$2,200 Merit Poker Cup Day 1a | 2024 Merit Poker Carmen Series

03-27-2024 17:18 UTC+3

Tulepbergenov Applies Pressure

Ryan Lashmar

Level 4 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

Azamat Tulepbergenov opened to 3,000 fom the cutoff and was called by a player in the big blind.

Both players checked the J♠8♦4♦ flop leading to the 9♦ turn. The big blind bet 3,000 and Tulepbergenov called.

On the 10♣ river The big blind fired a second barrel for 5,000. Tulepbergenov raised to 25,000 which was enough to force a fold from his opponent.

Player	Chips	Progress
Azamat Tulepbergenov	83,400 83,400	83,400

Tags: Azamat Tulepbergenov

03-27-2024 17:21 UTC+3

Break Time

Ryan Lashmar

Level 4 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

Players are now on their second 15-minute break of the day. The field has grown to 155 entrants of which 124 players remain.

Level: 5

Blinds: 700/1,500

Ante: 1,500

03-27-2024 17:52 UTC+3

Assorted Chip Counts after Second Break

Ryan Lashmar

Level 5 : Blinds 700/1,500, 1,500 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Boris Smuskevicius	343,200
David Vinayagamoorthy	319,000 -28,000	-28,000
Aleksandar Tot	227,000 -15,100	-15,100
Nemanja Lukovic	222,800 31,800	31,800
Zafer Sener	209,000
Darko Svesko	209,000
Nenad Dukic	206,000
Aleksandr Kirichenko	205,000 58,000	58,000
Aleksandr Ivanov Jr	198,000 27,400	27,400
Andrea Dato	178,000 49,000	49,000

Fabio Peluso	152,000

Christos Leantzis	141,000 -38,000	-38,000
Yuri Suvorov	134,000
Maher Achour	123,000 -3,500	-3,500
Dinesh Alt	97,500 17,100	17,100

03-27-2024 17:56 UTC+3

Sibgatova Takes from Pyzara

Ryan Lashmar

Level 5 : Blinds 700/1,500, 1,500 ante

With two players seeing a board of A♥K♥2♦A♠ and roughly 30,000 already in the middle, Alisa Sibgatova checked from the big blind and Kacper Pyzara bet 20,000 from the cutoff. Sibgatova made the call.

Both players checked the 8♣ river. Sibgatova tabled K♦J♦ for two pair and Pyzara's hand hit the muck.

Player	Chips	Progress
Alisa Sibgatova	126,000 -26,000	-26,000
Kacper Pyzara	106,300

Tags: Alisa Sibgatova Kacper Pyzara

03-27-2024 18:20 UTC+3

Akgul Makes a Great Call

Ryan Lashmar

Level 5 : Blinds 700/1,500, 1,500 ante

A player in the hijack had opened and was called by Huseyin Akgul in the cutoff. A player in the big blind put in a three-bet that forced the original raiser out while Akgul made the call creating a pot of roughly 25,000 going into the flop.

The flop came 5♠4♦2♠ and the big blind fired a 10,000 continuation bet. Akgul made the call.

Akgul called another bet on the 8♦ turn, this time for 32,000.

On the K♥ river the big blind bet again for 45,000 and Akgul called the third barrel.

The big blind could only should A♥Q♣ for a bluff while Akgul tabled 7♣5♣ for just a pair of fives to take down a sizable pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Huseyin Akgul	432,000 432,000	432,000

Tags: Huseyin Akgul

Level: 6

Blinds: 800/1,600

Ante: 1,600

03-27-2024 18:39 UTC+3

Nigbolu Leaves Miral with Crumbs

Ryan Lashmar

Level 6 : 800/1,600, 1,600 ante

With two players seeing a board of 5♥Q♣7♦8♠ and roughly 50,000 already in the middle, Cenk Nigbolu checked from the small blind and Can Miral bet 5,500 from the big blind. Nigbolu check-raised to 20,000 before Miral moved all in for approximately 70,000. Nigbolu made the call and was slightly covered.

Cenk Nigbolu: Q♥7♥ All in
Can Miral: A♣Q♠

Miral had flopped top pair but was draing to just six outs versus Nigbolu's two pair. Miral found no help on the 3♥ river and was left with just over five big blinds while Nigbolu scored a full double up.

Miral would be eliminated shortly afterwards.

Player	Chips	Progress
Cenk Nigbolu	149,000
Can Miral	Busted

Tags: Can Miral Cenk Nigbolu

03-27-2024 18:59 UTC+3

Max Pressure from Zhugralin

Ryan Lashmar

Level 6 : Blinds 800/1,600, 1,600 ante

Damir Zhugralin opened to 3,500 from under the gun and received calls from a player on the button and Felipe Ketzer, who placed runner up in the Main Event roughly 15 hours ago for $249,200, in the big blind.

All three players checked the A♥10♥8♠ flop leading to the A♠ turn. Ketzer checked, Zhugralin bet 3,900 and the player on the button raised to 11,000. Ketzer got out of the way and Zhugralin bumped it up to 24,500. The button called.

On the 8♣ river Zhugralin bet 85,000 and this time it was enough to force a fold from his one remaining opponent.