Chilaud Man To Catch in Event #19: $3,300 Main Event
After nine levels of play on Day 2 of Event #19: $3,300 Main Event at the Merit Poker Carmen Series hosted by the Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino a total of 142 players emerged from a combined starting field of 765. A familiar name leads those 142; Maxime Chilaud of France with 1,895,000. Chilaud also led the field in Event #13: $5,300 High Roller after Day 1, going on to finish in 12th for $14,850. He does not have a big lead, however, with Efraim Tavdi nipping at his heels on 1,861,000. Israel's Michael Magalashvili, who displayed cautious patience alongside timely aggression, rounds out the top three with 1,766,000.
When play commenced, 187 players returned, having navigated their way through one of the four starting flights. But with late registration open for a further four levels and a big prizepool brewing, more players who perhaps did not enjoy the best of luck during Day 1 were sure to hop in. That is precisely what happened as the total number of entrants swelled beyond the number set in this same event back in January.
Merit Poker Carmen Series $3,300 Main Event Top 10 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maxime Chilaud | 1,895,000 | 158 |
| 2 | Efraim Tavdi | 1,861,000 | 155 |
| 3 | Michael Magalashvilli | 1,766,000 | 147 |
| 4 | Denis Kapustin | 1,580,000 | 132 |
| 5 | Mikhail Zamiatin | 1,567,000 | 131 |
| 6 | Kristaps Vismanis | 1,560,000 | 130 |
| 7 | Uri Reichenstein | 1,545,000 | 129 |
| 8 | Shalev Halfa | 1,440,000 | 120 |
| 9 | Boris Angelov | 1,346,000 | 112 |
| 10 | Daniel Myers | 1,300,000 | 108 |
Those players were able to generate a total prizepool of $2,111,400, significantly more than the already lofty guarantee of $1,500,000. That mammoth total will be split amongst the top 89 finishers, each of whom is guaranteed a minimum of $4,580 for their efforts with a gargantuan $376,800 set to hit the bank account of whomever emerges victorious. Nobody has yet secured themselves a slice of the pie, however, as the money bubble is set to burst on Day 3.
Nevertheless, all those who were able to navigate their way through the first two days have already enjoyed a relatively deep run that they will be hoping to turn into a healthy payday. Unfortunately, several notable players who took their shot will not be joining them, including Boris Kolev, Jason Wheeler and Gabi Livshitz. They will have to test their luck and skill another day in another event.
Notables who do remain in contention include Uri Reichenstein (1,545,000), WSOPE Main Event winner Jack Sinclair (986,000) and Romania all time money leader (and perhaps the embodiment of the year of Romania) Alexandru Papazian (710,000).
Day 3 resumes at 12 p.m, Saturday April 1st (no April fools, promise) at the start of Level 19 with blinds at 6,000/12,000 with a 12,000 big blind ante at which point nine further levels will be played before the close of the day. April 1st also happens to be Cyprus National Day so even those who fall short of the money will have a reason to celebrate (or at least an excuse to drown their sorrows).
Be sure to stay tuned to PokerNews as its live reporting team continues to provide updates of Event #19: $3,300 Main Event through to its conclusion.