2023 Merit Poker Retro Series

$2,200 Warmup
Day: 4
Event Info

2023 Merit Poker Retro Series

Final Results
Winner
Prize
$264,400
Event Info
Buy-in
$2,200
Prize Pool
$1,488,560
Entries
809
Level Info
Level
34
Blinds
250,000 / 500,000
Ante
500,000
Players Info - Day 4
Entries
25
Players Left
1

Oleg Eltsov Eliminated In 22nd Place ($10,720)

Level 27 : Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante

Oleg Eltsov opened in the hijack, then Hadi Khadra three-bet to 1,100,000 in the small blind.

Eltsov four-bet jammed for 2,155,000, and after some time, Khadra called.

Oleg Eltsov: Q?Q?
Hadi Khadra: K?Q?

On 2?K?3?K?9?, Khadra hit no one but two kings to give him trips and send Eltsov in the rail.

Player Chips Progress
Hadi Khadra lb
Hadi Khadra
6,700,000
3,315,000
3,315,000
Oleg Eltsov ru
Oleg Eltsov
Busted

Ercan Gundogan Eliminated In 23rd Place ($10,720)

Level 27 : Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
Ercan Gundogan - Photo : Merit Poker
Ercan Gundogan - Photo : Merit Poker

After an open to 200,000 by Nicolas Chouity in middle position, Ercan Gundogan went all in from the small blind for 785,000. Chouity made the call.

Ercan Gundogan: A?9?
Nicolas Chouity: 9?8?

On the J?J?3? flop, Gundogan was safe. But the 8? turn paired Chouity up. The 4? river didn't change anything, and Gundogan finished 23rd for $10,720.

Player Chips Progress
Nicolas Chouity lb
Nicolas Chouity
9,700,000
965,000
965,000
Day 3 Chip Leader
EPT 1X Winner
Ercan Gundogan tr
Ercan Gundogan
Busted

Tags: Ercan GundoganNicolas Chouity

Wael Sarkis Eliminated in 24th Place ($10,720)

Level 27 : Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
Wael Sarkis - Photo : Merit Poker
Wael Sarkis - Photo : Merit Poker

Giorgiy Skhulukhiya opened to 200,000 from early position and called when Wael Sarkis jammed for 1,515,000 on his direct left.

Wael Sarkis: A?J?
Giorgiy Skhulukhiya: K?K?

The 8?7?2? flop kept the kings in front and the 3?4? runout confirmed Sarkis' departure.

Player Chips Progress
Giorgiy Skhulukhiya ge
Giorgiy Skhulukhiya
4,300,000
1,500,000
1,500,000
Wael Sarkis lb
Wael Sarkis
Busted

Tags: Giorgiy SkhulukhiyaWael Sarkis

Shornikau Claims The First Elimination

Level 27 : Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante

In the hijack, "Goku" moved almost all in, pushing 1,075,000 chips into the middle, leaving only 15,000 behind. From the small blind, Maksim Shornikau reshoved with a slightly bigger stack, and Goku called.

Goku: K?Q?
Maksim Shornikau: Q?Q?

The 5?4?10?J?10? runout offered no help to Goku, and he became the first player eliminated on Day 4.

Player Chips Progress
Maksim Shornikau by
Maksim Shornikau
2,500,000
1,250,000
1,250,000
Goku
Goku
Busted

Tags: Maksim Shornikau

Early Double Up With Quads For Kaba

Level 27 : Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante

On the very first hand, Huseyin Kaba on the button raised to 235,000. In the big blind, Giorgiy Skhulukhiya wen all in for 4,010,000 chips, and Kaba quickly called with his 1,235,000 chips.

Huseyin Kaba: A?Q?
Giorgiy Skhulukhiya: 4?4?

It was an easy win for Kaba, because he found quads on A?9?A?A?4? to double up.

Player Chips Progress
Giorgiy Skhulukhiya ge
Giorgiy Skhulukhiya
2,800,000
-1,305,000
-1,305,000
Huseyin Kaba tr
Huseyin Kaba
2,600,000
1,360,000
1,360,000

Tags: Giorgiy SkhulukhiyaHuseyin Kaba

Level: 27

Blinds: 50,000/100,000

Ante: 100,000

Final Day Of The $2,200 Warm Up Starts At Noon

Photo : Merit Poker
Photo : Merit Poker

It is the fourth and final day of the 2023 Merit Poker Retro Series $2,200 Warm-Up at the Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino. Out of 809 entrants, there are 25 players left in the tournament, hoping to reach the final table and to win the $264,400 cash prize that will be offered to the winner.

Before that, there is still a long way to go. But for Nicolas Chouity, the day will start in the best possible conditions as he'll be back as the chipleader, with 8,735,000 chips. With more than 20 blinds behind, players like Afshin Taheri (6,360,000), Or Nezer(6,150,000), and Orestis Kanakopoulos (5,975,000) will also try to secure a spot at the final table.

Day 4 Chip Count

RankPlayerCountryChip countBlinds
1Nicolas ChouityLebanon8,735,00087
2Afshin TaheriIran6,360,00064
3Or NezerIsrael6,150,00062
4Orestis KanakopoulosGreece5,975,00060
5Bogdan JontulovicSerbia5,390,00054
6Alain HajjLebanon4,865,00049
7Oleg UstinovichRussia4,500,00045
8Giorgiy SkhulukhiyaGeorgia4,105,00041
9Hadi KhadraLebanon3,385,00034
10Mikhail ZamiatinRussia3,125,00031

With slightly fewer chips but just as motivated as the chip leaders, Giorgiy Skhulukhiya (4,105,000), Aleksandr Chernikov (3,110,000), Vladislav Doroshkov (3,065,000), and Abulmuhsin Aydin (2,090,000) will also strive to be one of the final nine players, and perhaps the last one. The same situation applies to Ran Koller (1,380,000), Huseyin Kaba (1,240,000), or Ercan Gundogan (985,000), who will have nothing to lose since they already have the shortest stacks in the field.

2023 Merit Retro Series $2,200 Payout

PlacePrizePlacePrize
1$264,4009$26,500
2$194,70010-12$19,500
3$119,70013-15$15,780
4$88,60016-18$13,545
5$66,20019-21$12,055
6$53,60022-24$10,720
7$44,30025$9,380
8$35,200  

Play will resume at noon local time. Blinds will pick up in Level 27, at 50,000-100,000 and a 100,000 big blind ante. Then, Day 4 will continue until a winner is crowned. Also, each player will receive six time banks as shot clocks will be introduced.

PokerNews will follow the action all the way on Day 4! This final Day will also be on stream, with a 30 to 40-minute delay.

Tags: Afshin TaheriAlain HajjBogdan JontulovicGiorgiy SkhulukhiyaHadi KhadraMikhail ZamiatinNicolas ChouityOleg UstinovichOr NezerOrestis Kanakopoulos

Day 4 Seat Draw

TableSeatPlayerCountryChip CountBig Blinds
11Ran KollerIsrael1,380,00014
12Bogdan JontulovicSerbia5,390,00054
13Aleksandr ChernikovRussia3,110,00031
14Alain HajjLebanon4,865,00049
15Huseyin KabaTurkey1,240,00012
16Abulmuhsin AydinFrance2,090,00021
17Giorgiy SkhulukhiyaGeorgia4,105,00041
18Wael SarkisLebanon1,575,00016
19Vladislav DoroshkovRussia3,065,00031
     -
21Oleg EltsovRussia2,505,00025
22Oleg UstinovichRussia4,500,00045
23Andrey KoksEstonia1,610,00016
24Hadi KhadraLebanon3,385,00034
25Orestis KanakopoulosGreece5,975,00060
26Mikhail ZamiatinRussia3,125,00031
27Afshin TaheriIran6,360,00064
28Ran IlaniIsrael1,740,00017
     -
31Maksim ShornikauBelarus1,250,00013
32Rudolf DominRussia1,390,00014
33Kristaps VismanisLatvia1,895,00019
34Murat CakirTurkey2,260,00023
35Ercan GundoganTurkey985,00010
36Goku 1,150,00012
37Or NezerIsrael6,150,00062
38Nicolas ChouityLebanon8,735,00087

$2,200 Warmup

Day 4 Started