$3,300 Main Event
Day 1b Completed
2024 Merit Poker Gatsby Gala Series
$3,300 Main Event
Day: 1b
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1b
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
148
Players Left
70
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Day 1b of the 2024 Merit Poker Gatsby Gala Series $3,300 Main Event has concluded here at the Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino. The second of four starting flights attracted 148 entrants, bringing the field size to 297 so far. By the end of the night, 70 players managed to find a bag and will advance to Day 2.
Leading the way is Russia's Kirill Shcherbakov who finished with 645,500. Shcherbakov is most closely followed by Mukhtor Nasiradinov who bagged 617,000 and Dmitry Yurasov who ended with 531,000.
Top Ten Chip Stacks
| Place | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kirill Shcherbakov | Russian Federation | 645,500 | 258 |
| 2 | Mukhtor Nasiradinov | Russian Federation | 617,000 | 247 |
| 3 | Dmitry Yurasov | Russian Federation | 531,000 | 212 |
| 4 | Andrey Pateychuk | Russian Federation | 460,000 | 184 |
| 5 | Dawid Smolka | Poland | 448,000 | 179 |
| 6 | Sandra Cotescu | Romania | 439,000 | 176 |
| 7 | Henrik Brockmann | Germany | 433,500 | 173 |
| 8 | Maksim Skripkin | Russian Federation | 396,000 | 158 |
| 9 | Oleg Ustinovich | Russian Federation | 390,000 | 156 |
| 10 | Fabio Peluso | Italy | 330,500 | 132 |
Shcherbakov is relatively new on the live poker scene, with his first live cash coming in 2021. He recently enjoyed a career-best score right here in Cyprus earlier this year when he took second place in the Mediterranean Poker Party Main Event for $680,000 and with a stack worth over 200 big blinds going into Day 2 he will be in a great position for another deep run in this event.
Yurasov knows what it takes to go the distance in Merit Poker events, having won the 2023 Gangster Series Main event last year for $295,500. The Russian pro had a rough start today after losing most of his stack to Charbel Salloum after the latter player rivered a three-outer. Yurasov busted and reentered shortly after, and from that point he wasted no time building a stack worth over 200 big blinds by the end of the night.
Rounding out the top five are Andrey Pateychuk (460,000) and Dawid Smolka. With nearly $6,000,000 in career tournament earnings including an EPT Main Event win and a 17th place finish in the WSOP Main Event under his belt, Pateychuk can easily be considered one of the most accomplished players in the field and will be a force to be reckoned with going into Day 2. Meanwhile, Smolka has momentum on his side after taking down the $2,200 Warm Up just two days ago for $179,650.
Other players to make it through the day include Fabio Peluso (330,500), Giorgiy Skhulukhiya (319,500), Dmitry Gromov (240,000) and Aylar Lie (156,500). Notables who played Day 1b but fell before the end of the night include Nikolay Fal and Alessio Isaia.
Two starting flights remain in the Main Event, both taking place 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 to Pokernews as we bring you all the action for the remainder of the festival here in North Cyprus.
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
645,500
80,500
|
80,500 |
|
||
|
617,000
617,000
|
617,000 |
|
531,000
431,000
|
431,000 |
|
||
|
460,000
-6,000
|
-6,000 |
|
||
|
448,000
-12,000
|
-12,000 |
|
439,000
-13,000
|
-13,000 |
|
433,500
3,500
|
3,500 |
|
396,000
396,000
|
396,000 |
|
390,000
390,000
|
390,000 |
|
330,500
2,500
|
2,500 |
|
||
|
319,500
-45,500
|
-45,500 |
|
312,000
312,000
|
312,000 |
|
286,000
286,000
|
286,000 |
|
278,000
278,000
|
278,000 |
|
275,500
275,500
|
275,500 |
|
|
271,000
23,000
|
23,000 |
|
267,500
267,500
|
267,500 |
|
265,000
265,000
|
265,000 |
|
254,500
254,500
|
254,500 |
|
|
253,000
253,000
|
253,000 |
|
252,000
252,000
|
252,000 |
|
250,000
15,000
|
15,000 |
|
242,500
242,500
|
242,500 |
|
240,000
-33,000
|
-33,000 |
|
|
||
|
238,000
78,000
|
78,000 |
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
That's a wrap on Day 1b of the Main Event. Stay tuned for chip counts and a recap of the night's action.
Level 9
: 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
The tournament staff have announced that three more hands will be played before the end of the night.
Level 9
: 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
A player in the hijack opened to 5,000 and Alessio Isaia three-bet to 15,000 from the button. Dawid Smolka four-bet to 40,000 from the big blind, the original raiser got out of the way, and Isaia five-bet shoved for a bit over 200,000. Smolka snap-called with a covering stack to put him at risk.
Alessio Isaia: Q♠J♣ 
Dawid Smolka: K♣K♦
Smolka's pocket kings held up on the Q♣8♦4♥2♣3♠ runout and he secured nearly a full double up while Isaia was sent to the rail.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
466,000
11,000
|
11,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
460,000 | |
|
Busted | |
|
|
||
Level 9
: 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Naryman Yaghmaie opened to 5,500 from the hijack and Aleksandar Tot defended from the big blind.
Both players checked the 6♣2♣5♦ flop leading to the 3♣ turn. Tot bet 4,500 and Yaghmaie called.
On the 6♦ river Tot fired a 9,000 bet and once again Yaghmaie called. Tot immediately mucked and Yaghmaie was able to take the pot without revealing his hand.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
270,000 | |
|
90,000
-10,000
|
-10,000 |
Level 9
: 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Life Outside Poker is a new podcast for PokerNews hosted by Connor Richards that seeks to pull back the curtain on poker players and allow viewers and listeners to get to know them on a personal level.
In the 21st episode, Connor speaks with Survivor legend Boston Rob, aka Rob Mariano, about growing up near Fenway Park, learning poker at the age of 6, studying psychology at Boston University, applying for Survivor and winning Season 22, his recent appearance on Deal or No Deal Island and filming an upcoming season of The Traitors.
Boston Rob also revealed a story about Costa Rican authorities a mansion known to host high-stakes poker games during a that included Daniel Negreanu, Josh Arieh, David Williams, Michael Mizrachi and actress Cheryl Hines.
"(Gambling mogul) Calvin (Ayre) had a big party at the house, and they came in guns drawn," he said. "And we were fine, but we all had to stay at the party until they checked our passports and everything. I think it was a little bit of a shakedown. But we had a good weekend."
The Life Outside Poker podcast is available on major streaming platforms including , , and . You can also watch the interview with Boston Rob by heading to the .
Level 9
: 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Hadi Khordbin shoved for around 20,000 from early position and was called by Bassel Moussa who had him covered from late position.
Hadi Khordbin: 2♣2♥
Bassel Moussa: A♥J♠
The board ran out A♠4♦8♠6♥J♣ giving Moussa two pair to score the knockout.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
70,000 | |
|
Busted |
Level 9
: 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
565,000
369,000
|
369,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
455,000
84,500
|
84,500 |
|
|
||
|
|
452,000
237,000
|
237,000 |
|
|
430,000 | |
|
|
365,000
-45,000
|
-45,000 |
|
355,000
313,000
|
313,000 |
|
|
328,000
20,000
|
20,000 |
|
|
||