$2,200 Warmup
Day 1bc Started
2023 Merit Poker Western Series
$2,200 Warmup
Day: 1bc
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1bc
2023 Merit Poker Western Series
Buy-in
$2,200
Prize Pool
$962,320
Entries
523
Level
36
Blinds
400,000 / 800,000
Ante
800,000
Entries
201
Players Left
99
Saddle Up for Day 1b of the Merit Poker Western Series $2,200 Warm Up at Noon
The wild west meets a glittering seaside paradise when Day 1b of the Merit Poker Western Series $2,200 Warm Up begins at noon local time.
This event kicks off a 12-day festival that will see players from around the world descend on the Merit Crystal Cove Hotel & Casino in North Cyprus for plenty of duels and shootouts until they are the last one standing. Day 1a was held yesterday and saw 60 players from a starting field of 131 survive to make Day 2. Paul Browne ended the day as the chip leader with 635,500. Other players that have already booked their spot into Day 2 include Fahredin Mustafov (233,000), Nikolay Fal (201,500), Michael Lech (141,500), and Joseph Hebert (69,000).
Day 1a Top 10 chip counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paul Browne | United Kingdom | 635,500 | 254 |
| 2 | Ryan Mandara | United Kingdom | 621,000 | 248 |
| 3 | Aibek Kozhomzharov | Kyrgyzstan | 535,000 | 214 |
| 4 | Roelof Pepping | Netherlands | 461,000 | 184 |
| 5 | La Sengphet | United States | 442,000 | 177 |
| 6 | Simeon Spasov | Bulgaria | 417,000 | 167 |
| 7 | Aleksei Istomin | Russia | 402,500 | 161 |
| 8 | Kemalettin Dogantekin | Turkey | 398,000 | 159 |
| 9 | Julien Lorie | France | 393,000 | 157 |
| 10 | Sorin-Irinel Lica | Romania | 333,000 | 133 |
Players begin the tournament with 100,000 chips. Day 1 consists of eight 60-minute levels, with a 15-minute break after every two levels. The surviving players return for Day 2 on January 18. Late registration is open until the end of Level 12 on Day 2, with players allowed unlimited reentries.
Russian high roller Artur Martirosian won this event last year, prevailing over a field of 550 players to earn $190,652. Manig Loeser (sixth), Ivan Deyra (15th), and Florian Duta (17th) also made deep runs a year ago.
One player will walk away with the top prize out of the $500,000 guaranteed prize pool, and PokerNews will be on hand providing live updates and chip counts throughout the tournament.
Level: 1
Blinds: 300/600
Ante: 600
Shuffle Up and Deal
Level 1
: Blinds 300/600, 600 ante
Day 1b of the $2,200 Warm Up is now underway with 21 players currently registered.
Kassar Misses Everything
Level 1
: Blinds 300/600, 600 ante
Antoine Hasbani raised to 1,500 from under the gun and was called by Fadi Kassar on the button.
The flop came 
and Hasbani continued for another 1,500. Kassar called to see the 
on the turn, when Hasbani bet 3,000.
Kassar again called as the 
fell on the river. Hasbani this time threw out 6,500 and Kassar open-folded 
, having missed a straight flush draw.
"Open-ended flush, huh," Hasbani said as he took in the pot.
"Straight," Kassar replied with a smile.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
105,000 | |
|
95,000 |
Baybars Bets Big on the River
Level 1
: Blinds 300/600, 600 ante
Three players, including Lavrentiy Ni from under the gun and Halil Baybars on the button, saw a flop of 
. Ni bet 1,700 and only Baybars called to see the 
on the turn.
Ni slowed down and checked as Baybars bet 5,000. Ni tanked for a moment before tossing in a call as the river came the 
.
Ni again checked and Baybars bet 13,000 this time. Ni gave it some thought before sliding his cards back to the dealer.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
110,000 | |
|
93,000 |
New Arrivals
Level 1
: Blinds 300/600, 600 ante
The field on Day 1b has grown to 39 players early in the first level, including Uri Reichenstein, Vasili Firsau, and Dmitry Vitkind.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
100,000 | |
|
100,000 | |
|
||
|
100,000 | |
Topuz Can't Force Out Kaukua
Level 1
: Blinds 300/600, 600 ante
Baris Topuz and Toni Kaukua were heads-up on a flop of 
when Kaukua bet 1,500 from the button. Topuz came back with a raise to 3,500 from the big blind and Kaukua called.
The turn came the and Topuz bet another 4,500. Kaukua again called as the 
fell on the river. Topuz, pulling down his sunglasses, paused for a moment before checking as Kaukua quickly tapped the felt behind.
Topuz showed 
for a missed flush draw and Kaukua turned over 
for a pair of kings to take the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
115,000 | |
|
|
80,000 |
Daniliuk Wakes Up With Kings to Take Big Pot
Level 1
: Blinds 300/600, 600 ante
Andrei Daniliuk and an opponent in the cutoff saw a flop of 
when Daniliuk check-called a bet of 3,000.
The turn came the 
and Daniliuk led out for 10,000. The player in the cutoff called as the 
fell on the river. Daniliuk this time bet 17,000.
The cutoff tanked for several minutes before throwing in the chips to call. Daniliuk opened up 
for a full house and his opponent tapped the table before mucking his cards.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
135,000
135,000
|
135,000 |
Baybars Doubles in Massive Cooler
Level 1
: Blinds 300/600, 600 ante
With stacks so deep, all-in confrontations have been hard to come by so far on Day 1b until Halil Baybars and Vasili Firsau just tangled in a massive pot.
Baybars had a raise of around 15,000 in front of him from the button before the flop and Firsau, in the small blind, called to see the 
flop.
Both players checked as the 
fell on the turn. Firsau checked again and Baybars bet 15,000. Firsau came back with a raise to 41,000 and Baybars immediately moved all in for around 75,000.
Firsau called just as quickly and turned over for the turned set. Baybars, though, showed 
for a flopped set as Firsau shot out of his seat.
The river came the 
and Firsau could only laugh as he was forced to hand over most of his stack.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
180,000
70,000
|
70,000 |
|
|
30,000
-70,000
|
-70,000 |
|
|
||