2023 Merit Poker Western Series

$5,300 High Roller
Day: 1
Event Info

2023 Merit Poker Western Series

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
a9
Prize
$170,000
Event Info
Buy-in
$5,300
Prize Pool
$676,200
Entries
147
Level Info
Level
31
Blinds
125,000 / 250,000
Ante
250,000
Players Info - Day 1
Entries
95
Players Left
69

$5,300 High Roller

Day 1 Completed

Guarantee Smashed on Big Day 1 of $5,300 High Roller

Level 8 : Blinds 1,000/1,500, 1,500 ante
Vladislav Ivanov
Vladislav Ivanov

Day 1 of the Merit Poker Western Series $5,300 High Roller has been completed with an expedient 6 hours of play through eight levels. The day attracted 95 entries which is enough to already blow past and nearly double the $250,000 guarantee. At the end of play about 69 players were left standing to move on to Day 2.

One of the largest stacks to emerge at the conclusion of play was Andrew Hulme of the United Kingdom who finished the night with 359,000. Very much on his heels was Mikhail Zamiatin who bagged up just slightly less with 354,000. He collected a large pot in one of the final hands of the night when his pocket queens bested pocket jacks on a hand that played out with all undercards and got it all in on the turn.

Top 10 Chip Counts

PositionPlayerChip CountBig Blinds
1Andrew Hulme359,500240
2Jenya Gavrilovich355,000237
3Mikhail Zamiatin354,000236
4Roman Kolotiuk339,500226
5Andreas Tomazou332,500222
6Vladislav Ivanov330,000220
7Mohamad El-Sayed330,000220
8Aleksandr Pak318,500212
9Recep Aydemir314,000209
10Gokhan Ozbek290,000193

With not a ton of play yet to really separate the stacks there were several players who bagged in the same range of just north of 3x starting stack. Some of them would include; Roman Kolotiuk (332,000), Vladislav Ivanov (330,000), Mohamad El-Sayed (330,000), and Recep Aydemir (314,000).

Registration is still open for four more levels into Day 2, so the prizepool is sure to only grow further as the real meat of the action will start to happen tomorrow after play gets started at 8 p.m. at the Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino.

PokerNews will continue coverage of this event for Day 2, where full chip counts and seat draw will be available before the start of play.

Tags: Andrew HulmeMikhail ZamiatinMohamad El-SayedRecep AydemirRoman KolotiukVladislav Ivanov

Assorted End of Day 1 Chip Counts (full)

Level 8 : Blinds 1,000/1,500, 1,500 ante
Player Chips Progress
Andrew Hulme gb
Andrew Hulme
359,000 169,000
Jenya Gavrilovich by
Jenya Gavrilovich
355,000 355,000
Mikhail Zamiatin ru
Mikhail Zamiatin
354,000 74,000
Roman Kolotiuk ru
Roman Kolotiuk
339,500 339,500
Andreas Tomazou cy
Andreas Tomazou
332,500 332,500
Mohamad El-Sayed lb
Mohamad El-Sayed
330,000 133,000
Vladislav Ivanov ru
Vladislav Ivanov
330,000 125,000
Aleksandr Pak uz
Aleksandr Pak
318,500 8,500
Recep Aydemir tr
Recep Aydemir
314,000 229,000
Gokhan Ozbek tr
Gokhan Ozbek
290,000 234,000
Koray Korkmaz tr
Koray Korkmaz
282,000 129,000
Giorgii Shkulukhiia ru
Giorgii Shkulukhiia
270,500 270,500
Uri Reichenstein il
Uri Reichenstein
266,000 101,000
Ghanim Dashti kw
Ghanim Dashti
254,000 117,000
Dawid Kuliberda pl
Dawid Kuliberda
254,000 -26,000
Michele D'Angelo it
Michele D'Angelo
234,000 234,000
Gaurav Law in
Gaurav Law
220,000 62,000
Luc Bindel fr
Luc Bindel
197,000 2,000
Viktor Ustimov ru
Viktor Ustimov
189,000 84,000
Seref Dursun Anar tr
Seref Dursun Anar
183,500 183,500
Mustafa Biz tr
Mustafa Biz
182,000 139,000
Kubanychbek Abakirov kg
Kubanychbek Abakirov
182,000 52,000
Joseph Mouwad lb
Joseph Mouwad
178,500 178,500
Yauhen Kontush by
Yauhen Kontush
178,000 178,000
Reza Sadat us
Reza Sadat
177,500 58,500

Read full

Zamiatin Pips Batkhuu With Better Overpair

Level 8 : Blinds 1,000/1,500, 1,500 ante

Three players were on a flop of {10-Hearts}{2-Diamonds}{9-Hearts}. The pot had about 44,000 in it and Perenledorj Batkhuu bet 16,000. Middle position player folded and Mikhail Zamiatin called from the cutoff.

The turn was the {6-Diamonds}. Batkhuu bet 42,000. Zamiatin waited for a while before announcing all in for about 82,000. Batkhuu called after few took a few moments.

Zamiatin had the lead with the {q-Clubs}{q-Diamonds} vs the {j-}{j-} of Batkhuu. The river was the {a-Clubs} to give Zamiatin the nice pot.

Player Chips Progress
Mikhail Zamiatin ru
Mikhail Zamiatin
280,000 280,000
Perenledorj Batkhuu mn
Perenledorj Batkhuu
165,000 165,000

Tags: Mikhail Zamaitan

Level: 8

Blinds: 1,000/1,500

Ante: 1,500

Kuliberda Lays it Down to Law

Level 7 : Blinds 800/1,500, 1,500 ante
Gaurav Law
Gaurav Law

The board was completed on the river to read {3-Spades}{2-Spades}{q-Hearts}{2-Hearts}{4-Hearts}. From the big blind, Gaudray Law bet 16,000 from the big blind into a pot of around 28,000.

Dawid Kuliberda considered it for a while from early position. He would eventually fold to send the pot to Law.

Player Chips Progress
Dawid Kuliberda pl
Dawid Kuliberda
280,000 -130,000
Gaurav Law in
Gaurav Law
158,000 158,000

Tags: Dawid Kuliberda

Ivanov Makes Right Fold

Level 7 : Blinds 800/1,500, 1,500 ante

Action was on the turn as the board read {5-Hearts}{j-Hearts}{a-Spades}{10-Diamonds}. Ghassan Bitar jammed 37,000 from the button into a pot of 25,000.

Aleksandr Ivanov went into the tank to consider it. Eventually, he folded and showed the {a-Clubs} that he was laying down.

Bitar showed him the {a-Hearts}{5-Diamonds} for two pair to assure Ivanov that he had made the right fold.

Player Chips Progress
Aleksandr Ivanov ru
Aleksandr Ivanov
99,000 99,000
Ghassan Bitar mc
Ghassan Bitar
53,000 35,000

Tags: Aleksandr IvanovGhassan Bitar

Hulme Gets Call For Double

Level 7 : Blinds 800/1,500, 1,500 ante

The board read {2-Diamonds}{q-Hearts}{9-Clubs}{q-Clubs}{5-Diamonds}. Andrew Hulme had moved all in for his remaining amount. Ghassan Bitar had him covered by not very much and called after tanking or a while.

Hulme tabled the {9-Diamonds}{9-Hearts} boat which was good for the pot as Bitar had to surrender almost his entire stack.

Player Chips Progress
Andrew Hulme gb
Andrew Hulme
190,000 90,000
Ghassan Bitar mc
Ghassan Bitar
18,000 18,000

Tags: Andrew HulmeGhassan Bitar