2024 Merit Poker Western Series

$3,300 Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info

2024 Merit Poker Western Series

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
99
Prize
$342,500
Event Info
Buy-in
$3,300
Prize Pool
$1,854,720
Entries
672
Level Info
Level
36
Blinds
200,000 / 500,000
Ante
500,000
Players Info - Day 1a
Entries
188
Players Left
71

Lian Rockets Lykov to the Exit

Level 8 : Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante

Tahsin Cankurtaranli raised to 4,000 under the gun before Maxim Lykov three-bet to 12,000 on the button. Xiang Lian then four-bet to 28,500 in the big blind.

Cankurtaranli folded, but Lykov moved all in for around 90,000 and Lian snap-called.

Maxim Lykov: A?K?
Xiang Lian: A?A?

Lykov was already up from his seat and walking toward the exit soon after Lian turned over his aces. The board ran out 5?6?8?10?2? and Lian took the pot to seal Lykov's bustout.

Player Chips Progress
Xiang Lian cn
Xiang Lian
570,000
190,000
190,000
Tahsin Cankurtaranli tr
Tahsin Cankurtaranli
215,000
15,000
15,000
Maxim Lykov ru
Maxim Lykov
Busted
WSOP 1X Winner
EPT 1X Winner

Tags: Maxim LykovXiang LianTahsin Cankurtaranli

Updated Chip Counts

Level 8 : Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
Player Chips Progress
Michel Habib lb
Michel Habib
630,000
230,000
230,000
Mustafa Ercan tr
Mustafa Ercan
620,000
360,000
360,000
Dmitry Yurasov ru
Dmitry Yurasov
450,000
350,000
350,000
WSOP 2X Winner
Antoine Hasbani lb
Antoine Hasbani
390,000
80,000
80,000
Bartlomiej Swieboda pl
Bartlomiej Swieboda
380,000
80,000
80,000
Ryan Plant gb
Ryan Plant
370,000
-40,000
-40,000
Ilia Korliakov ru
Ilia Korliakov
350,000
-80,000
-80,000
Dean Hutchison gb
Dean Hutchison
350,000
120,000
120,000
Frederico Senno cy
Frederico Senno
320,000
30,000
30,000
Roman Gadzhiev ru
Roman Gadzhiev
280,000
Fabio Peluso it
Fabio Peluso
260,000
50,000
50,000
Day 1B Chip Leader
WSOP 1X Winner
Aziz Efe tr
Aziz Efe
250,000
150,000
150,000
Can Miral tr
Can Miral
230,000
70,000
70,000
Maxime Chilaud fr
Maxime Chilaud
230,000
10,000
10,000
Peng Yang cn
Peng Yang
220,000
-5,000
-5,000
Matthew Davenport gb
Matthew Davenport
200,000
200,000
200,000
Roman Hrabec cz
Roman Hrabec
180,000
70,000
70,000
WSOP 1X Winner
Benjamin Hamnett us
Benjamin Hamnett
175,000
95,000
95,000
WPT 1X Winner
Kacper Pyzara pl
Kacper Pyzara
130,000
20,000
20,000
Nina Krasilnikova ru
Nina Krasilnikova
110,000

Final Break of the Night

Level 8 : Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante

Players are now on the last 15-minute break of Day 1a.

There is one more level left to play tonight before players bag up their chips. The tournament clock currently shows 185 total entries, with 87 players remaining.

Level: 9

Blinds: 1,000/2,500

Ante: 2,500

Sibgatova Survives a Flip Against Krasilnikova

Level 9 : Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante

Alisa Sibgatova was all in for around 60,000 from middle position and up against Nina Krasilnikova in the small blind.

Alisa Sibgatova: 5?5?
Nina Krasilnikova: A?J?

Sibgatova came out on the right side of this coin flip following the 10?2?2?10?3? board as she doubled up.

Player Chips Progress
Alisa Sibgatova ru
Alisa Sibgatova
120,000
35,000
35,000
Nina Krasilnikova ru
Nina Krasilnikova
50,000
-60,000
-60,000

Tags: Alisa SibgatovaNina Krasilnikova

Yang Picks The Wrong Times to Shove on Hamnett

Level 9 : Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Benjamin Hamnett
Benjamin Hamnett

Heads-up on a flop of 10?9?4?, Benjamin Hamnett bet 13,000 from the button before Peng Yang raised to 46,500 in early position.

Hamnett called and the 7? fell on the turn. Yang then moved all in and Hamnett snap-called for his last 108,000. Yang could only show 6?4? for a pair of fours, while Hamnett turned over 10?10? for top set.

The river was the A? and Hamnett doubled up, leaving Yang on an extreme short stack near the end of the night.

Player Chips Progress
Benjamin Hamnett us
Benjamin Hamnett
310,000
135,000
135,000
WPT 1X Winner
Peng Yang cn
Peng Yang
25,000
-195,000
-195,000

Tags: Benjamin HamnettPeng Yang

Yurasov Calls Ercan With Ace-High

Level 9 : Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante

Dmitry Yurasov bet 4,000 from early position on a flop of Q?Q?4? and Mustafa Ercan, who began the hand in contention for the chip lead, called in the big blind.

Both players checked the 6? turn and Ercan led out for 13,000 on the 6? river. Yurasov called and Ercan turned over K?5? for just king-high.

Yurasov showed A?10? and won the pot with ace-high.

Player Chips Progress
Mustafa Ercan tr
Mustafa Ercan
610,000
-10,000
-10,000
Dmitry Yurasov ru
Dmitry Yurasov
460,000
10,000
10,000
WSOP 2X Winner

Tags: Dmitry YurasovMustafa Ercan

Lin Surrenders a Big Pot to Davenport, Takes Another From Wozniak

Level 9 : Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante

With around 70,000 in the middle on a board of K?10?6?9?, Jianwei Lin bet 55,000 from the button before Matthew Davenport moved all in for 155,000 in the hijack.

Lin tanked for several minutes before giving up his hand as Davenport took the big pot.

A few hands later at this table, Mateusz Wozniak raised to 5,500 in early position, Giorgiy Skhulukhiya called in the hijack, and Lin three-bet to 18,000 in the cutoff.

Both opponents called and the flop came J?Q?5?. Lin continued for 20,000 and only Wozniak called. Both players checked the 6? turn.

The river was the 5? and Lin bet 95,000 this time. Wozniak gave it some thought before folding as Lin dragged in the chips.

Player Chips Progress
Matthew Davenport gb
Matthew Davenport
320,000
120,000
120,000
Jianwei Lin cn
Jianwei Lin
270,000
95,000
95,000
Mateusz Wozniak pl
Mateusz Wozniak
270,000
-50,000
-50,000
Giorgiy Skhulukhiya ge
Giorgiy Skhulukhiya
80,000

Tags: Giorgiy SkhulukhiyaJianwei LinMateusz WozniakMatthew Davenport

Karam Dodges the River to Double

Level 9 : Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante

Heads-up on a flop of 4?9?3?, Frederico Senno bet 25,000 from middle position before Hala Karam raised to 75,000 in the hijack. Senno then moved all in and Karam called for 125,000.

Hala Karam: 3?3?
Frederico Senno: A?K?

"No," Karam cried out when the 7? fell on the turn as Senno picked up the nut flush draw. She stood up from her seat to await the river, which came the J? and earned her a late-night double up with her set.

Player Chips Progress
Hala Karam lb
Hala Karam
260,000
Frederico Senno cy
Frederico Senno
260,000
-60,000
-60,000

Tags: Frederico SennoHala Karam

Hrabec Wakes Up the Tiger

Level 9 : Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Jianwei Lin
Jianwei Lin

A massive pile of chips was being pushed toward Jianwei Lin after he earned a double up through Roman Hrabec.

With around 50,000 in the middle, Hrabec was in the small blind had put Lin all in after the flop and Lin called in middle position for his last 266,000 with 3?3?. Hrabec had A?K? on a board of 6?10?4?2? and needed help on the river.

The dealer turned over the 10? and Lin's pocket threes survived to earn him a double up that put him among the chip leaders near the end of the night.

"If I lose, I go again tomorrow," Lin said as he stacked up his new-found riches.

"Woke up the tiger," a tablemate said.

Player Chips Progress
Jianwei Lin cn
Jianwei Lin
630,000
360,000
360,000
Roman Hrabec cz
Roman Hrabec
180,000
WSOP 1X Winner

Tags: Jianwei LinRoman Hrabec