$2,200 Warm Up Day 2 | 2024 Merit Poker Gatsby Gala Series

2 days 11 hours ago

Mandara Doubles With Big Slick

Kai Cocklin

Level 14 : Blinds 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante

In a cutoff-against-button situation, Uladzimir Zhyharau and Ryan Mandara got their chips in the middle with the latter at risk for his stack of around 220,000.

Uladzimir Zhyharau: Q♣Q♦ All in
Ryan Mandara: A♠K♦

It was an all-too-familiar coinflip which looked to be goung Zhyharau's way after the 2♠8♥J♥ flop, as his pocket queens kept their lead. However, things all changed on the K♠ turn as Mandara paired his king and leapt in front. A J♠ on the river didn't help Zhyharau, and Mandara doubled up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ryan Mandara	450,000 230,000	230,000
Uladzimir Zhyharau	350,000 -100,000	-100,000

Tags: Ryan Mandara Uladzimir Zhyharau

2 days 11 hours ago

Kirichenko Avoids Elimination, Fryda Surges Up the Counts

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Kai Cocklin

Level 14 : Blinds 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante

Tomy Greineisen opened from middle position and Victor Fryda called in the cutoff before Aleksandr Kirichenko three-bet the big blind to 37,000. Both Greineisen and Fryda called.

They went to a flop of 2♣J♣K♥ where Kirichenko bet 26,000, Greineisen folded, and Fryda called.

An A♣ dropped on the turn and Kirichenko slowed down with a check, then Fryda bet 56,000. After some time, Kirichenko called.

When the 6♥ completed the runout, Kirichenko checked again and Fryda went with a bet of 120,000. Kirichenko snap-called..

Fryda then showed a straight with Q♦10♦, and Kirichenko tabled his K♣K♦ for a flopped set.

Player	Chips	Progress
Victor Fryda	810,000 285,000	285,000
Tomy Greineisen	400,000 400,000	400,000
Aleksandr Kirichenko	140,000 -280,000	-280,000

Tags: Aleksandr Kirichenko Tomy Greineisen Victor Fryda

2 days 12 hours ago

Tot Sends Off Skhulukhiya

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 13 : Blinds 1,500/3,500, 3,500 ante

In a preflop confrontation Giorgiy Skhulukhiya was all in from early position, having started the hand with around 90,000. He was up against Aleksandar Tot who had him covered from the big blind.

Giorgiy Skhulukhiya: A♦Q♥ All in
Aleksandar Tot: J♥J♦

Tot got the best of the preflop race when the board ran out 5♥3♠10♥K♠10♦ and he took the pot while Skhulukhiya was sent to the rail just before the end of late registration.

Player	Chips	Progress
Aleksandar Tot	505,000 150,000	150,000
Giorgiy Skhulukhiya	Busted

Tags: Aleksandar Tot Giorgiy Skhulukhiya

2 days 13 hours ago

Chernikov Flops a Wheel-y Good Hand, Doubles Through Cotescu

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Kai Cocklin

Level 13 : Blinds 1,500/3,500, 3,500 ante

Sandra Cotescu had opened from the hijack and Aleksandr Chernikov called from the big blind.

They went to a flop of 2♠5♦A♣ where Chernikov checked and Cotescu continued with a bet of 5,000. Chernikov then min-raised to 10,000, and Cotescu called.

A 2♥ paired the board on the turn and Chernikov fired out a bigger bet of 25,000, and after a few moments, Cotescu flicked in a white chip, worth 25,000.

When the 8♣ completed the runout, Chernikov stacked his chips into one tower, and slid all 37,500 of them into the middle. Cotescu thought for just a second before she made the call.

Chernikov then rolled over a flopped straight with 4♥3♥, and Cotescu's A♥J♣ was revealed before it was sent into the muck.

Player	Chips	Progress
Sandra Cotescu	725,000 -125,000	-125,000
Aleksandr Chernikov	165,000 165,000	165,000

Tags: Aleksandr Chernikov Sandra Cotescu

2 days 13 hours ago

Neagoe Scoops the Main Pot, Koks Takes the Side Pot in Three-Way All-In

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Kai Cocklin

Level 13 : Blinds 1,500/3,500, 3,500 ante

After Andrey Koks had made a three-bet to 26,000, Darius Neagoe shoved his stack of 94,000 into the middle and the player in middle position called. Koks then shoved for around 240,000 total, and middle position quickly called.

Darius Neagoe: K♠K♥ All in
Andrey Koks: Q♣Q♠ All in
Middle Position: 6♥6♠

Neagoe had a great opportunity to triple up and would do so if his pocket kings held up. A flop of 9♠3♣7♠ didn't change much, and neither did the A♣ turn. Koks was still in the driver's seat for the near-300,000-chip side pot, and took it when the 3♦ landed on the river. Neagoe scooped the main pot, and the player in middle position was left with a heavily dented stack.

Player	Chips	Progress
Darius Neagoe	300,000 300,000	300,000

Andrey Koks	270,000 -30,000	-30,000

Tags: Andrey Koks Darius Neagoe

2 days 13 hours ago

Elyashiv Put in the Blender by Sadi

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 13 : Blinds 1,500/3,500, 3,500 ante

Eliyahu Elyashiv opened to 7,500 from the hijack and was called by Nemo Koering in the small blind and Umit Sadi in the big blind.

The flop came A♥Q♠4♠ and action checked around to Elyashiv who bet 6,500. Koering check-raised to 25,000 and Sadi three-bet to 58,000. Elyashiv made the call while Koering got out of the way.

On the 10♠ turn Sadi shoved for 161,500, putting Elyashiv deep into the tank.

"Ace-four? Or Set of fours? One is no good" Elyashiv told his opponent, who remained silent. More than five minutes went by before Nichan Khorchidian, seated at the same table, called the clock. Elyashiv finally released his hand, telling his tablemates that he had folded ace-queen for top two pair. Another player at the table chimed in that it was a good fold as Sadi scooped a sizable pot without showdown.

Player	Chips	Progress
Umit Sadi	335,000 335,000	335,000
Nemo Koering	296,000 -10,000	-10,000
Nichan Khorchidian	296,000 -19,000	-19,000
Eliyahu Elyashiv	220,000 -360,000	-360,000

Tags: Eliyahu Elyashiv Nemo Koering Nichan Khorchidian Umit Sadi

2 days 13 hours ago

Mustafov Rivers a Straight, Kirichenko Bluffs With Deuces

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Kai Cocklin

Level 12 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante

With around 50,000 chips in the pot on a flop of 7♥10♠10♣, the small blind and Aleksandr Kirichenko checked, then both called a bet of 10,000 from Fahredin Mustafov in the hijack.

The 6♥ turn was checked through to the 9♥ river, where the small blind checked and Kirichenko shoved. Mustafov had around 60,000 in his stack and called, then the small blind folded.

Kirichenko showed 2♥2♣ for an underpair to the board, but Mustafov held the winner as he rivered a straight holding A♠8♣.

Player	Chips	Progress
Aleksandr Kirichenko	420,000 -110,000	-110,000
Fahredin Mustafov	180,000 60,000	60,000

Tags: Aleksandr Kirichenko Fahredin Mustafov

2 days 15 hours ago

Isaia Hits Quads to Stack M'hiri's Aces

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Kai Cocklin

Level 11 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante

With around 55,000 chips in the pot on a board of 9♣8♥10♦10♠, Alessio Isaia fired 18,000 from the big blind position and Chakib M'hiri called from under the gun.

On the 8♦ river, Isaia threw out four white, chips, worth 25,000 each, which gave M'hiri a decision for his remaining stack of around 60,000. After thinking it over for around a minute, M'hiri decided to call.

Isaia then showed 10♣10♥ for quads! M'hiri revealed his A♥A♣, and he headed to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Alessio Isaia	325,000 325,000	325,000

Chakib M'hiri	Busted

Tags: Alessio Isaia Chakib M'hiri

2 days 15 hours ago

Shushan Rivers a Straight and Stacks Biz

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Kai Cocklin

Level 11 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante

A player from under the gun made it 6,000 and Mustafa Biz three-bet to 20,000 from middle position. Yaniv Shushan in the hijack cold-called, and the under-the-gun player folded.

On the 9♦J♦4♣ flop, Biz check-called a bet of 16,000 from Shushan to see the 8♦ turn, which checked through.

A 7♠ landed on the river and Biz shoved for around 60,000, and Shushan wasted no time in making the call.

Biz reluctantly showed A♣Q♦ for top pair, but Shushan had the winner with a straight holding 10♠10♣.

Player	Chips	Progress
Yaniv Shushan	450,000 254,000	254,000
Mustafa Biz	Busted

Tags: Mustafa Biz Yaniv Shushan

2 days 15 hours ago

Ranjehdel Delivers the Ultimate Cooler

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 11 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante

In a preflop confrontation Ali Yilmaz was all in from the button, having started the hand with a bit under 250,000. He was up against Pouya Ranjehdel who had him covered from the big blind.

Ali Yilmaz: A♥A♦ All in
Pouya Ranjehdel: K♠K♣

Yilmaz had the best possible preflop hand but he was left drawing to two outs when the K♥8♣7♣ flop gave Ranjehdel top set. Yilmaz was unable to catch one of the remaining two aces when the rest of the board ran out Q♣3♦ and he was sent to the rail in brutal fashion while Ranjehdel dragged in a massive pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Pouya Ranjehdel	525,000 367,000	367,000
Ali Yilmaz	Busted

Tags: Ali Yilmaz Pouya Ranjehdel