Maxim Panyak opened to 6,000 from middle position, and Sam Trickett made the call from the button. Albert Daher in the big blind squeezed to 19,000, and Panyak made the call. Since we were writing the six-bet hand between Christner and Buonanno at the same time, we missed if Trickett came along for the ride as well, but we believe he did (and folded on the flop).
Daher continued for 22,000 on , Panyak called. The Russian player called Daher's 29,000 bet on the -turn as well, but folded after Daher pushed all in on the river. Daher showed the , Panyak looked back at his cellphone without showing anything, and continued with just above 60,000 in chips.
Ali Hassan opened the cutoff to 6,500, and Christian Christner three-bet to 15,500 from the button. Antonio Buonanno, the chip leader in the small blind, four-bet to 31,500 and the big blind and Hassan folded. Christner five-bet to 67,000, but quickly released his hand after Buonanno six-bet to 131,500.
Oliver Price opened to 7,000, and Sheref Dursun Anar on the button and Danny Laming in the big blind made the call.
All three of them checked the flop () and turn (), and the river came the . Both Laming and Price checked to Anar, and the Turkish player made it 10,000.
Laming folded, but Price called rather quickly. Anar showed and threw that hand in the muck after Price showed .
In the first hand of the day, Antone Abou Khalil eliminated Ivan Konechnyi.
Konechnyi started out short, with just 10 big blinds. He had not much of a choice with , and was just unlucky that Abou Khalil found . A board full of blanks, the river was paint but just a king so no harm for Abou Khalil, and Konechnyi made his exit.
It's that day of the tournament where there will be stalled, where there will be passion, where we'll see fireworks. We'll see people abuse the bubble, we'll see some small stacks crumble. We'll see people who make it with just a few big blinds, we'll see people who thrive and amass massive stacks. It's money day!
With just 79 players remaining, a min cash is in sight. 34 players will depart empty handed, 45 players will walk out of the Merit poker room with a minimum of €8,500 in their pockets. It's going to be exciting!
Reaching the money is one thing, and maybe all some can hope for, but most of the players will have bigger things in mind. It's that $310,000 first place prize (plus the WPT World Championships ticket worth $15,400) they're eyeing and gunning for. There are three full days of play before someone will lift the trophy and cheque, so we'll just focus on reporting who reaches the money and who doesn't today.
The plan for the day isn't written in stone yet. The idea is, like yesterday, to play five 90-minute levels. That all depends on the pace of the game however.
PokerNews.com will be your source of all the information you need today concerning this tournament. Day 3 of the 2014 partypoker World Poker Tour Merit North Cyprus Classic starts in 30 minutes, so get ready!
, Panyak called. The Russian player called Daher's 29,000 bet on the 
-turn as well, but folded after Daher pushed all in on the 
river. Daher showed the 
, Panyak looked back at his cellphone without showing anything, and continued with just above 60,000 in chips.
), and the river came the 
. Both Laming and Price checked to Anar, and the Turkish player made it 10,000.
and threw that hand in the muck after Price showed 
.
, and was just unlucky that Abou Khalil found 
