Austria’s Maximilian Wieser Leads the Remaining 21 Players into the Final Day of the Merit Poker Gangster Series Main Event
After four starting flights, a total of 566 entries, and 28 levels of play just 21 players will be making their return to the Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino for Day 4 of the 2023 Merit Poker Gangster Series $3,300 Main Event.
Maximilian Wieser from Austria is currently leading the field with a stack of 4,895,000 chips, which is equivalent to 49 big blinds. Following him closely is Hadi Khordbin from Iran, who narrowly missed the top position with 4,745,000 chips. Dmitry Gromov from Russia rounds out the top three with a stack of 4,365,000 chips, which is equivalent to 44 big blinds. These three players, along with 18 others, will return at 1:00 p.m. local time to compete for the top prize of $295,500 and the title of Gangster Series Main Event Champion.
A quick look at Wieser’s Hendon Mob shows he has just six cashes for a total of $66,916. If he were able to parlay this chip lead into a top-five finish, he would eclipse his entire live earnings with just this one Merit Poker Main Event score.
Top Ten Chip Counts
| Place | Name | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maximilian Wieser | Austria | 4,895,000 | 49 |
| 2 | Hadi Khordbin | Iran | 4,745,000 | 47 |
| 3 | Dmitry Gromov | Russia | 4,365,000 | 44 |
| 4 | Fabian Quoss | Germany | 3,940,000 | 39 |
| 5 | Dmitry Yurasov | Russia | 3,915,000 | 39 |
| 6 | Ihar Soika | Belarus | 3,660,000 | 37 |
| 7 | Nikolay Fal | Russia | 3,330,000 | 33 |
| 8 | Iraklis Manikaros | Greece | 3,095,000 | 31 |
| 9 | Baurzhan Akimov | Kazakhstan | 3,000,000 | 30 |
| 10 | Frederic Popot | France | 2,655,000 | 27 |
There are still some other crushers outside of the top-three that will look to make their mark on the field as the day moves along. Oleg Netaliev (2,650,000) has already had a great Gangster Series and will look to avenge his second-place finish in the Merit Retro Series Main Event from earlier this year with a dub. Two-time bracelet winner Dmitry Yurasov (3,915,000) is sitting healthy after a few short stacks and close calls from throughout Day 3. Lastly, Day 1b chip leader Shuang Luo (2,300,000) will look to put her 23 big blinds to work as the last woman standing in the field.
The fourth day of the event is scheduled to start at 1:00 p.m. local time. The players who bagged chips on the third day will return to level 29, with the blinds set at 50,000/100,000/100,000. Players will battle it out all the way down to the eventual champion with cards-up coverage all day long. PokerNews will be covering the event on a one-hour delay so as not to spoil the stream. Don’t miss any of this incredible event!
Stay tuned to PokerNews for updates on the Merit Poker Gangster Series and other top worldwide events!