$3,300 Main Event Day 2 | 2023 Merit Poker Carmen Series

03-31-2023 10:30 UTC+3

Day 2 Chip Counts (full)

David Salituro

Player	Chips	Progress
Roman Gadzhiev	821,000
Walid Bou Habib	595,000
Vitalii Pankov	585,000
Denis Kapustin	577,500
Ali Moein	559,000
Andrei Kaigorodtcev	558,500
Ran Koller	558,500

Recep Aydemir	554,500
Boris Smuskevicius	538,000
Maxime Chilaud	522,000
Toni Kaukua	504,000
Anatoly Korochenskiy	485,000
Aleksandr Ivanov	480,000 385,000	385,000
Jack Sinclair	469,500

Mehmet Erceylan	461,000
Roman Pshyk	433,500
Eli Saad	432,000
Koray Korkmaz	407,000
Daniel Rezaei	405,500
Justin Steinbrenner	402,500
Asaf Groofi	400,000
Eduard Barsegian	398,500
Selahaddin Bedir	386,000
Ran Ilani	375,000 50,000	50,000
Terence Etim	373,500

Read full

$3,300 Main Event

Day 2 Started

03-31-2023 10:53 UTC+3

Roman Gadzhiev Leads as More Than 300 Players Combine on Day 2 of the Merit Poker Carmen Series $3,300 Main Event

David Salituro

Everyone is chasing Roman Gadzhiev on Day 2

After four starting flights over three days and nine levels, 305 players will pack into the poker room at the Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino today when Day 2 of the Merit Poker Carmen Series $3,300 Main Event begins at noon local time.

Leading the way by a significant margin is Roman Gadzhiev, who takes a massive stack of 821,000 into Day 2, more than 200,000 ahead than his closest challenger. Gadzhiev's lead is impressive, but there are plenty of notables sprinkled throughout the field still with a chance at claiming the title.

Ran Koller (558,500), Recep Aydemir (554,500), and Maxime Chilaud (522,000) are all in the top 10 heading into the day. Just outside are Toni Kaukua (504,000), Jack Sinclair (469,500), and Koray Korkmaz, who's already finished runner-up in the Warmup event at this series and is poised for another deep run with a stack of 407,000.

Top 10 Chip Counts

Rank	Player	Chip Count	Big Blinds
1	Roman Gadzhiev	821,000	328
2	Walid Bou Habib	595,000	238
3	Vitalii Pankov	585,000	234
4	Denis Kapustin	577,500	231
5	Ali Moein	559,000	224
6	Ran Koller	558,500	223
7	Andrei Kaigorodtcev	558,500	223
8	Recep Aydemir	554,500	222
9	Boris Smuskevicius	538,000	215
10	Maxime Chilaud	522,000	209

Other notables further down the leaderboard include Eduard Barsegian (398,500), Alexandru Papazian (332,000), Ran Ilani (325,000), and Philippe Souki (290,500).

A total of 611 entries have played the tournament over the first four starting flights, already blowing past the $1,500,000 guaranteed prize pool. Late registration and unlimited reentries are still available for the first four hours of today's play, at the end of Level 13 which should come around 5 p.m. local time, so the field should grow substantially larger by the time the prize pool is announced.

Play will pick up on Level 10, with blinds at 1,000-2,500 and a 2,500 big blind ante. The schedule calls for another nine hour-long levels today.

Today the players will find out what they are playing for as they inch their way toward the money. It will be a packed room here in North Cyprus, and PokerNews will be following the action the entire way and providing live updates.

Tags: Alexandru Papazian Eduard Barsegian Jack Sinclair Koray Korkmaz Maxime Chilaud Philippe Souki Ran Ilani Ran Koller Recep Aydemir Roman Gadzhiev Toni Kaukua

Level: 10

Blinds: 1,000/2,500

Ante: 2,500

03-31-2023 12:11 UTC+3

Shuffle Up and Deal!

Cottrell van Wingerden

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

Cards are in the air on Day 2 of Event #19: $3,300 Main Event.

03-31-2023 12:15 UTC+3

Jdan Picks Up Jacks the First Hand

David Salituro

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

On the first hand of Day 2, Oleg Jdan raised to 6,000 from under the gun as action folded to George Rabahie in the small blind, who three-bet to 31,000. Jdan moved all in for 49,000 and Rabahie called.

Oleg Jdan:
George Rabahie:

Jdan was ahead with his jacks as the board came . Rabahie received no help and was left paying off his short-stacked opponent.

Player	Chips	Progress
George Rabahie	120,000 -51,500	-51,500
Oleg Jdan	100,000 51,000	51,000

Tags: George Rabahie Oleg Jdan

03-31-2023 12:24 UTC+3

Reichenstein Folds River

Cottrell van Wingerden

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

Uri Reichenstein opened to 5,500 from early position and was called by the small and big blind to generate three-way action heading to the flop.

Both blinds checked to Reichenstein on a flop of and he continued for 6,000. That convinced the small blind to get out of the way but the player in the big blind made the call to see a turn.

Action checked through the turn to the river at which point the big blind took over the betting lead, firing off 19,000. Reichenstein, after a few moments, released his holding to take a small hit to his stack early in the day.

Player	Chips	Progress
Uri Reichenstein	210,000 -39,000	-39,000

Tags: Uri Reichenstein

03-31-2023 12:30 UTC+3

Bachar Is "Invincible"

David Salituro

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

Heads-up on a board of , Seyedahmad Haghgou bet 23,000 from the big blind before Guy Bachar, in the cutoff, moved all in. Haghgou quickly called for his last 120,000.

Haghgou had for top pair and a flush draw, while Bachar showed . The on the river was no help to Haghgou and he became an early casualty of Day 2.

"You are invincible, my friend," a tablemate told Bachar following the hand.

Player	Chips	Progress
Guy Bachar	300,000 300,000	300,000
Seyedahmad Haghgou	Busted

Tags: Guy Bachar Seyedahmad Haghgou

03-31-2023 12:34 UTC+3

One Bustout, One Double Up

David Salituro

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

Alexey Losev was down to around 30,000 when he pushed all in from the cutoff. Julian Selinger, on the button, reraised and the rest of the table got out of the way.

Alexey Losev:
Julian Selinger:

Losev was far behind Selinger's tens as the board came , sending him to the rail early on Day 2.

At the same time on another table, Barak Wisbrod was all in for 60,000 and up against Alper Kerim.

Barak Wisbrod:
Alper Kerim:

Wisbrod spiked a queen on the flop to take the lead, while the on the turn gave him trips and left Kerim drawing dead heading to the river, securing Wisbrod's double up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Julian Selinger	350,000 31,000	31,000
Alper Kerim	270,000 -32,000	-32,000
Barak Wisbrod	120,000 72,000	72,000

Alexey Losev	Busted

Tags: Alexey Losev Alper Kerim Barak Wisbrod Julian Selinger

03-31-2023 12:41 UTC+3

Kan Shoves as Clock Called on Wojtkowiak

David Salituro

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

With around 30,000 in the middle on a board of , Michal Wojtkowiak bet 20,000 from middle position before Oleg Kan, on the button, moved all in.

Wojtkowiak, with around 95,000 remaining, tanked for about a minute and tablemate Serge Matta called the clock. Wojtkowiak allowed the clock to go down to the last 10 seconds before he sent his cards into the muck.

Timur Margolin was missing from his seat at this table and has been eliminated. He was replaced by the recently-busted Alexey Losev, who has reentered.