$3,300 Main Event
Day 4 Started
2023 Merit Poker Western Series
$3,300 Main Event
Day: 4
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 4
2023 Merit Poker Western Series
Buy-in
$3,300
Prize Pool
$2,089,320
Entries
757
Level
38
Blinds
500,000 / 1,000,000
Ante
1,000,000
Players Left
1
New Champion Will Be Crowned on the Final Day of the Merit Poker Western Series Main Event
The Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino has welcomed poker players from around the world for the past 10 days to this glittered seaside paradise by the Mediterranean. That journey is capped off today when the Merit Poker Western Series crowns its champion in the $3,300 Main Event.
Just 16 players out of a starting field of 757 entries are still in contention for the title when play resumes at 1 p.m. local time in North Cyprus. Aleksandr Chernikov (13,600,000) and Dominik Panka (11,575,000) pace the field, holding more than a third of the total chips in play between them.
Trying to chase them down will be Eduard Barsegian (9,450,000), Amarbayasgalan Sainjargal (6,175,000), and Ernestas Degtiariovas (4,850,000). Further down the leaderboard are Luc Bindel (4,200,000), Maroun Jazzar (3,725,000), Ara Melkisetian (2,300,000), and Edgard Raffoul (2,000,000). Each remaining player is already guaranteed $19,155, with the champion taking home $372,800.
Final 16 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aleksandr Chernikov | 13,600,000 | 91 |
| 2 | Dominik Panka | 11,575,000 | 77 |
| 3 | Eduard Barsegian | 9,450,000 | 63 |
| 4 | Amarbayasgalan Sainjargal | 6,175,000 | 41 |
| 5 | Ernestas Degtiariovas | 4,850,000 | 32 |
| 6 | Luc Bindel | 4,200,000 | 28 |
| 7 | Vladislav Doroshkov | 3,975,000 | 27 |
| 8 | Maroun Jazzar | 3,725,000 | 25 |
| 9 | Serge Matta | 3,175,000 | 21 |
| 10 | Justus Held | 2,825,000 | 19 |
| 11 | Maciej Komorowski | 2,425,000 | 16 |
| 12 | Ara Melkisetian | 2,300,000 | 15 |
| 13 | Sergei Efimov | 2,000,000 | 13 |
| 14 | Edgard Raffoul | 2,000,000 | 13 |
| 15 | Bakhos Joumaa | 1,850,000 | 12 |
| 16 | Orthodoxos Orthodoxou | 1,375,000 | 9 |
The action will pick up on Level 30, with blinds of 100,000-150,000 and a 150,000 big blind ante. Merit Poker will also be streaming the feature table on a 30-minute delay on their YouTube channel.
These 16 players are left out of what was once a massive field spread over two rooms. At the end of today, there will be only one champion. PokerNews will be guiding you along the entire way with live updates until the newest champion is holding aloft the coveted Merit Poker trophy.
Shuffle Up and Deal
The players are in their seats and the final day of the Merit Poker Western Series Main Event is now underway.
Level: 30
Blinds: 100,000/150,000
Ante: 150,000
Held Moves In
Level 30
: Blinds 100,000/150,000, 150,000 ante
Eduard Barsegian raised under the gun to 325,000 as action folded around to Justus Held in the big blind. Held moved all in for around 2,500,000.
Barsegian asked for a count and tanked for several minutes before he gave up his hand.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
9,000,000 | -450,000 |
|
3,000,000 | 175,000 |
Held Shoves Again, This Time After a Limp
Level 30
: Blinds 100,000/150,000, 150,000 ante
Justus Held has been the most active player at the outer table so far in Day 4 and just put all his chips in the middle for the second time.
Held limped in from the cutoff before Luc Bindel in the small blind raised to 550,000. Vladislav Doroshkov got out of the way in the big blind before Held moved all in.
Bindel snap-folded as Held took in another pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
3,600,000 | 600,000 |
|
3,300,000 | -900,000 |
Joumaa Spikes an Ace to Double
Level 30
: Blinds 100,000/150,000, 150,000 ante
Luc Bindel raised to 300,000 from the hijack before Bakhos Joumaa moved all in from the button for 1,200,000. Action folded back to Bindel, who took a sip of his coffee before announcing a call.
Bakhos Joumaa: 
Luc Bindel: 
Joumaa was behind Bindel's jacks but jumped into the lead on the 
flop with a pair of aces. The board ran out 
and Joumaa survived.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
2,600,000 | 750,000 |
|
|
2,000,000 | -1,300,000 |
Melkisetian Fades Everything to Double
Level 30
: 100,000/150,000, 150,000 ante
Amarbayasgalan Sainjargal raised to 325,000 from under the gun before Ara Melkisetian, next to act, moved all in for 1,900,000. Action folded back to Sainjargal who called to put Melkisetian at risk.
Ara Melkisetian: 
Amarbayasgalan Sainjargal: 
The flop came 
, followed by the 
on the turn as Sainjargal picked up both straight and flush draws.
The river, though, came the 
and Melkisetian doubled up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
4,300,000 | 2,000,000 |
|
2,300,000 | -3,875,000 |
Sergei Efimov Eliminated in 16th Place ($19,155)
Level 30
: Blinds 100,000/150,000, 150,000 ante
The next hand after Bakhos Joumaa, Dominik Panka raised to 300,000 from the button, then snap-called when Sergei Efimov shoved for 1,500,000 in the small blind.
Sergei Efimov:
Dominik Panka: 
Efimov had the same hand as Bindel but enjoyed the same luck with it as the flop came 
, giving Panka a pair of queens. Left looking for a one-outer, Efimov couldn't hit the miracle on the 
runout as he became the first casualty of the day.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
13,500,000 | 1,925,000 |
|
Busted |
Amarbayasgalan Sainjargal Eliminated in 15th Place ($22,040)
Level 30
: Blinds 100,000/150,000, 150,000 ante
Soon after losing the all-in pot to Ara Melkisetian, Amarbayasgalan Sainjargal called all in for his last 2,100,000 from the big blind after Maciej Komorowski had shoved from early position.
Amarbayasgalan Sainjargal: 
Maciej Komorowski: 
Sainjargal again picked up a draw on the 
board, but he missed the 
river and hit the rail in 15th place.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
4,800,000 | 2,375,000 |
|
|
Busted |