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

Updated Chip Counts

Level 13 : Blinds 2,000/3,500, 3,500 ante
Player Chips Progress
Boris Angelov bg
Boris Angelov
480,000
395,000
395,000
Kubanychbek Abakirov kg
Kubanychbek Abakirov
360,000
360,000
360,000
Aleksei Istomin ru
Aleksei Istomin
350,000
179,000
179,000
Mustafa Biz tr
Mustafa Biz
250,000
250,000
250,000
Samuel Kabelitz at
Samuel Kabelitz
250,000
168,000
168,000
Dragos Trofimov md
Dragos Trofimov
250,000
190,500
190,500
Maksim Skripkin ru
Maksim Skripkin
250,000
185,000
185,000
Gabriel Akiki lb
Gabriel Akiki
150,000
-202,000
-202,000
Furkan Beg tr
Furkan Beg
140,000
-86,500
-86,500
Hala Karam lb
Hala Karam
65,000
-6,000
-6,000

Smolka Picks Off Dziubdziela

Level 13 : Blinds 2,000/3,500, 3,500 ante

Heads-up on a board of {a-Diamonds}{4-Clubs}{j-Spades}{6-Diamonds}, Marcin Dziubdziela bet 20,000 from early position and Dawid Smolka called in the big blind.

The river came the {3-Spades} and Smolka checked to Dziubdziela, who moved all in for around 60,000. Smolka snap-called with {a-Clubs}{4-Hearts} for two pair.

Dziubdziela could only show {k-Spades}{9-Spades} for a bluff as he headed off to the rail.

Player Chips Progress
Dawid Smolka pl
Dawid Smolka
220,000
161,000
161,000
Marcin Dziubdziela pl
Marcin Dziubdziela
Busted

Tags: Marcin DziubdzielaDawid Smolka

Sinclair Takes Down Controversial Hand

Level 13 : Blinds 2,000/3,500, 3,500 ante
Jack Sinclair
Jack Sinclair

A player opened to 7,000 from early position and was called by Jack Sinclair on the button as well as both blinds.

The small blind checked following the {q-Hearts}{7-Hearts}{10-Clubs} flop and then the big blind mucked without facing a bet to go for a smoke. This naturally did not sit well with the table but when the floor was called, the players were informed that, despite the big blind's action giving an unfair advantage to certain players in the hand, it was not technically against the rules and therefore no penalty would be handed down.

Continuing with the hand, the early position player checked to Sinclair who bet out 8,000. That was enough to force the small blind and the early position player out of the hand to keep the 2018 WSOPE Main Event winner on the rise.

Player Chips Progress
Jack Sinclair gb
Jack Sinclair
535,000
115,000
115,000
WSOP 1X Winner

Tags: Jack Sinclair

Threes Are Good For Reichenstein

Level 13 : Blinds 2,000/3,500, 3,500 ante

Heads-up on a flop of {8-Spades}{2-Diamonds}{5-Spades}, Can Miral bet 40,000 from the hijack and Uri Reichenstein called in middle position.

The turn came the {8-Diamonds} and both players checked to the {2-Spades} river.

Reichenstein now led out for 15,000 and Miral tanked for about a minute before he called. Reichenstein showed {3-Spades}{3-Diamonds} and Miral surrendered the pot.

Player Chips Progress
Uri Reichenstein il
Uri Reichenstein
710,000
-40,000
-40,000
Can Miral tr
Can Miral
400,000
36,500
36,500

Tags: Can MiralUri Reichenstein

Papazian Gets To Showdown

Level 13 : Blinds 2,000/3,500, 3,500 ante

A player opened to 7,000 from under the gun and was called by a player in the cutoff. Alexandru Papazian then three-bet to 35,000 out of the big blind, getting a fold from the original raiser but a call from the cutoff.

Papazian continued for 16,000 on a flop of {2-Spades}{9-Spades}{5-Hearts} a bet that his opponent called.

Both players checked through the {8-Clubs} turn to the {7-Clubs} river at which point Papazian checked once again. The cutoff appeared to consider betting for a moment but, thinking better of it, checked back. Papazian turned over {a-Diamonds}{3-Spades} for just ace high, which was still good enough to take down the pot.

Player Chips Progress
Alexandru Papazian ro
Alexandru Papazian
765,000
415,000
415,000
WSOP 2X Winner

Tags: Alexandru Papazian

Nakhjavani Falls to Anton

Level 13 : Blinds 2,000/3,500, 3,500 ante

Saman Nakhjavani bet 15,000 on a flop of {7-Spades}{8-Clubs}{10-Diamonds} before Ionel Anton raised enough to put him all in. Nakhjavani tanked for a moment before throwing in his last 100,000.

Saman Nakhjavani: {9-Spades}{9-Clubs}
Ionel Anton: {10-Spades}{9-Diamonds}

Nakhjavani was already getting up from his seat by the time the board ran out {5-Spades}{a-Hearts}, sending to the rail courtesy of Anton's flopped pair of tens.

Player Chips Progress
Ionel Anton ro
Ionel Anton
400,000
214,000
214,000
Saman Nakhjavani ir
Saman Nakhjavani
Busted

Tags: Ionel AntonSaman Nakhjavani

A Round of Chip Counts

Level 13 : Blinds 2,000/3,500, 3,500 ante
Player Chips Progress
Denis Kapustin ru
Denis Kapustin
960,000
230,000
230,000
Daniel Rezaei at
Daniel Rezaei
800,000
150,000
150,000
Yury Bochkarev ru
Yury Bochkarev
640,000
379,000
379,000
Gurcan Gungoren tr
Gurcan Gungoren
500,000
220,000
220,000
[Removed:422]
[Removed:422]
460,000
160,000
160,000
Julian Selinger de
Julian Selinger
450,000
100,000
100,000
Vitalii Pankov ru
Vitalii Pankov
450,000
-135,000
-135,000
Joseph Mouwad lb
Joseph Mouwad
400,000
108,500
108,500
Joseph Khneisser
Joseph Khneisser
370,000
19,500
19,500
Naji Tanuri lb
Naji Tanuri
320,000
-43,500
-43,500
Seref Dursun Anar tr
Seref Dursun Anar
200,000
-167,000
-167,000
Elie Farah lb
Elie Farah
175,000
-52,000
-52,000

Tulepbergenov Picks Off Mandara

Level 13 : Blinds 2,000/3,500, 3,500 ante
Azamat Tulepbergenov
Azamat Tulepbergenov

Ryan Mandara bet 13,000 from under the gun on a flop of {j-Spades}{4-Diamonds}{9-Clubs} and Azamat Tulepbergenov called in the big blind.

The turn came the {4-Spades} and Tulepbergenov checked to Mandara, who moved all in for 110,000. Tulepbergenov quickly threw in two chips to signify a call as Mandara turned over {q-Spades}{10-Spades} for a straight draw.

Tulepbergenov had {k-Diamonds}{j-Clubs} for top pair and the {7-Clubs} river was no help to Mandara, who quickly took a sip of his coffee that had just arrived before leaving the table.

Player Chips Progress
Azamat Tulepbergenov kz
Azamat Tulepbergenov
670,000
140,000
140,000
Ryan Mandara gb
Ryan Mandara
Busted

Tags: Azamat TulepbergenovRyan Mandara

Papazian Takes Out Steinbrenner, Approaching One Million

Level 13 : Blinds 2,000/3,500, 3,500 ante
Alexandru Papazian
Alexandru Papazian

Alexandru Papazian and Justin Steinbrenner built a pot of around 120,000 on a board of {9-Diamonds}{5-Spades}{q-Diamonds}{7-Spades} when Steinbrenner, in the hijack, moved all in for 110,000.

"Feels like kings," Papazian said as he asked for a count. He eventually called with {a-Hearts}{q-Spades} fo top pair. Steinbrenner didn't have kings, instead showing {a-Diamonds}{8-Diamonds} for a flush draw.

The river came the {k-Hearts} and Steinbrenner was eliminated.

"Sorry for the slow roll," Papazian told Steinbrenner, who took the loss in stride and was still smiling when he shook Papazian's hand on his way to the rail.

Player Chips Progress
Alexandru Papazian ro
Alexandru Papazian
950,000
185,000
185,000
WSOP 2X Winner
Justin Steinbrenner de
Justin Steinbrenner
Busted

Tags: Alexandru PapazianJustin Steinbrenner

Minkov Raises the River, Real Action Elsewhere at the Table

Level 13 : Blinds 2,000/3,500, 3,500 ante
Hala Karam and her Rubik's Cube
Hala Karam and her Rubik's Cube

Nikola Minkov bet 12,000 on a flop of {k-Clubs}{7-Diamonds}{2-Hearts} from the button and Uri Reichenstein called in the big blind.

Both players checked the {8-Clubs} turn before Reichenstein led out for 5,500 on the {a-Spades} river. Minkov came back with a raise to 42,500 and Reichenstein called, then mucked when Minkov turned over {a-Diamonds}{10-Diamonds} for a rivered ace.

While this hand was taking place, tablemate Hala Karam was attempting to solve a Rubik's Cube. She managed to complete it just as action reached the river as Merit Poker cameras came over to film her successful attempt.

Player Chips Progress
Uri Reichenstein il
Uri Reichenstein
620,000
-90,000
-90,000
Nikola Minkov bg
Nikola Minkov
270,000
270,000
270,000

Tags: Hala KaramNikola MinkovUri Reichenstein