2023 Merit Poker Gangster Series

$2,200 Warm Up
Day: 1bc
Event Info

2023 Merit Poker Gangster Series

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
j5
Prize
$167,500
Event Info
Buy-in
$2,200
Prize Pool
$833,520
Entries
453
Level Info
Level
34
Blinds
250,000 / 500,000
Ante
500,000
Players Info - Day 1bc
Entries
241
Players Left
108

Day 1b of $2,200 Warm Up Kicks Off at Noon

Merit Poker
Merit Poker

The action continues today at the 2023 Merit Poker Gangster Series at Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino with Day 1b of the $2,200 Warm Up. Turkey's Mustafa Sancak set the benchmark during yesterday's Day 1a, leading the 45 survivors from the first flight with an impressive 592,500 chips. Today a new group of contenders will try to replicate that success with day 1b starting at noon local time.

Day 1a Top Ten Chip Counts

RankPlayerCountryChip CountBig Blinds
1Mustafa SancakTurkey592,500198
2Inas EldeghedyEgypt491,000164
3Christos ChristouCyprus433,000144
4Halil TasyurekTurkey418,500140
5Abdelmajid ChiboubFrance377,500126
6Hadi KhordbinIran365,500122
7Semih ArasCyprus365,000122
8Shuang LuoChina361,000120
9Gorkem GedikogluTurkey352,000117
10Karim AbdelhamidCanada347,000116

Other notables to survive yesterday's Day 1a include Halil Tasyurek (418,500) Shuang Luo (361,000), Ankit Ahuja (324,000), Selahaddin Bedir (190,000), Koray Korkmaz (168,000), Victor Yugay (147,000) and Aleksandr Pak (135,000).

Day 1b will feature the same structure as yesterday's Day 1a. Players will start with 100,000 chips and play eight 60-minute levels, with a ten-minute break occurring after every two levels. Unlimited reentries and late registration will be available until the end of Level 12 on Day 2.

Those who bag and tag at the end of the night will join the survivor's from yesterdays flight in advancing to Day 2 tomorrow on November 23. Before that, there will be two more starting flights, with Day 1c beginning at 9:30 p.m. local time tonight and a turbo Day 1d set for 10:00 a.m. local time on November 23.

Day 1a featured a total of 107 entrants as players took their shot at the lion's share of the $700,000 guaranteed prize pool. That number is expected to grow substantially with three more starting flights to go. As always, stay tuned to PokerNews for all your live coverage needs for this event.

Tags: Abdelmajid ChiboubAleksandr PakAnkit AhujaChristos ChristouGorkem GedikogluHadi KhordbinHalil TasyurekInas EldeghedyKarim AbdelhamidKoray KorkmazMustafa SancakSelahaddin BedirSemih ArasShuang LuoVictor Yugay

$2,200 Warm Up

Day 1bc Started

Level: 1

Blinds: 300/600

Ante: 600

Sahin Takes One Early

Level 1 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Mustafa Meryumoglu opened to 1,600 from the button and received calls from Bulent Sahin in the small blind and Matthew Davenport in the big blind.

The flop came 10107 and action checked around to Meryumoglu who fired a 1,000 continuation bet. Sahin check-raised to 3,000, forcing Davenport out of the pot while Meryumoglu made the call.

On the 7 turn Sahin bet again for 6,000 and this time Meryumoglu opted to fold.

Player Chips Progress
Bulent Sahin tr
Bulent Sahin
104,500
104,500
104,500
Mustafa Meryumoglu tr
Mustafa Meryumoglu
102,000
102,000
102,000
Matthew Davenport
Matthew Davenport
98,000
98,000
98,000

Tags: Bulent SahinMatthew DavenportMustafa Meryumoglu

Some Early Faces in the Field

Level 1 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante
Player Chips Progress
Agharazi Babayev az
Agharazi Babayev
100,000
Ali Coskun tr
Ali Coskun
100,000
Andreas Aristotelous cy
Andreas Aristotelous
100,000
Andrii Vasylyk ua
Andrii Vasylyk
100,000
Antoine Hasbani lb
Antoine Hasbani
100,000
Antonis Papadopoulos cy
Antonis Papadopoulos
100,000
Arun Sood gb
Arun Sood
100,000
Day 1C Chip Leader
Bakhos Joumaa lb
Bakhos Joumaa
100,000
Bora Kurtulus tr
Bora Kurtulus
100,000
Christos Leantzis cy
Christos Leantzis
100,000
Cihan Abdurrezzak tr
Cihan Abdurrezzak
100,000
Dauren Tashatov kz
Dauren Tashatov
100,000
Dmitry Gromov ru
Dmitry Gromov
100,000
WPT 1X Winner
Ebrahim Ehghaghi ir
Ebrahim Ehghaghi
100,000
Eli Saad lb
Eli Saad
100,000
Feyzullah Karaarslan tr
Feyzullah Karaarslan
100,000
Frederico Senno cy
Frederico Senno
100,000
Georgios Skarparis cy
Georgios Skarparis
100,000
Gursel Koca tr
Gursel Koca
100,000
Hakan Pamukcu tr
Hakan Pamukcu
100,000
Jun Yang sg
Jun Yang
100,000
Khalil Tawil lb
Khalil Tawil
100,000
Koray Sapci tr
Koray Sapci
100,000
Krikor Mardkian lb
Krikor Mardkian
100,000
Maxim Brovko cy
Maxim Brovko
100,000

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Skarparis Fills Up on Nurmuhammedov

Level 1 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante
Parahat Nurmuhammedov
Parahat Nurmuhammedov

Bakhos Joumaa limped in from the cutoff before Parahat Nurmuhammedov raised to 5,000 from the small blind. Georgios Skarparis put in a three-bet to 12,600 from the big blind, forcing Joumaa out of the pot while Nurmuhammedov made the call.

The flop came AK3 and Nurmuhammedov check-called an 18,000 continuation bet from Skarparis.

Both players checked the 3 turn leading to the 7 river. Nurmuhammedov checked, Skarparis moved all in for approximately 35,000 and Nurmuhammedov, who covered Skarparis slightly, snap-called to put himself at risk.

Nurmuhammedov tabled QJ for the nut-flush on the flop but Skarparis showed down KK for a turned full house to score the a full double up and take down a sizable pot.

Nurmuhammedov would bust out the very next hand, committing his final 14,000 chips preflop with 77 only to fall to Joumaa who held KJ, hitting a full house on the KK544 runout.

Player Chips Progress
Georgios Skarparis cy
Georgios Skarparis
147,000
47,000
47,000
Bakhos Joumaa lb
Bakhos Joumaa
82,000
-18,000
-18,000
Parahat Nurmuhammedov tm
Parahat Nurmuhammedov
Busted

Tags: Bakhos JoumaaGeorgios SkarparisParahat Nurmuhammedov

Level: 2

Blinds: 400/800

Ante: 800

Awamleh Wins a Small One

Level 2 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

Frederico Senno limped in from middle position and Mohammad Awamle raised to 3,000 from the hijack. Senno made the call.

The flop came AJ4. Senno checked and Awamleh bet 2,500.

"It has to be the ace..." Senno lamented as he sent his cards to the muck, conceding the pot to Awamleh.

Player Chips Progress
Frederico Senno cy
Frederico Senno
131,000
31,000
31,000
Mohammad Awamleh jo
Mohammad Awamleh
102,000
102,000
102,000

Tags: Frederico SennoMohammad Awamle