2023 Merit Poker Gangster Series

$2,200 Warm Up
Day: 4
Event Info

2023 Merit Poker Gangster Series

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
j5
Prize
$167,500
Event Info
Buy-in
$2,200
Prize Pool
$833,520
Entries
453
Level Info
Level
34
Blinds
250,000 / 500,000
Ante
500,000
Players Info - Day 4
Entries
16
Players Left
1

$2,200 Warm Up

Day 4 Completed

Ivan Govorov Takes Down $2,200 Warm Up for $167,500 and Second Gangster Series Title

Level 34 : Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
Ivan Govorov
Ivan Govorov

Ivan Govorov has been enjoying a stellar showing at the 2023 Merit Poker Gangster Series at the Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino. Just three days ago he took down the $770 Hyper Turbo Deepstack for $11,136. Today, he emerged victorious over a 453-entrant field to capture a second Merit Poker Gangster Series title in the $2,200 Warm up, last defeating Day 2 chip leader Andrei Daniliuk to capture the title and $167,500 for a career-best tournament cash.

Govorov started the day near the middle of the pack but quickly picked up momentum in the first half of the day, entering the final table with the second-largest stack. The Russian player had $92,019 in career tournament earnings, a number that is nearly tripled after winning the top prize in today's event, which is nearly four times as large as his next best tournament cash of $44,440.

Gangster Series $2,200 Warm Up Final Table Results

PlacePlayerCountryPrize
1Ivan GovorovRussian Federation$167,500
2Andrei DaniliukRussian Federation$123,300
3Ankit AhujaIndia$75,500
4Yunsheng SunChina$55,850
5Martynas VitkauskasLithuania$41,900
6Bernard BoutboulFrance$33,600
7Tugce HursozTurkey$28,000
8Feyzullah KaraarslanTurkey$22,350
9Hadi KhadraLebanon$16,760

Action of the Day

There were 16 players left in the field to start the day's event. Yunsheng Sun began the day as the chip leader but lost 80% of his stack in the first level after running into the pocket queens of Hadi Khadra, who enjoyed the chip lead for much of the early parts of the day. Comparatively, Leonid Sidelkovskiy, Giorgiy Skhulukhiya and Day 1b chip leader Dmitry Yurasov were unable to find any momentum early on and would ultimately become the first three to be eliminated today.

Govorov began accumulating chips towards the end of the second level of play today, beginning with the elimination of Sultan Meirbekov who ran his top pair into Govorov's pocket aces. Immediately after, he picked off a bluff from Khadra to put himself among the chip leaders.

Harout Ghazarian, Bakhos Joumaa and Damir Gabdullin were next to fall, with two of those three eliminations coming at the hands of Ankit Ahuja who came into the final table with the third-largest stack. Ahuja would also claim the first final table knockout by eliminating Khadra with pocket kings.

Ankit Ahuja
Ankit Ahuja

Feyzullah Karaarslan was next to hit the rail at the hands of Sun, who had begun to make a remarkable comeback after losing most of his stack in the first few hands of the day. Not long after, Tugce Hursoz ran her top pair into Govorov's two pair and bowed out in seventh place.

France's Bernard Boutboul and Lithuania's Martynas Vitkauskas were the next players to exit the tournament area which would set up a lengthy four-handed battle between Govorov, Daniliuk, Ahuja and Sun that would last more than two and a half hours, with Ahuja, Govorov and Daniliuk swapping the chip lead multiple times during this period. Sun's run would finally come to an end in fourth place after running pocket sixes into Govorov's pocket tens to set up three-handed play.

Govorov entered the three-handed battle with nearly half the chips in play, and after eliminating Ahuja with two pair he then entered heads up play with roughly two thirds of the total chips.

Ivan Govorov and Andrei Daniliuk Heads Up
Ivan Govorov and Andrei Daniliuk Heads Up

The heads up duel between Govorov and Daniliuk was short but action-packed. Daniliuk quickly took the chip lead after making a flush to crack Govorov's two pair but Govorov would soon return the favor, rivering a flush to crack Daniliuk's two pair to reclaim all the chips he had lost.

The final hand of the night saw Daniliuk flop top pair only for Govorov to flop two pair. The two got all the chips in on the turn and Daniliuk was forced to settle for second place after failing to improve.

That concludes the PokerNews coverage for this event but make sure to stay tuned for our continuing coverage of the $5,300 Gangster Series High Roller as well as the $3,300 main event set to begin on November 28.

Andrei Daniliuk Eliminated in 2nd Place ($123,300)

Level 34 : Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante
Andrei Daniliuk
Andrei Daniliuk

Andrei Daniliuk raised to 1,250,000 from the small blind and Ivan Govorov defended from the big blind.

The flop came J?5?3?. Govorov checked, Daniliuk bet 1,000,000 and Govorov raised to 3,000,000. Daniliuk made the call.

On the Q? turn Govorov checked and Daniliuk bet 7,000,000, leaving only 3,000,000 behind. Govorov moved all in and Daniliuk made the call to put himself at risk.

Andrei Daniliuk: J?10?
Ivan Govorov: J?5?

Daniliuk's pair of jacks was in bad shape against Govorov's two pair, jacks and fives. The A? river was clean for Govorov and the two players shook hands after Govorov took down the final pot of the tournament.

Player Chips Progress
Ivan Govorov ru
Ivan Govorov
45,300,000
15,200,000
15,200,000
Andrei Daniliuk ru
Andrei Daniliuk
Busted
Day 2 Chip Leader

Tags: Andrei DaniliukIvan Govorov

Govorov Gets it All Back

Level 34 : Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante

Andrei Daniliuk raised to 1,250,000 from the button with A?10? and Ivan Govorov defended from the big blind with 6?4?.

The flop came J?3?J? and Govorov check-called a 1,000,000 continuation bet from Daniliuk.

Daniliuk bet again for just 500,000 when checked to on the A? turn and once again Govorov called.

Govorov hit his flush on the 9? river and lead out with a bet of 8,000,000. Daniliuk called only to see the bad news as another large pot was pushed in Govorov's direction.

Player Chips Progress
Ivan Govorov ru
Ivan Govorov
30,100,000
12,000,000
12,000,000
Andrei Daniliuk ru
Andrei Daniliuk
15,200,000
-12,000,000
-12,000,000
Day 2 Chip Leader

Tags: Andrei DaniliukIvan Govorov

Daniliuk Takes the Lead

Level 34 : Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante

Andrei Daniliuk limped in from the small blind with 9?8? and Ivan Govorov raised to 1,500,000 with K?J?. Daniliuk made the call.

The flop came 4?9?J? and Govorov fired a 1,500,000 continuation bet that was called by Daniliuk.

Govorov bet again for 2,500,000 after making two pair on the K? turn. Once again Daniliuk made the call.

The 9? river improved Daniliuk to a flush to crack Govorov's two pair. Govorov bet 5,000,000 and Daniliuk called to take down a massive pot.

Player Chips Progress
Andrei Daniliuk ru
Andrei Daniliuk
27,200,000
14,900,000
14,900,000
Day 2 Chip Leader
Ivan Govorov ru
Ivan Govorov
18,100,000
-14,900,000
-14,900,000

Tags: Andrei DaniliukIvan Govorov

Two Streets of Value for Govorov

Level 34 : Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante

Ivan Govorov raised to 1,200,000 from the button with Q?2? and Andrei Daniliuk defended from the big blind with J?10?.

Both players connected with the Q?10?6? flop. Govorov fired a 700,000 continuation bet with his top pair and Daniliuk made the call with his second pair and backdoor draws.

On the 8? turn, Daniliuk checked and Govorov bet again for 2,500,000. Daniliuk called.

The river came the 6?. Both players checked and Govorov took a sizable chunk out of Daniliuk's stack.

Player Chips Progress
Ivan Govorov ru
Ivan Govorov
33,000,000
4,800,000
4,800,000
Andrei Daniliuk ru
Andrei Daniliuk
12,300,000
-4,800,000
-4,800,000
Day 2 Chip Leader

Tags: Andrei DaniliukIvan Govorov

Daniliuk Draws First Blood

Level 34 : Blinds 250,000/500,000, 500,000 ante

Andrei Danilkuk limped in from the small blind and Ivan Govorov checked his option in the big blind.

The flop came 10?5?2? and Govorov check-called a 400,000 bet from Daniliuk.

Both players checked the 3? turn leading to the 10? river. Govorov checked and Daniliuk bet 1,200,000. Govorov made the call only to see the bad news when Daniliuk tabled a better two pair for the winner.

Player Chips Progress
Ivan Govorov ru
Ivan Govorov
28,200,000
-1,600,000
-1,600,000
Andrei Daniliuk ru
Andrei Daniliuk
17,100,000
1,600,000
1,600,000
Day 2 Chip Leader

Tags: Andrei DanilkukIvan Govorov

Level: 34

Blinds: 250,000/500,000

Ante: 500,000