Nichan Khorchidian’s two largest poker match paydays have each are available in $3,300 buy-in no-limit maintain’em essential occasions held at Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino in Merit, Cyprus. He kicked off 2024 with a runner-up displaying within the Merit Poker Western Series essential occasion, incomes $252,500 to set a brand new private finest. On the primary day of December, he managed to prime that displaying, defeating a area of 614 entries within the championship occasion of the Gatsby Gala Series on the identical venue to take residence $307,700.
The Lebanese participant now has practically $925,000 in recorded match earnings, with nearly all of that cash coming from his two large scores in Cyprus.
Khorchidian additionally earned 1,260 Card Player Player of the Year factors for the win. When mixed with the 1,050 he secured for his runner-up displaying initially of 2024, his complete sits at 2,310 factors. That places him simply exterior the highest 150 on this yr’s standings, that are introduced by Global Poker.
This occasion featured a $1.5 million assure. The robust turnout noticed the ultimate prize pool swell to just about $1.7 million, with the highest 79 finishers incomes a share. Several huge names ran deep on this occasion, together with latest World Series of Poker essential occasion champion Simone Andrian (51st), bracelet winner Nikolay Fal (fortieth), bracelet winner Shai Zurr (thirty sixth), World Poker Tour and European Poker Tour essential occasion winner Andrey Pateychuk (seventh), and EPT champion Anton Wigg (4th).
Pateychuk ran Ok-Q into the pocket kings of Adrian State to hit the rail with $51,300. The Russian now has practically $5.3 million in profession earnings after this newest robust displaying.
Despite scoring that knockout, State was finally the following to fall (sixth – $61,640). Khorchidian then despatched Vedat Yilmaz (fifth – $76,930) to enter four-handed play with the chip lead.
Bogdan Jontulovic moved forward as short-handed play continued, however Khorchidian’s Ok-Q held in opposition to Wigg’s Ok-3 suited to see him rating one other elimination to shut the hole a bit. Wigg is approaching $5 million in profession earnings after including $102,570 together with his efficiency on this match.
The subsequent huge conflict pitted Khorchidian’s A
Q in opposition to the A
4
of Dmitry Gromov. Both gamers flopped a pair of aces, and Khorchidian’s kicker was the distinction ultimately. Gromov earned $142,470 because the third-place finisher. The 2011 WPT Vienna champion now has greater than $2.5 million in lifetime cashes to his title.
Heads-up play started with Khorchidian holding 34,800,000 to Jontulovic’s 26,600,000. He was capable of stretch that benefit even additional forward of the ultimate hand. Khorchidian open-shoved with A8 from the button for round 11 huge blinds efficient. Jontulovic referred to as with Ok3 and the flop got here down Ok
Q10 to see Jontulovic take the lead. The 3 flip improved him to 2 pair, leaving Khorchidian in want of a jack on the river. The J match the invoice, giving Khorchidian a straight and the title. Jontulovic earned $211,400 because the runner-up. This was the first-ever six-figure rating for the Romanian.
Here is a have a look at the payouts and POY factors awarded on the remaining desk:
| Place | Player | Earnings | POY Points |
| 1 | Nichan Khorchidian | $307,700 | 1,260 |
| 2 | Bogdan Jontulovic | $211,400 | 1,050 |
| 3 | Dmitry Gromov | $142,470 | 840 |
| 4 | Anton Wigg | $102,570 | 630 |
| 5 | Vedat Yilmaz | $76,930 | 525 |
| 6 | Adrian State | $61,640 | 420 |
| 7 | Andrey Pateychuk | $51,300 | 315 |
| 8 | Naji Tannoury | $40,930 | 210 |
| 9 | Felipe Ketzer | $30,770 | 105 |
Photo credit score: Merit Poker Facebook web page.
