$2,200 Merit Poker Cup
Day 2 Completed
2024 Merit Poker Carmen Series
$2,200 Merit Poker Cup
Day: 2
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 2
2024 Merit Poker Carmen Series
Buy-in
$2,200
Prize Pool
$844,560
Entries
459
Level
36
Blinds
400,000 / 800,000
Ante
800,000
Entries
268
Players Left
108
Five Players Join the Millionaire's Club on Day 2 of the Merit Poker Carmen Series Merit Poker Cup
Level 15
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
Day 2 of the Merit Poker Carmen Series Merit Poker Cup was about positioning yourself for a run at the money, and four players did that better than anyone else.
Ivan Zabiiakin doubled up early in the day when he turned the nut flush on his way to bagging up 1,142,000 and the chip lead over the remaining 108 players. George Tomescu (1,113,000) and start-of-day chip leader Huseyin Akgul (1,128,000) joined him in the millionaire’s club by the end of the day.
Edgard Raffoul won one of the biggest pots of Day 2 when he flopped top set and picked off Damir Zhugralin's bluff in a more than 900,000-chip pot. He ended up with 1,070,000. But Antonio Aversa (919,000) had an even more incredible journey to the upper echelon of the leaderboard after being involved in two massive three-way all ins.
First, Aversa tripled up on the river by making the nut flush while Hassan Dahmani folded what would’ve been quad eights. Aversa then flopped top set of nines in another three-way all in against Dahmani’s set of fives and Aleksandr Razinkov’s aces. He held up to double off Razinkov and send Dahmani, who was up above 700,000 and contending for the chip lead just a level earlier, to the rail.
Day 2 Top 10 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ivan Zabiiakin | Russia | 1,142,000 | 143 |
| 2 | George Tomescu | Romania | 1,130,000 | 141 |
| 3 | Huseyin Akgul | Turkey | 1,128,000 | 141 |
| 4 | Alan Turabayev | Kazakhstan | 1,092,000 | 137 |
| 5 | Edgard Raffoul | Lebanon | 1,070,000 | 134 |
| 6 | Aleksandr Kirichenko | Russia | 950,000 | 119 |
| 7 | Antonio Aversa | Italy | 919,000 | 115 |
| 8 | O I | n/a | 893,000 | 112 |
| 9 | Damir Gabdullin | Russia | 795,000 | 99 |
| 10 | Jovan Kenjic | Serbia | 779,000 | 97 |
Other top stacks after Day 2 include Dmitry Gromov (666,000), Kacper Pyzara (660,000), Halil Tasyurek (655,000), Fausto Tantillo (555,000), Toni Kaukua (531,000), and High Roller champion Jakub Michalak (334,000). Florian Guimond (208,000), Simone Andrian (145,000), and Felipe Ketzer (124,000) find themselves on short stacks heading into Day 3.
Notables who had their run end today included Andrea Dato, Main Event third-place finisher Dinesh Alt, Fabio Peluso, Ozgur Secilmis, and Boris Kolev.
A total of 110 new arrivals on Day 2 built a field of 459 entries and a prize pool of $844,560. The first order of business on Day 3 will be to burst the money bubble, with the top 55 players guaranteeing themselves a payday. The eventual champion will take home $167,100 and the title of Merit Poker champion.
Stay tuned as PokerNews returns tomorrow at noon local time to provide all the live updates leading up to the bubble and beyond.
End-of-Day Chip Counts (full)
Level 15
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
1,142,000
-108,000
|
-108,000 |
|
||
|
1,130,000
80,000
|
80,000 |
|
1,128,000
88,000
|
88,000 |
|
||
|
1,092,000
811,500
|
811,500 |
|
1,070,000
-50,000
|
-50,000 |
|
950,000
200,000
|
200,000 |
|
919,000
-61,000
|
-61,000 |
|
|
893,000
53,000
|
53,000 |
|
795,000
355,000
|
355,000 |
|
779,000
449,000
|
449,000 |
|
774,000
-26,000
|
-26,000 |
|
746,000
6,000
|
6,000 |
|
|
716,000
635,000
|
635,000 |
|
|
714,000
294,000
|
294,000 |
|
666,000
486,000
|
486,000 |
|
||
|
666,000
-84,000
|
-84,000 |
|
655,000
-45,000
|
-45,000 |
|
651,000
131,000
|
131,000 |
|
651,000
51,000
|
51,000 |
|
650,000
250,000
|
250,000 |
|
649,000
522,500
|
522,500 |
|
641,000
111,000
|
111,000 |
|
640,000
530,000
|
530,000 |
|
|
633,000
633,000
|
633,000 |
|
616,000
-124,000
|
-124,000 |
Play Concludes
Level 15
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
Day 2 has ended with approximately 110 players remaining.
Stay tuned for chip counts and a recap of the day's action.
Gabarre Runs Into Tasyurek's Big Blind Special
Level 15
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
Stephane Gabarre moved all in for around 115,000 from the button on a flop of 10♠3♣2♥ and Halil Tasyurek called in the big blind.
Stephane Gabarre: 10♣9♥ 
Halil Tasyurek: 3♦2♣
Gabarre had flopped top pair, but Tasyurek had two pair and the lead. "Okay, give me a nine," Gabarre pleaded, but the turn instead was the 2♦ as Tasyurek improved to a full house.
"Okay, I'll take a ten," Gabarre then said, but he missed the 6♣ river and was sent to the rail in the closing moments of Day 2.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
700,000
550,000
|
550,000 |
|
Busted |
Last Four Hands
Level 15
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
Tournament officials announced that players will see four more hands tonight before bagging up for Day 3.
Kolev, Chaoui Fall
Level 15
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
Boris Kolev was in the hijack and moved all in for 75,000 as Sergei Sokharev put him at risk from under the gun.
Boris Kolev: K♥K♣
Sergei Sukharev: A♣A♠
Kolev had found a good spot to get his short-stack in the middle, but Sokharev showed him the bad news when he flipped over aces. The board ran out 2♦7♣3♥10♣4♣ and Kolev was sent to the rail.
At the same time at another table, Mehdi Chaoui was eliminated by Kacper Pyzara after failing to complete his nut flush draw against Pyzara's top pair of jacks.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
750,000
300,000
|
300,000 |
|
|
740,000 | |
|
Busted | |
|
||
|
Busted | |
Suvorov Can't Bet Nigbolu Off Fours
Level 15
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
Cenk Nigbolu raised to 12,000 in the hijack, Yuri Suvorov three-bet to 42,000 in the small blind, and Nigbolu called.
Both players checked the 3♠3♥9♦ flop. The turn was the 8♣ and Suvorov bet 25,000. Nigbolu called.
The 3♦ river was also checked through and Suvorov showed K♥10♣ for king-high. Nigbolu turned over 4♣4♥ as he took the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
420,000
-50,000
|
-50,000 |
|
400,000
-30,000
|
-30,000 |
Big Stacks Near the End
Level 15
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,250,000
250,000
|
250,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
1,050,000
200,000
|
200,000 |
|
|
980,000
350,000
|
350,000 |
|
|
840,000
503,000
|
503,000 |
|
|
740,000 | |
|
|
740,000
490,000
|
490,000 |
|
700,000
130,000
|
130,000 |
Gulseven Fires at Gulal
Level 15
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
Heads-up on a flop of 10♣5♠6♣, Erdal Gulseven bet 37,000 from early position and Mustafa Gulal called in the big blind.
The turn was the 7♥ and Gulseven bet another 55,000. Gulal again called.
The Q♠ fell on the river and Gulseven fired out 90,000 this time. Gulal snap-folded and Gulseven took the pot.
At the same table, Edgard Raffoul has built up his last past 1,100,000 and is in contention for the chip lead near the end of the night.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,120,000
380,000
|
380,000 |
|
520,000
182,000
|
182,000 |
|
|
440,000
328,000
|
328,000 |