Father-Son Among Final 20 as Toni Kaukua Leads on Day 3 of the Merit Poker Carmen Series Merit Poker Cup
Georges Bizet’s classic opera Carmen is one of the greatest stories ever told on stage, how the luckless soldier Don Jose is seduced by the eponymous gypsy to his eventual ruin. Today on Day 3 of the Merit Poker Carmen Series Merit Poker Cup, two players put themselves in a position to write a classic story themselves.
Aleksandr Ivanov Jr. picked up aces to bust Damir Gabdullin near the end of the night to finish with 3,720,000 and firmly in the top five. And at the bottom of the leaderboard is his father, who needed a little luck against Nenad Dukic but still bagged up 665,000 as father-and-son find themselves among 20 surviving players out of a starting field of 459.
Day 3 Top 10 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toni Kaukua | Finland | 4,695,000 | 78 |
| 2 | Maher Achour | Tunisia | 4,685,000 | 78 |
| 3 | Ivan Zabiiakin | Russia | 4,400,000 | 73 |
| 4 | Aleksandr Ivanov Jr. | Russia | 3,720,000 | 62 |
| 5 | Nenad Dukic | Serbia | 3,635,000 | 61 |
| 6 | Simone Andrian | Italy | 3,580,000 | 60 |
| 7 | Milen Bakardjiev | Bulgaria | 2,760,000 | 46 |
| 8 | Boris Smuskevicius | Lithuania | 2,690,000 | 45 |
| 9 | Natan Chauskin | Belarus | 2,090,000 | 35 |
| 10 | Antonio Aversa | Italy | 2,000,000 | 33 |
If they want to continue their story tomorrow, they’ll have to contend with a star-studded field that is left chasing the title. Toni Kaukua busted Yiannakis Papapetrou, Mehmet Demirkol, and Aleksandr Razinkov on his way to 4,695,000 and the tournament chip lead. Maher Achour is less than a big blind behind him after helping to burst the money bubble in spectacular fashion, spiking a two-outer on the river to bust Armand Matti. Achour then eliminated both Aleksandr Kirichenko and George Tomescu near the end of the night as he bagged up 4,685,000.
Other players still in contention include start-of-day chip leader Ivan Zabiiakin (4,400,000), Dukic (3,635,000), Merit Poker Western Series Warm Up champion Simone Andrian (3,580,000), Natan Chauskin (2,090,000), Simeon Spasov (1,700,000), Giorgiy Skhulukhiya (1,505,000), and Matthew Davenport (1,435,000). Nikolay Fal (1,160,000) and Maksim Shornikau (720,000) are towards the bottom of the chip counts.
Day 3 began with 108 players remaining, each trying to make the money. Koray Korkmaz, High Roller champion Jakub Michalak, Felipe Ketzer, Aylar Lie, Alexandru Papazian, and Fausto Tantillo were among those who busted short of the money. After Matti’s cruel elimination in 56th place, the top 55 all guaranteed themselves a payday as Kacper Pyzara (52nd), Dmitry Gromov (48th), Jovan Kenjic (39th), Benjamin Hamnett (36th), Maxime Chilaud (33rd), and Yuliyan Kolev (28th) headed for the payout desk.
The action on Day 4 picks up on Level 25 with blinds of 30,000-60,000 and a 60,000 big blind ante. The top 20 are already guaranteed $7,600, with a spot at the final table worth $16,900. The eventual champion earns $167,100 and the prestigious Merit Poker title.
The curtain will fall on the Merit Poker Carmen Series tomorrow. One player will leave this Mediterranean paradise with a trophy. Stay tuned to PokerNews as 20 players return at 1 p.m. and battle until only one is left standing.