$3,300 Main Event
Day 2 Completed
2023 Merit Poker Retro Series
$3,300 Main Event
Day: 2
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 2
2023 Merit Poker Retro Series
Buy-in
$3,300
Prize Pool
$3,375,480
Entries
1,223
Level
41
Blinds
600,000 / 1,200,000
Ante
1,200,000
Entries
435
Players Left
215
Level 18
: Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
Players and tournament directors expected a record-breaking tournament. The 2023 Merit Poker Retro Series $3,300 Main Event indeed broke records, with a total of 1,223 entrants. This field generated a total prize pool of $3,375,480, which is over the $3,000,000 guarantee.
Out of the 1,223 entrants, 215 players still had chips at the end of Day 2, and will come back on Wednesday, August 16 for Day 3. And they are led by Florian Guimond, who had the most chips of all (1,705,000). He is followed by Mustafa Biz (1,671,000), who already finished third in the High Roller a few days ago. The runner-up of the High Roller, Uri Reichenstein, also qualified for Day 3 with 1,079,000 chips.
| RANK | PLAYER | COUNTRY | CHIP COUNT | BLINDS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Florian Guimond | France | 1,705,000 | 171 |
| 2 | Mustafa Biz | Turkey | 1,671,000 | 167 |
| 3 | Daniel Rezaei | Austria | 1,645,000 | 165 |
| 4 | Geo | 1,500,000 | 150 | |
| 5 | Zulfiya Kolgu | Kazakhstan | 1,494,000 | 149 |
| 6 | Ruslan Volkov | Ukraine | 1,461,000 | 146 |
| 7 | Milad Oghabian Langar | Iran | 1,433,000 | 143 |
| 8 | Razvan Sabau | Romania | 1,352,000 | 135 |
| 9 | Roman Novoselov | Russia | 1,328,000 | 133 |
| 10 | Kanan Taherkhani | Turkey | 1,310,000 | 131 |
Other notable players also put chips in their bags, such as PSPC finalist Thomas Eychenne (1,158,000), WPT winners Dmitry Gromov (1,158,000), Benjamin Hamnett (779,000), Alessio Isaia (757,000), or Andrey Pateychuk, who has a stack not much bigger than the starting stack (146,000).
The situation is way better for bracelet winners Dominik Panka (1,012,000) or Ran Koller (701,000). It also should have been the same for Bart Lybaert, who had a nice stack all day long. But it decreased at the end of the day, and he'll come back with 180,000 chips.
However, Lybaert is still in the race for the money. And Day 3 will be an important day, because the last 143 players will win a minimum cash prize of $4,390. But the the road to the first prize of $567,000 is still very long. It will start at noon on Level 19 (5,000/10,000 BB Ante 10,000) with 60-minute levels.
PokerNews will once again be on hand to deliver you all of the action.
Level 18
: Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
1,705,000
105,000
|
105,000 |
|
||
|
1,671,000
891,000
|
891,000 |
|
1,645,000
1,552,000
|
1,552,000 |
|
1,500,000
1,500,000
|
1,500,000 |
|
1,494,000
1,359,500
|
1,359,500 |
|
1,461,000
1,386,000
|
1,386,000 |
|
1,433,000
1,325,000
|
1,325,000 |
|
1,352,000
884,000
|
884,000 |
|
1,328,000
1,328,000
|
1,328,000 |
|
1,310,000
-90,000
|
-90,000 |
|
||
|
1,197,000
-103,000
|
-103,000 |
|
1,177,000
1,027,000
|
1,027,000 |
|
1,158,000
855,500
|
855,500 |
|
||
|
1,153,000
1,153,000
|
1,153,000 |
|
|
1,135,000
1,135,000
|
1,135,000 |
|
1,127,000
623,500
|
623,500 |
|
1,100,000
1,100,000
|
1,100,000 |
|
1,100,000
358,000
|
358,000 |
|
1,088,000
1,088,000
|
1,088,000 |
|
1,085,000
565,500
|
565,500 |
|
1,079,000
299,000
|
299,000 |
|
1,079,000
249,000
|
249,000 |
|
1,076,000
952,500
|
952,500 |
|
|
1,051,000
566,000
|
566,000 |
|
1,051,000
326,000
|
326,000 |
Level 18
: Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
215 players put chips in their bags. Day 2 is over, they'll come back on Day 3.
Level 18
: Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
In early position, Nenad Dukic opened to 18,000. He was called by Gabi Livshitz in the big blind, who defended and saw a 3♠10♦10♠ flop.
But when Dukic bet 11,000, Livshitz decided to check-raise to 31,000. Dukic called, and the 5♠ appeared on the turn. Livshitz continued his aggression, adding 42,000 chips to the pot. However, Dukic didn't back down and called.
The river card was the 9♣. Livshitz sized big, betting 127,000 in a pot of 197,000 chips. But he was surprised to see Dukic moving all in for 442,000 chips, which was more than his remaining 267,000 chips.
Facing a very tough decision, Livshitz eventually folded a flush with 7♠6♠. The stream revealed Dukic had A♠Q♣ for a bluff.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
763,000
599,500
|
599,500 |
|
267,000
-143,000
|
-143,000 |
|
||
Level 18
: Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
The tournament director just announced that there will be four more hands today before wrapping up.
Level 18
: Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
Adrien Sanz initiated the action, betting 18,000 from the button. But in the small blind, Oleg Ustinovich raised all in for approximately 165,000 chips. In the big blind, Mehdi Chaoui looked at his cards and reraised all in. Sanz immediately folded.
Oleg Ustinovich: K♠Q♥
Mehdi Chaoui: K♦K♣
Ustinovich was on the edge of elimination on the flop of 5♦4♥3♥, but the 8♥ gave him hope with a flush draw. However, the 5♣ didn't complete this flush, and he was eliminated.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
790,000
460,000
|
460,000 |
|
||
|
300,000
300,000
|
300,000 |
|
Busted | |
Level 18
: Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
Under the spotlights, Mariappan Subramaniam raised to 18,000 from under the gun. Gabi Livshitz called from middle position, and there were only two players left on the flop 4♦A♦5♠.
On this first street, Mariappan Subramaniam didn't wait to go all in for 49,000 chips. Livshitz quickly called.
Mariappan Subramaniam: A♣10♠
Gabi Livshitz: A♠J♠
Subramaniam's only chance of survival was to get a ten. However, the 9♥ on the turn and the 5♣ on the river completed the board, leading to his elimination.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
410,000
43,500
|
43,500 |
|
|
||
|
|
Busted | |
Level 18
: Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
Volodymyr Drokin had only 36,00 chips left when he raised to 26,000 from middle position. In the big blind, Michael Allen seemed to have no other choice but to raise to force him to go all in. And that's Drokin did.
Volodymyr Drokin: Q♠3♠
Michael Allen: A♥4♠
Drokin was lucky enough to hit a three on the flop on 3♥8♥5♦9♣J♥ and to double up to 84,000 chips.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
570,000 | |
|
84,000 |
Level: 18
Blinds: 4,000/8,000
Ante: 8,000