$3,300 Main Event Day 1a | 2024 Merit Poker Western Series

01-20-2024 19:29 UTC+3

Davenport Runs Into Ace Twice in the Same Hand

David Salituro

Level 6 : Blinds 700/1,500, 1,500 ante

Matthew Davenport was all in for around 90,000 on the button, Yury Bochkarev stuck in his last 45,000 in the small blind, while Vasil Giliazetdinov had both players covered and at risk.

Yury Bochkarev: A♠A♥
Matthew Davenport: K♥K♣
Vasil Giliazetdinov: A♦A♠

Bochkarev and Giliazetdinov had both woken up with aces to leave Davenport needed to hit a king. The board ran out 10♦2♥4♣8♠5♠ and Bochkarev and Giliazetdinov split the side pot, while Giliazetdinov sent Davenport to the rail in the main pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Vasil Giliazetdinov	180,000 50,000	50,000
Yury Bochkarev	60,000 -40,000	-40,000
Matthew Davenport	Busted

Tags: Matthew Davenport Vasil Giliazetdinov Yury Bochkarev

01-20-2024 19:16 UTC+3

Wozniak Picks Up Aces to Take Out Zhao

David Salituro

Level 6 : Blinds 700/1,500, 1,500 ante

Andreas Tomazou raised to 3,500 in early position before Gang Zhao moved all in for his last 9,400 in middle position. Mateusz Wozniak reraised to 20,000 on the button and Tomazou called.

The flop came J♥5♦4♦ and Wozniak bet 14,000, forcing Tomazou out of the pot.

Gang Zhao: A♠7♦
Mateusz Wozniak: A♥A♦

Zhao needed a miracle against Wozniak's aces but none arrived on the J♠ turn or 8♥ river as he headed for the exit.

Warm Up runner-up Abdullah Alajmi has also been eliminated, while Andrea Dato busted his second bullet of the day.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mateusz Wozniak	320,000 320,000	320,000
Andreas Tomazou	50,000 50,000	50,000
Gang Zhao	Busted
Abdullah Alajmi	Busted
Andrea Dato	Busted

Tags: Andreas Tomazou Gang Zhao Mateusz Wozniak

01-20-2024 19:09 UTC+3

Tishkevich Hangs On in Three-Way All In

David Salituro

Level 6 : Blinds 700/1,500, 1,500 ante

Four players went to the 7♥5♣2♥ flop where Rawand Chaychi bet 8,000 from the hijack. Naji Tannoury called in the small blind, while Stanislav Tishkevich moved all in for 55,000 in the big blind.

Chaychi reshoved for his last 60,000 and Tannoury called, having both players covered.

Stanislav Tishkevich: Q♦7♦
Rawand Chaychi: A♣J♦
Naji Tannoury: 6♥5♥

Tishkevich was ahead with his pair of sevens, while Tannouri had a pair and flush draw. The 2♠ turn kept Tishkevich in the lead, while he secured a triple up following the 3♦ river. Tannoury took the side pot to send Chaychi to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Stanislav Tishkevich	170,000 70,000	70,000
Naji Tannoury	100,000 100,000	100,000
Rawand Chaychi	Busted

Tags: Naji Tannouri Rawand Chaychi Stanislav Tishkevich

01-20-2024 18:25 UTC+3

Hursoz Runs Into a Higher Pair

David Salituro

Level 5 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

Tugce Hursoz was under the gun and got her last 55,000 in the middle against Cristian David in early position.

Tugce Hursoz: 9♠9♥
Cristian David: J♥J♣

Hursoz flung her hand in the air upon seeing she was dominated by David's two jacks. The board ran out 4♣Q♦2♥7♥5♠ and she was sent to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Cristian David	230,000
Tugce Hursoz	Busted

Tags: Cristian David Tugce Hursoz

01-20-2024 16:56 UTC+3

Lin Makes a Big Fold to Adrianapoulos

David Salituro

Level 4 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

Jianwei Lin and Sakis Adrianapoulos were already on the river with the board showing A♠K♥8♠K♣6♦ when Lin bet 16,000 from middle position.

Adrianapoulos then raised to 75,000 under the gun, sending Lin deep into the tank. He eventually folded K♦J♦ for trip kings and Adrianapoulos returned the favor, turning over A♣A♥ for a full house as he took the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Jianwei Lin	175,000 175,000	175,000
Sakis Adrianapoulos	170,000 170,000	170,000

Tags: Jianwei Lin Sakis Adrianapoulos

01-20-2024 16:25 UTC+3

Yildirim Shoves on Hedley; Akbas Spikes the River on Warde

David Salituro

Level 3 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

Heads-up on a board of 8♠A♠7♣10♥ and around 30,000 in the pot, Arif Yildirim bet 10,000 from the big blind before Andrew Hedley raised to 30,000 in middle position.

Yildirim then moved all in for 82,000 and sent Hedley deep in the tank. "Top set?" Hedley asked after several minutes had gone by before he mucked his hand.

At the same time at another table, Jad Warde was all in for around 42,000 from middle position on a flop of 3♣6♦8♣ with pocket aces and up against Halal Akbas in the cutoff holding 9♠8♦.

Warde remained in the lead on the 10♣ turn, but Akbas hit the 9♦ on the river to make two pair as Warde made a quick exit from the room.

Player	Chips	Progress
Arif Yildirim	150,000 150,000	150,000
Halil Akbas	120,000 120,000	120,000
Andrew Hedley	60,000 -40,000	-40,000
Jad Warde	Busted

Tags: Andrew Hedley Arif Yildirim Halal Akbas Jad Warde

01-20-2024 15:39 UTC+3

Plant Cracks Dato's Aces

David Salituro

Level 3 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

More than 40,000 was already in the middle as Andrea Dato and Ryan Plant went heads-up to the 2♥A♦10♠ flop.

Dato then bet 4,500 from middle position and Plant called in the small blind. Both players checked the K♥ turn.

The river was the 4♠ and Plant bet 50,000, enough to put Dato all in. Dato snap-called and turned over A♠A♥ for top set, but Plant had Q♣J♣ for a turned straight to send Dato to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ryan Plant	280,000 70,000	70,000
Andrea Dato	Busted

Tags: Andrea Dato Ryan Plant

01-20-2024 15:33 UTC+3

Pankov Calls Off Against Tulepbergenov

David Salituro

Level 3 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

With around 20,000 in the pot on a board of 4♦4♥10♣J♣, Azamat Tulepbergenov led out for 11,000 from the big blind and Vitalii Pankov called in middle position.

The river was the 6♥ and Tulepbergenov moved all in for 53,500. Pankov called and Tulepbergenov showed 7♠4♣ for trip fours. Pankov flashed a ten before mucking.

A count of the stacks showed Tulepbergenov barely had Pankov covered and Pankov made his exit from the table.

Player	Chips	Progress
Azamat Tulepbergenov	150,000 150,000	150,000
Vitalii Pankov	Busted

Tags: Azamat Tulepbergenov Vitalii Pankov

01-20-2024 14:34 UTC+3

Khordbin Lays Down Kings

David Salituro

Level 2 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Hadi Khordbin was in the small blind and three-bet to 5,000. Sultan Meirbekov then four-bet to 9,500 in early position. John Doe F, in the cutoff, put in a five-bet to 20,000.

Khordbin went into the tank for several minutes. "Pass. I want to show my hand," he eventually said, keeping his cards beside him as action went on Meirbekov.

"You want to show your hand? Me too," Meirbekov said, tossing AxQx into the muck. Khordbin then showed K♥K♣.

"Aces," he asked Doe, who returned his cards face down.

"100 percent aces," Meirbekov added.

Player	Chips	Progress
John Doe F	110,000 110,000	110,000
Hadi Khordbin	105,000 105,000	105,000
Sultan Meirbekov	70,000 70,000	70,000

Tags: Hadi Khordbin John Doe F Sultan Meirbekov

01-20-2024 14:27 UTC+3

Qushqar Shoves Into Aces

David Salituro

Level 2 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Iulian-Andrei Bleau raised to 1,200 in the cutoff before Morad Qushqar moved all in for 17,500 in the small blind. Vedat Yilmaz called in the big blind, while Bleau got out of the way.

Morad Qushqar: A♠Q♦
Vedat Yilmaz: A♦A♥

Yilmaz had woken up with aces and spiked the last remaining one in the deck on the 7♦4♣A♣ flop to make top set. Qushqar was already drawing dead after the 5♠ turn, while the 10♠ river sealed his early elimination.

Aziz Efe was eliminated shortly after doubling up Antoine Hasbani but immediately jumped back into the field with a fresh stack. Aylar Lie also recently joined the field.

Player	Chips	Progress
Iulian Andrei Bleau	210,000 210,000	210,000
Aziz Efe	100,000 80,000	80,000
Aylar Lie	100,000 100,000	100,000
Vedat Yilmaz	60,000 60,000	60,000

Morad Qushqar	Busted

Tags: Iulian-Andrei Bleau Morad Qushwar Vedat Yilmaz