Georges Chehade opened to 300,000 from the cutoff, Julien Rouquet three-bet shoved for around 2,700,000 from the small blind, Dawid Smolka shoved for the top for 3,400,000 from the big blind and Chehade got out of the way leaving Rouquet at risk against Smolka.
Julien Rouquet: A♣K♦
Dawid Smolka: A♦Q♥
Rouquet was in great shape to scoop a massive pot with a dominiating ace but Smolka spiked a queen on the Q♠10♥3♦ flop and remained ahead when the rest of the board ran out 6♥7♥ to send Rouquet to the rail in brutal fashion and drag in a colossal pot.
Florian Guimond shoved for 2,100,000 from the small blind and Hadi Khordbin called from the big blind with a covering stack to put Guimond at risk.
Florian Guimond: A♥7♣
Hadi Khordbin: A♦10♠
Guimond was dominated with a smaller ace and found no help on the 10♦K♠2♥2♦4♣ runout, resulting in his elimination while Khordbin continued his rapid ascent after starting the day at the bottom of the chip counts.
Zhen Chen opened to 550,000, leaving just 50,000 behind. Florian Guimond called in the small blind before Hadi Khordbin shoved for 1,300,000 from the big blind. Chen called with his last two T-25,000 chips and Guimond also made the call, covering both players.
Zhen Chen: A♣8♥
Hadi Khordbin: A♦A♠
Florian Guimond: K♥Q♠
Khordbin was a huge favorite with the best possible starting hand and he remained in front on the 8♣J♣6♥4♠7♥ runout to send Chen to the rail and nearly triple up.
Zhen Chen opened to 250,000 from the button, Sandra Cotescu three-bet shoved for 1,400,000 from the big blind and Chen quickly called with a covering stack to put Cotescu at risk.
Sandra Cotescu: 7♦7♠
Zhen Chen: K♣K♥
Cotescu was in bad shape with a smaller pocket pair but she picked up an open-ended straight draw on the 8♠5♥6♦ flop. The straight came right in on the 4♣ turn leaving Chen drawing dead and despite Chen making a set on the K♠ river Cotescu secured a full double up while Chen was left with just under five big blinds.
Victor Fryda shoved from under the gun for 1,750,000 and was called by Viktor Iarilov who had him covered from the button.
Victor Fryda: A♦Q♠
Viktor Iarilov: 10♠10♣
Iarilov got the better of the preflop race when the board ran out 8♥8♠2♦3♠9♥ to take the pot while Fryda became the first player to be sent to the rail on Day 4.
The final table of the 2024 Merit Poker Gatsby Gala Series $2,200 Warm Up is rapidly approaching here at the Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino as just 14 players from a field of 463 entrants remain heading into the fourth and final day, beginning at noon local time.
Daniele Grasso starts the day far ahead of the rest of the field with 8,900,000, a stack worth 74 big blinds going into Day 2. Grasso will be looking to top his previous best live cash of $19,163 with an eighth place finish or better in the event. Grasso is most closely rivaled by Dawid Smolka and Day 2 chip leader Florian Guimond, each of whom bagged 4,600,000. Clearly skilled at navigating tournament fields, Smolka has made five final table appearances at Merit Poker events over the past three years, but has yet to secure an outright victory—a fact he aims to change in today’s event.
Day 4 Seat Draw
Table
Seat
Player
Country
Chip Count
Big Blinds
1
1
Viktor Iarilov
Russian Federation
4,550,000
38
1
2
Pouya Ranjehdel
Iran
3,150,000
26
1
3
Georges Chehade
Lebanon
3,700,000
31
1
4
Victor Fryda
France
1,750,000
15
1
5
Bogdan Munteanu
Romania
4,575,000
38
1
6
Julien Rouquet
France
2,000,000
17
1
7
Dawid Smolka
Poland
4,600,000
38
2
1
Ziad Menhem
Lebanon
1,725,000
14
2
2
Zhen Chen
China
2,300,000
19
2
3
Daniele Grasso
Italy
8,900,000
74
2
4
Sandra Cotescu
Romania
1,525,000
13
2
5
Ruslan Bakhtiev
Russian Federation
1,850,000
15
2
6
Florian Guimond
France
4,600,000
38
2
7
Hadi Khordbin
Iran
1,475,000
12
Rounding out the top five are Bogdan Munteanu (4,575,000) and Viktor Iarilov (4,550,000). Munteanu may be in more familiar territory than any other player left in the field, as he won this same event in 2022, taking down the $2,200 Warm Up at the Merit Poker Vintage Series for $209,700. Coming into the day with the fourth-largest stack, Munteanu is well-positioned to take down the Warm Up for a second time in this event.
Bogdan Munteanu
Remaining Payouts
Place
Prize
1
$179,650
2
$125,500
3
$80,300
4
$60,300
5
$45,150
6
$36,200
7
$30,150
8
$24,100
9
$18,050
10-12
$13,155
13-14
$10,670
Play will resume at Level 29, with the blinds at 60,000/120,000 and a 120,000 big blind ante. All players have locked up $10,670 and stand to make at least $18,050 should they make the nine-handed final table, but all eyes are on the title and top prize of $179,650.
Stay tuned as PokerNews follows all the action as the field plays down to a final table and on to the crowning of a new champion.
