2023 Merit Poker Gangster Series

$3,300 Main Event
Day: 2
Event Info

2023 Merit Poker Gangster Series

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
a9
Prize
$295,500
Event Info
Buy-in
$3,300
Prize Pool
$1,562,160
Entries
566
Level Info
Level
36
Blinds
250,000 / 500,000
Ante
500,000
Players Info - Day 2
Entries
314
Players Left
96

Khordbin Plays Stop and Go

Level 16 : 2,000/5,000, 5,000 ante

Hadi Khordbin opened under the gun to 12,000 before the action moved to middle position who called and then the big blind defeneded.

The K?K?9? flop landed and action checked all the way past Khordbin to the middle position player who took the betting lead with a wager of 10,000. Only Khordbin called.

The Q? turn landed and action checked through to a 7? river. Khordbin then put his foot back on the gas with a bet of 50,000. Both of his opponents mucked and he was awarded the pot.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Hadi Khordbin ir
Hadi Khordbin
700,000
455,000
455,000

Tags: Hadi Khordbin

Habib Shows Down Trips

Level 16 : Blinds 2,000/5,000, 5,000 ante

Mark Smith opened to 14,000 from early position and Walid Bou Habib defended from the big blind.

The flop came A?J?3? and Habib check-called a 20,000 continuation bet from Smith.

Habib check-called another bet on the A? turn, this time for 33,000.

Both players checked the 2? river. Smith tabled J?10? for two pair but Habib showed down A?5? for trip aces to take the pot.

Despite the minor setback Smith is still sitting with one of the largest chip stacks in the room in front him.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Mark Smith (UK) gb
Mark Smith (UK)
1,520,000
Profile photo of Walid Bou Habib lb
Walid Bou Habib
460,000
318,000
318,000

Tags: Mark SmithWalid Bou Habib

Joyce Doesn't Slow Down

Level 16 : 2,000/5,000, 5,000 ante

There was an early position open to 14,000 before the action folded to Toby Joyce on the button who put in a cold three-bet to 42,000. It folded back to the original raiser who called and they were off to a flop heads up.

The 3?K?Q? flop landed and action checked to Joyce who continued with a bet of 30,000. His opponent called.

The 8? rolled off on the turn and it checked to Joyce again. This time he sat in the tank for about a minute before he put out a large bet of 115,000.

His opponent snap folded and Joyce scooped a solid pot with pure aggression.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Toby Joyce ie
Toby Joyce
680,000
30,000
30,000

Tags: Toby Joyce

Level: 17

Blinds: 3,000/6,000

Ante: 6,000

Small Pair Does the Job for Karaliunas

Level 17 : Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante

With three players seeing a board of 3?6?3? and roughly 50,000 already in the middle, Simas Karaliunas checked in the big blind and Christos Leantzis checked from early position.

Dmitry Gromov bet 25,000 from the cutoff and received a call from Karaliunas while Leantzis made the call.

The two remaining players checked both the Q? turn and 2? river. Karaliunas tabled 5?5? which was good enough to take the pot.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Christos Leantzis cy
Christos Leantzis
1,070,000
100,000
100,000
Profile photo of Simas Karaliunas lt
Simas Karaliunas
672,000
467,000
467,000

Tags: Christos LeantzisDmitry GromovSimas Karaliunas

Gulseven Puts in the Last Bet

Level 17 : Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante

Erdal Gulseven opened in middle position to 16,000 before the action moved to Selahaddin Bedir on the button who called and Alisa Sibgatova defended her big blind.

The Q?3?A? flop hit the felt and the action checked to Gulseven who continued for 10,000. Both of his opponents called.

The 6? turn landed and the action slowed down and checked through to a 9? river.

Sibgatova checked and then Gulseven stepped back on the gas with a bet of 35,000. Unfortunately, if this was a value bet it would get no more action and Gulseven scooped after both of his opponents mucked.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Erdal Gulseven tr
Erdal Gulseven
410,000
250,000
250,000
Profile photo of Alisa Sibgatova ru
Alisa Sibgatova
360,000
-177,000
-177,000
Profile photo of Selahaddin Bedir tr
Selahaddin Bedir
320,000
-450,000
-450,000

Tags: Alisa SibgatovaErdal GulsevenSelahaddin Bedir

Max Pressure from Smith

Level 17 : Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
Mark Smith
Mark Smith

With three players seeing a board of J?7?6? and roughly 60,000 already in the middle, Robert Heidorn checked in the big blind and Oleg Netaliev checked from under the gun. Mark Smith bet 28,000 only for Heidorn to check-raise to 84,000. Netaliev got out of the way and Smith moved all in, covering Heidorn who with roughly 560,000 behind already had an above-average stack himself.

Heidorn took about 30 seconds before deciding to fold and Smith was awarded a sizable pot without having to see a flop.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Mark Smith (UK) gb
Mark Smith (UK)
1,640,000
120,000
120,000
Profile photo of Oleg Netaliev ru
Oleg Netaliev
795,000
200,000
200,000
Profile photo of Robert Heidorn de
Robert Heidorn
558,000
291,000
291,000

Tags: Mark Smith (UK)Oleg NetalievRobert Heidorn

Assorted End of Night Chip Counts

Level 17 : Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Mark Smith (UK) gb
Mark Smith (UK)
1,535,000
-105,000
-105,000
Profile photo of Simas Karaliunas lt
Simas Karaliunas
1,300,000
628,000
628,000
Profile photo of Christos Leantzis cy
Christos Leantzis
1,284,000
214,000
214,000
Profile photo of Hadi Khadra lb
Hadi Khadra
1,224,000
1,099,000
1,099,000
Profile photo of Razvan Sabau ro
Razvan Sabau
1,205,000
140,000
140,000
Profile photo of John One
John One
1,095,000
-255,000
-255,000
Day 1C Chip Leader
Profile photo of Dmitry Gromov ru
Dmitry Gromov
1,092,000
212,000
212,000
WPT 1X Winner
Profile photo of Parahat Nurmuhammedov tm
Parahat Nurmuhammedov
1,065,000
565,000
565,000
Profile photo of Victor Yugay uz
Victor Yugay
998,000
719,000
719,000
Profile photo of Nils Pudel de
Nils Pudel
998,000
496,000
496,000
Profile photo of Maximilian Wieser at
Maximilian Wieser
963,000
534,500
534,500
Day 3 Chip Leader
Profile photo of Ihar Soika by
Ihar Soika
925,000
285,000
285,000
Profile photo of Toby Joyce ie
Toby Joyce
851,000
171,000
171,000
Profile photo of Ahmed Slimen tn
Ahmed Slimen
851,000
61,000
61,000
Profile photo of Oleg Netaliev ru
Oleg Netaliev
798,000
3,000
3,000
Profile photo of Abdullah Akbarpoor tr
Abdullah Akbarpoor
781,000
11,000
11,000
Profile photo of Dmitry Yurasov ru
Dmitry Yurasov
500,000
230,000
230,000
WSOP 2X Winner
Profile photo of Guoliang Wei
Guoliang Wei
348,000
-53,500
-53,500

End of the Night

Level 17 : Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante

Play has concluded for Day 2 of the $3,300 Main Event.

Stay tuned for a full recap of the day's action and chip counts going into Day 3 that will be available soon.