2023 Merit Poker Western Series

$3,300 Main Event
Day: 3
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 3
Entries
114
Players Left
16

Livshitz Calls With Better Overpair to Decimate Aristotelos

Level 26 : Blinds 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante
Gabi Livshitz
Gabi Livshitz

Action was picked up on the turn as the board read {6-Spades}{5-Clubs}{7-Diamonds}{5-Diamonds}. The pot had about 300,000 in it and from middle position, Katherina Aristotelos jammed all in, having Gabi Livshitz covered by a bit. Livshitz was under the gun and went deep into the tank.

Eventually the clock was called and Livshitz spiked in the call as the countdown started.

Aristotelos emphatically tabled the {10-Clubs}{10-Diamonds} which Livshitz had beat with the {q-Hearts}{q-Spades}.

The river was the {j-Hearts} to confirm the big pot for Livshitz and send Aristotelos to only a few big blinds.

Player Chips Progress
Gabi Livshitz il
Gabi Livshitz
3,300,000
1,350,000
1,350,000
Katherina Aristotelos cy
Katherina Aristotelos
140,000
-2,060,000
-2,060,000

Tags: Gabi LivshitzKatherina Aristotelos

Matta On Right Side of Three-Way All In

Level 26 : Blinds 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante
Serge Matta
Serge Matta

Danil Shalaev moved all in for 1,125,000 from under the gun and was called by Maroun Jazzar on the button and Serge Matta in the big blind.

The dealer asked the players to show their cards before it was pointed out that Matta was not yet all in. The tournament floor had to be called over to sort out the bets before the {a-Hearts}{k-Spades}{3-Clubs} flop was dealt.

Matta then moved all in for 365,000 and Jazzar snap-called.

Danil Shalaev: {k-Hearts}{q-Clubs}
Serge Matta: {a-Spades}{a-Diamonds}
Maroun Jazzar: {a-Clubs}{k-Diamonds}

Matta had flopped top set and had both opponents crushed. "I'm dead," Jazzar said as he was left with just top two pair. The board ran out {2-Spades}{5-Hearts} and Matta leapt from his seat in celebration, while Shalaev was sent to the rail.

Player Chips Progress
Serge Matta lb
Serge Matta
3,800,000
2,970,000
2,970,000
Maroun Jazzar lb
Maroun Jazzar
3,500,000
-1,700,000
-1,700,000
Danil Shalaev
Danil Shalaev
Busted

Tags: Danil ShalaevMaroun JazzarSerge Matta

Korkmaz Calls Off to Jazzar

Level 27 : Blinds 40,000/80,000, 80,000 ante
Koray Korkmaz
Koray Korkmaz

In a blind versus blind battle with 400,000 in the pot on a board of {3-Hearts}{j-Spades}{8-Spades}{7-Diamonds}, Koray Korkmaz bet 385,000 before Maroun Jazzar shoved all in.

Korkmaz, with around 1,700,000, remaining tanked for several minutes as he chatted with Jazzar. He eventually called with {j-Hearts}{7-Hearts} for two pair, but Jazzar had {10-Hearts}{9-Hearts} for a straight.

The river came the {5-Hearts} and Korkmaz was sent to the rail.

The remaining 26 players are now drawing for seats at the final three tables.

Player Chips Progress
Maroun Jazzar lb
Maroun Jazzar
5,700,000
2,200,000
2,200,000
Koray Korkmaz tr
Koray Korkmaz
Busted

Tags: Koray KorkmazMaroun Jazzar

Nikolay Fal Eliminated in 26th Place ($13,180)

Level 27 : Blinds 40,000/80,000, 80,000 ante
Nikolay Fal
Nikolay Fal

Nikolay Fal moved his last 1,000,000 into the middle and was called by Ernestas Degtiariovas on the button.

Nikolay Fal: {k-Diamonds}{j-Diamonds}
Ernestas Degtiariovas: {a-Spades}{q-Hearts}

Degtiariovas hit top pair on the {a-Hearts}{3-Clubs}{2-Diamonds} and Fal tapped the felt and wished the table luck after the {2-Clubs} turn and {3-Hearts} river sealed his elimination.

Player Chips Progress
Ernestas Degtiariovas lt
Ernestas Degtiariovas
3,200,000
650,000
650,000
Nikolay Fal ru
Nikolay Fal
Busted
WSOP 1X Winner

Tags: Ernestas DegtiariovasNikolay Fal

Kassem Hammoud Eliminated in 24th Place ($15,060)

Level 27 : Blinds 40,000/80,000, 80,000 ante
Kassem Hammoud
Kassem Hammoud

Bakhos Joumaa raised to 190,000 from the small blind before Kassem Hammoud in the big blind moved all in for 740,000. Joumaa used a time bank card before he called.

Kassem Hammoud: {a-Spades}{5-Spades}
Bakhos Joumaa: {k-Spades}{10-Spades}

Hammoud hit trips on the {a-Hearts}{a-Clubs}{j-Clubs} flop as Joumaa began counting out the chips to pay him off. The {10-Hearts} fell on the turn, followed by the {q-Spades} on the river as Joumaa made a straight.

Hammoud sat stunned in his seat for a few moments before he and Joumaa exchanged a fist pump and he went to collect his payout.

Player Chips Progress
Bakhos Joumaa lb
Bakhos Joumaa
3,300,000
1,700,000
1,700,000
Kassem Hammoud cy
Kassem Hammoud
Busted

Tags: Bakhos JoumaaKassem Hammoud

Boris Smuskevicius Eliminated in 23rd Place ($15,060)

Level 28 : Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
Boris Smuskevicius
Boris Smuskevicius

Boris Smuskevicius moved all in for his last 640,000 from early position and Aleksandr Chernikov quickly flicked in a chip to call from middle position.

Boris Smuskevicius: {a-Clubs}{7-Clubs}
Aleksandr Chernikov: {a-Spades}{q-Diamonds}

Both players hit an ace on the {3-Hearts}{a-Hearts}{10-Clubs}, but Chernikov's queen-kicker played as the board ran out {6-Spades}{k-Diamonds}. Smuskevicius tapped the felt and headed for the payout desk, while Chernikov cracked the 10,000,000 chip barrier.

Player Chips Progress
Aleksandr Chernikov ru
Aleksandr Chernikov
10,200,000
350,000
350,000
Day 3 Chip Leader
Boris Smuskevicius lt
Boris Smuskevicius
Busted

Tags: Aleksandr ChernikovBoris Smuskevicius

Walid Bou Habib Eliminated in 21st Place ($16,890)

Level 28 : Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
Walid Bou Habib
Walid Bou Habib

Walid Bou Habib moved all in for 1,275,000 and Viktor Ustimov called in the big blind.

Walid Bou Habib: {j-Diamonds}{j-Hearts}
Viktor Ustimov: {a-Clubs}{10-Spades}

Bou Habib was ahead with his jacks, but Ustimov spiked an ace on the {5-Spades}{a-Hearts}{k-Spades} flop to take the lead. The board ran out {q-Hearts}{4-Spades} and Bou Habib was eliminated.

Player Chips Progress
Viktor Ustimov ru
Viktor Ustimov
5,500,000
1,080,000
1,080,000
Walid Bou Habib lb
Walid Bou Habib
Busted

Tags: Viktor UstimovWalid Bou Habib

El Khoury Gabriel Eliminated in 20th Place ($16,890)

Level 28 : Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
El Khoury Gabriel
El Khoury Gabriel

Aleksandr Chernikov raised to 200,000 from early position as action folded around to El Khoury Gabriel on the button, who moved all in for 315,000.

The blinds got out of the way but Chernikov quickly called.

El Khoury Gabriel: {k-Diamonds}{j-Spades}
Aleksandr Chernikov: {a-Spades}{7-Spades}

Gabriel hit top pair on the {j-Clubs}{5-Spades}{8-Spades} flop, but the chip leader wasn't going to be beaten that easily. The board ran out {7-Hearts}{a-Hearts} and Chernikov made running two pair to bust Gabriel in 20th place.

Player Chips Progress
Aleksandr Chernikov ru
Aleksandr Chernikov
10,500,000
300,000
300,000
Day 3 Chip Leader
El Khoury Gabriel lb
El Khoury Gabriel
Busted

Tags: Aleksandr ChernikovEl Khoury Gabriel

Viktor Ustimov Eliminated in 19th Place ($16,890)

Level 28 : Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
Viktor Ustimov
Viktor Ustimov

Viktor Ustimov raised to 200,000 from the hijack before Justus Held three-bet in the small blind to 725,000. Dominik Panka, in the big blind, reraised to 1,600,000.

Ustimov then moved all in for 4,600,000 as Held got out of the way. Panka, though, tanked for several minutes before he called.

Viktor Ustimov: {a-Hearts}{k-Spades}
Dominik Panka: {j-Spades}{j-Diamonds}

It was a massive coin flip, with more than 10,000,000 at state, as the board ran out {2-Clubs}{10-Diamonds}{2-Spades}{3-Diamonds}{9-Spades}. Panka's jacks stayed in front to bust Ustimov in 19th place as he took the tournament chip lead into the final two tables.

Player Chips Progress
Dominik Panka pl
Dominik Panka
12,000,000
6,955,000
6,955,000
WSOP 1X Winner
EPT 1X Winner
Viktor Ustimov ru
Viktor Ustimov
Busted

Georges Chehade Eliminated in 18th Place ($19,155)

Level 28 : Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
Georges Chehade
Georges Chehade

Georges Chehade moved all in in preflop for 700,000 from under the gun. Serge Matta called on his left before Ernestas Degtiariovas took a moment and three-bet to 2,100,000 from the button. Matta folded after a few moments of thought.

Georges Chehade: {3-Hearts}{3-Spades}
Ernestas Degtiariovas: {k-Diamonds}{k-Clubs}

The board ran out {5-Hearts}{a-Spades}{5-Clubs}{k-Hearts}{7-Spades} as it was wrapped up on the turn and Chehade was eliminated.

Player Chips Progress
Ernestas Degtiariovas lt
Ernestas Degtiariovas
4,200,000
1,000,000
1,000,000
Serge Matta lb
Serge Matta
3,200,000
Georges Chehade lb
Georges Chehade
Busted

Tags: Ernestas DegtiariovasGeorges ChehadeSerge Matta