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
Players Left 1 / 757
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Shafigullin Turns Up the Bubble Pressure

Level 21 : Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante
Salavat Shafigullen
Salavat Shafigullen

Salavat Shafigullen raised to 40,000 from early position. Ceyhan Tezcan three-bet to 90,000 from middle position. Shafigullen then four-bet a small amount to 150,000 and Tezcan called.

The flop came {6-Spades}{2-Clubs}{j-Diamonds}. Tezcan bet 120,000. Shafigullen raised to 300,000 and Tezcan quickly made the call.

The {9-Hearts} came off on the turn. Shafigullen jammed all in. Tezcan got a count as he was covered and had to make the decision on the stone bubble. After about a minute he folded.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Salavat Shafigullin ru
Salavat Shafigullin
2,400,000
1,585,000
1,585,000
Day 1A Chip Leader
Profile photo of Ceyhan Tezcan tr
Ceyhan Tezcan
640,000
590,000
590,000

Tags: Ceyhan TezcanSalavat Shafigullen

Toni Kaukua Bubbles the Main Event

Level 21 : Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante
Toni Kaukua
Toni Kaukua

Toni Kaukua was under the gun and tanked for several minutes before the clock was called. He eventually raised to 40,000, leaving himself just 20,000 behind.

Azizjon Rakhimov then raised to 100,000 from middle position, Sergei Efimov called in the big blind, and Kaukua put in his last chips.

Rakhimov and Efimov checked down the {2-Diamonds}{7-Hearts}{9-Spades}{j-Spades}{8-Spades} board and Rakhimov showed {a-Diamonds}{j-Hearts} for a pair of jacks. Efimov had {q-Spades}{j-Clubs} and Kaukua showed {a-Hearts}{k-Hearts} before he headed to the exit as the unfortunate bubble boy.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Sergei Efimov ru
Sergei Efimov
3,200,000
250,000
250,000
Profile photo of Azizjon Rakhimov uz
Azizjon Rakhimov
800,000
470,000
470,000
Profile photo of Toni Kaukua fi
Toni Kaukua
Busted

Tags: Azizjon RakhimovSergei EfimovToni Kaukua

Akimov Creeps Past the Bubble

Level 21 : Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante

Baurzhan Akimov survived the bubble with around 125,000 and moved all in from under the gun. Seref Dursun Anar called in the big blind.

Baurzhan Akimov: {k-Diamonds}{10-Clubs}
Seref Dursun Anar: {3-Clubs}{3-Diamonds}

Akimov picked up a straight draw to go with his overcards as the board came {4-Spades}{8-Spades}{q-Hearts}{9-Diamonds}, but he received no further help on the {2-Diamonds} river and was sent to the payout desk.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Seref Dursun Anar tr
Seref Dursun Anar
700,000
Profile photo of Baurzhan Akimov kz
Baurzhan Akimov
Busted

Tags: Baurzhan AkimovSeref Dursun Anar

Chernikov Sends Chisu to the Rail

Level 21 : Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante
Aleksandr Chernikov
Aleksandr Chernikov

There was already 350,000 in the pot on a board of {4-Clubs}{9-Diamonds}{a-Diamonds}{10-Spades} when Aleksandr Chernikov bet 150,000 and was called by Ara Melkisetian.

Danut Chisu, in the big blind, then moved all in for 300,000 and Chernikov immediately pushed a tower of chips from his massive stack in the middle to call. Melkisetian angrily flung his cards away.

Danut Chisu: {a-Hearts}{2-Hearts}
Aleksandr Chernikov: {a-Clubs}{9-Spades}

Chernikov had made two pair and left Chisu drawing dead. The {2-Spades} on the river also gave Chisu two pair but it wasn't enough to avoid him hitting the rail.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Aleksandr Chernikov ru
Aleksandr Chernikov
3,700,000
2,200,000
2,200,000
Day 3 Chip Leader
Profile photo of Ara Melkisetian lb
Ara Melkisetian
800,000
1,565,000
1,565,000
Day 2 Chip Leader
Profile photo of Danut Chisu ro
Danut Chisu
Busted

Tags: Aleksandr ChernikovAra MelkisetianDanut Chisu

Updated Chip Counts

Level 21 : Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante
Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Luc Bindel fr
Luc Bindel
2,300,000
1,280,000
1,280,000
Profile photo of Eduard Barsegian ru
Eduard Barsegian
2,200,000
200,000
200,000
Profile photo of Koray Korkmaz tr
Koray Korkmaz
2,200,000
1,265,000
1,265,000
Profile photo of Dominik Panka pl
Dominik Panka
2,000,000
100,000
100,000
EPT Main Event Champion
WSOP 1X Winner
EPT 1X Winner
Profile photo of Naji Tanuri lb
Naji Tanuri
1,950,000
710,000
710,000
Profile photo of Makram Bou Habib lb
Makram Bou Habib
1,950,000
315,000
315,000
Profile photo of Walid Bou Habib lb
Walid Bou Habib
1,850,000
250,000
250,000
Profile photo of Salavat Shafigullin ru
Salavat Shafigullin
1,700,000
700,000
700,000
Day 1A Chip Leader
Profile photo of Yauhen Kontush by
Yauhen Kontush
1,350,000
365,000
365,000
Profile photo of Osman Midik tr
Osman Midik
1,300,000
630,000
630,000
Profile photo of Abraham Passet gb
Abraham Passet
1,300,000
445,000
445,000
Profile photo of Anthony Potis us
Anthony Potis
1,000,000
10,000
10,000
Profile photo of Michael Lech us
Michael Lech
100,000
20,000
20,000
WSOP 1X Winner

Level: 22

Blinds: 10,000/25,000

Ante: 25,000

Held Picks Off Taysi; Lech Busts

Level 22 : Blinds 10,000/25,000, 25,000 ante

Muhtar Taysi moved all in for around 300,000 from the button as Justus Held in the big blind asked for a count before he called.

Muhtar Taysi: {a-Diamonds}{8-Spades}
Justus Held: {a-Spades}{9-Hearts}

The {j-Hearts}{2-Hearts}{5-Spades}{q-Spades}{3-Spades} board improved neither player and Held's nine-kicker played to send Taysi to the payout desk.

On another table, Michael Lech also busted soon after returning from break.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Justus Held de
Justus Held
800,000
185,000
185,000
Profile photo of Michael Lech us
Michael Lech
Busted
WSOP 1X Winner
Profile photo of Muhtar Taysi tr
Muhtar Taysi
Busted

Tags: Justus HeldMichael LechMuhtar Taysi