$5,300 High Roller
Day 3 Started
2024 Merit Poker Western Series
$5,300 High Roller
Day: 3
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 3
2024 Merit Poker Western Series
Buy-in
$5,300
Prize Pool
$703,800
Entries
153
Level
30
Blinds
100,000 / 200,000
Ante
200,000
Entries
30
Players Left
1
| Table | Seat | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Paul Amsellem | France | 420,000 | 26 |
| 1 | 2 | Aleksandar Tot | Montenegro | 684,000 | 43 |
| 1 | 3 | Nazar Buhaiov | Ukraine | 370,000 | 23 |
| 1 | 4 | John Doe | N/A | 907,000 | 57 |
| 1 | 5 | Xixiang Luo | China | 1,250,000 | 78 |
| 1 | 6 | Justus Held | Germany | 1,390,000 | 87 |
| 1 | 7 | Aleksandr Kirichenko | Russian Federation | 1,480,000 | 93 |
| 1 | 8 | Andrey Pateychuk | Russian Federation | 204,000 | 13 |
| 2 | 1 | Tarmo Tammel | Estonia | 147,000 | 9 |
| 2 | 2 | Maksim Shornikau | Belarus | 1,320,000 | 83 |
| 2 | 3 | Frederic Popot | France | 426,000 | 27 |
| 2 | 4 | Danut Chisu | Romania | 330,000 | 21 |
| 2 | 5 | Ceyhan Tezcan | Turkey | 253,000 | 16 |
| 2 | 6 | Joseph Sabe | Lebanon | 728,000 | 46 |
| 2 | 7 | Bogdan Munteanu | Romania | 300,000 | 19 |
| 2 | 8 | Maroun Jazzar | Lebanon | 214,000 | 13 |
| 3 | 1 | Milos Skrbic | Serbia | 334,000 | 21 |
| 3 | 2 | Giorgiy Skhulukhiya | Georgia | 345,000 | 22 |
| 3 | 3 | Anatoly Nikitin | Russian Federation | 365,000 | 23 |
| 3 | 4 | Mikhail Semin | Russian Federation | 251,000 | 16 |
| 3 | 5 | Alisa Sibgatova | Russian Federation | 260,000 | 16 |
| 3 | 6 | Maher Achour | Tunisia | 297,000 | 19 |
| 3 | 7 | Shuang Luo | China | 821,000 | 51 |
| 4 | 1 | Vedat Mutlu | Turkey | 355,000 | 22 |
| 4 | 2 | Fahredin Mustafov | Bulgaria | 218,000 | 14 |
| 4 | 3 | Maciej Komorowski | Poland | 369,000 | 23 |
| 4 | 4 | Roman Gadzhiev | Russian Federation | 371,000 | 23 |
| 4 | 5 | Monika Zukowicz | Poland | 236,000 | 15 |
| 4 | 6 | Marius Kudzmanas | Lithuania | 323,000 | 20 |
| 4 | 7 | Guoliang Wei | China | 591,000 | 37 |
The 2023 Merit Poker Western Series $5,300 High Roller has been reduced from a field of 153 entrants to just 30 remaining players here at the Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino. All 30 will have their sights set on taking home the title and lion's share of the $703,800 prize pool.
Russia's Aleksandr Kirichenko holds the overall chip lead after Day 2, bagging 1,480,000 chips worth 93 big blinds. Kirichenko made the final table of the last Merit Poker $5,300 high roller event at the Gangster Series this past October, making it all the way to heads up play against Giorgiy Skhulukhiya before falling in second place. Today Kirichenko has a chance to avenge that runner up finish with another shot at a high roller title here in Cyprus. Kirichenko is most closely followed by Germany's Justus Held (1,390,000) and Maksim Shornikau of Belarus (1,320,000).
Merit Poker Western Series $5,300 High Roller Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aleksandr Kirichenko | Russian Federation | 1,480,000 | 93 |
| 2 | Justus Held | Germany | 1,390,000 | 87 |
| 3 | Maksim Shornikau | Belarus | 1,320,000 | 83 |
| 4 | Xixiang Luo | China | 1,250,000 | 78 |
| 5 | John Doe | N/A | 907,000 | 57 |
| 6 | Shuang Luo | China | 821,000 | 51 |
| 7 | Joseph Sabe | Lebanon | 728,000 | 46 |
| 8 | Aleksandar Tot | Montenegro | 684,000 | 43 |
| 9 | Guoliang Wei | China | 591,000 | 37 |
| 10 | Frederic Popot | France | 426,000 | 27 |
Others to make it to the final day include Day 1 chip leader John Doe (907,000), bracelet winner Guoliang Wei (591,000), Skhulukhiya (345,000), Skirbic (334,000), ACR team pro Monika Zukowicz (236,000) and Andrey Pateychuk (204,000).
Players will begin at 2:00 p.m. local time just ten spots shy of the money bubble, with blinds at 8,000/16,000 and a 16,000 big blind ante. The top 20 players will all be guaranteed at least a min-cash of $7,800 but all will be seeking the top prize of $177,500.The event is scheduled to play down to a winner today and will be streamed on the Merit Poker YouTube channel. PokerNews will be posting on a 60-minute delay to avoid spoiling the results of the stream.
As always, stay tuned to PokerNews as we bring you all the action from the final day of this event as well as the $3,300 Main Event which is set to begin today.
Level: 19
Blinds: 8,000/16,000
Ante: 16,000
Level 19
: 8,000/16,000, 16,000 ante
Cards are in the air for the final day of the $5,300 High Roller
Level 19
: 8,000/16,000, 16,000 ante
Anatoly Nikitin opened to 32,000 from under the gun and Alisa Sibgatova three-bet to 105,000 from the cutoff, leaving roughly 160,000 behind. Nikitin moved all in with a covering stack and Sibgatova snap-called.
Alisa Sibgatova: Q♠Q♦
Anatoly Nikitin: A♠K♥
It was a classic preflop race that Nikitin got the better of on the A♦6♥3♦ flop. He remained ahead on the 10♥ turn and K♦ river to send Sibgatova to the rail in the first hand of the day and score nearly a full double up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
665,000
300,000
|
300,000 |
|
Busted |
Level 19
: 8,000/16,000, 16,000 ante
With two players seeing a board of 9♠3♣2♦5♣ and roughly 120,000 already in the middle, John Doe checked from middle position and Justus Held checked from the hijack.
On the 10♦ river Doe bet 92,000 and was called by Held.
Doe tabled A♣9♣ for second pair but Held turned over A♠10♥ for top pair to take the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
1,455,000
65,000
|
65,000 |
|
770,000
-137,000
|
-137,000 |
|
||
Level 19
: 8,000/16,000, 16,000 ante
With two players seeing a board of 5♦6♠9♦7♣ and roughly 270,000 already in the middle, Justus Held bet 85,000 from the big blind and was called by Aleksandr Kirichenko from under the gun.
Held fired again for 160,000 on the J♥ river. Kirichenko, looking slightly exasperated with the situation, flicked in the call.
Held turned over 7♥5♥ for two pair to take the chip lead from Kirichenko.
Elsewhere in the tournament area, Giorgiy Skhulukhiya was recently eliminated.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,835,000 | |
|
1,095,000 | |
|
||
|
Busted | |
Level: 20
Blinds: 10,000/20,000
Ante: 20,000
Level 20
: 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante
Shuang Luo had opened from early position and received a call from Aleksandar Tot in the small blind.
The flop came 6♠5♦6♣ and Tot check-called a 25,000 continuation bet from Luo.
Tot lead out with a 50,000 bet on the 9♦ turn which was called by Luo.
On the 5♥ river Tot bet 180,000. Luo thought for roughly 45 seconds before flicking in a calling chip.
Tot tabled 4♣4♠ for a small pocket pair turned into a bluff. Luo showed down 8♠8♣ for a bigger pocket pair to take down a healthy pot.
Elsewhere in the tournament area, Joseph Sabe and Andrey Pateychuk were recently eliminated.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
885,000
64,000
|
64,000 |
|
391,000
-293,000
|
-293,000 |
|
Busted | |
|
Busted | |
|
||