3: Barrels with a partypoker theme including results from the partypoker LIVE sponsored Merit Poker Classic, a deep run in the Sunday Million from Matt Staples, and Stephen Hendry partners with partypoker. 

partypoker LIVE has partners the world over, and one of these is the Merit Crystal Cove Hotel & Casino in Kyrenia. Yesterday, I told you how Andreas Christoforou won the $5,300 buy-in, $3m GTD Merit Poker Classic, but I failed to give you the results of the undercard – and it was a bloody good undercard.

Only a few live tournament operators can piece together a $25,500 buy-in event, but Merit managed it. The event attracted 28-entrants (including 11 re-entries), and the Cypriot, Giannis Konstas, took the $323,447 first prize after beating the Russian star Vladimir Troyanovskiy, heads-up.

Five players finished ITM including the Romanian high stakes darling, Liviu Ignat, and the Bulgarian duo of Krasimir Yankov and Dimitar Danchev.