$2,200 Warm Up Day 3 | 2024 Merit Poker Western Series

01-18-2024 15:10 UTC+3

Tot Gets Paid by Wozniak

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David Salituro

Level 18 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

Aleksandar Tot raised to 25,000 under the gun, Mateusz Wozniak three-bet to 72,000 in early position, and Tot called.

The flop came 4♣2♠6♠ and Wozniak continued for 45,000. Tot called and both players checked the 5♦ turn.

Tot led out for 65,000 on the 6♣ river and Wozniak called. Tot then showed 7♠7♥ and Wozniak mucked.

Player	Chips	Progress
Aleksandar Tot	1,350,000 150,000	150,000
Mateusz Wozniak	350,000 368,000	368,000

Tags: Aleksandar Tot Mateusz Wozniak

01-18-2024 14:53 UTC+3

Player	Chips	Progress
Adrian State	1,350,000 190,000	190,000
Guoliang Wei	1,300,000 360,000	360,000

Aleksandar Tot	1,200,000 142,000	142,000
Hadi Khordbin	1,200,000 125,000	125,000
Cheng Zhao	1,000,000 206,000	206,000
Xixiang Luo	950,000 103,000	103,000

Fahredin Mustafov	900,000 405,000	405,000

Emrah Daban	780,000 112,000	112,000
Justus Held	600,000 80,000	80,000
Matthew Davenport	550,000 154,000	154,000

Nina Krasilnikova	500,000 218,000	218,000
Andrea Dato	320,000 58,000	58,000

Jalal Jafari	320,000 452,000	452,000
Qiang Xu	120,000 186,000	186,000

Bitar Runs Into Tulepbergenov's Kings

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David Salituro

Level 18 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

Ghassan Bitar raised to 24,000 in early position before Ara Melkisetian three-bet to 71,000 in the hijack. Azamat Tulepbergenov then moved all in for 461,000 in the small blind. Bitar tanked for a minute before calling, while Melkisetian got out of the way.

Azamat Tulepbergenov: K♦K♥
Ghassan Bitar: Q♠Q♦

Tulepbergenov had found kings and was a big favorite to double up as the board came a harmless 7♦3♥5♥8♠7♠, earning him the pot.

"He busts me," Melkisetian said after the hand.

Player	Chips	Progress
Azamat Tulepbergenov	1,000,000 750,000	750,000
Ghassan Bitar	400,000 603,000	603,000
Ara Melkisetian	360,000 266,000	266,000

Tags: Ara Melkisetian Azamat Tulepbergenov Ghassan Bitar

01-18-2024 14:38 UTC+3

Zhao Snaps Off Urbanovich

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David Salituro

Level 18 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

With around 150,000 already in the pot on a board of K♣A♣9♦10♦, Gang Zhao bet 75,000 from the big blind before Dzmitry Urbanovich raised to 175,000 in early position.

Zhao called and the 3♠ fell on the river. Zhao checked to Urbanovich who moved all in for 340,000. Zhao snap-called and Urbanovich tossed A♠Q♥ into the middle of the table and prepared to get up from his seat, already suspecting he was beat.

His instincts proved correct as Zhao showed A♦9♠ for two pair to win the pot.

"Ace-queen overplayed?" tablemate Xiang Lian asked after Urbanovich had left the table.

"What do you think?" Justus Held replied.

"I think overplayed," Lian added.

Player	Chips	Progress
Gang Zhao	1,600,000 824,000	824,000
Dzmitry Urbanovich	Busted

Tags: Dzmitry Urbanovich Gang Zhao

01-18-2024 14:32 UTC+3

Andrian, Yang Tangle in the Pot of the Tournament

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David Salituro

Level 18 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

Simone Andrian in the hijack and Peng Yang in the cutoff got into a pre-flop raising war that ended with both players having their massive stacks in the middle.

Simone Andrian: A♣A♥
Peng Yang: K♠K♥

Yang had run into a massive cooler with the tournament chip lead at stake as the flop came Q♣A♠4♥, giving Andrian top set. The turn was the 8♠ and Yang was already drawing dead heading to the 6♦ river.

The stacks were counted down and Andrian had 1,370,000 remaining. Yang's stack was also counted, and he had the exact same 1,370,000 remaining as the Day 1 chip leader stopped to snap a photo of the board before heading for the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Simone Andrian	2,700,000 1,320,000	1,320,000

Peng Yang	Busted

Tags: Peng Yang Simone Andrian

01-18-2024 14:29 UTC+3

Gu Shoves on Cappiello

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David Salituro

Level 18 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

Yuefan Gu raised to 25,000 in the cutoff, Candido Cappiello three-bet to 110,000 in the small blind, and Gu called.

The flop came A♦2♠5♦ and Cappiello continued for 60,000. Gu called and the 5♦ fell on the turn.

Cappiello slowed down and checked as Gu bet 120,000. Cappiello called, then checked the 7♠ river. Gu announced he was all in and Cappiello quickly folded.

Player	Chips	Progress
Yuefan Gu	1,260,000 40,000	40,000
Candido Cappiello	320,000 510,000	510,000

Tags: Candido Cappiello Yuefan Gu

01-18-2024 14:17 UTC+3

Panagides Wins a Flip to Bust Nikitin

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David Salituro

Level 18 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

Anatoly Nikitin was down to around 80,000 and got his last chips in the middle from early position against George Panagides under the gun.

Anatoly Nikitin: A♦K♦
George Panagides: 10♥10♦

Nikitin was racing for his tournament life but found no help on the 6♥5♦8♠9♥4♠ board as Panagides' tens earned him the pot and sent Nikitin off to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
George Panagides	750,000 49,000	49,000
Anatoly Nikitin	Busted

Tags: Anatoly Nikitin George Panagides

Level: 18

Blinds: 6,000/12,000

Ante: 12,000

01-18-2024 14:10 UTC+3

Drokin, Tashliyev Try to Take Out Sahin

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David Salituro

Level 17 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

Bulent Sahin limped in from early position before Ildar Tashliyev raised to 30,000 in middle position. Volodymyr Drokin then three-bet to 72,000 in the hijack, Sahin committed his last 40,000, and Tashliyev called.

Drokin and Tashliyev both checked the A♣5♥2♥ flop. The turn was the 2♦ and Drokin bet 38,000. Tashliyev called to create a side pot, and the 10♠ river was also checked down.

Sahin showed K♣10♥ for two pair, Tashliyev had K♥Q♥ for a missed flush draw, while Drokin turned over K♦K♠ to take the pot and sent Sahin to the rail.

Catalin Moraru was also recently eliminated.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ildar Tashliyev	530,000 134,000	134,000
Volodymyr Drokin	500,000 127,000	127,000
Bulent Sahin	Busted
Catalin Moraru	Busted

Tags: Bulent Sahin Catalin Moraru Ildar Tashliyev Volodymyr Drokin

01-18-2024 14:01 UTC+3

Sonsino Gets Some Back From Andrian With a Shove

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David Salituro

Level 17 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

Amir Sonsino raised to 20,000 in the cutoff before Simone Andrian three-bet to 65,000 on the button. Sonsino called and they went heads-up to the A♣5♣2♠ flop.

Sonsino then led out for 45,000 and Andrian called. The turn was the 3♠ and Sonsino fired out another 94,000.

Andrian again called and the A♦ fell on the river. Sonsino then moved all in for 250,000 and Andrian quickly folded.

Roman Stoica and Parahat Nurmuhammedov were recently eliminated.