New Crop of Players Get Their Turn When Day 1b of the Merit Poker Carmen Series $3,300 Main Event Begins at Noon
A total of 232 players have already taken their shot at capturing the Merit Poker Carmen Series $3,300 Main Event. Now another group of new and returning hopefuls will get their chance when Day 1b begins at noon local time.
Roman Gadzhiev set a colossal benchmark they’ll all aim for, finishing the opening flight with 821,000. Other notables among the 106 players already through to Day 2 include Ali Moein (559,000), Jack Sinclair (469,500), Koray Korkmaz (407,000), Philippe Souki (290,500), and Uri Reichenstein (249,000).
Day 1a Top 10 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Roman Gadzhiev | 821,000 | 328 |
| 2 | Denis Kapustin | 577,500 | 231 |
| 3 | Ali Moein | 559,000 | 224 |
| 4 | Recep Aydemir | 554,500 | 222 |
| 5 | Boris Smuskevicius | 538,000 | 215 |
| 6 | Anatoly Korochenskiy | 485,000 | 194 |
| 7 | Aleksandr Ivanov | 480,000 | 192 |
| 8 | Jack Sinclair | 469,500 | 188 |
| 9 | Mehmet Erceylan | 461,000 | 184 |
| 10 | Eli Saad | 432,000 | 173 |
The players who fill up the poker room inside the Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino today will try to book their own ticket for Day 2. As on Day 1a, they’ll begin with 100,000 chips and play nine hour-long levels, with a 15-minute break every two levels.
This will be the second of four starting flights into the Main Event. Day 1c begins tomorrow at noon, while there is also a turbo Day 1d flight at 7 p.m. tomorrow night. Players can also register through the end of Level 13 on Day 2, with unlimited reentries allowed. Everyone who survives one of the opening flights will combine for Day 2 on March 31.
They’ll be chasing their share of the $1,500,000 guaranteed prize pool, and PokerNews will be along providing live updates throughout the day and the rest of the tournament until a new champion is crowned.