$3,300 Main Event Day 2 | 2024 Merit Poker Western Series

01-23-2024 19:27 UTC+3

Di Nicola Shows Down Trips to Double Off Chilaud

David Salituro

Level 15 : Blinds 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante

Maxime Chilaud raised to 8,000 in early position and was called by Yassin Mahmoud in middle position, as well as Ermanno Di Nicola and Joseph Mouawad from the blinds.

The flop came 4♥J♠Q♣ and Chilaud continued for 12,000. Only Mahmoud and Di Nicola called as the 4♠ fell on the turn.

Chilaud then bet 50,000 and Mahmoud took about two minutes before calling. Di Nicola took even longer until he emerged with a raise to 121,000. Chilaud quickly called, while Mahmoud got out of the way.

The river was the 5♣ and Di Nicola moved all in for 196,000. It was Chilaud's turn to tank as the past Merit Poker champion took several minutes until calling.

Di Nicola turned over 8♣4♣ for trip fours and Chilaud tossed A♠Q♠ into the muck as Di Nicola took down the massive pot.

At the same table, Xiang Lian has built up a stack of around 1,000,000.

Player	Chips	Progress
Xiang Lian	1,000,000 504,000	504,000
Ermanno Di Nicola	800,000 583,000	583,000

Koray Korkmaz	400,000 364,500	364,500
Yassin Mahmoud	350,000 -300,000	-300,000
Maxime Chilaud	260,000 -60,000	-60,000
Joseph Mouawad	60,000 -134,500	-134,500

Tags: Ermanno Di Nicola Joseph Mouawad Maxime Chilaud Xiang Lian Yassin Mahmoud

01-23-2024 19:17 UTC+3

Barka Gets Thin Value

Ryan Lashmar

Level 15 : Blinds 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante

Samy Barka opened to 10,000 from the hijack and Shuang Luo defended from the big blind.

The flop came K♠7♦6♠ and Luo check-called a 9,000 continuation bet from Barka.

Luo check-called another bet from Barka on the Q♦ turn, this time for 20,000.

Both players checked the K♣ river. Luo turned over A♥J♣ for ace-high while Barka tabled 10♠7♠ for just second pair on the flop to take the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Samy Barka	625,000 152,000	152,000

Shuang Luo	230,000 180,000	180,000

Tags: Samy Barka Shuang Luo

01-23-2024 19:10 UTC+3

Hrabec Has a Better Two Pair

David Salituro

Level 15 : Blinds 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante

Heads-up on a flop of K♣5♣Q♠, Roman Hrabec bet 15,000 from the button and Simone Andrian called in the small blind.

Both players checked the J♠ turn and the 2♠ fell on the river. Andrian then bet 40,000 and Hrabec snap-called.

Andrian showed Q♥J♣ for two pair, but Hrabec had K♥5♥ for kings and fives as he took the pot off the Warm Up champion.

Player	Chips	Progress
Roman Hrabec	620,000 -110,000	-110,000
Simone Andrian	150,000 50,000	50,000

Tags: Roman Hrabec Simone Andrian

01-23-2024 19:06 UTC+3

Arakelian Puts a Small Dent in Skhulukhiya's Stack

David Salituro

Level 15 : Blinds 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante

Giorgiy Skhulukhiya came back from break flirting with the 1,000,000 chip milestone until tangling with Artem Arakelian.

Skhulukhiya had a raise of 33,000 in front of him from the big blind before Arakelian moved all in for 139,000 in the cutoff. Skhulukhiya called to put Arakelian at risk.

Artem Arakelian: 10♦10♣
Giorgiy Skhulukhiya: A♠Q♣

The flop brought 6♣10♥5♣ and Arakelian hit top set to take a big lead. The board ran out A♥7♦ and Skhulukhiya handed over the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Giorgiy Skhulukhiya	900,000 -153,000	-153,000
Artem Arakelian	280,000 189,000	189,000

Tags: Artem Arakelian Giorgiy Skhulukhiya

01-23-2024 19:01 UTC+3

Big Slick Goes Down in Flames for Achour

Ryan Lashmar

Level 15 : Blinds 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante

Maher Achour opened to 8,000 from early position and Day 1d chip leader Vedat Yilmaz called from the hijack. Naji Azar moved all in for 166,000 and Achour made the call with a covering stack. Vedat Yilmaz then called off with his stack of 89,500 and was also at risk.

Vedat Yilmaz: 10♣9♣
Naji Tannoury: A♥Q♦
Maher Achour: A♣K♠

Achour seemed poised to score the double knockout with the best hand preflop but the Q♥3♣J♣ flop gave Azar the lead with a pair of queens while Yilmaz had both a flush and a straight draw. The 2♦ turn changed nothing but the 7♣ river gave Yilmaz the flush and he scored a full triple up while Azar took the side pot. Achour, who had started with the best hand and ended with the worst one, took a small hit to his stack but is still over double the average stack at this time.

Player	Chips	Progress
Maher Achour	703,000 -184,000	-184,000
Vedat Yilmaz	276,500 -143,500	-143,500

Naji Tannoury	151,000 -59,000	-59,000

Tags: Maher Achour Naji Azar Vedat Yilmaz

Level: 15

Blinds: 2,000/4,000

Ante: 4,000

01-23-2024 18:40 UTC+3

Break Time; Registration Closing

David Salituro

Level 14 : Blinds 2,000/3,500, 3,500 ante

Players are on another 15-minute break.

Late registration will close once action resumes.

01-23-2024 18:39 UTC+3

Amsellem Commits It All in Three-Way Pot

David Salituro

Level 14 : Blinds 2,000/3,500, 3,500 ante

Paul Amsellem, Viliyan Petleshkov, and Damir Zhugralin went to the turn on a board of Q♥9♣5♣2♥ where Zhugralin bet 33,000 from under the gun.

Amsellem called in middle position, while Petleshkov also came along from the cutoff as the J♦ fell on the river.

Zhugralin then checked over to Amsellem who moved all in for around 75,000. Petleshkov quickly mucked, while Zhugralin also folded as Amsellem took the pot uncontested.

Player	Chips	Progress
Damir Zhugralin	280,000 -20,000	-20,000
Paul Amsellem	190,000 75,000	75,000
Viliyan Petleshkov	140,000 -150,000	-150,000

Tags: Damir Zhugralin Paul Amsellem Viliyan Petleshkov

01-23-2024 18:34 UTC+3

Skhulukhiya Puts Achour in the Blender

Ryan Lashmar

Level 14 : Blinds 2,000/3,500, 3,500 ante

With two players seeing a board of A♦5♦Q♠5♠8♦ and roughly 35,000 already in the middle, Maher Achour bet 45,000 from thebig blind. Giorgiy Skhulukhiya raised it to 177,000 from under the gun, putting Achour deep into the tank.

After several minutes a player called the clock. Achour still could not come to a decision and after 30 seconds his hand was declared dead and Skhulukhiya took down a nice pot without showdown, surpassing 1,000,000 chips in the process.

Player	Chips	Progress
Giorgiy Skhulukhiya	1,053,000 163,000	163,000
Maher Achour	887,000 -63,000	-63,000

Tags: Giorgiy Skhulukhiya Maher Achour

01-23-2024 18:31 UTC+3

Shornikau Shoves on Demirkol

David Salituro

Level 14 : Blinds 2,000/3,500, 3,500 ante

Maksim Shornikau bet 20,000 from the button on a flop of 5♥Q♣6♥ and Mehmet Demirkol called in the hijack.

The turn was the 3♣ and Shornikau pushed forward a stack of chips to put Demirkol all in. Demirkol, with around 65,000 remaining, then went deep into the tank.

He considered the decision for his last chips for nearly five minutes until decided to fold as Shornikau, the High Roller champion from earlier in this festival, took the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Maksim Shornikau	270,000 95,000	95,000
Mehmet Demirkol	65,000 11,500	11,500

Tags: Maksim Shornikau Mehmet Demirkol