2023 Merit Poker Western Series

$3,300 Main Event
Day: 2
Event Info

2023 Merit Poker Western Series

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
a10
Prize
$372,800
Event Info
Buy-in
$3,300
Prize Pool
$2,089,320
Entries
757
Level Info
Level
38
Blinds
500,000 / 1,000,000
Ante
1,000,000
Players Info - Day 2
Entries
307
Players Left
114

Orthodoxou Has Ladies But No Heart

Level 16 : Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante

Orthodoxos Orthodoxou was under the gun and called a bet of 75,000 from Fida Hussein who was in the small blind on the turn with the board showing {10-Hearts}{j-Hearts}{4-Diamonds}{a-Hearts}.

The river came the {8-Hearts} to bring four hearts on board. Hussain checked. Orthodoxou moved all in. Hussain folded after a few moments.

Orthodoxou reeled in the pot and showed the {q-Clubs}{q-Diamonds} for no heart in his hand.

Player Chips Progress
Orthodoxos Orthodoxou cy
Orthodoxos Orthodoxou
Defending Champion
515,000 320,500
Fida Hussain
Fida Hussain
214,000 -106,000

Tags: Orthodoxos Orthodoxou

Swieboda Building Big Stack, Takes From Hadioglu With River Bet

Level 16 : Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante

Bartlomiej Swieboda and Nuri Hadioglu went heads-up to a {j-Diamonds}{3-Spades}{k-Spades} flop when Hadioglu bet 15,000 from early position.

Swieboda called from the big blind before both players checked the {4-Hearts} turn. The river came the {9-Clubs} and Swieboda this time led out for 42,000.

Hadioglu quickly gave up his hand as Swieboda took the pot to climb up to more than 700,000.

Player Chips Progress
Bartlomiej Swieboda pl
Bartlomiej Swieboda
720,000 613,000
Nuri Hadioglu tr
Nuri Hadioglu
400,000 -50,000

Tags: Bartlomiej SwiebodaNuri Hadioglu

Miral Leaves Newey With Crumbs

Level 16 : Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante

Can Miral on the button and Paul Newey in the big blind got all their chips in the middle before the flop.

Can Miral: {k-Diamonds}{q-Clubs}
Paul Newey: {a-Diamonds}{10-Hearts}

Miral hit two pair on the {k-Clubs}{7-Hearts}{q-Diamonds} flop, while Newey was looking to complete a straight draw. The board ran out {4-Spades}{7-Spades} and Miral took the pot.

Newey thought he was eliminated and got up from his seat, wishing his tablemates luck, before a recount showed he had Miral's remaining 98,000 barely covered.

Player Chips Progress
Can Miral tr
Can Miral
210,000 111,500
Paul Newey gb
Paul Newey
10,000 -76,000

Tags: Paul NeweyCan Miral

Chilaud Busts Hashim After Call

Level 16 : Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante

The board showed {5-Spades}{k-Diamonds}{5-Hearts}{6-Clubs}{2-Hearts}. Maxime Chilaud had bet enough to put Hassanin Hashim all in.

Hashim waited a while before calling. Chilaud tabled the {k-Hearts}{q-Spades} which was the winner against the {a-Hearts}{10-Diamonds}oh Hashim which was tabled because of the all in and he walked away busted.

Player Chips Progress
Maxime Chilaud fr
Maxime Chilaud
885,000 309,000
Hassanin Hashim nz
Hassanin Hashim
Busted

Tags: Maxime Chilaud

Panka Shows Down Kings in Massive Pot

Level 16 : Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
Dominik Panka
Dominik Panka

Dominik Panka opened to 13,000 and was called by big stack [Removed:422] in middle position.

The flop came {4-Hearts}{4-Spades}{9-Hearts} and Panka continued for 30,000. Soyirgaz called, then called another 70,000 on the {j-Diamonds} turn.

The river came the {7-Spades} can Panka moved all in for 238,000. Soyirgaz tanked for several minutes, counting down his chips, before he slid them into the middle for a call.

Panka turned over {k-Clubs}{k-Diamonds} and Soyirgaz flashed {5-}{5-} before he mucked as Panka earned a massive double up.

Player Chips Progress
Dominik Panka pl
Dominik Panka
WSOP 1X Winner
EPT 1X Winner
590,000 215,000
[Removed:422] tr
[Removed:422]
500,000 -350,000

Tags: Dominik Panka

Level: 16

Blinds: 3,000/6,000

Ante: 6,000

Sinclair Gets a Boost Into Dinner

Level 15 : Blinds 2,000/5,000, 5,000 ante

On the last hand before dinner break, Jack Sinclair bet 15,000 on a flop of {q-Diamonds}{4-Hearts}{a-Clubs} and was called by Fida Hussain in middle position.

The turn came the {5-Spades} and Sinclair continued for 45,000. Hussain quickly called as the {5-Diamonds} fell on the river.

Sinclair bet another 25,000 and Hussain called with {a-Spades}{8-Hearts}. Sinclair, though, had him out-kicked with {a-Diamonds}{j-Spades} to take the pot as players headed off on break.

Player Chips Progress
Fida Hussain
Fida Hussain
320,000 105,000
Jack Sinclair gb
Jack Sinclair
WSOP 1X Winner
200,000 35,000

Tags: Fida HussainJack Sinclair

Top 5 Poker Movies You Must Watch

Level 15 : Blinds 2,000/5,000, 5,000 ante

Over the past century, poker has permeated pop culture, especially when it comes to motion pictures. Long before the “Poker Boom”, and even before the World Series of Poker (WSOP) was a thing, poker had already made its big screen debut.

Over the decades, poker fans have been treated to a plethora of poker movies, some good and others not so much. Some well-received poker films include the western comedy Maverick (1994), Survivor host Jeff Probst’s debut film Finder’s Fee (2001), the improv-inspired The Grand (2007), indie comedy darling Hitting the Nuts (2010), and the high-profile Hollywood flick Molly’s Game (2017).

All of those are among the best poker movies of all time, and if this article was “Top 10” instead of “Top 5 Poker Movies,” chances are they’d make the final list. However, the PokerNews crew got together, along with input from social media, to determine the top five must-watch poker movies of all time.

Read the Top 5 Poker Movies You Must Watch Here!