	136
4	Petr Skripka	1,284,000	128
5	Alexandru Cinca	1,267,000	127
6	Eduard Barsegian	1,170,000	117
7	Michael Uguccioni	1,110,000	111
8	Aliaksandr Hirs	1,087,000	109
9	Ali Moein	1,031,000	103
10	Saman Nakhjavani	1,022,000	102

Selahaddin Bedir, who won this event here at the Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino in North Cyprus last March, registered late on Day 2 but wasted no time amassing a stack of 991,000. Other top stacks include Philippe Souki (970,000), Gabi Livshitz (875,000), Gabriel Akiki (715,000), and Nicolas Chouity (681,000). Further down are Michele Guerrini (653,000), Helmut Phung (428,000), Luc Bindel (422,000), and Ryan Mandara (400,000).

The schedule for today calls for a further eight hour-long levels. Play will pick up on Level 17, with blinds of 5,000-10,000 and a 10,000 big blind ante.

The first milestone of the day will be the bursting of the money bubble. Just 126 players out of a starting field of 611 entries remain, but only 71 will make the money and grab a share of the $1,124,240 prize pool. A total of 55 players will leave the tournament after more than two days of play with nothing.

The money bubble is fast approaching. Then it’s a race toward the final table and the top prize money, and, as always, PokerNews will be following all the action and providing live updates throughout the day.

Tags: Rabih Saad Alexandru Cinca Fahredin Mustafov Gabi Livshitz Gabriel Akiki Helmut Phung Luc Bindel Michele Guerrini Nicolas Chouity Petr Skripka Philippe Souki Ran Ilani Ryan Mandara Selahaddin Bedir

Level: 17

Blinds: 5,000/10,000

Ante: 10,000

03-25-2023 13:04 UTC+3

Shuffle Up and Deal

David Salituro

Level 17 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

The remaining 126 players are in their seats and Day 3 is now underway.

03-25-2023 13:10 UTC+3

Shapira Picks Off Sammer Early

David Salituro

Level 17 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

On the first hand of Day 3, Harald Sammer three-bet to 55,000 from early position and Liron Shapira called when action folded back around to him.

The flop came and Shapira checked over to Sammer, who continued for 35,000. Shapira called and both players checked the turn.

The river came the and Shapira checked once again. Sammer now bet 110,000 and Shapira snap-called. Sammer turned over for a bluff, while Shapira took the pot with for a rivered two pair.

Player	Chips	Progress
Liron Shapira	600,000 144,000	144,000
Harald Sammer	220,000 -205,000	-205,000

Tags: Harald Sammer Liron Shapira

03-25-2023 13:20 UTC+3

"Nuts on the River" For Atanasov

David Salituro

Level 17 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

Heads-up on a flop of , Stefan Atanasov moved all in for 150,000 and Charbel Salloum called from under the gun.

Stefan Atanasov:
Charbel Salloum:

Atanasov had out-flopped Salloum's pair of eights with top pair. The on the turn gave him two pair, while he filled up on the river.

"Nuts on the river," a tablemate told him.

"Nuts on the river," Atanasov replied, nodding his head and flashing a smile as he stayed alive.

Player	Chips	Progress
Charbel Salloum	400,000 -280,000	-280,000
Stefan Atanasov	380,000 155,000	155,000

Tags: Charbel Salloum Stefan Atanasov

03-25-2023 13:21 UTC+3

Early Bustouts

David Salituro

Level 17 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Daniel Laidlaw	Busted
Ahmad Abdelhadi	Busted
Andrei Kaigorodtcev	Busted

03-25-2023 13:28 UTC+3

Nigbolu Puts Kolgu to the Test

David Salituro

Level 17 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

With around 120,000 in the pot on a board of , Cenk Nigbolu bet 80,000 from early position and Mehmet Kolgu called in the big blind.

The river came the and Kolgu checked over to Nigbolu, who announced he was all in.

Kolgu, with around 200,000 remaining, tanked for several minutes as he counted out his stack. "Sorry guys," he told his tablemates before throwing his cards into the middle of the table.

"It wasn't meant to be," a tablemate told him following the hand.

Player	Chips	Progress
Cenk Nigbolu	700,000 131,000	131,000
Mehmet Kolgu	200,000 -70,000	-70,000

Tags: Cenk Nigbolu Mehmet Kolgu

03-25-2023 13:34 UTC+3

Rezaei Raises Out Korkmaz, Busts Gulal

David Salituro

Level 17 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

Mustafa Gulal was all in for 27,000 from early position before Koray Korkmaz put in a raise to 50,000. Action folded around to Daniel Rezaei in the big blind, who three-bet as Korkmaz snap-folded.

Mustafa Gulal:
Daniel Rezaei: