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

01-21-2024 12:49 UTC+2

Topuz First Out After Massive Cooler

David Salituro

Level 1 : Blinds 200/500, 500 ante

All the chips went in before the flop as Baris Topuz was all in for his last 85,000 from the cutoff against Michael Brown in early position.

Baris Topuz: K♦K♠
Michael Brown: A♦A♥

Topuz had run into the ultimate cooler and watched helplessly as the board ran out 3♠4♦6♠6♦3♠ to make him the first casualty of Day 1b.

Player	Chips	Progress
Michael Brown	210,000 210,000	210,000
Baris Topuz	Busted

Tags: Baris Topuz Michael Brown

01-21-2024 13:02 UTC+2

Khordbin Leads the River in Five-Way Pot

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David Salituro

Level 1 : Blinds 200/500, 500 ante

EPT champion Joseph Mouawad raised to 1,500 in early position and received four callers as they went five ways to a 5♣Q♠10♠ flop.

Action was checked to the K♦ turn where Hadi Khordbin led out for 6,000 from the small blind. Only Mouawad called and the 2♣ fell on the river.

Khordbin then bet 12,000 and Mouawad again called. Khordbin then showed J♣9♣ for a straight and Mouawad mucked.

This table also includes Umberto Ruggeri, coming off a final table run at EPT Prague last month, and Stanislav Tishkevich. Baris Topuz has also reentered.

Player	Chips	Progress
Hadi Khordbin	140,000 40,000	40,000
Umberto Ruggeri	100,000 100,000	100,000
Stanislav Tishkevich	100,000 100,000	100,000
Baris Topuz	100,000 100,000	100,000
Joseph Mouawad	45,000 45,000	45,000

Tags: Hadi Khordbin Joseph Mouawad Stanislav Tishkevich Umberto Ruggeri

Level: 2

Blinds: 300/600

Ante: 600

01-21-2024 13:12 UTC+2

Yildirim Raises Meli on the Turn

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David Salituro

Level 2 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Vincent Meli and Arif Yildirim built a pot of around 12,000 as they went heads-up to the 5♦7♠Q♣ flop.

Meli then bet 3,500 from middle position and Yildirim called in early positiion. The turn was the 4♣ and Meli bet another 8,000.

Yildirim raised to 30,000 and Meli didn't take long before giving up his hand.

Player	Chips	Progress
Arif Yildirim	90,000 90,000	90,000
Vincent Meli	80,000

Tags: Arif Yildirim Vincent Meli

01-21-2024 13:26 UTC+2

Stanciu, Sadovskii Get Into a Raising War

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David Salituro

Level 2 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Traian Stanciu raised to 2,000 under the gun before Artem Sadovskii three-bet to 5,100 next to act.

Stanciu put in a four-bet to 12,500 and Sadovskii tanked for a minute before five-betting to 23,700. Stanciu then paused for more than a minute until taking one last look at his hand and giving it up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Artem Sadovskii	180,000
Traian Stanciu	60,000 20,000	20,000

Tags: Artem Sadovskii Traian Stanciu

01-21-2024 13:27 UTC+2

Zhao Fires Away at Karkan

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David Salituro

Level 2 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Muhammadreza Karkan raised to 1,800 in early position, then called when Cheng Zhao three-bet to 5,100 in middle position.

The flop came 10♥5♦5♥ and Zhao continued for 7,000. Karkan called and the 4♠ fell on the turn.

Zhao then bet another 12,700 and Karkan quickly folded.

Player	Chips	Progress
Muhammadreza Karkan	105,000
Cheng Zhao	65,000

Tags: Cheng Zhao Muhammadreza Karkan

01-21-2024 13:33 UTC+2

Karali Runs Into Eid's Straight

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David Salituro

Level 2 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

With around 15,000 in the pot on a board of 6♠A♥5♦8♦, Michel Eid bet 5,500 from the small blind and Stephane Gabarre called in the big blind. Zeki Karali then raised to 27,200 in middle position and only Eid called.

Eid checked the J♥ river and Karali bet 35,000. Eid quickly called and Karali showed A♠5♣ for two pair. Eid, though, had 7♣4♦ for a straight as he won the big pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Michel Eid	170,000
Stephane Gabarre	90,000
Zeki Karali	30,000

Tags: Michel Eid Stephane Gabarre Zeki Karali

01-21-2024 13:39 UTC+2

Pudel Has a Higher Two Pair

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David Salituro

Level 2 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Heads-up on a board of 7♣K♥A♠J♣, Nils Pudel bet around 12,000 from middle position and Nina Krasilnikova called in the big blind.

The river was the Q♥ and Pudel bet another 7,000. Krasilnikova quickly called.

Pudel turned over A♥K♦ for top two pair. "I also had two pair. But ace-king is better," Krasilnikova said as she mucked.

Player	Chips	Progress
Nils Pudel	130,000 30,000	30,000
Nina Krasilnikova	60,000 40,000	40,000

Tags: Nils Pudel Nina Krasilnikova

01-21-2024 13:46 UTC+2

Topuz on Right Side of All In This Time

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David Salituro

Level 2 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Maksim Skripkin bet 5,000 from the small blind on a flop of 7♥5♥J♠ before Baris Topuz raised to 12,000 in the cutoff. Skripkin reraised to 35,000 and Topuz called.

The turn was the A♣ and Skripkin slowed down and checked. Topuz then moved all in and Skripkin snap-called with K♥K♦. Topuz, though, had A♠J♣ for two pair.

Skripkin got out of his seat to leave as the 5♦ fell on the river, but a count showed that Topuz had 45,600 remaining and Skripkin had him covered by around 10,000.

Player	Chips	Progress
Baris Topuz	180,000 80,000	80,000
Maksim Skripkin	10,000 10,000	10,000

Tags: Baris Topuz Maksim Skripkin

01-21-2024 14:00 UTC+2

Updated Chip Counts

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David Salituro

Level 2 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Guoliang Wei	180,000 80,000	80,000

Michael Brown	180,000 30,000	30,000
Milos Skrbic	170,000 70,000	70,000
Bakhos Joumaa	160,000 60,000	60,000
Koray Korkmaz	120,000 20,000	20,000
Nikolay Fal	110,000 110,000	110,000

Andrea Dato	105,000 5,000	5,000

Kacper Pyzara	95,000 10,000	10,000
Aleksandr Kirichenko	85,000 15,000	15,000
Fabio Peluso	80,000 80,000	80,000

Adrian State	75,000 25,000	25,000
Umberto Ruggeri	10,000 90,000	90,000