2024 Merit Poker Western Series

$3,300 Main Event
Day: 3
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 3
Entries
129
Players Left
24

Ketzer Flips Shornikau to the Rail

Level 20 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

Maksim Shornikau got his last 220,000 in the middle from under the gun as Felipe Ketzer had him at risk from the button.

Maksim Shornikau: 8?8?
Felipe Ketzer: A?K?

Shornikau was flipping for his tournament life but fell behind on the K?5?10? flop as Ketzer hit top pair. The board ran out 6?K? and Ketzer finished with trips to send the High Roller champion to the rail.

Player Chips Progress
Felipe Ketzer br
Felipe Ketzer
800,000
595,000
595,000
Maksim Shornikau by
Maksim Shornikau
Busted

Tags: Felipe KetzerMaksim Shornikau

Yurasov Snap-Calls Hrabec

Level 20 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
Dmitry Yurasov
Dmitry Yurasov

Dmitry Yurasov opened to 26,000 from the button and received calls from Roman Hrabec in the small blind and Giuliano Boellis in the big blind.

The flop came Q?3?2? and action checked around to Yurasov who fired a 30,000 continuation bet. Hrabec called while Boellis got out of the way.

Both players checked the J? turn leading to the K? river. Hrabec checked, Yurasov bet 108,000 and Hrabec moved all in, covering Yurasov who had 280,000 behind. Yurasov nearly beat him into the pot.

Hrabec could only show A?9? for a bluff while Yurasov showed down A?10? for the nut-straight to score a massive double up through Hrabec.

Player Chips Progress
Giuliano Boellis it
Giuliano Boellis
2,975,000
1,321,000
1,321,000
Day 2 Chip Leader
Roman Hrabec cz
Roman Hrabec
1,610,000
224,000
224,000
WSOP 1X Winner
Dmitry Yurasov ru
Dmitry Yurasov
926,000
126,000
126,000
WSOP 2X Winner

Tags: Dmitry YurasovGiuliano BoellisRoman Hrabec

Fryda Hits the River on Mokrani

Level 20 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

Victor Fryda raised to 25,000 in early position before Mohamed Mokrani three-bet to 80,000 on the button. Fryda called and they saw a flop of 2?Q?9?.

Both players checked and the turn was the Q?. Fryda then led out for 105,000 and Mokrani came back with a raise to 250,000.

Fryda spent nearly two minutes in the tank before calling as the J? fell on the river. He checked over to Mokrani, who slowed down and checked back.

Fryda turned over J?10? for two pair and Mokrani shook his head and mucked.

At the same time at another table, Candido Cappiello and Feng Qu were on the river of a ten-high board when Cappiello moved all in. Qu snap-called for his last 188,000 with a pair of fours holding K?4? while Cappiello was forced to show queen-high.

"Guy's got heart," tablemate Georges Hanna said.

Player Chips Progress
Victor Fryda fr
Victor Fryda
1,200,000
560,000
560,000
Mohamed Mokrani fr
Mohamed Mokrani
950,000
-200,000
-200,000
Feng Qu cn
Feng Qu
680,000
210,000
210,000
Candido Cappiello it
Candido Cappiello
550,000
-450,000
-450,000

Tags: Candido CappielloFeng QuMohamed MokraniVictor Fryda

Di Nicola's Turn to Raise Out Yilmaz

Level 20 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

Vedat Yilmaz bet 20,000 on a flop of 2?7?9? before big blind Ermanno Di Nicola raised to 75,000. Yilmaz called in the cutoff.

The turn was the 8? and Di Nicola led out for 100,000. Yilmaz called and the J? fell on the river.

Di Nicola slowed down and checked as Yilmaz came out with a bet of 250,000. Di Nicola then moved all in for 575,000 and Yilmaz shook his head and began muttering to himself before folding.

Player Chips Progress
Ermanno Di Nicola it
Ermanno Di Nicola
1,100,000
580,000
580,000
Day 3 Chip Leader
WSOP 1X Winner
Vedat Yilmaz tr
Vedat Yilmaz
460,000
-440,000
-440,000
Day 1D Chip Leader

Tags: Ermanno Di NicolaVedat Yilmaz

Lin Four-Bets Dato

Level 20 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

Jianwei Lin opened to 25,000 from middle position only for Andrea Dato to four-bet to 85,000 from the button. Lin thought for about 45 seconds before putting in a four-bet to 220,000 and Dato snap-folded.

Player Chips Progress
John Doebs tr
John Doebs
1,100,000
380,000
380,000
Andrea Dato it
Andrea Dato
815,000
240,000
240,000
WPT 1X Winner
Jianwei Lin cn
Jianwei Lin
795,000
-5,000
-5,000

Tags: Andrea DatoJianwei Lin

Hrabec Fires Two Barrels

Level 20 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

Ceyhan Tezcan opened to 26,000 from early position and Roman Hrabec three-bet to 100,000 from the small blind. Tezcan made the call.

The flop came A?9?5? and Hrabec fired a 45,000 continuation bet that was called by Tezcan

Hrabec bet again on the 3? turn, this time for 200,000.

Player Chips Progress
Roman Hrabec cz
Roman Hrabec
1,810,000
200,000
200,000
WSOP 1X Winner
Ceyhan Tezcan tr
Ceyhan Tezcan
535,000
49,000
49,000

Tags: Ceyhan TezcanRoman Hrabec

Tulepbergenov Snaps Off Karam

Level 20 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

According to tablemate Shuang Luo, Azamat Tulepbergenov had three-bet from the cutoff and Hala Karam called in middle position. Both players then checked the 9?3?5? flop.

The turn was the 2? and Karam moved all in for around 200,000. Tulepbergenov snap-called and Karam let out a loud sigh as she showed 8?8?. Tulepbergenov turned over A?4? for the turned straight.

The river was the 4? and Tulepbergenov sent Karam to the rail.

Player Chips Progress
Azamat Tulepbergenov kz
Azamat Tulepbergenov
1,600,000
450,000
450,000
David Hu nl
David Hu
1,100,000
150,000
150,000
Mehmet Demirkol tr
Mehmet Demirkol
700,000
583,000
583,000
Shuang Luo cn
Shuang Luo
560,000
86,000
86,000
Nariman Yaghmai ir
Nariman Yaghmai
550,000
78,000
78,000
Andrew Hedley gb
Andrew Hedley
530,000
119,000
119,000
Sakis Adrianapoulos gr
Sakis Adrianapoulos
460,000
164,000
164,000
Anatoly Nikitin ru
Anatoly Nikitin
320,000
-184,000
-184,000
Hala Karam lb
Hala Karam
Busted

Tags: Azamat TulepbergenovHala Karam

Zebarjad Makes a Massive Hero Call

Level 20 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

Ali Zebarjad raised to 25,000 in the hijack before Jianwei Lin three-bet to 75,000 in the cutoff.

Zebarjad called to see the 7?4?2? flop, where Lin continued for 80,000. Zebarjad called.

The turn was the Q? and Lin bet another 180,000. "Big hand," Zebarjad asked as he took around two minutes before calling.

Zebarjad checked over to Lin again on the Q? river and Lin moved all in for around 320,000. Zebarjad had around the same amount remaining and again went deep into the tank.

"Sorry guys," he eventually said to the table.

"Take your time. Tough spot," Andrea Dato replied.

Around five minutes came off the clock as Zebarjad continued to ponder the decision for his tournament life. "You're nervous. That's the only reason I want to call," he told Lin, who let out a laugh and turned around to take a sip of his drink.

Zebarjad eventually stood up and leaned over the table before sitting back down and slamming in the chips to call. Lin showed A?8? for ace-high, while Zebarjad turned over 5?5? to win the pot and double up.

"Sorry. That was a good bluff. But I'm a doctor and I know when you're bluffing," Zebarjad said as Lin was left on an extreme short stack near the bubble.

Player Chips Progress
Ali Zebarjad au
Ali Zebarjad
1,270,000
1,064,000
1,064,000
Jianwei Lin cn
Jianwei Lin
40,000
-755,000
-755,000

Tags: Ali ZebarjadJianwei Lin

Lin Not Going Down Without a Fight

Level 20 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

Dmitry Gromov opened to 30,000 from middle position and Jianwei Lin defended from the big blind, leaving himself just 58,000 behind.

The flop came A?8?9?. Lin checked, Gromov bet 15,000, Lin moved all in and Gromov called to put him at risk.

Jianwei Lin: A?6?
Dmitry Gromov: 10?9?

"If I win, do I get your tiger?" Gromov joked, referencing Lin's card protector. Gromov picked up a straight draw to go along with his pair of nines on the 7? turn but the K? river was a brick and Lin secured a much-needed double up through Gromov.

Player Chips Progress
Dmitry Gromov ru
Dmitry Gromov
520,000
-230,000
-230,000
WPT 1X Winner
Jianwei Lin cn
Jianwei Lin
170,000
130,000
130,000

Tags: Dmitry GromovJianwei Lin

El Khazen Cracks Aces For a Double Knockout

Level 20 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
Youssef El Khazen
Youssef El Khazen

Youssef El Khazen limped in under the gun before Simone Andrian raised to 48,000 in the hijack. Yassin Mahmoud had just 2,000 remaining and tossed it in from the cutoff, while Roman Hrabec three-bet to 165,000 in the small blind.

El Khazen then shoved for 470,000 and Andrian also pushed in his last 380,000. "Ah," Hrabec cried out as he quickly got out of the way.

Yassin Mahmoud: 9?7?
Simone Andrian: A?A?
Youssef El Khazen: J?J?

Andrian woke up with aces and was a big favorite to take the big pot as the flop came 6?8?4?. The turn, though, was the J? and El Khazen made a set to take the lead.

The river was the Q? and Andrian, who won the Warm Up event earlier in the festival, joined Mahmoud on the rail. Hrabec later admitted he folded two queens.

"You folded queens," El Khazen asked.

"Of course. I knew he had aces," Hrabec replied.

Player Chips Progress
Roman Hrabec cz
Roman Hrabec
1,630,000
-180,000
-180,000
WSOP 1X Winner
Youssef El Khazen lb
Youssef El Khazen
950,000
115,000
115,000
Simone Andrian it
Simone Andrian
Busted
WSOP 1X Winner
Yassin Mahmoud jo
Yassin Mahmoud
Busted

Tags: Roman HrabecSimone AndrianYassin MahmoudYoussef El Khazen