$2,200 Warm Up Day 1bc | 2024 Merit Poker Western Series

01-16-2024 21:28 UTC+3

Daniliuk Runs Into Ihlamur's Set

David Salituro

Level 8 : Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante

Three-handed on a flop of 10♥6♣3♣, Jose Nehme bet 25,000 from under the gun before Osman Ihlamur moved all in for 158,000 in middle position. Andrei Daniliuk stuck in his last 94,000 in the hijack and Nehme asked for a count of both opponents before eventually folding.

Andrei Daniliuk: K♦K♠
Osman Ihlamur: 3♠3♦

Ihlamur had flopped a set to leave Daniliuk at risk of having his kings cracked. The board ran out Q♠4♣ and Daniliuk was eliminated shortly before the end of the night.

Aleksandar Tot and Antoine Hasbani are also at this table with two of the biggest stacks in the room.

Player	Chips	Progress
Aleksandar Tot	850,000 600,000	600,000
Antoine Hasbani	480,000 60,000	60,000
Jose Nehme	320,000 17,000	17,000
Osman Ihlamur	300,000 180,000	180,000
Andrei Daniliuk	Busted

Tags: Aleksandar Tot Andrei Daniliuk Antoine Hasbani Jose Nehme Osman Ihlamur

01-16-2024 20:38 UTC+3

Nikitin Has No Luck in Flips

David Salituro

Level 7 : Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante

Anatoly Nikitin reentered after losing an all-in coin flip against Toni Kaukua and got involved in another pot against Qusai Albakeer.

Albakeer raised to 10,000 in early position before Nikitin three-bet to 30,000 in the big blind. Albakeer moved all in and Nikitin called for 80,000.

Anatoly Nikitin: A♥K♥
Qusai Albakeer: 3♣3♦

Nikitin was again racing for his tournament life but didn't find any help on the 10♣Q♦5♣2♣8♣ board as Albakeer finished with a flush to send him once again to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Qusai Albakeer	350,000 350,000	350,000
Anatoly Nikitin	Busted

Tags: Anatoly Nikitin Qusai Albakeer

01-16-2024 19:59 UTC+3

Kaukua Wins a Race to Bust Nikitin

David Salituro

Level 7 : Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante

In a blind versus blind battle, Anatoly Nikitin got his last 30,000 in middle against Toni Kaukua.

Anatoly Nikitin: 10♣10♠
Toni Kaukua: A♠J♠

Kaukua took the lead on the 3♣8♣A♦ flop with a pair of aces and held on through the 5♣ turn and Q♦ river to send Nikitin to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Toni Kaukua	95,000 -45,000	-45,000
Anatoly Nikitin	Busted

Tags: Anatoly Nikitin Toni Kaukua

01-16-2024 19:30 UTC+3

Orphanides Gambles His Way to a Double Knockout

David Salituro

Level 6 : Blinds 800/1,600, 1,600 ante

Muhammed Bozkurt raised to 3,500 under the gun and received two callers before Stelios Orphanides three-bet to 13,000 on the button. Ghassan Bitar called, but Jad Warde then moved all in for 50,000.

The table folded back to Orphanides who reshoved. "I'm going to gamble," Bitar said as he called off his last 30,000.

Ghassan Bitar: 7♣6♣
Jad Warde: A♥Q♥
Stelios Orphanides: K♦J♥

"I'm gambling too. We're all live," Orphanides said as the flop came 3♠8♠2♠. The turn was the K♣ and Orphanides spiked his king to take the lead.

The 9♣ completed the board and Orphanides sent both opponents to the rail. "I had to gamble. A lot of dead money," he said.

Player	Chips	Progress
Stelios Orphanides	180,000 180,000	180,000
Muhammed Bozkurt	130,000 -40,000	-40,000
Jad Warde	Busted
Ghassan Bitar	Busted

Tags: Ghassan Bitar Jad Warde Muhammed Bozkurt Stelios Orphanides

01-16-2024 18:04 UTC+3

Aristotelos Falls to Alibeyoglu's Quads

David Salituro

Level 5 : Blinds 700/1,500, 1,500 ante

Sultan Meirbekov had a raise of 5,500 in front of him from middle position before Sadik Alibeyoglu reraised to 11,000 in the small blind. Katherina Aristotelos moved all in for her last 22,000 under the gun, Meirbekov folded, but Alibeyoglu called to put her at risk.

Katherina Aristotelos: A♥Q♥
Sadik Alibeyoglu: J♦J♠

The flop came 7♠J♥4♥, giving Alibeyoglu top set and Aristotelos the nut flush draw. The 9♣ turn was no help, while Alibeyoglu made quads on the J♣ river to send Aristotelos off to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Sultan Meirbekov	200,000 -40,000	-40,000
Sadik Alibeyoglu	120,000
Katherina Aristotelos	Busted

Tags: Katherina Aristotelos Sultan Meirbekov Sadik Alibeyoglu

01-16-2024 17:16 UTC+3

Senno Drills the River For a Double Knockout

David Salituro

Level 4 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

Six players went to a flop of Q♥8♣6♠ as action checked around to Frederico Senno on the button who bet 12,000. Egor Romaniuk called in the big blind before a player in the hijack moved all in for 22,300.

The cutoff also called all in, Senno raised an additional 100,000, and Romaniuk folded the Q♦.

Hijack: K♠Q♠
Maxim Son: 9♠7♠
Frederico Senno: 6♦3♥

The 2♠ turn kept the hijack ahead with a pair of queens, while Son picked up a flush draw to go with his straight draw. The river, though, was the 6♥ and Senno improved to trips to win the pot and send both opponents to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Frederico Senno	190,000 80,000	80,000
Egor Romaniuk	60,000 -30,000	-30,000
Maxim Son	Busted

Tags: Egor Romaniuk Frederico Senno Maxim Son

01-16-2024 16:46 UTC+3

Sahin Calls Off Against Al-Khasrab

David Salituro

Level 4 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

Bulent Sahin had a bet of 26,000 in front of him from the hijack as he and Mohammed Al-Khasrab were heads-up on a board of A♦Q♠4♣9♣. Al-Khasrab, under the gun, then raised enough to put Sahin all in.

Sahin tanked for a few minutes before calling for around 30,000 more with A♥J♣. Al-Khasrab, though, had A♠9♠ for two pair and the 10♥ river sealed Sahin's bustout.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mohammed Al-Khasrab	260,000 260,000	260,000
Bulent Sahin	Busted

Tags: Bulent Sahin Mohammed Al-Khasrab

01-16-2024 16:04 UTC+3

Joumaa Runs Into Nurmuhammedov's Boat

David Salituro

Level 3 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

Around 35,000 was already in the pot as three players went to a flop of A♠10♣J♦. Bakhos Joumaa then led out for 30,000 in the small blind and only Parahat Nurmuhammedov called in the hijack.

The turn was the 10♠ and Joumaa moved all in for around 28,000. Nurmuhammedov snap-called and turned over J♥10♦ for a full house. Joumaa could only show A♣Q♠ and needed to improve on the river to stay alive.

The J♣ river instead gave Nurmuhammedov a higher full house as he took the pot to send Joumaa off to the exit.