$3,300 Main Event
Day 1a Started
2023 Merit Poker Gangster Series
$3,300 Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1a
2023 Merit Poker Gangster Series
Buy-in
$3,300
Prize Pool
$1,562,160
Entries
566
Level
36
Blinds
250,000 / 500,000
Ante
500,000
Entries
155
Players Left
68
The action continues here at the 2023 Merit Poker Gangster Series at Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino in North Cyprus with the $3,300 Main Event. The event begins at noon local time and features nine 60-minute levels. Players will begin with 100,000 chips.
The most recent Merit Poker Series to take place here at Crystal Cove, the $3,300 Merit Poker Retro Series, saw Serbia's Darko Svesko emerge victorious over a 1,223-entrant field, last defeating Russia's Oleg Netaliev in heads up play to take home $567,000. Netaliev himself has been active at the 2023 Gangster Series, having made a deep run earlier this week in the $2,200 Warm Up, finishing in 18th for $8,600.
2023 Merit Poker Retro Series Final Table Results
| RANK | PLAYER | COUNTRY | PRIZE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Darko Svesko | Serbia | $567,000 |
| 2 | Oleg Netaliev | Russia | $417,900 |
| 3 | Michel Atallah | Lebanon | $257,900 |
| 4 | Nenad Dukic | Serbia | $191,100 |
| 5 | David Hu | Netherlands | $142,400 |
| 6 | Ruslan Volkov | Ukraine | $115,100 |
| 7 | Dominik Panka | Poland | $95,900 |
| 8 | Thomas Eychenne | France | $76,300 |
| 9 | Ara Melkisetian | Lebanon | $56,700 |
The main event will feature four starting flights, at which point the fields will combine on December 1 for Day 2. Day 1b will take place tomorrow, November 29, Day 1c will be on November 30, and there will be a turbo Day 1d later on November 30 as well. Late registration and unlimited reentries will be available until the end of Level 13, midway through Day 2.
With a guaranteed prize pool of $1,500,000, a massive turnout is expected. As always, stay tuned to PokerNews from the moment cards are in the air until a winner is crowned on Day 4, which will occur on December 3.
Level: 1
Blinds: 200/500
Ante: 500
Level 1
: Blinds 200/500, 500 ante
With the tournament clock showing 61 total entrants to start, cards are in the air for the $3,300 Main Event.
Level 1
: Blinds 200/500, 500 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
||
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
Level 1
: Blinds 200/500, 500 ante
Murad Mohammad opened to 1,500 from the cutoff and Albert Diwan defended from the big blind.
The flop came A♥J♦3♥ and Diwan check-called a 1,700 continuation bet from Mohammad.
Diwan checked again on the 3♣ turn and Mohammad bet 4,400 which was enough to force a fold from Diwan.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
109,000
109,000
|
109,000 |
|
|
97,200
-2,800
|
-2,800 |
Level 1
: Blinds 200/500, 500 ante
Victor Yugay opened to 1,300 from middle position and Engin Sezerer defended from the big blind.
The flop came 10♦7♦2♦ and Sezerer check-called a 1,100 continuation bet from Yugay.
Both players then checked the 3♦ turn and 7♠ river. Sezerer tabled J♠10♥ for a flopped top pair but Yugay showed down 7♣6♣ for rivered trips to take the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
128,500
28,500
|
28,500 |
|
71,000
71,000
|
71,000 |
Level: 2
Blinds: 300/600
Ante: 600
Level 2
: Blinds 300/600, 600 ante
Aleksandr Pak opened to 1,500 from under the gun and Georgios Vakis called in the cutoff. Iraklis Manikaros three-bet to 7,000 from the small blind and Pak made the call while Vakis got out of the way.
The flop came Q♥10♦3♦ and Manikaros fired a 7,000 continuation bet. Pak made the call.
On the 9♥ turn Manikaros moved all in, covering Pak's remaining stack of roughly 50,000. Pak made the call and was at risk.
Aleksandr Pak: 10♦9♦
Iraklis Manikaros: A♥Q♦
Manikaros was ahead with top pair but had to fade many outs versus Pak's second pair and flush draw. The 5♠ river was a blank and Manikoris took down a massive early pot while scoring the early knockout.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
228,000
228,000
|
228,000 |
|
87,500
87,500
|
87,500 |
|
Busted |
Level 2
: Blinds 300/600, 600 ante
With two players seeing a board of 4♣9♣10♣J♥ and 6,100 already in the middle, Eli Saad bet 2,500 from middle position and Oleg Netaliev called from the hijack.
Netaliev slowed down with a check on the 7♥ river and Saad bet 5,000. Netaliev made the call.
Saad turned over 7♣7♦ for a set of sevens and Netaliev's hand hit the muck.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
136,000
136,000
|
136,000 |
|
128,000
128,000
|
128,000 |