$2,200 Merit Poker Cup Day 3 | 2024 Merit Poker Carmen Series

03-30-2024 13:32 UTC+3

Tekin Spikes the River on Rafikov; Ercan Coolers Vlasov

David Salituro

Level 16 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante

Toni Kaukua raised to 16,000 in early position before Mesut Tekin three-bet to 45,000 in middle position. Danil Rafikov then moved all in for 205,000 in the big blind and Kaukua quickly folded. Tekin, though, tanked for nearly five minutes until Rafikov called the clock. Tekin allowed the timer to nearly reach zero before calling.

Danil Rafikov: A♠K♦ All in
Mesut Tekin: A♥Q♥

Rafikov had Tekin dominated as both players hit an ace on the 8♦A♣7♠ flop. The turn was the J♦, but the river was the Q♠ and Tekin spiked two pair to send Rafikov to the rail.

At the same time at another table, Mustafa Ercan and Denis Vlasov were heads-up on a board of 2♦9♣3♥6♥A♥ when Ercan bet 30,000 from the small blind.

Vlasov then raised to 150,000 on the button and Ercan tanked for several minutes before moving all in for 370,000. Vlasov also took a few minutes before calling.

Ercan showed K♥10♥ for the nut flush and Vlasov mucked J♥4♥ as he handed over the big pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mustafa Ercan	870,000 451,000	451,000
Mesut Tekin	750,000 428,000	428,000
Denis Vlasov	130,000 -108,000	-108,000
Danil Rafikov	Busted

Tags: Danil Rafikov Denis Vlasov Mesut Tekin Mustafa Ercan

03-30-2024 13:25 UTC+3

Tasyurek Takes from Markov

Ryan Lashmar

Level 16 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante

With two players seeing a board of A♥A♠J♦ and roughly 50,000 in the middle, Anton Markov bet 15,000 from middle position and was called by Halil Tasyurek in the hijack.

Markov fired a second barrel on the Q♥ turn for 30,000 and was once again called by Tasyurek.

Both players checked the 8♥ river. Markov tabled 6♠6♣ while Tasyurek showed down Q♠J♣ for a bigger two pair to take the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Halil Tasyurek	755,000 100,000	100,000
Anton Markov	525,000 -40,000	-40,000

Tags: Anton Markov Halil Tasyurek

03-30-2024 13:21 UTC+3

Hanna Coolers Korkmaz to the Rail

David Salituro

Level 16 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante

Three-handed on a board of 7♥5♥3♣5♣, Koray Korkmaz bet 40,000 from the big blind and O I called under the gun. Georges Hanna then raised to 110,000 in the small blind.

Korkmaz moved all in for 163,000 and O I tanked for a minute before folding. Hanna, though, snap-called.

Korkmaz showed 6♥4♥ for a straight, but Hanna had 3♠3♥ for a full house and Korkmaz was already drawing dead going to the 2♠ river. Hanna took the pot while Korkmaz, runner-up in this event last year, was sent to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
O I	800,000 -93,000	-93,000
Georges Hanna	550,000 214,000	214,000
Koray Korkmaz	Busted

Tags: Georges Hanna Koray Korkmaz

03-30-2024 13:15 UTC+3

Ace-High Good For Gulal in Three-Way Pot

David Salituro

Level 16 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante

Mustafa Gulal raised to 18,000 in early position and Aleksandr Kirichenko called on the button, as did small blind Kacper Pyzara.

The flop came 7♥Q♦J♣ and Gulal bet 12,000. Both opponents called to the 4♠ turn.

Gulal then bet another 24,000 and Kirichenko and Pyzara again both called. The river was the Q♣ and Pyzara checked to Gulal, who this time checked back.

Kirichenko took his time before tapping the felt and Pyzara showed 10♦9♦ for a missed straight draw. Gulal turned over A♥K♥ and Kirichenko mucked.

Player	Chips	Progress
Aleksandr Kirichenko	900,000 -50,000	-50,000
Kacper Pyzara	640,000 -26,000	-26,000
Mustafa Gulal	500,000 81,000	81,000

Tags: Aleksandr Kirichenko Kacper Pyzara Mustafa Gulal

03-30-2024 13:07 UTC+3

Shuffle Up and Deal

Ryan Lashmar

Level 16 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante

Cards are in the air for Day 3 of the Merit Poker Cup

Level: 16

Blinds: 4,000/8,000

Ante: 8,000

03-30-2024 11:31 UTC+3

Money Bubble Approaches for Final 108 Players in Day 3 of Merit Poker Cup

Ryan Lashmar

Just 108 players remain from a field of 459 entrants going into the penultimate day of the 2024 Carmen Series Merit Poker Cup here at the Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino, beginning at noon local time. Of those 108 players, 55 will make the money and be guaranteed at least a min-cash of $3,885 but all eyes will be on trophy and top prize of $167,100.

Ivan Zabiiakin begins the day with the overall chip lead, having bagged 1,142,000 chips by the end of Day 2. Zabiiakin is one of five players to surpass one million chips and is most closely followed by George Tomescu and Huseyin Akgul.

Day 2 Top 10 Chip Counts

Rank	Player	Country	Chip Count	Big Blinds
1	Ivan Zabiiakin	Russian Federation	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	Russian Federation	950,000	119
7	Antonio Aversa	Italy	919,000	115
8	O I	n/a	893,000	112
9	Damir Gabdullin	Russian Federation	795,000	99
10	Jovan Kenjic	Serbia	779,000	97

Other players still in contention include Aleksandr Kirichenko (950,000), Dmitry Gromov (666,000), Halil Tasyurek (655,000), Giorgiy Skhulukhiya (651,000), Maksim Shornikau (651,000), Maxime Chilaud (558,000), Alexandru Papazian (437,000), Simeon Spasov (297,000), Alessandro Pichierri (270,000), Benjamin Hamnett (217,000), Simone Andrian (145,000), Yuliyan Kolev (108,000) and Andrey Pateychuk (100,000).

The action picks up at Level 16 with blinds at 4,000/8,000 and an 8,000 big blind ante. The plan is to play ten 60-minute levels. As always, stay tuned to PokerNews as we bring you all the action leading up to the money bubble and then heading towards the final table.

Tags: Aleksandr Kirichenko Alessandro Pichierri Alexandru Papazian Antonio Aversa Benjamin Hamnett Damir Gabdullin Dmitry Gromov Edgard Raffoul George Tomescu Giorgiy Skhulukhiya Halil Tasyurek Huseyin Akgul Ivan Zabiiakin Jovan Kenjic Maxime Chilaud Simeon Spasov Simone Andrian Yuliyan Kolev

03-30-2024 10:16 UTC+3

Day 3 Seat Draw

David Salituro

Table	Seat	Player	Chip Count	Big Blinds
1	1	Milad Oghabian	537,000	67
1	2	Par Gunnar Dybeck	133,000	17
1	3	George Phiniotis	302,000	38
1	4	Nuri Hadioglu	233,000	29
1	5	Naji Abdo	196,000	25
1	6	Ehsan Nadimi	167,000	21
1	7	Traian Stanciu	85,000	11
1	8	Ivan Zabiiakin	1,142,000	143
1	9	Mikhail Zavoloka	616,000	77

2	1	Jovan Kenjic	779,000	97
2	2	Alessandro Pichierri	270,000	34
2	3	George Tomescu	1,130,000	141
2	4	Baris Topuz	315,000	39
2	5	Andrey Pateychuk	100,000	13
2	6	Sergey Bortsov	289,000	36
2	7	Matthew Davenport	304,000	38
2	8	Felipe Ketzer	124,000	16
2	9	Krzysztof Spisak	399,000	50

3	1	Mehmet Demirkol	332,000	42
3	2	Boris Tabiyev	267,000	33
3	3	Erdal Gulseven	430,000	54
3	4	Natan Chauskin	133,000	17
3	5	Murad Cakir	641,000	80
3	6	Razvan Sabau	774,000	97
3	7	Leonid Bozhkov	143,000	18
3	8	Edgard Raffoul	1,070,000	134
3	9	Alisa Sibgatova	104,000	13

4	1	Joseph Mouwad	471,000	59
4	2	Tilekbek Shamurzaev	633,000	79
4	3	Cenk NIgbolu	536,000	67
4	4	Aziz Efe	174,000	22
4	5	Danil Rafkiov	255,000	32
4	6	Nikolay Fal	515,000	64
4	7	Toni Kaukua	531,000	66
4	8	Mesut Tekin	322,000	40
4	9	Yiannakis Papapetrou	37,000	5

5	1	Boris Angelov	100,000	13
5	2	Huseyin Akgul	1,128,000	141
5	3	Simeon Spasov	297,000	37
5	4	Aleksandr Kirichenko	950,000	119
5	5	Kacper Pyzara	666,000	83
5	6	Jenya Gavrilovich	517,000	65
5	7	Mustafa Gulal	419,000	52
5	8	Denis Zelenkin	474,000	59
5	9	Milen Bakardjiev	640,000	80

6	1	Antonio Aversa	919,000	115
6	2	Anatoly Nikitin	305,000	38
6	3	Giorgiy Skhulukhiya	651,000	81
6	4	Armand Matti	649,000	81
6	5	Sergey Baranski	530,000	66
6	6	Fausto Tantillo	555,000	69
6	7	Maksim Skripkin	448,000	56
6	8	Leonid Sidelkovskiy	219,000	27
6	9	Maksim Shornikau	651,000	81

7	1	Amir Sonsino	150,000	19
7	2	Mihai Tusnea	222,000	28
7	3	Aleksandr Razinkov	156,000	20
7	4	Emad Ghadamian	365,000	46
7	5	Yuri Suvorov	446,000	56
7	6	Iulian-Remus Blebea	187,000	23
7	7	Grigorii Rodin	216,000	27
7	8	Aleksandar Tot	149,000	19
7	9	Aleksandr Ivanov	162,000	20

8	1	Aylar Lie	208,000	26
8	2	Florian Guimond	202,000	25
8	3	Maxime Chilaud	558,000	70
8	4	Bogdan Jontulovic	188,000	24
8	5	Yuliyan Kolev	108,000	14
8	6	Nan Zhu	400,000	50
8	7	Sergei Sokharev	746,000	93
8	8	Alexandru Papazian	437,000	55
8	9	Parham Ghadamgahi	537,000	67

9	1	Alexander Ivanov	343,000	43
9	2	Iurii Saiapin	714,000	89
9	3	Temur Abbosov	500,000	63
9	4	Jakub Michalak	334,000	42
9	5	Danny Gez	506,000	63
9	6	Mario Bratanov	317,000	40
9	7	Uladzimir Zhyharau	208,000	26
9	8	Denis Vlasov	238,000	30
9	9	Mustafa Ercan	419,000	52

10	1	Darius Samual	200,000	25
10	2	Tahsin Cankurtaranli	317,000	40
10	3	Benjamin Hamnett	217,000	27
10	4	Gabriel Akiki	567,000	71
10	5	Elvin Hasanli	342,000	43
10	6	Maher Achour	574,000	72
10	7	Georges Hanna	336,000	42
10	8	Koray Korkmaz	182,000	23
10	9	O I	893,000	112

11	1	Simone Andrian	145,000	18
11	2	Alan Turabayev	1,092,000	137
11	3	Nenad Dukic	650,000	81
11	4	Cagdas Ersoy	716,000	90
11	5	Alain Hajj	374,000	47
11	6	Andrey Litvinov	171,000	21
11	7	Georgios Skarparis	168,000	21
11	8	Ufuk Kortan	407,000	51
11	9	Boris Smuskevicius	434,000	54

12	1	Adrian State	269,000	34
12	2	Murat Ozyurt	367,000	46
12	3	Anton Markov	565,000	71
12	4	Dmitry Gromov	666,000	83
12	5	Zafer Sener	567,000	71
12	6	Damir Gabdullin	795,000	99
12	7	Halil Tasyurek	655,000	82
12	8	Kutay Taskin	485,000	61
12	9	Marcin Dziubdziela	207,000	26

$2,200 Merit Poker Cup

Day 3 Started