The $5,300 High Roller at the 2024 Merit Poker Gatsby Gala Series returns for Day 3 at the Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino with 31 players still in contention from the 103-entry field. After late registration closed at the end of Level 12, the field nearly doubled from Day 1’s 54 entries, creating a prize pool of $473,800.
Leading the charge into the money is Elie Saad of Lebanon, who bagged a commanding 795,000 chips — almost eight starting stacks. Mehmet Demirkol (636,000) and Eyal Eshkar (586,000) round out the top three stacks heading into what promises to be an intense day of play.
Among the standouts is Simone Andrian, who bagged 531,000 chips, becoming the fifth player to clear the half-million mark. The Italian player has already cashed in the $2,200 Warm-Up earlier this series and now looks to continue his run as the money bubble looms.
Top Ten Chip Counts
| Place | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|
| 1 | Elie Saad | Lebanon | 795,000 | 80 |
| 2 | Mehmet Demirkol | Turkey | 636,000 | 64 |
| 3 | Eyal Eshkar | Israel | 586,000 | 59 |
| 4 | Nichan Khorchidian | Lebanon | 541,000 | 54 |
| 5 | Simone Andrian | Italy | 531,000 | 53 |
| 6 | Zhewen Hu | China | 492,000 | 49 |
| 7 | Zhen Chen | China | 484,000 | 48 |
| 8 | Ali Al-Kubasi | Iraq | 471,000 | 47 |
| 9 | Fahredin Mustafov | Bulgaria | 460,000 | 46 |
| 10 | Felipe Ketzer | Brazil | 373,000 | 37 |
Bulgaria's Fahredin Mustafov begins Day 3 in ninth place with 373,000 chips and will aim to leverage his extensive experience to secure a cash and push deeper into the tournament. Ranked third on Bulgaria's all-time money list, Mustafov is closing in on an impressive $7,000,000 in career earnings, solidifying his status as one of his nation’s most accomplished players.
Play gets underway at 6 p.m. and blinds resume at Level 17 (5,000/10,000 with a 10,000 big blind ante), with the goal of playing down to a final table. The final 13 players will secure a min-cash of $9,500, while the eventual champion will walk away with a top prize of $132,300.
Stay tuned as PokerNews brings you all the updates, big hands, and bustouts on the road to the High Roller title!
Tags:
Ali Al-KubasiElie SaadEyal EshkarFahredin MustafovFahredin Mustafov AimsFelipe KetzerMehmet DemirkolNichan KhorchidianSimone AndrianZhen ChenZhewen Hu
