The wild west conjures up images of cowboys and gunfighters, of Billy the Kid, Butch Cassidy, and Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday at the O.K. Corral. And today, more than a century after those figures stalked the frontier, they will be brought back to life when the $2,200 Warm Up kicks off the 2024 Merit Poker Western Series.
This event is the first of a 12-day festival at the Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino in North Cyprus. Day 1a begins at noon local time and is the first of four starting flights. Players receive a starting stack of 100,000 and will play eight 60-minute levels on both Day 1a and Day 1b. There is also a Day 1c flight featuring 25-minute levels at 9:30 p.m. on January 16, and a turbo Day 1c flight with 15-minute levels at 10 a.m. on January 17. The surviving players from the four starting flights then combine on Day 2 at 12:30 p.m. on the 17th.
The Warm Up features a $800,000 guaranteed prize pool with unlimited reentries allowed. Late registration remains open through the end of Level 12 on Day 2.
Last year’s event attracted 523 total entries. The enigmatic John Doe, a player who wished to remain anonymous and concealed his identity with a mask, sunglasses, and a hoodie at the final table, walked away with the title and $181,200 top prize. He defeated Merit Poker regular Recep Aydemir heads-up, while Paul Browne, David Hu, Helmut Phung, and Ryan Mandara also made runs to the final table.
2023 Merit Poker Western Series Warm-Up Results
| Place | Player | Country | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Doe | n/a | $181,200 |
| 2 | Recep Aydemir | Turkey | $133,400 |
| 3 | Paul Browne | United Kingdom | $81,700 |
| 4 | David Hu | Netherlands | $60,450 |
| 5 | Helmut Phung | Germany | $45,350 |
| 6 | Ryan Mandara | United Kingdom | $36,400 |
| 7 | Eli Saad | Lebanon | $30,300 |
| 8 | Michele Guerrini | Italy | $24,150 |
The journey to replicating that feat and hoisting a trophy here in North Cyprus begins today, and PokerNews will be following all the action and providing live updates throughout the entire festival.
