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$3,300 Main Event
Day 2 Completed
2024 Merit Poker Western Series
$3,300 Main Event
Day: 2
Event Info
2024 Merit Poker Western Series
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 2
Buy-in
$3,300
Prize Pool
$1,854,720
Total Entries
672
Level
36
Blinds
200,000 / 500,000
Ante
500,000
Entries
384
Players Left
130
Players Left 1 / 672
Filter
Level 17
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
Fabio Peluso, Roman Hrabec and Ermanno Di Nicola already established themselves as star players with titles and deep runs in prestigious tournaments. The Merit Poker Western Series $3,300 Main Event is another mountain for them to conquer, and they each put themselves in a position to do that on Day 2.
Peluso, the WSOP bracelet winner who was the chip leader at the end of Day 1b, is back on top after bagging up 1,477,000. Hrabec won a massive pot with a full house against Aleksandr Kirichenko on his way to finishing with 1,386,000. The Czech poker superstar, despite nearly $3 million in live career earnings, doesn’t have a live tournament win on his resume yet but just 129 players stand in his way here at the Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino.
Di Nicola was riding an average stack before tangling in a pot against a past Merit Poker champion. Di Nicola moved all in on the river with trip fours and Maxime Chilaud called with two pair in an 800,000 chip pot. Di Nicola, who won a WSOP bracelet late last year and already finished in 14th in the Warm Up earlier this festival, ended up with 1,169,000 and among the top stacks heading to Day 3.
Those three aren’t the only players who put themselves in a good spot to chase the title today. Xiang Lian (1,353,000), Gang Zhao (1,337,000), and Jianwei Lin (1,135,000) lead the Asian invasion of Chinese players who have already made their mark this week in North Cyprus. Giuliano Boellis bagged the top stack of 1,654,000, while Hadi Khordbin (1,130,000) and Maher Achour (1,010,000) are also in the millionaire’s club.
Day 3 Top 10 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Giuliano Boellis | Italy | 1,654,000 | 207 |
| 2 | Fabio Peluso | Italy | 1,477,000 | 185 |
| 3 | Roman Hrabec | Czech Republic | 1,386,000 | 173 |
| 4 | Xiang Lian | China | 1,353,000 | 169 |
| 5 | Gang Zhao | China | 1,339,000 | 167 |
| 6 | Ermanno Di Nicola | Italy | 1,169,000 | 146 |
| 7 | Jianwei Lin | China | 1,135,000 | 142 |
| 8 | Nan Zhu | China | 1,074,000 | 134 |
| 9 | Maher Achour | Tunisia | 1,010,000 | 126 |
| 10 | Yassin Mahmoud | Jordan | 996,000 | 125 |
Other big stacks include David Hu (950,000), Fausto Tantillo (914,000), Merit Poker Gangster Series champion Dmitry Yurasov (800,000), Dmitry Gromov (676,000), and start-of-day chip leader Samy Barka (658,000). Dzmitry Urbanovich (554,000) and Dean Hutchison (476,000) are also still in the hunt for the title, while Felipe Ketzer (251,000), Warm Up champion Simone Andrian (213,000), High Roller champion Maksim Shornikau (165,000), and Andrea Dato (148,000) find themselves near the bottom of the leaderboard.
Day 2 began with 223 survivors from the four starting flights joined by 161 entries while late registration remained open for the first five levels. That created a total field of 672 and a prize pool of $1,854,720. Chilaud, Thomas Eychenne, Monika Zukowicz, Adrian State, and Nicolas Chouity were among those whose tournament came to an end after registration closed.
The first order of business when Day 3 begins tomorrow at noon local time is to burst the money bubble. Just 80 players will guarantee themselves a $4,640 payday, meaning around 50 will leave tomorrow with nothing. Once the bubble bursts, it’s on to the final table and eventually the crowning of a champion.
PokerNews will follow all the action and provide live updates as the bubble awaits on Day 3.
Level 17
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
Level 17
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
Day 2 has ended with approximately 130 players remaining.
Stay tuned for chip counts and a recap of the day's action.
Level 17
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
Tournament officials announced that players will see three more hands before bagging up for the night.
Level 17
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
Andrew Hedley opened to 12,000 from under the gun before Felipe Ketzer three-bet to 41,000 from middle position. Hedley asked for a count and, after confirming Ketzer had started the hand with roughly 350,000, moved all in with a covering stack. Ketzer didn't take long to fold and Hedley took down a decent pot without having to see a flop.
Level 17
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
Nuri Hadioglu raised to 12,000 under the gun and Maher Achour called in middle position. Naji Tannoury then moved all in for 127,000 in the small blind, Hadioglu reshoved, and Achour folded.
Naji Tannoury: K♣J♠
Nuri Hadioglu: Q♣Q♦
Tannoury was looking for a king against Hadioglu's queens, but he was quickly left without any hope at all as the flop brought Q♥7♥Q♠ to give Hadioglu quads.
Tannoury reached across the table and gave Hadioglu a fist pump as the 5♠ and 2♣ completed the board to make Tannoury's bustout official.
Level 17
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
A player from early position opened to 15,000 and received calls from Maher Achour in the small blind and Giorgiy Skhulukhiya, who earlier was approaching one million chips but recently lost most of his stack, in the big blind.
All three players checked the 8♣5♠6♠ flop leading to the 7♠ turn. Achour checked, Skhulukhiya bet 20,000, the original raiser called and Achour folded.
Skhulukhiya bet again when checked to on the Q♠ turn, this time for 25,000. Once again he was called by his opponent who tabled 4♠4♣ for a small flush. Skhulukhiya turned over K♦J♠ for a bigger flush to take the pot.
Level 17
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
Heads-up on a flop of 2♣2♠J♦, Aleksandr Kirichenko bet 15,000 from the big blind before Roman Hrabec raised to 60,000 under the gun.
Kirichenko called and both players checked the J♠ turn. The river was the 6♥ and Kirichenko led out for 125,000.
Hrabec then raised to 390,000, sending Kirichenko deep into the tank. He pondered the decision for nearly five minutes until putting in the chips to call.
Hrabec turned over J♥8♥ for a full house and Kirichenko mucked, sending the massive pot to Hrabec and boosting his stack past 1,200,000.
"First time today he's smiled," tablemate Hala Karam said.
Level 17
: Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante
Fady Kamar raised to 15,000 in middle position and Hadi Khadra called on the button before Gang Zhao three-bet to 53,000 in the small blind.
Only Kamar called as the flop came 7♥4♥6♥. Zhao then bet 30,000 and Kamar called. Both players then checked the A♣ turn.
Zhao also checked the 9♦ river and Kamar quickly checked back. Zhao then showed Q♦Q♠ and Kamar flashed the J♠ as he mucked.
