$3,300 Main Event | 2024 Merit Poker Western Series

01-25-2024 18:10 UTC+2

Final Table Seat Draw

Ryan Lashmar

Level 31 : Blinds 75,000/150,000, 150,000 ante

Seat	Name	Country	Chips	Big Blinds
1	Antoine Hasbani	Lebanon	4,475,000	30
2	Hadi Khordbin	Lebanon	725,000	5
3	Christophe Panetti	Switzerland	8,525,000	57
4	Mohamed Mokrani	France	3,250,000	22
5	Damir Zhugralin	Kazakhstan	4,375,000	29
6	Mustafa Ercan	Turkey	5,275,000	35
7	Samy Barka	France	5,675,000	38
8	Nichan Khorchidian	Lebanon	19,650,000	131
9	Felipe Ketzer	Brazil	15,100,000	101

Player	Chips	Progress
Nichan Khorchidian	19,650,000
Felipe Ketzer	15,100,000 1,200,000	1,200,000
Christophe Panetti	8,525,000 900,000	900,000
Samy Barka	5,675,000 1,975,000	1,975,000

Mustafa Ercan	5,275,000 75,000	75,000
Antoine Hasbani	4,475,000 575,000	575,000
Damir Zhugralin	4,375,000 685,000	685,000
Mohamed Mokrani	3,250,000 1,650,000	1,650,000
Hadi Khordbin	725,000 775,000	775,000

01-25-2024 17:30 UTC+2

Giuliano Boellis Eliminated in 10th Place ($25,200)

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 31 : Blinds 75,000/150,000, 150,000 ante

With two players seeing a board of 7♦4♦2♠ and roughly 1,200,000 in the middle Nichan Khorchidian bet 1,000,000 from the small blind. Giuliano Boellis moved all in from early position for just over 6,000,000 and Khorchidian snap-called to put him at risk.

Giuliano Boellis: J♦J♠
Nichan Khorchidian: A♥A♦

The baord ran out 7♦4♦2♠5♥10♦. Khorchidian's pocket-aces were good at showdown and he took down one of the biggest pots of the tournament so far while Boellis was sent to the rail on the final table bubble.

The players are now going on a 40-minute break as the tournament staff prepares the final table ceremony.

Player	Chips	Progress
Nichan Khorchidian	19,650,000 7,650,000	7,650,000
Giuliano Boellis	Busted

Tags: Giuliano Boellis Nichan Khorchidian

01-25-2024 17:15 UTC+2

Boellis Cracks Cowboys

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 31 : Blinds 75,000/150,000, 150,000 ante

Hadi Khordbin opened to 300,000 from the button and Nichan Khorchidian three-bet to 1,150,000 from the small blind. Giuliano Boellis then four-bet shoved for 2,500,000 from the big blind. Khordbin immediately five-bet shoved for 3,975,000.

Khorchidian tanked for about a minute, commenting several times about how strong Khordbin's hand must be. He ultimately decided to fold, leaving Boellis at risk against Khordbin.

Giuliano Boellis: 10♦10♠
Hadi Khordbin: K♥K♦

Khordbin seemed poised to scoop a massive pot and was still ahead on the 9♠7♣6♥ flop. The 10♥ turn brought in a set for Boellis and after the 5♥ river he scored a full double up through Khordbin who was left with roughly ten big blinds.

Player	Chips	Progress
Nichan Khorchidian	12,000,000 700,000	700,000
Giuliano Boellis	6,225,000 3,325,000	3,325,000

Hadi Khordbin	1,500,000 3,450,000	3,450,000

Tags: Giuliano Boellis Hadi Khordbin Nichan Khorchidian

01-25-2024 17:03 UTC+2

Khordbin Doubles Through Khorchidian

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 31 : Blinds 75,000/150,000, 150,000 ante

Hadi Khordbin moved all in from the small blind for 2,400,000 and was called by Nichan Khorchidian in the big blind who held a covering stack.

Hadi Khordbin: A♣3♦
Nichan Khorchidian: J♦J♥

Khordbin got exactly what he needed with top pair on the A♠2♠5♠ flop. He remained ahead on the 2♥ turn and 8♣ river to secure a full double up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Nichan Khorchidian	12,700,000 1,700,000	1,700,000
Hadi Khordbin	4,950,000 2,450,000	2,450,000

Tags: Hadi Khordbin Nichan Khorchidian

Level: 31

Blinds: 75,000/150,000

Ante: 150,000

01-25-2024 16:55 UTC+2

Ermanno Di Nicola Eliminated in 11th Place ($25,200)

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 30 : Blinds 50,000/125,000, 125,000 ante

Ermanno Di Nicola moved all in from the small blind for 1,950,000 and was called by Nichan Khorchidian in the big blind who held a covering stack.

Ermanno Di Nicola: Q♣6♣
Nichan Khorchidian: K♣J♣

Di Nicola failed to connect with the 5♠A♥J♦10♥3♠ and was sent to the rail just two spots shy of the final table while Khorchidian continued to accumulate chips.

Player	Chips	Progress
Nichan Khorchidian	14,400,000 2,200,000	2,200,000
Ermanno Di Nicola	Busted

Tags: Ermanno Di Nicola Nichan Khorchidian

01-25-2024 16:48 UTC+2

Bassel Moussa Eliminated in 12th Place ($25,200)

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 30 : Blinds 50,000/125,000, 125,000 ante

Bassel Moussa moved all in from the button for 1,225,000 and Christophe Panetti called from the big blind with a covering stack to put Moussa at risk.

Bassel Moussa: A♣3♥
Christophe Panetti: 4♦4♠

Moussa was in rough shape with only one overcard to Panetti's pocket-pair. He found no help on the 6♥7♥7♠5♣9♠ runout and made his exit from the tournament area while Panetti collected a decent pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Christophe Panetti	7,625,000 2,275,000	2,275,000
Bassel Moussa	Busted

Tags: Bassel Moussa Christophe Panetti

01-25-2024 16:44 UTC+2

Ihar Soika Eliminated in 13th Place ($20,400)

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 30 : Blinds 50,000/125,000, 125,000 ante

Felipe Ketzer opened to 250,000 from the button and Ihar Soika three-bet to 950,000 from the small blind. Ketzer four-bet to 1,650,000 and Soika moved all in for 4,900,000. Ketzer snap-called to put Soika at risk.

Ihar Soika: J♠J♦
Felipe Ketzer: K♥K♣

Soika couldn't catch up to Ketzer's pocket-kings on the 4♥7♠7♣4♠3♥ runout and was sent to the rail while Ketzer catapulted himself well above 10,000,000 chips.

Player	Chips	Progress
Felipe Ketzer	13,900,000 7,500,000	7,500,000
Ihar Soika	Busted

Tags: Felipe Ketzer Ihar Soika

01-25-2024 16:30 UTC+2

Khorchidian Pressures Di Nicola

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 30 : Blinds 50,000/125,000, 125,000 ante

With two players seeing a board of 10♣8♥2♠J♦ and 625,000 in the middle, Ermanno Di Nicola checked in the big blind and Nichan Khorchidian bet 425,000. Di Nicola made the call.

Khorchidian bet again when checked to on the K♦ river, this time for 1,400,000. Di Nicola opted to fold and Khorchidian took down a healthy pot without showdown.

Player	Chips	Progress
Nichan Khorchidian	12,200,000 1,600,000	1,600,000
Ermanno Di Nicola	2,250,000 1,000,000	1,000,000

Tags: Ermanno Di Nicola Nichan Khorchidian

01-25-2024 16:18 UTC+2

Moussa Comes Back from the Brink

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 30 : Blinds 50,000/125,000, 125,000 ante

Action folded around to Nichan Khorchidian in the small blind who moved all in, covering Bassel Moussa in the big blind who had 325,000. Moussa called and was at risk once again.

Bassel Moussa: K♥2♥
Nichan Khorchidian: 9♥5♣

The board ran out K♣6♠J♣J♥5♥ giving Moussa a bigger two pair to double up for the second hand in a row.

A few hands later, Moussa would open to 450,000 from the hijack, leaving just one T-25,000 chip behind. Hadi Khordbin called from the small blind and Ermanno Di Nicola defended from the big blind.

The flop came J♣7♦2♥ and action checked around to Moussa who stuck in his last chip. Khordbin raised to 400,000 and Di Nicola got out of the way leaving Moussa at risk for the third time this orbit.

Bassel Moussa: 3♠3♥
Hadi Khordbin: A♠2♠

Moussa's pocket-threes remained ahead on the 9♦ turn and Q♠ river to score more than a full triple up, bringing his stack to just over 1,500,000 after being down to just 50,000 a couple hands earlier.

"Why did you raise? I had the nine" Di Nicola asked Khordbin as Moussa dragged in the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Nichan Khorchidian	10,600,000 200,000	200,000
Ermanno Di Nicola	3,250,000 350,000	350,000

Hadi Khordbin	2,500,000 835,000	835,000
Bassel Moussa	1,550,000 1,225,000	1,225,000

Tags: Bassel Moussa Ermanno Di Nicola Hadi Khordbin Nichan Khorchidian