2023 Merit Poker Carmen Series

$3,300 Main Event
Day: 2
Event Info

2023 Merit Poker Carmen Series

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
k4
Prize
$376,800
Event Info
Buy-in
$3,300
Prize Pool
$2,111,400
Entries
765
Level Info
Level
36
Blinds
300,000 / 600,000
Ante
600,000
Players Info - Day 2
Entries
765
Players Left
142

Mandara Gets Looked Up

Level 10 : Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante

Picking up the action on the turn, Ryan Mandara in the cutoff was involved in a hand with a player on the button. With the board reading {6-Clubs}{a-Hearts}{6-Hearts}{3-Hearts} Mandara checked to his opponent who followed suit.

The {k-Clubs} river completed the board, prompting Mandara to push 24,000 into the middle. As soon as his chips had crossed the betting line, the button player made the call and turned over {a-Diamonds}{10-Clubs}. Mandara could only show {7-}{7-}, ceding the pot to his opponent and cutting his own stack down to near starting.

Player Chips Progress
Ryan Mandara gb
Ryan Mandara
110,000
45,000
45,000

Tags: Ryan Mandara

Chaya, Yildiz Play a Classic Flip

Level 10 : Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante

Nabil Chaya was all in for 66,000 from the cutoff and up against button Emrah Yildiz.

Nabil Chaya: {a-Hearts}{k-Spades}
Emrah Yildiz: {q-Diamonds}{q-Spades}

Chaya took out his phone and began filming the action as the flop came {3-Diamonds}{6-Spades}{7-Clubs}. The {q-Hearts} on the turn improved Yildiz to a set and left Chaya drawing dead as the inconsequential {2-Clubs} fell on the river, sealing his elimination.

Player Chips Progress
Emrah Yildiz gb
Emrah Yildiz
230,000
171,500
171,500
Nabil Chaya
Nabil Chaya
Busted

Tags: Emrah YildizNabil Chaya

No Ace Needed For Papazian

Level 10 : Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante

Picking up that action on the flop, Alexandru Papazian from under the gun was involved in a hand with the blinds as well as a player in middle position. With the board reading {6-Clubs}{a-Hearts}{k-Spades} the small and big blinds checked to Papazian who led out for 9,000. The middle position player called while the blinds folded to send action heads-up to the turn.

Papazian did not slow down following the board pairing {6-Hearts} turn, instead firing off 16,500. Again, his opponent just called.

The {k-Clubs} river saw Papazian bet again, this time sizing up to a chunky 42,000. That appeared to frustrate his opponent who tossed the {a-Spades} face up into the middle before folding. "No ace in my hand" chuckled Papazian as he raked in a sizable pot.

Player Chips Progress
Alexandru Papazian ro
Alexandru Papazian
350,000
18,000
18,000
WSOP 2X Winner

Tags: Alexandru Papazian

Clock Runs Out on Atallah

Level 10 : Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante

Eddy Khoury and Michel Atallah had already built a pot of around 160,000 with the board showing {7-Clubs}{k-Clubs}{4-Diamonds}{2-Spades}{j-Spades} when Khoury moved all in for 123,000.

Atallah tanked for a few minutes before the clock was called. "If I fold, do I have to show," Atallan asked as the countdown continued to tick down.

He allowed the clock to reach zero as his hand was declared dead. Khoury turned over {k-Hearts}{q-Diamonds} as he took the pot.

"Same hand," a tablemate asked Atallah.

"If he had a king, he would've thrown the chips," Furkan Beg added, waving his arms in the air in a throwing motion. Atallah later admitted he had pocket threes.

"Thank you for wasting three minutes," a tablemate told him.

Player Chips Progress
Eddy Khoury
Eddy Khoury
320,000
85,000
85,000
Michel Atallah lb
Michel Atallah
65,000
-236,000
-236,000

Tags: Eddy KhouryMichel Atallah

Chilaud Wins At Showdown

Level 10 : Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante

A player opened to 5,500 from middle position before Maxime Chilaud three-bet to 17,000 in the cutoff. Terence Etim then cold four-bet to 40,000 on the button with the blinds and original raiser quickly getting out of the way to send the action back to Chilaud who made the call.

Chilaud checked on the {7-Clubs}{9-Hearts}{j-Spades} flop and then called when Etim continued for 25,000.

Both players checked through the {a-Clubs} turn to the {9-Diamonds} river at which point Chilaud checked once more. Etim considered for a moment before checking back. Chilaud tabled {10-Diamonds}{10-Spades} which was good enough to take down the four-bet pot and send his stack well north of the 400,000 mark.

Player Chips Progress
Maxime Chilaud fr
Maxime Chilaud
475,000
-47,000
-47,000
Terence Etim gb
Terence Etim
215,000
-158,500
-158,500

Tags: Maxime ChilaudTerence Etim

Lahmani Has the Higher Straight

Level 10 : Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante

Heads-up on a board of {5-Hearts}{4-Spades}{10-Spades}{2-Spades}, Itay Rokni bet 25,500 from the button and was called by Oshri Lahmani in early position.

The river came the {3-Diamonds} and Lahmani led out with an all-in shove. Rokni quickly called for his last 55,000 as Lahmani turned over {6-Spades}{6-Clubs} for the rivered straight.

Rokni let out a sigh as he showed {a-Clubs}{k-Diamonds} for a lower straight and was sent to the rail.

Player Chips Progress
Oshri Lahmani il
Oshri Lahmani
280,000
65,000
65,000
Itay Rokni
Itay Rokni
Busted

Tags: Itay RokniOshri Lahmani

Level: 11

Blinds: 1,500/3,000

Ante: 3,000

Chisu Doubles With Rockets

Level 11 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante

Danut Chisu on the button got all of his chips in preflop against a player in middle position with both players having roughly even stacks.

Danut Chisu: {a-Clubs}{a-Hearts}
Middle Position Player: {j-}{j-}

Chisu, though at risk, was in a great spot to secure a full double early in the day and did just that after the board ran out {10-Spades}{2-Clubs}{9-Clubs}{4-Clubs}{2-Hearts} to leave his opponent with less than a big blind.

Player Chips Progress
Danut Chisu ro
Danut Chisu
129,000
9,000
9,000

Tags: Danut Chisu

Jianu Runs Into a Flopped Flush

Level 11 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante

Heads-up on a flop of {j-Spades}{3-Spades}{10-Spades}, Azamat Tulepbergenov bet enough from the big blind to put Claudiu Florin Jianu all in, and Jianu called for his last 70,000 on the button.

Claudiu Florin Jianu: {a-Spades}{k-Diamonds}
Azamat Tulepbergenov: {8-Spades}{5-Spades}

Jianu had the nut flush draw, but Tulepbergenov already had the flush off the flop. The {9-Hearts} on the turn was no help to Jianu, while he was heading for the exit by the time the {j-Clubs} fell on the river.

Player Chips Progress
Azamat Tulepbergenov kz
Azamat Tulepbergenov
460,000
240,000
240,000
Claudiu Florin Jianu
Claudiu Florin Jianu
Busted

Tags: Azamat TulepbergenovClaudiu Florin Jianu

Etim Wins a Flip to Survive

Level 11 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
Terence Etim
Terence Etim

Terence Etim, who began the day on a healthy stack of 373,500, was down to his last 85,000 when he moved all in from the hijack and was up against Oleg Tsoy in the big blind.

Terence Etim: {a-Clubs}{k-Spades}
Oleg Tsoy: {q-Clubs}{q-Hearts}

Etim picked up a straight draw on the {2-Hearts}{j-Spades}{10-Clubs} flop, while he hit a pair on the {a-Diamonds} turn to take the lead over Tsoy's queens. The {a-Spades} river improved Etim to trips and he doubled up.

Player Chips Progress
Oleg Tsoy kz
Oleg Tsoy
200,000
40,000
40,000
Terence Etim gb
Terence Etim
170,000
-45,000
-45,000

Tags: Oleg TsoyTerence Etim