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

$3,300 Main Event

Day 3 Started

Day 3 Seat Draw

TableSeatPlayerChip CountBig Blinds 
11Hady El Asmar368,00046 
12John Doe S625,00078 
13Jonathan Rosenwasser128,00016 
14Maksim Skripkin197,00025 
15Egor Romaniuk341,00043 
16Aurelijus Sipavicius77,00010 
17John Doebs578,00072 
18Dmitry Gromov676,00085 
19Andrea Dato148,00019 
      
21Razvan Sabau473,00059 
22Toni Kaukua275,00034 
23Bartlomiej Swieboda222,00028 
24Jean Mikhael613,00077 
25Michael Brown782,00098 
26Damir Zhugralin628,00079 
27Murad Cakir141,00018 
28Alain Hajj249,00031 
29Xixiang Luo620,00078 
      
31Fady Kamar713,00089 
32Paul Amsellem164,00021 
33Artem Arakelian779,00097 
34Hadi Khordbin1,113,000139 
35Amir Touma794,00099 
36Stanislav Tishkevich315,00039 
37Carlos Aoun734,00092 
38Clement Bonnant632,00079 
39Yingrui Ge252,00032 
      
41Maroun Jazzar634,00079 
42Nariman Yaghmai472,00059 
43Junjie He136,00017 
44Marcin Dziubdziela279,00035 
45Hala Karam210,00026 
46Azamat Tulepbergenov580,00073 
47Andrew Hedley411,00051 
48Mehmet Demirkol117,00015 
49Shuang Luo474,00059 
      
51Ildar Tashliyev351,00044 
52Amine Karami710,00089 
53Samy Barka658,00082 
54Bogdan Munteanu497,00062 
55Gianfranco Iaculli575,00072 
56Dawid Smolka756,00095 
57Wael Sarkis996,000125 
58Fausto Tantillo914,000114 
59Xiang Lian1,353,000169 
      
61Qiang Xu137,00017 
62Nichan Khorchidian390,00049 
63Tahsin Cankurtaranli275,00034 
64Koray Korkmaz855,000107 
65Ramez Haddad250,00031 
66Vazha Kometiani229,00029 
67Eli Perez402,00050 
68Sergey Bortsov347,00043 
69Gang Zhao1,339,000167 
      
71Bassel Moussa411,00051 
72Simone Andrian213,00027 
73Yassin Mahmoud996,000125 
74Dmitry Yurasov800,000100 
75Vladimir Bozinovic153,00019 
76Giuliano Boellis1,654,000207 
77Youssef El Khazen835,000104 
78Nuri Hadioglu591,00074 
79Yunsheng Sun479,00060 
      
81Ara Melkisetian888,000111 
82Christophe Panetti674,00084 
83Carmel Haloon380,00048 
84Ihar Soika554,00069 
85Dean Hutchison476,00060 
86Jose Nehme451,00056 
87Can Miral155,00019 
88Nils Pudel217,00027 
89Volodymyr Drokin231,00029 
      
91Fabio Peluso1,477,000185 
92Vedat Yilmaz300,00038 
93Yiannakis Papapetrou385,00048 
94Aleksandar Tot577,00072 
95Robert Heidorn580,00073 
96Jad Warde372,00047 
97Dauren Zhaparov136,00017 
98Andreas Christoforou400,00050 
99Mustafa Ercan940,000118 
      
101Traian Stanciu560,00070 
102Anatoly Korochenskiy368,00046 
103Andrey Litvinov440,00055 
104Victor Fryda468,00059 
105Matthew Davenport611,00076 
106Vedat Mutlu680,00085 
107Mohamed Mokrani435,00054 
108Mohammadreza Karkan239,00030 
      
111Victor Messika388,00049 
112Guoliang Wei251,00031 
113Felipe Ketzer251,00031 
114Daniel Henriques389,00049 
115Candido Cappiello712,00089 
116Maksim Shornikau165,00021 
117Feng Qu580,00073 
118Georges Hanna410,00051 
      
121Ryan Plant873,000109 
122Ali Zebarjad206,00026 
123Vladimir Malyarchuk663,00083 
124Cristinel Dumitru97,00012 
125Aylar Lie64,0008 
126Yuefan Gu549,00069 
127Artem Sadovskii138,00017 
128Andrey Pateychuk273,00034 
      
131Ceyhan Tezcan486,00061 
132Jianwei Lin1,135,000142 
133Aleksandr Kirichenko150,00019 
134Ermanno Di Nicola1,169,000146 
135Abdullah Akbarpoor394,00049 
136Sakis Adrianapoulos296,00037 
137Anatoly Nikitin504,00063 
138Hassanin Hashim317,00040 
      
141Roman Hrabec1,386,000173 
142Michel Habib952,000119 
143Mihai Tusnea451,00056 
144Nazar Buhaiov511,00064 
145Aykutalp Yilmaz190,00024 
146Antoine Hasbani614,00077 
147Vladimir Troyanovskiy299,00037 
148Dzmitry Urbanovich554,00069 
      
151Giorgiy Skhulukhiya395,00049 
152David Hu950,000119 
153Eduard Norel520,00065 
154Baris Caliskan101,00013 
155Nan Zhu1,074,000134 
156Ilia Korliakov971,000121 
157Amir Sonsino503,00063 
158Maher Achour1,010,000126 

Money Bubble Is in Sight For 129 Survivors on Day 3 of the Merit Poker Western Series Main Event

Giuliano Boellis
Giuliano Boellis

The 129 players remaining in the hunt for the Merit Poker Western Series title at the Merit Crystal Cove Resort & Casino have their eye on making the money when Day 3 of the $3,300 Main Event begins at noon local time.

Just 80 players will survive the money bubble and guarantee themselves $4,640. Two Italians stand the best chance of doing that, with Giuliano Boellis (1,654,000) and Fabio Peluso (1,477,000) occupying the top two spots on the chip leaderboard entering the day.

Roman Hrabec (1,386,000), Xiang Lian (1,353,000), and Gang Zhao (1,339,000) round out the top five. Ermanno Di Nicola (1,169,000), David Hu (950,000), Fausto Tantillo (914,000), Ryan Plant (873,000), Koray Korkmaz (855,000) and Dmitry Yurasov (800,000), who is seeking his second consecutive Merit Poker Main Event trophy, are also top stacks.

Day 3 Top 10 Chip Counts

RankPlayerCountryChip CountBig Blinds
1Giuliano BoellisItaly1,654,000207
2Fabio PelusoItaly1,477,000185
3Roman HrabecCzech Republic1,386,000173
4Xiang LianChina1,353,000169
5Gang ZhaoChina1,339,000167
6Ermanno Di NicolaItaly1,169,000146
7Jianwei LinChina1,135,000142
8Nan ZhuChina1,074,000134
9Maher AchourTunisia1,010,000126
10Yassin MahmoudJordan996,000125

Other players still in the mix include Michael Brown (782,000), Robert Heidorn (580,000), Dzmitry Urbanovich (554,000), Dean Hutchison (476,000), and Felipe Ketzer (251,000).

The action picks up on Level 18 with blinds of 4,000-8,000 and an 8,000 big blind ante. The plan is to play another eight 60-minute levels, which should bring the field close to the final table by the night's end. A spot at the final table is worth at least $34,300, with the eventual champion taking home $342,500 and the prestige of hoisting a Merit Poker Trophy.

Stay tuned as PokerNews provides all the action leading up to the money bubble and toward the final table.

Tags: David HuDean HutchisonDmitry YurasovDzmitry UrbanovichErmanno Di NicolaFabio PelusoFausto TantilloFelipe KetzerGang ZhaoGiuliano BoellisJianwei LinKoray KorkmazMaher AchourMichael BrownNan ZhuRobert HeidornRoman HrabecRyan PlantXiang LianYassin Mahmoud

Level: 18

Blinds: 4,000/8,000

Ante: 8,000

Karkan Cracks Kings on the First Hand

Level 18 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante

On the first hand of Day 3, Mohammadreza Karkan moved all in for 234,000 from the small blind and Victor Fryda put him at risk in middle position.

Mohammadreza Karkan: A?10?
Victor Fryda: K?K?

Fryda had woken up with kings and was poised for an early knockout until the flop brought 2?5?A?, giving Karkan top pair. The board ran out 6?Q? and Karkan found a quick double up.

Player Chips Progress
Mohammadreza Karkan
Mohammadreza Karkan
470,000
231,000
231,000
Victor Fryda fr
Victor Fryda
210,000
-258,000
-258,000

Tags: Mohammadreza KarkanVictor Fryda

Tantillo Pays Off Iaculli's Big River Bet

Level 18 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante
Gianfranco Iaculli
Gianfranco Iaculli

Heads-up on a board of 2?8?3?4?, Gianfranco Iaculli bet 115,000 from the hijack and Fausto Tantillo called in the small blind.

The river was the 6? and Iaculli slid forward another 225,000. The two Italians spent a few minutes staring across the table at each other, Tantillo wearing a black hoodie over his head and Iacully with his grey sweater wrapped around his shoulders.

Tantillo tanked for around four minute before calling as Iaculli showed K?J? for the rivered flush to take the massive pot and climb over 1,000,000.

Player Chips Progress
Gianfranco Iaculli it
Gianfranco Iaculli
1,010,000
435,000
435,000
Fausto Tantillo it
Fausto Tantillo
460,000
-454,000
-454,000

Tags: Fausto TantilloGianfranco Iaculli

Di Nicola Takes One Early

Level 18 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante

Jianwei Lin opened to 16,000 from the button and received a call from Ermanno Di Nicola in the big blind.

The flop came K?9?2? and Di Nicola check-called a 15,000 continuation bet from Lin.

Di Nicola checked again on the K? turn and Lin bet 32,00. Di Nicola put in a check-raise to 88,000. Lin thought for roughly one minute before deciding to fold and Di Nicola took down a decent early pot without showdown.

Player Chips Progress
Ermanno Di Nicola it
Ermanno Di Nicola
1,225,000
56,000
56,000
Day 3 Chip Leader
WSOP 1X Winner
Jianwei Lin cn
Jianwei Lin
1,025,000
-110,000
-110,000

Tags: Ermanno Di NicolaJianwei Lin

Amsellem Among Early Bustouts

Level 18 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante

Paul Amsellem got his stack of around 100,000 in the middle from the button and was up against Fady Kamar in the cutoff.

Paul Amsellem: K?Q?
Fady Kamar: A?J?

Amsellem took the lead on the 10?6?Q? flop with a pair of queens, while the 7? turn left him a card away from a double up. The river, though, was the A? and Kamar spiked an ace to win the pot and send Amsellem to the rail.

Junjie He and Jonathan Rosenwasser were also eliminated within the first few minutes of the day.

Player Chips Progress
Fady Kamar lb
Fady Kamar
800,000
87,000
87,000
Paul Amsellem fr
Paul Amsellem
Busted
Junjie He cn
Junjie He
Busted
Jonathan Rosenwasser il
Jonathan Rosenwasser
Busted

Tags: Fady KamarJonathan RosenwasserJunjie HePaul Amsellem

Norel Can't Buy the Pot

Level 18 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante

Eduard Norel raised to 17,000 under the gun, then called when John Doebs three-bet to 38,000 in the hijack.

The flop came 3?9?6? and Doebs continued for 35,000. Norel called and both players checked the 6? turn.

The river was the 6? and Norel led out for 60,000. Doebs quickly called and Norel showed A?K? for ace-high. Doebs turned over K?K? as he took the pot.

Player Chips Progress
John Doebs tr
John Doebs
680,000
102,000
102,000
Eduard Norel ro
Eduard Norel
360,000
-160,000
-160,000

Tags: Eduard NorelJohn Doebs