$2,200 Warmup
Day 2 Started
2023 Merit Poker Western Series
$2,200 Warmup
Day: 2
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 2
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
523
Players Left
102
Day 2 Chip Counts
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
635,500 | |
|
621,000 | |
|
583,000 | |
|
||
|
545,000 | |
|
535,000 | |
|
475,000 | |
|
463,000 | |
|
461,000 | |
|
442,000 | |
|
417,000 | |
|
|
||
|
402,500 | |
|
398,000 | |
|
393,000 | |
|
385,000 | |
|
|
||
|
371,000 | |
|
370,000 | |
|
363,000 | |
|
360,500 | |
|
359,000 | |
|
355,000 | |
|
355,000 | |
|
351,000 | |
|
333,000 | |
|
332,500 | |
|
330,500 | |
Paul Browne Leads 185 Survivors into Day 2 of the Warm Up
After four starting flights, the entire field in the Merit Poker Western Series $2,200 Warm Up will join together into one room when Day 2 begins at 12:30 p.m. local time.
Paul Browne leads the way, having amassed a massive stack of 635,500 on Day 1a. He's followed closely by the likes of Arie Kliper (475,000), Bartlomiej Swieboda (463,000), Vasili Firsau (385,000), Uri Reichenstein (355,000), and Gabi Livshitz (351,000).
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 | Ermanno Di Nicola | Italy | 583,000 | 233 |
| 4 | Valentin Tsoy | 545,000 | 218 | |
| 5 | Aibek Kozhomzharov | Kyrgyzstan | 535,000 | 214 |
| 6 | Arie Kliper | Israel | 475,000 | 190 |
| 7 | Bartlomiej Swieboda | Poland | 463,000 | 185 |
| 8 | Roelof Pepping | Netherlands | 461,000 | 184 |
| 9 | La Sengphet | United States | 442,000 | 177 |
| 10 | Simeon Spasov | Bulgaria | 417,000 | 167 |
Further down the leaderboard are Maxime Chilaud (279,500), Nikolay Fal (210,500), Ran Koller (155,500), and Michael Lech (141,500). They'll each have an eye on capturing a portion of the $500,000 guaranteed prize pool as the field inches toward the money bubble today.
The field currently stands at 380 total entries, with 185 players remaining. Late registration is open through the end of Level 12, which should come around 5 p.m. Players are allowed unlimited reentries, so the field should grow considerably before the prize pool is confirmed.
Blinds pick up on Level 9 at 1,000-2,500 and a 2,500 big blind ante. Levels again will be 60 minutes long, with a 10-minute break after every two levels.
The money bubble awaits the surviving players, and PokerNews will be on hand to capture all the action throughout the day at the Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino.
Shuffle Up and Deal
The players are in their seats and have unbagged their chips, and Day 2 of the $2,200 Warm Up is now underway.
Level: 9
Blinds: 1,000/2,500
Ante: 2,500
Akiki Goes One and Done
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Gabriel Akiki entered at the start of Day 2 and lasted just one hand.
With around 30,000 in the pot on a flop of 
, Akiki bet 40,000 in the cutoff and Anton Markov raised all in from middle position. Akiki snap-called with 
for the nut flush draw, while Markov had 
for a set.
The board ran out 
, giving Markov a full house and an early Day 2 knockout.
"One hand. What could I do," Akiki said on his way to the exit.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
240,000
108,000
|
108,000 |
|
Busted |
Jucys Flips Fagunes to the Exit
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Braz Borges Fagunes raised to 6,000 before Paulius Jucys, next to act, three-bet to 16,500. Fagunes tanked for a moment before shoving all in for around 80,000 more, and Jucys snap-called.
Braz Borges Fagunes: 
Paulius Jucys: 
Fagunes was flipping for his tournament life but some bad news as the 
flop gave Jucys two pair. Left with a straight draw, Fagunes got no help on the turn or 
and became another early casualty on Day 2.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
420,000
166,000
|
166,000 |
|
Busted |
Gulseven Survives With Aces
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
With around 40,000 in the pot, three players saw a flop of . Abdallah Fakhreddine in the small blind led out for 40,000 before Erdal Gulseven, in the big blind, moved all in for 81,000.
An opponent on the button quickly folded, but Fakhreddine asked for a count before calling with 
. Gulseven turned over 
and needed his aces to hold on to survive.
The 
on the turn was safe, while the river improved him to the nut flush as Gulseven doubled up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
200,000 | |
|
|
130,000 |
Jianu Gets It In Behind
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Claudiu Jianu got his last 65,000 in the middle from the hijack and as up against Andress Merheb in the small blind.
Claudiu Jianu:
Andress Merheb: 
Jianu fell further behind on the 
flop as Merheb made two pair. Already getting up from his seat and needing running cards to survive, Jianu got no help on the 
turn or and hit the rail.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
180,000
65,000
|
65,000 |
|
Busted |
Allen Wakes Up With Aces, Runs Into...Aces
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
In a blind versus blind battle, Michael Allen reraised to 29,000 before the flop an small blind Ben Shitrit called.
The flop came and Shitrit checked over to Allen, who continued for 22,000. Shitrit moved all in and Allen snap-called for around 80,000.
Both players turned over the same hand, Allen with and Shitrit with . The board ran out 
and they split the pot.
"Cooler," tablemate Denis Matafonov joked after the hand.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
170,000
112,000
|
112,000 |
|
80,000
1,500
|
1,500 |