The $3,500 Merit Poker Cup attracted a total of 418 entries, creating a substantial prize pool of $1,270,720. Sixty-three players entered Day 2, still with a long road ahead to victory.
Lithuanian Smuskevicius, who has favored Merit Resort as a poker destination for a decade, displayed remarkably aggressive play at the final table. A pivotal moment of the tournament came during his showdown with Turkish player Mehmet Dalkilic.
Smuskevicius called Dalkilic's all-in with J d J c, trailing Dalkilic's Q h Q c. However, a Jack on the turn handed him a winning set and a massive lead that he never relinquished.
In the final trio, Smuskevicius, Ekrem Sanioglu, and Lebanese EPT London 2007 champion Joseph Mouawad agreed on an ICM deal.
In the play-off for the prestigious trophy and an additional $46,000 bonus, Smuskevicius dominated. In the tournament's final hand, Ekrem Sanioglu went all-in with K d 6 h. Smuskevicius called with A h Q s and hit quads on the board Q c Q d T d Q h 6 s, completing his triumphant run.
Results of the $3,500 Merit Poker Cup Final Table:
|
Place |
Player |
Country |
Winnings |
|
1. |
Boris Smuskevicius |
Lithuania |
$217,000* |
|
2. |
Ekrem Sanioglu |
France |
$118,000* |
|
3. |
Joseph Mouawad |
Lebanon |
$124,000* |
|
4. |
Vyacheslav Kardash |
Russia |
$74,000 |
|
5. |
Darko Svesko |
Serbia |
$58,000 |
|
6. |
Espen Sandvik |
Norway |
$46,000 |
|
7. |
Mehmet Dalkilic |
Turkey |
$37,000 |
|
8. |
Aleksanras Rusinovas |
Lithuania |
$29,000 |
|
9. |
Viktor Iarilov |
Russia |
$22,520 |
*3-way ICM deal.
Sources: Merit Poker, Flickr
#result
