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

01-23-2024 17:19 UTC+2

Tantillo Pressures Habib

Ryan Lashmar

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

Michel Habib opened to 8,000 from the cutoff and Fausto Tantillo defended from the big blind.

The flop came 9♣8♣2♣. Tantillo checked, Habib bet 10,000, Tantillo check-raised to 32,000 and Habib called.

On the 7♦ turn Tantillo bet 96,000. Habib thought for about 45 seconds before deciding to fold and Tantillo took down a nice pot without showdown.

Player	Chips	Progress
Michel Habib	909,000 -31,000	-31,000
Fausto Tantillo	645,000 145,000	145,000

Tags: Fausto Tantillo Michel Habib

01-23-2024 17:17 UTC+2

Hasbani Dodges the River to Double

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David Salituro

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

Around 70,000 was in the pot as Antoine Hasbani and Baurzhan Akimov went to the turn on a board of K♥5♣J♥6♠.

Hasbani, in the small blind, then led out for 75,000. Akimov spent a moment eyeing Hasbani's remaining stack before moving all in. Hasbani snap-called for 175,000.

Hasbani showed K♣J♣ for two pair, while Akimov had A♦Q♣ for a straight draw. The A♣ river wasn't enough for Akimov and Hasbani doubled up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Antoine Hasbani	430,000 250,000	250,000
Baurzhan Akimov	200,000 -50,000	-50,000

Tags: Antoine Hasbani Baurzhan Akimov

01-23-2024 17:08 UTC+2

Player	Chips	Progress
Razvan Sabau	960,000 310,000	310,000
Maher Achour	950,000 229,000	229,000
Michel Habib	940,000 60,000	60,000
Giorgiy Skhulukhiya	890,000 793,000	793,000
Anatoly Nikitin	750,000 160,000	160,000
Fabio Peluso	750,000 -50,000	-50,000

Audere	620,000 70,000	70,000
Fausto Tantillo	500,000 370,500	370,500
Matthew Davenport	450,000 40,000	40,000
Lukasz Grossmann	450,000 140,500	140,500
Volodymyr Drokin	450,000 263,000	263,000
Azamat Tulepbergenov	420,000 173,000	173,000
Tomer Lahav	380,000 -70,000	-70,000
Dean Hutchison	380,000 -5,000	-5,000
Georges Hanna	370,000 288,500	288,500
Siarhei Chudapal	230,000 -220,000	-220,000
Michael Brown	220,000 -80,000	-80,000
Andrea Dato	210,000 -30,000	-30,000

Maksim Shornikau	175,000
Eduard Norel	160,000 -170,500	-170,500
Peng Yang	150,000 70,000	70,000
Joe Mouawad	130,000 -73,000	-73,000

Munteanu Shows the Bluff

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Ryan Lashmar

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

Bogdan Munteanu opened to 7,500 from middle position and a player in the hijack three-bet to 21,000. Munteanu made the call.

The flop came J♥9♠8♥ and Munteanu check-called a 15,000 continuation bet from his opponent.

Both players checked the K♠ turn leading to the 5♣ river. Munteanu bet 10,000, the hijack raised to 50,000 and Munteanu moved all in, covering his opponent who had roughly 150,000 behind. The hijack opted to fold and Munteanu revealed he had Q♦Q♣ for a pair of queens turned into a bluff to take the pot without showdown.

Player	Chips	Progress
Bogdan Munteanu	530,000 238,000	238,000

Tags: Bogdan Munteanu

01-23-2024 17:04 UTC+2

Iaculli Earns a Massive Double Off Warde

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David Salituro

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

More than 300,000 was already in the pot as Gianfranco Iaculli and Jad Warde went to the turn on a board of K♣2♠5♦7♠.

Both players then checked to the 8♦ river, where Iaculli moved all in for 150,000. "What do you have," Warde pondered as he tanked for several minutes.

Warde eventually called and Iaculli turned over 5♥5♠ for a set. Warde's cards quickly hit the muck and Iaculli doubled up to nearly 600,000.

Player	Chips	Progress
Gianfranco Iaculli	560,000 217,500	217,500
Jad Warde	300,000 300,000	300,000

Tags: Gianfranco Iaculli Jad Warde

01-23-2024 16:53 UTC+2

Melkisetian Spikes the Turn to Bust Kaba

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David Salituro

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

Heads-up on a flop of 3♥10♥7♦, Huseyin Kaba moved all in for 71,000 from under the gun and Ara Melkisetian called.

Huseyin Kaba: K♠10♠
Ara Melkisetian: K♥4♥

Kaba was ahead with top pair, while Melkisetian had a flush draw. The A♥ turn completed Melkisetian's flush and Kaba was already drawing dead by the 4♦ river as he was sent to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ara Melkisetian	600,000 400,000	400,000
Huseyin Kaba	Busted

Tags: Ara Melkisetian Huseyin Kaba

01-23-2024 16:45 UTC+2

Barka Leaves Tishkevich Short after Brutal Turn

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Ryan Lashmar

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

Monika Zukowicz opened to 7,000 from early position and Stanislav Tishkevich three-bet to 21,000 from middle position. Samy Barka called in late position and Zukowicz got out of the way.

Tishkevich fired an 18,000 continuation bet on the A♦8♥6♦ flop that was called by Barka.

On the 9♠ turn Tishkevich checked and Barka bet 100,000 into the 90,000 pot. Tishkevich moved all in for roughly 225,000 and Barka, who was slightly covered, made the call.

Samy Barka: 9♣9♥
Stanislav Tishkevich: A♦K♠

Tishkevich had flopped top pair but Barka had turned a set of nines leaving Tishkevich drawing dead. The 10♦ river was a formality after which Barka scored a full double up through Tishkevich who was left with under ten big blinds.

Player	Chips	Progress
Samy Barka	473,000 173,000	173,000

Monika Zukowicz	217,000 -3,000	-3,000
Stanislav Tishkevich	29,000 -261,000	-261,000

Tags: Monika Zukowicz Samy Barka Stanislav Tishkevich

Level: 14

Blinds: 2,000/3,500

Ante: 3,500

01-23-2024 16:32 UTC+2

Hu Shows Hasbani the Nuts

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David Salituro

Level 13 : Blinds 1,500/3,500, 3,500 ante

Heads-up on a flop of Q♣A♦9♦, David Hu bet 18,000 from the cutoff and Antoine Hasbani called in early position.

Both players checked the A♠ turn before Hasbani led out for 18,000 on the K♥ river.

Hu then raised to 95,000 and Hasbani called. Hu showed A♣K♠ for a full house and Hasbani mucked.

Player	Chips	Progress
David Hu	500,000 200,000	200,000
Ryan Plant	450,000 135,000	135,000
Nuri Hadioglu	380,000 46,000	46,000
Baurzhan Akimov	250,000 68,500	68,500
Antoine Hasbani	180,000 -60,000	-60,000

Tags: Antoine Hasbani David Hu

01-23-2024 16:29 UTC+2

Achour Cracks Dziubdziela's Queens

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 13 : Blinds 1,500/3,500, 3,500 ante

Marcin Dziubdziela was in the hijack and had three-bet a previous open to 26,000 only for Maher Achour to four-bet to 80,000 from the small blind. All other players got out of the way before Dziubdziela moved all in for 227,000.

Achour thought about the decision for about 90 seconds before calling with a covering stack to put Dziubdziela at risk.

Marcin Dziubdziela: Q♠Q♦
Maher Achour: 9♥9♣

Achour made middle set on the 10♥9♦5♣ flop leaving Dziubdziela drawing to just two outs. The 3♥ turn and 2♥ river changed nothing for either player and Dziubdziela hit the rail while Achour dragged in a pot worth nearly 150 big blinds.

Player	Chips	Progress
Maher Achour	721,000 214,500	214,500
Marcin Dziubdziela	Busted

Tags: Maher Achour Marcin Dziubdziela