$3,300 Main Event | 2023 Merit Poker Retro Series

08-17-2023 20:20 UTC+2

Yossi Eluz Eliminated In 10th Place ($42,900)

Maxime Taldir

Level 36 : Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante

Straight after Volkov increased his lead, Dominik Panka opened once again to 1,000,000, this time from the cutoff. In the big blind, Yossi Eluz shoved with 4,550,000 chips, and Panka called.

Yossi Eluz: A♣10♣
Dominik Panka: J♠J♥

Eluz still had a few outs for him after the flop 9♥7♥Q♠ and the turn K♥. But the river was the 8♥, and he was eliminated in 10th place, winning $42,900. He became the bubble boy of the final table of this Main Event.

Player	Chips	Progress
Dominik Panka	14,875,000 5,075,000	5,075,000

Yossi Eluz	Busted

Tags: Dominik Panka Yossi Eluz

08-17-2023 18:55 UTC+2

Mousa Barakat Eliminated In 11st Place ($42,900)

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Maxime Taldir

Level 35 : Blinds 200,000/400,000, 400,000 ante

After an open by Nenad Dukic in early position, Thomas Eychenne on the button three-bet to 1,800,000. In the small blind, Mousa Barakat four-bet all in for 5,350,000. Dukic folded, but Eychenne seemed to face a tough decision. And after some time, he eventually called.

Mousa Barakat: A♣K♥
Thomas Eychenne: A♠5♠

Eychenne didn’t look happy. But a small smile appeared on his face on the flop 7♠3♦4♦ that gave him a straight draw. And he didn’t have to sweat as the straight was completed directly on the turn 2♥.

After the river 9♣, Eychenne claimed the pot and eliminated Barakat in 11th place for $42,900.

The next player eliminated will be the bubble boy of the final table.

Player	Chips	Progress
Nenad Dukic	16,000,000 7,300,000	7,300,000
Thomas Eychenne	13,800,000 350,000	350,000
Mousa Barakat	Busted

Tags: Mousa Barakat Nenad Dukic Thomas Eychenne

08-17-2023 18:42 UTC+2

Rudolf Domin Eliminated In 12th Place ($42,900)

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Maxime Taldir

Level 34 : Blinds 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante

A few hands after Panka’s elimination, David Hu opened from the hijack to 600,000. In the cutoff, Rudolf Domin raised all in for 3,350,000 chips. Then in the big blind, Dominik Panka reshoved for 7,325,000 chips. A move that made Hu fold.

Rudolf Domin: A♠5♠
Dominik Panka: Q♠Q♦

Domin hit a pair on the flop 10♠5♦6♥ and a flush draw with the turn 2♠. But the 8♦ didn’t give him what he wanted, and he was eliminated in 12th place for $42,900.

Player	Chips	Progress
David Hu	19,100,000 -4,100,000	-4,100,000
Dominik Panka	11,700,000 5,100,000	5,100,000

Rudolf Domin	Busted

Tags: David Hu Dominik Panka Rudolf Domin

08-17-2023 18:37 UTC+2

Ran Ilani Eliminated In 13th Place ($34,430)

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Maxime Taldir

Level 34 : Blinds 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante

Down to 475,000 chips, Ran Ilani decided to go all in from under the gun. Dominik Panka reshoved for 5,350,000 chips from the hijack, and the other players folded.

Ran Ilani: 9♣4♣
Dominik Panka: A♦Q♣

There was no surprise on the board 9♦A♣2♦J♦2♥, with Panka who stayed in the lead with two pairs. After a long moment without any eliminations, Ran Ilani is out of the tournament and wins $34,430 for his 13th place.

Player	Chips	Progress
Dominik Panka	6,600,000 1,200,000	1,200,000

Ran Ilani	Busted

Tags: Ran Ilani Dominik Panka

08-17-2023 16:55 UTC+2

George-Mircea Tomescu Eliminated In 14th Place ($34,430)

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Maxime Taldir

Level 33 : Blinds 125,000/250,000, 250,000 ante

After losing a big pot against Thomas Eychenne, George-Mircea Tomescu had only two blinds left when he moved all in on the very next hand.

Ara Melkisetian and Mousa Barakat let him see the flop A♦5♦5♥. But when Melkisetian bet, Barakat folded.

George-Mircea Tomescu: K♠8♣
Ara Melkisetian: 9♣9♠

Tomescu stood up when he flipped his cards, and left after the turn 7♠ and the river 5♣. He finished 14th for $34,430.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ara Melkisetian	12,000,000
Thomas Eychenne	9,400,000 575,000	575,000
George-Mircea Tomescu	Busted

Tags: Ara Melkisetian Mousa Barakat Thomas Eychenne George-Mircea Tomescu

08-17-2023 16:43 UTC+2

Florian Guimond Eliminated In 15th Place ($34,430)

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Maxime Taldir

Level 32 : 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante

On the secondary table, everybody folded to Ara Melkisetian in the small blind, who limped. In the big blind, Florian Guimond raised to 600,000. But Melkisetian decided to reraise all in for 7,000,000 chips. Guimond called quickly.

Florian Guimond: A♥Q♦
Ara Melkisetian: A♠4♠

On the flop K♠2♦3♠ and the turn 3♦, Guimond had the perfect spot to double up. But the terrible 4♥ landed on the river to give a pair to Melkisetian. Slightly covered, Florian Guimond was eliminated on this bad beat in 15th place for $34,430.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ara Melkisetian	12,000,000 5,700,000	5,700,000
Florian Guimond	Busted

Tags: Ara Melkisetian Florian Guimond

08-17-2023 15:32 UTC+2

Karo Nuri Eliminated In 17th Place ($29,700)

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Maxime Taldir

Level 32 : Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante

Thomas Eychenne raised from the hijack to 400,000. On the button, Karo Nuri three-bet all in for 3,325,000, and Eychenne called.

Karo Nuri: Q♦J♣
Thomas Eychenne: Q♥Q♠

Nuri needed a straight for example to double up. He had a straight draw after the flop 7♣10♦4♣ and the turn 8♦. However, the 7♠ on the river didn’t change anything, and he was eliminated in 17th place for $29,700.

Immediately after his elimination, the clock was paused to bring together the 16 remaining players at two tables.

Player	Chips	Progress
Thomas Eychenne	8,825,000 3,325,000	3,325,000
Karo Nuri	Busted

Tags: Karo Nuri Thomas Eychenne

08-17-2023 15:00 UTC+2

Chrysi Phiniotis Eliminated In 18th Place ($29,700)

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Maxime Taldir

Level 31 : Blinds 100,000/150,000, 150,000 ante

Chrysi Phiniotis raised to 1,500,000 from under the gun, with only 375,000 chips. All the other players folded to Yossi Eluz in the big blind, who waited several minutes, checking at the next payjumps. He eventually just called.

On the flop 7♦J♦3♦, Eluz checked and Phiniotis shoved. Eluz took a few more seconds. But there was another elimination at the feature table, so he called.

Chrysi Phiniotis: A♣9♣
Yossi Eluz: 8♦8♣

Phiniotis needed a better pair than Eluz’s to win. However, she was drawing dead once he made a flush with the K♦ on the turn. The 6♥ landed on the river, and the last woman standing finished 18th for $29,700.

Player	Chips	Progress
Yossi Eluz	4,200,000 1,100,000	1,100,000
Chrysi Phiniotis	Busted

Tags: Chrysi Phiniotis Yossi Eluz

08-17-2023 14:41 UTC+2

Alexey Popov Eliminated In 20th Place ($26,330)

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Maxime Taldir

Level 31 : Blinds 100,000/150,000, 150,000 ante

With only 525,000 chips left, Alexey Popov went all in on the button, and he received a call by Nenad Dukic in the big blind.

Alexey Popov: 10♦10♥
Nenad Dukic: Q♦J♠

Popov couldn’t hope to double up as the dealer fanned a flop of 4♦J♠Q♣ that gave two pairs to Dukic. After the turn 7♣ and the river 6♦, he left to take the $26,330 of his 20th place.

Player	Chips	Progress
Nenad Dukic	11,300,000 3,300,000	3,300,000
Alexey Popov	Busted

Tags: Alexey Popov Nenad Dukic

08-17-2023 14:35 UTC+2

Dmitry Gromov Eliminated In 21st Place ($26,330)

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Maxime Taldir

Level 31 : Blinds 100,000/150,000, 150,000 ante

Already all in against David Hu earlier in the day, Dmitry Gromov moved all in one last time from middle position for 800,000 and faced the same player.

Dmitry Gromov: 10♣8♣
David Hu: K♦J♣

This time, Gromov’s hand stayed behind on 2♥9♥A♣A♦9♣. With the smaller stack at the beginning of the day, Gromov finished 21st for $26,330.