$3,300 Main Event
Day 1a Completed
2024 Merit Poker Gatsby Gala Series
$3,300 Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1a
2024 Merit Poker Gatsby Gala Series
Buy-in
$3,300
Prize Pool
$1,694,640
Entries
614
Level
38
Blinds
400,000 / 800,000
Ante
800,000
Entries
149
Players Left
55
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
The curtain has fallen on the first of four starting flights in the 2024 Merit Poker Gatsby Gala Series $3,300 Main Event here at the Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino. A total of 55 players managed to find a bag at the end of the night.
Leading the way is Russia's Mikhail Zavoloka, who ended the night with an impressive 667,000 chips, worth 267 big blinds going into Day 2. Zavoloka is most followed by Felipe Ketzer who bagged 570,500 while Aleksei Gortikov rounds out the top three with 553,000.
Zavoloka was under the radar for the first half of the day before storming to the top of the chip counts in the final three levels. Zavoloka is no stranger to success in Merit Poker events, with two victories under his belt. Just over a month ago at EPT Cyprus he won the $550 No-Limit Hold'em Eureka Cup for $116,645, while he achieved his best Cyprus score from a victory in the $1,200 Mystery Bounty event as last year's EPT Cyprus from which he took home $143,550.
Day 1a Top Ten Chip Stacks
| Place | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mikhail Zavoloka | Russian Federation | 667,000 | 267 |
| 2 | Felipe Ketzer | Brazil | 570,500 | 228 |
| 3 | Aleksei Gortikov | Russian Federation | 553,000 | 221 |
| 4 | Daniyar Aubakirov | Kazakhstan | 539,000 | 216 |
| 5 | Philipp Hofbauer | Austria | 506,000 | 202 |
| 6 | Dauren Zhaparov | Kazakhstan | 500,000 | 200 |
| 7 | Georgios Tsouloftas | Cyprus | 459,500 | 184 |
| 8 | Spyridon Apartoglou | Greece | 452,500 | 181 |
| 9 | Denis Kapustin | Russian Federation | 445,500 | 178 |
| 10 | Kerem Turuskan | Turkey | 430,000 | 172 |
Ketzer joined the field midway through the day, shortly after finishing the $5,300 High Roller in sixth place for $26,000. Ketzer wasted no time accumulating chips once he sat down and was constantly pressuring his opponents en route to bagging the second-largest stack of the night. The Brazilian pro has come just shy of winning a Merit Poker Main Event twice, finishing third in the Merit Poker Western Series Main Event for $155,000 this past January before taking second place in the Merit Poker Carmen Series Main Event for $249,200.
Others to make it through to the end of the night include Viktor Iarilov (410,000), Daniele Grasso (290,000), Candido Cappiello (221,000), Timur Margolin (186,000) and Aleksandr Kirichenko (96,500), Notables who played Day 1a but fell before the end of the night include Andrey Pateychuk, Darius Neagoe and Elie Farah.
Three starting flights remain for this event, Day 1b starts at noon local time tomorrow, November 26. There are two starting flights the next day on November 27: Day 1c begins at noon local time, while a turbo Day 1d flight begins at 7 p.m. The fields will combine at noon on November 28 for Day 2. Late registration and reentries will remain open until the end of Level 14, midway through Day 2, and a winner will be crowned on the final day, taking place on December 1.
Stay tuned for more coverage as PokerNews brings you all the action from the remainder of the festival along the shores of the Mediterranean in North Cyprus.
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
667,000 | |
|
||
|
570,500 | |
|
553,000 | |
|
539,000
79,000
|
79,000 |
|
506,000
130,000
|
130,000 |
|
500,000 | |
|
459,500 | |
|
452,500 | |
|
445,500
500
|
500 |
|
430,000
27,000
|
27,000 |
|
410,000 | |
|
403,500
-31,500
|
-31,500 |
|
380,500 | |
|
375,000 | |
|
|
370,000
370,000
|
370,000 |
|
357,500
-29,500
|
-29,500 |
|
||
|
|
353,000 | |
|
350,000 | |
|
339,500 | |
|
|
328,500
219,500
|
219,500 |
|
325,000
225,000
|
225,000 |
|
307,500 | |
|
290,000 | |
|
270,000
30,000
|
30,000 |
|
252,500
252,500
|
252,500 |
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
That's a wrap for Day 1a of the Gatsby Gala Series $3,300 Main Event.
Stay tuned for full chip counts and a recap of the night's action.
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
The tournament staff have announced that four more hands will be played before players bag their chips at the end of the night.
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Felipe Ketzer opened to 5,500 from the button. Nichan Khorchidian was in the small blind and commented that Ketzer had won the last five hands in a row before folding. Shuang Luo was in the big blind and made the call.
The flop came J♣10♣5♣. Luo checked, Ketzer bet 3,500 and Luo check-raised to 10,500. Ketzer commented that his hand had problems with it before folding, showing the 2♣ as he did so. Luo then revealed that she had 8♠6♣ for no made hand and just a six-high flush draw.
"Value!" Ketzer joked as Luo scooped the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
660,000
85,000
|
85,000 |
|
|
375,000
45,500
|
45,500 |
|
|
||
|
325,000
65,000
|
65,000 |
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Mikhail Zavoloka opened to 5,000 from early position and was called by a player on the button and Anton Markov in the big blind.
The flop came J♠4♥6♦. Markov checked, Zavoloka bet 6,000 and both of his opponents called.
All three players checked the Q♣ turn leading to the 2♣ river. Markov bet 12,000 and both Zavoloka and the button quickly folded.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
550,000
-27,000
|
-27,000 |
|
|
||
|
266,500
209,500
|
209,500 |
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
With two players seeing a final board of A♣8♣10♠7♠2♠ and exactly 60,500 in the middle, Felipe Ketzer checked from the small blind and Bakhos Joumaa bet 25,000 from middle position. Ketzer quickly called.
Joumaa showed a missed double-gutshot while Ketzeder turned over a flush with 9♠6♠ to take the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
575,000
110,000
|
110,000 |
|
22,000
-138,000
|
-138,000 |
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
577,000
142,000
|
142,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
465,000
35,000
|
35,000 |
|
|
460,000
460,000
|
460,000 |
|
|
455,000
355,000
|
355,000 |
|
|
442,000
-24,000
|
-24,000 |
|
|
403,000
403,000
|
403,000 |
|
|
380,000
380,000
|
380,000 |
|
|
376,000
10,500
|
10,500 |
|
|
366,000
366,000
|
366,000 |
|
|
360,000
15,000
|
15,000 |
|
337,000
131,000
|
131,000 |
|
|
329,500
-135,500
|
-135,500 |
|
|
||
|
|
260,000
46,500
|
46,500 |
Level: 9
Blinds: 1,000/2,500
Ante: 2,500