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!
It all went rather quick today for Sheref Dursun Anar. The Turkish player started out with 335,000, but just lost his last chips in an under the gun versus small blind situation.
Dursun Anar, who we saw play so solid yesterday, was already short, and went for it with after Lewis in the small blind had three bet his under the gun open. Dursun Anar's ace-four needed improvement, Lewis tabled .
The flop made for not much of a connection besides pairing both their ace, and the left Dursun Anar really hoping for just a four on the river. The didn't deliver - thought both played two pair, Lewis' king-kicker played.
There was a whole lot of chatter on table one, and you could see that the floor had a tough decision (again). Again it was Nikolay Vershinin involved.
According to our colleague, Mario Perez opened to 10,000 from early position. Action folded to Abbas Morady in the hijack. Before Morady had made his decision, Vershinin had already shouted "All in!"
Vershinin wasn't doing this intentional, so much was clear from his demeanor, but that didn't change the situation. This wasn't the first time, according to the floor it had happened at least twice before this tournament that Vershinin had acted out of turn. The floor explained his ruling in fluent English and French, and in some broken Russian as well.
The floor ruled that if Morady would raise, Vershinin would be able to either fold, call or raise (all in perhaps) - whatever he wanted. Whatever happened though, he would have to pay 10,000 for Perez's raise.
However, if Morady would make the call or fold, the all in would stay and Vershinin had to commit all of his chips. This gave Morady the ultimate move if he had a really big hand, but in the end he decided to fold and leave the pot to Vershinin and Perez to decide.
Vershinin:
Perez:
Vershinin would get lucky with , and so eliminated Perez who was covered by a mere 2,000. He did receive the two-round penalty though, so we won't see him anytime soon.
It took pretty long before there had been two rounds of play over on table 1, but finally Nikolay Vershinin could take his seat again a couple of minutes ago.
Wouldn't you know it, he was all in again straight away. The amateur player from Russia open shoved a lot of big blinds with pocket nines, this time when it was his turn, and Ori Miller behind him made the call with .
The flop saw Miller pair both his ace and king, and Vershinin had waited all that time on the rail for nothing, as he returned there minutes after he left that unpleasant place.
47 players remain now, with 45 getting paid. One more player to bust before hand for hand play begins.
Well, that title might be a bit premature, but at least he didn't bubble just now.
Alexander Lakhov opened before the flop, and Sam Trickett just flatted with .
The -flop saw Lakhov bet 25,500, and Trickett just called again.
The fell on the turn and Lakhov pushed all in. Trickett had 209,000 left and made the call with his set of kings.
The cards didn't open just yet, as the organization waited till it was made sure there were no other all in and call situations at other tables.
When play was done at all the other tables, the cards opened. Trickett had a more than decent hand, but it needed to fill up as Lakhov had for the nuts.
The fell on the river, pairing the board and doubling Trickett. Lakhov still has a lot of chips left, but the Russian player and the rest of the room weren't happy with what had just happened.
There had already been two all in and call situation, both involving Nicolas Chouity. Both of the times, no one busted. The first time Chouity was at risk against Christian Christner, but both players had kings and chopped it up.
The second time Markus Ross was all in against Chouity on . Chouity made the call with , but needed help to burst the bubble as Ross turned over . The fell on the river and Ross doubled.
Over on table 6, there would fall a casualty though. Russian player Nikolay Baryshnikov opened for 11,500 under the gun, and Louis Salter pushed for 68,500 from the button. The small blind thought about it for a long time, but eventually folded. Baryshnikov snap called.
The wait was for the other tables to complete their action. "You have a pair?" asked Salter. Baryshnikov did not reply.
The floor than announced the cards could be turned over, and Salter got the bad news. His and looked all pretty when he got them, but Baryshnikov's was miles ahead.
Salter already left the table, and an even bigger crowd gathered around his table. The on the flop made someone in the rail shout "Split!", and Salter returned and watched over the shoulders of the crowd as the hit the river. "Seven!" someone shouted, "Seven from heaven!"
Salter was still smiling, but the made an end to that.
Salter left the tournament as the last player without any money, the remaining 45 players were all in the money.
Albert Daher was the chip leader at the start of the second day of play, but has just been eliminated in 41st place.
He lost most of his stack against Igor Devkin. Daher had the best of it going in with as Devkin had . The king-queen won though, leaving Daher with just two big blinds.
Not much later, Daher committed his last chips with off suit. Alexander Nudin made the call with . and hit two pair on the flop, leaving Daher drawing very slim. The turn and river were of no help for Daher, and the Lebanese player headed to the pay out desk.
Maxim Panyak has been eliminated from the tournament. Details of the Russian's bust out are missing so far, but we do have the details of Andrey Pateychuk's bust out.
Pateychuk shoved all in from middle position, and Dimitrios Ballas right next to him over shoved. All other players folded their hands quickly, and it was time for Pateychuk to get the bad news.
Dimitrios Ballas:
Andrey Pateychuk:
The on the flop brought not much of anything besides some back door draws for Pateychuk, and by the time the hit the turn it was time for him to get up from the table. The hit the river, and the Day 1a chip leader made his exit.
Dimitrios Ballas in the mean time is back to 235,000, from an all time low of just 4,000.
Sam Trickett lost a huge pot where we saw him bet out 80,000 on a board of . His opponent was Yuri Salikaev from Russia, and that player shoved all in for just a little more.
Trickett said he was sure Salikaev had pocket nines, and folded after just fifteen seconds of thinking or so.
Not much later, the remaining chips went in the middle. Alexander Lakhov opened the cutoff for 17,000, and instantly called Trickett's button shove.
Trickett:
Lakhov:
The on the flop gave Trickett a gutshot, but no queen was delivered with the on the turn and on the river.
Oliver Price opened under the gun, and Serdar Saglam three-bet from the button to 47,000. Oleksandr Gnatenko in the big blind cold four-bet from the big blind to 278,000, and Price shoved all in for 295,000 total. Saglam folded after some thinking, but Gnatenko made the call for a couple of bucks more.
Oliver Price:
Oleksandr Gnatenko:
Price got up from the table as soon as the flop was dealt, because the was in the window. The and accompanied the ace though, and Price got back in his seat with his flopped middle set. The hit the turn, and the fell on the river, double up for Price.
after Lewis in the small blind had three bet his under the gun open. Dursun Anar's ace-four needed improvement, Lewis tabled 
.
flop made for not much of a connection besides pairing both their ace, and the 
left Dursun Anar really hoping for just a four on the river. The 
didn't deliver - thought both played two pair, Lewis' king-kicker played.
, and so eliminated Perez who was covered by a mere 2,000. He did receive the two-round penalty though, so we won't see him anytime soon.
.
.
fell on the turn and Lakhov pushed all in. Trickett had 209,000 left and made the call with his set of kings.
fell on the river, pairing the board and doubling Trickett. Lakhov still has a lot of chips left, but the Russian player and the rest of the room weren't happy with what had just happened.
, but needed help to burst the bubble as Ross turned over 
fell on the river and Ross doubled.
as Devkin had 
. The king-queen won though, leaving Daher with just two big blinds.
off suit. Alexander Nudin made the call with 
. and hit two pair on the flop, leaving Daher drawing very slim. The turn and river were of no help for Daher, and the Lebanese player headed to the pay out desk.
hit the turn it was time for him to get up from the table. The 
hit the river, and the Day 1a chip leader made his exit.
on the flop gave Trickett a gutshot, but no queen was delivered with the 
hit the turn, and the 
