2024 Merit Poker Western Series

$5,300 High Roller
Day: 3
Event Info

2024 Merit Poker Western Series

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
q5
Prize
$177,500
Event Info
Buy-in
$5,300
Prize Pool
$703,800
Entries
153
Level Info
Level
30
Blinds
100,000 / 200,000
Ante
200,000
Players Info - Day 3
Entries
30
Players Left
1

Shornikau Snap-Calls Kirichenko

Level 23 : Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante

Maksim Shornikau opened to 100,000 from the small blind and Aleksandr Kirichenko defended from the big blind.

Shornikau fired a 50,000 continuation bet on the Q?5?2? flop that was called by Kirichenko.

On the 8? turn Shornikau bet again for 135,000 and once again Kirichenko made the call.

The river was the 3?. Shornikau checked, Kirichenko bet 185,000 and Shornikau nearly beat him into the pot.

Kirichenko could only show 10?9? for a missed draw turned into a bluff while Shornikau turned over Q?10? for top pair to take the pot.

Player Chips Progress
Maksim Shornikau by
Maksim Shornikau
3,200,000
200,000
200,000
Aleksandr Kirichenko ru
Aleksandr Kirichenko
1,075,000
-495,000
-495,000
Day 2 Chip Leader

Tags: Aleksandr KirichenkoMaksim Shornikau

Nazar Buhaiov Eliminated in 12th Place ($12,750)

Level 23 : Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante
Nazar Buhaiov
Nazar Buhaiov

Nazar Buhaiov moved all in for under the gun for his last 250,000. Action then folded around to Guoliang Wei in the small blind who raised all in for 510,000, folding out the big blind to leave Buhaiov at risk.

Nazar Buhaiov: A?10?
Guoliang Wei: A?J?

Buhaiov couldn't catch up on the 8?J?9?2?3? and was forced to settle for a 12th-place finish while Wei took down an important pot.

Player Chips Progress
Guoliang Wei cn
Guoliang Wei
840,000
322,000
322,000
WSOP 1X Winner
Nazar Buhaiov ua
Nazar Buhaiov
Busted

Tags: Guoliang WeiNazar Buhaiov

Luo Pays Off Nikitin

Level 23 : Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante

With two players seeing a board of K?6?9?K? and roughly 180,000 already in the middle, Anatoly Nikitin bet 120,000 from the big blind and was called by Shuang Luo on the button.

Nikitin bet again for 200,000 on the 2? river and was once again called by Luo.

Nikitin showed down K?8? for trip kings which was enough to take the pot.

Player Chips Progress
Anatoly Nikitin ru
Anatoly Nikitin
1,875,000
290,000
290,000
Shuang Luo cn
Shuang Luo
915,000
-145,000
-145,000

Tags: Anatoly NikitinShuang Luo

Xixiang Luo Eliminated in 11th Place ($12,750)

Level 23 : Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante
Xixiang Luo
Xixiang Luo

Tarmo Tammel opened to 80,000 from the hijack and Xixiang Luo raised to 620,000 from the big blind, leaving a single 5,000 chip behind. Tammel made the call.

The flop came Q?9?5?. Tammel bet 40,000 and Luo called off with his last chip to put himself at risk.

Xixiang Luo: 8?8?
Tarmo Tammel: A?10?

Luo was in great shape to score a double but Tammel picked up a few more outs on the K? turn. The J? river gave Tammel a Broadway straight to send Luo to the rail and continue to build a monster stack.

Player Chips Progress
Tarmo Tammel ee
Tarmo Tammel
2,475,000
325,000
325,000
Xixiang Luo cn
Xixiang Luo
Busted
WSOP 2X Winner

Tags: Tarmo TammelXixiang Luo

Tot Makes a Great Call

Level 23 : Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante

Aleksandar Tot opened to 80,000 from the cutoff and Maher Achour defended from the big blind.

The flop came K?Q?J?. Achour checked, Tot bet 70,000 and Achour raised to 260,000. Tot made the call.

Achour moved all in on the 6? turn, covering Tot's remaining stack of 445,000. Tot made the call and was at risk.

Aleksandar Tot: Q?9?
Maher Achour: A?8?

Tot had made an excellent call with second pair but still needed to fade any ace, ten or club to avoid elimination. The 7? river was a brick and Tot scored a crucial double up through Achour on the final table bubble.

Player Chips Progress
Aleksandar Tot me
Aleksandar Tot
1,600,000
901,000
901,000
Maher Achour tn
Maher Achour
265,000
-730,000
-730,000

Tags: Aleksandar TotMaher Achour

Level: 24

Blinds: 25,000/50,000

Ante: 50,000

Luo Doubles Through Kirichenko

Level 24 : 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante

Aleksandr Kirichenko opened to 125,000 from the small blind and Shuang Luo moved all in for 675,000 from the big blind. Kirichenko snap-called with a covering stack to put Luo at risk.

Shuang Luo: J?J?
Aleksandr Kirichenko: A?J?

Luo's pocket-jacks held up on the K?9?8?4?9? runout to take down a sizable pot while Kirichenko was left with just under 17 big blinds.

Player Chips Progress
Shuang Luo cn
Shuang Luo
1,350,000
435,000
435,000
Aleksandr Kirichenko ru
Aleksandr Kirichenko
750,000
-325,000
-325,000
Day 2 Chip Leader

Tags: Aleksandr KirichenkoShuang Luo

Justus Held Eliminated in 10th Place ($12,750)

Level 24 : Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante
Justus Held
Justus Held

Aleksandar Tot opened to 100,000 from the cutoff and Justus Held moved all in for 1,055,000 from the button. Tot made the call to put Held at risk.

Justus Held: A?J?
Aleksandar Tot: A?Q?

The board ran out 10?4?3?Q?7?. Tot held with the bigger ace to score nearly a full double up while sending Held to the rail on the final table bubble.

Player Chips Progress
Aleksandar Tot me
Aleksandar Tot
2,900,000
1,300,000
1,300,000
Justus Held de
Justus Held
Busted

Tags: Aleksandar TotJustus Held

Final Table Redraw

Level 24 : Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante
SeatNameCountryChip CountBig Blinds
1Aleksandar TotMontenegro2,880,00058
2Shuang LuoChina1,145,00023
3Bogdan MunteanuRomania2,120,00042
4Anatoly NikitinRussian Federation1,890,00038
5Aleksandr KirichenkoRussian Federation785,00016
6Guoliang WeiChina440,0009
7Maher AchourTunisia145,0003
8Tarmo TammelEstonia2,345,00047
9Maksim ShornikauBelarus3,550,00071
Player Chips Progress
Maksim Shornikau by
Maksim Shornikau
3,550,000
350,000
350,000
Aleksandar Tot me
Aleksandar Tot
2,880,000
-20,000
-20,000
Tarmo Tammel ee
Tarmo Tammel
2,345,000
-130,000
-130,000
Bogdan Munteanu ro
Bogdan Munteanu
2,120,000
1,462,000
1,462,000
Anatoly Nikitin ru
Anatoly Nikitin
1,890,000
15,000
15,000
Shuang Luo cn
Shuang Luo
1,145,000
-205,000
-205,000
Aleksandr Kirichenko ru
Aleksandr Kirichenko
785,000
35,000
35,000
Day 2 Chip Leader
Guoliang Wei cn
Guoliang Wei
440,000
-400,000
-400,000
WSOP 1X Winner
Maher Achour tn
Maher Achour
145,000
-120,000
-120,000