$3,300 Main Event
Day 1cd Started
2023 Merit Poker Western Series
$3,300 Main Event
Day: 1cd
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1cd
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
Entries
155
Players Left
85
Third Starting Flight of the Massive Merit Poker Western Series Main Event Begins at 12 p.m.
Players will get another chance at becoming the Merit Poker Western Series champion when Day 1c of the $3,300 Main Event begins at noon local time.
A total of 415 entries have gathered inside the Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino in North Cyprus through the first two starting flights, with 198 players already securing their spot into Day 2. Tunisia's Chakim M'Hiri is the current chip leader with 627,000, followed by Aleksandar Jakovljevic at 607,000.
Timur Margolin (429,000), La Sengphet (325,000), Gabi Livshitz (338,500), and Maxime Chilaud (314,500) have also made it through to Day 2 already with big stacks. British pros Ryan Mandara and Paul Browne, coming off a final table run in the $2,200 Warm Up, are back at it for another deep run, Mandara finishing Day 1 with 265,000 and Browne with 258,000.
Day 1a and 1b Top 10 chip counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chakim M'Hiri | Tunisia | 627,000 | 251 |
| 2 | Aleksandar Jakovljevic | Romania | 607,000 | 243 |
| 3 | Salavat Shafigullin | Russia | 511,000 | 204 |
| 4 | Anatoly Shteyn | Russia | 505,000 | 202 |
| 5 | Mohamad El-Sayed | Lebanon | 496,000 | 198 |
| 6 | Osman Atmaca | Turkey | 495,000 | 198 |
| 7 | Koray Korkmaz | Turkey | 475,000 | 190 |
| 8 | Eduard Bagrov | Armenia | 467,000 | 187 |
| 9 | Sergei Sokharev | Russia | 459,000 | 184 |
| 10 | Michel Atallah | Lebanon | 440,000 | 176 |
Those who take their shot at joining this list on Day 1c will playnine 40-minute levels, down from 60 minutes on the first two starting flights. There is a 10-minute break every three levels. Late registration is open until the end of Level 13 on Day 2, so there will be plenty of chances for the already-sizeable field to grow substantially larger. A turbo Day 1d flight is also taking place at 7 p.m. local time tonight.
PokerNews will be following all the action as this seaside resort along the shores of the Mediterranean is again filled up with players hoping they are the ones to walk away with the largest share of the $1,500,000 guaranteed prize pool.
Shuffle Up and Deal
Day 1c is now underway with 40 players currently registered.
Level: 1
Blinds: 200/500
Ante: 500
Sonsino Is Dominated, Gets There on the Turn
Level 1
: Blinds 200/500, 500 ante
Amir Sonsino and Tolga Ismen went heads-up to a 
flop when Sonsino, from the cutoff, bet 800. Ismen called from the big blind.
The turn came the 
and Ismen checked over to Sonsino, who bet another 1,700. Ismen again called as the 
fell on the river.
Ismen checked once more as Sonsino took one last peek at his cards before checking behind. Ismen flashed 
, but Sonsino had 
for a turned pair of fives to take down the early pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
103,000 | |
|
97,000
97,000
|
97,000 |
Some Early Notables
Level 1
: Blinds 200/500, 500 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
||
|
100,000 | |
|
100,000 | |
|
|
||
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
|
||
Bou Habib Builds Big Pot, Checks It Down
Level 1
: Blinds 200/500, 500 ante
Makram Bou Habib, Damir Zhugralin, and a player in the hijack each put in 2,000 preflop as the dealer turned over 
. Bou Habib, in the big blind, fired out 5,700 and only Zhugralin called.
The turn came the 
and Bou Habib played with his chips for a moment before checking. "Did he check," Zhugralin confirmed with the dealer before checking behind.
The 
fell on the river and Bou Habib again checked. Zhugralin quickly checked back and Bou Habib took down the big pot with 
.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
120,000 | |
|
90,000 |
Karali Gets Korochenskiy to Lay Down Overpair
Level 1
: Blinds 200/500, 500 ante
Action was picked up on the river with already around 30,000 in the pot and the board showing 
. Zeki Karali placed a bet of 22,000 in front of him as his opponent, Anatoly Korochenskiy, went into the tank.
"Very strong, sir," Korochenskiy said.
"Not much," Karali replied.
Korochenskiy eventually folded 
face up as Karali took in the pot without revealing his cards.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
135,000 | |
|
82,000
82,000
|
82,000 |
Saran Can't Bluff Sonsino
Level 1
: Blinds 200/500, 500 ante
Amir Sonsino has won another early pot here on Day 1c, this time picking off a failed bluff attempt by [Removed:446].
Sonsino and Saran were heads-up on a board of 
when Sonsino, in middle position, bet 6,800. Saran raised from under the gun to 18,000.
Sonsino tanked for about a minute before he called as Saran showed 
, playing the straight on the board. Sonsino turned over for a jack-high straight to take down the big pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
125,000
22,000
|
22,000 |
|
|
80,000 |
Saran Staying Aggressive
Level 1
: Blinds 200/500, 500 ante
Soon after his failed bluff of Amir Sonsino, [Removed:446] got involved in another big pot when he three-bet to 5,000 from the button and received two callers in middle position.
The flop came 
and action checked to Saran, who continued for 6,500. Only Boris Mondrus called as both players checked the turn.
The river was the and Mondrus led out for 5,500. Saran raised to 25,500 and Mondrus snap-called. Saran quickly mucked his hand as Mondrus turned over for top set.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
150,000 | |
|
|
40,000
-40,000
|
-40,000 |