$2,200 Warm Up Day 2 | 2025 Merit Poker Western Series

01-16-2025 22:08 UTC+2

Rodin Sends Gromov to the Rail

Tim Baker

Level 22 : Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante

There was a late position raise to 40,000 with Dmitry Gromov calling on the button before Grigorii Rodin squeezed all in with a stack that covered both players. The initial raiser folded, but Gromov called for his remaining 350,000.

Dmitry Gromov: K♦J♦ All in
Grigorii Rodin: 10♠10♦

Gromov needed to win this flip to have a chance of making the money. However, the board ran out 7♦4♣4♥2♥Q♣, which kept Rodin's pocket tens ahead the whole way, sending Gromov out of the tournament.

Player	Chips	Progress
Grigorii Rodin	1,700,000 650,000	650,000
Dmitry Gromov	Busted

Tags: Dmitry Gromov Grigorii Rodin

01-16-2025 21:20 UTC+2

Runcan Attempts an Audacious Bluff

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Kai Cocklin

Level 21 : Blinds 10,000/15,000, 15,000 ante

With around 100,000 chips in the middle on a flop of 6♦2♦5♣, Kianoosh Matin bet 55,000 from middle position and Paul Runcan called from the cutoff.

They went to a K♣ turn where Matin quickly put out a big bet of 200,000, and Runcan just as quickly called.

When the Q♥ hit the river, Matin went small with a bet of 55,000 and then immediately stood up and started to stretch while Runcan was considering his options. After some time, Runcan slid in a stack of chips for a min-raise of 110,000.

"You call? No? How much?" asked Matin. After getting the count, he tossed in the extra 55,000 chips.

Runcan then sheepishly turned over 9♣8♣ for a busted combo draw, and Matin's K♠5♠ was good for the pot with two pair.

Player	Chips	Progress
Kianoosh Matin	1,700,000 1,374,000	1,374,000
Paul Runcan	500,000 600,000	600,000

Tags: Kianoosh Matin Paul Runcan

01-16-2025 20:44 UTC+2

Sadek Rivers a Straight to Overcome Joshi's Ladies

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Tim Baker

Level 20 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

Esper Sadek just approached PokerNews to explain a huge hand he just played.

Sadek raised under the gun to 25,000 before a short-stacked player shoved for 160,000. Sachin Joshi then jammed over the top with a stack that covered the entire table. After it folded back to Sadek he called for his remaining 500,000.

Esper Sadek: 10x10x All in
Short-Stacked Player: AxJx All in
Sachin Joshi: QxQx

If Joshi could hold with pocket queens, he would move up to almost a stack of two million. However, the board ran out very unfavorably for Joshi as it came 9♠3♠7x8x6x to give Sadek the winner with a rivered ten-high straight.

Player	Chips	Progress
Esper Sadek	1,250,000 234,000	234,000
Sachin Joshi	650,000 650,000	650,000

Tags: Esper Sadek Sachin Joshi

01-16-2025 20:38 UTC+2

Neagoe Drills the Turn to Bust Akeh

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Tim Baker

Level 20 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

Ashraf Akeh limped from the hijack and Darius Neagoe raised to 40,000 from the cutoff. After the rest of the table folded, Akeh called to see a flop.

When the flop came down 9♦9♥8♣ Akeh shoved for around 70,000 and Neagoe called.

Ashraf Akeh: 6♣6♠ All in
Darius Neagoe: A♠10♠

Akeh had shoved when the safe flop had fallen and just needed to fade the turn and river to double. However, the A♣ turn propelled Neagoe into the lead with top pair. The 10♣ river didn't help Akeh, and he was sent to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Darius Neagoe	620,000 346,000	346,000

Ashraf Akeh	Busted

Tags: Ashraf Akeh Darius Neagoe

01-16-2025 20:04 UTC+2

Cowboys Help Grodek to Move Up the Chip Counts

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Tim Baker

Level 19 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

Walter Treccarichi opened to 20,000 from the cutoff before Stanislaw Grodek three-bet to 60,000 from the button. After the blinds folded, Treccarichi four-bet shoved for Grodek's remaining 340,000. Grodek snap-called.

Stanislaw Grodek: K♠K♣ All in
Walter Treccarichi: Q♠J♠

Treccarichi needed a lot of help if he was to crack the pocket kings of Grodek. However, the runout of 8♦5♠2♦Q♣K♦ gave Grodek the winner with a set of kings and he doubled up.

Treccarichi was left with just 50,000 and busted a few hands later.

Player	Chips	Progress
Stanislaw Grodek	825,000 325,000	325,000
Walter Treccarichi	Busted

Tags: Stanislaw Grodek Walter Treccarichi

01-16-2025 19:58 UTC+2

Big Slick Helps Shushan Double Through Golenko

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Kai Cocklin

Level 19 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

Yaniv Shushan had his stack of around 200,000 in the middle preflop and was put at risk by Evgeniy Golenko.

Yaniv Shushan: A♥K♥ All in
Evgeniy Golenko: AxQx

Shushan was ahead with his Big Slick and stayed there throughout the hand's entirety as the J♥2♦6♣5♠4♠ runout meant he doubled up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Yaniv Shushan	400,000 100,000	100,000
Evgeniy Golenko	300,000 350,000	350,000

Tags: Evgeniy Golenko Yaniv Shushan

01-16-2025 19:49 UTC+2

State Adds to His Stack

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Tim Baker

Level 19 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

Paul Newey raised to 20,000 from the hijack and Adrian State called from the button.

Newey fired a continuation-bet of 128,000 after the dealer fanned out a flop of K♠9♦3♦. State carved out the call.

Newey and State checked the 4♥ turn to see the A♦ hit the river. Newey checked and then snap-folded when State put out a bet.

Player	Chips	Progress
Paul Newey	690,000 35,000	35,000
Adrian State	560,000 60,000	60,000

Tags: Adrian State Paul Newey

01-16-2025 19:47 UTC+2

Prizepool and Payouts

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Kai Cocklin

Level 19 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

With 501 entries being recorded in the $2,200 Warm Up, the prizepool totaled $921,840 and 63 players will be paid. A min-cash is worth $3,415, while the eventual champion will walk away with $180,200.

Place	Prize	Place	Prize
1	$180,200	10-12	$13,180
2	$121,100	13-15	$10,695
3	$86,040	16-18	$9,220
4	$60,070	19-21	$8,020
5	$45,050	22-24	$7,190
6	$36,140	25-26	$6,360
7	$30,035	27-35	$5,530
8	$24,025	36-44	$4,790
9	$18,020	45-53	$4,055
		54-63	$3,415

01-16-2025 18:01 UTC+2

Al-Barwani Doubles Through Lie

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Tim Baker

Level 17 : Blinds 3,000/6,000, 6,000 ante

Aylar Lie raised to 12,000 from early position with only Ghassan Al-Barwani defending out of the big blind.

The dealer fanned out a flop of J♣10♥3♥ and Al-Barwani check-called a bet of 8,000 from Lie.

Al-Barwani checked again on the 9♠ turn and Lie shoved for Al-Barwani's remaining 65,000. Al-Barwani snap-called.

Ghassan Al-Barwani: Q♥9♥ All in
Aylar Lie: 8♣8♠

Al-Barwani had turned the best hand with a pair of nines and just had to fade a few of Lie's outs on the river. The 7♥ fell to give Lie a straight, but Al-Barwani also improved to a flush and he earned the double-up

Player	Chips	Progress
Ghassan Al-Barwani	175,000 149,000	149,000
Aylar Lie	155,000 55,000	55,000

Tags: Aylar Lie Ghassan Al-Barwani

01-16-2025 16:42 UTC+2

Sets For Everybody as Li Busts to Cappiello

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Kai Cocklin

Level 16 : Blinds 2,000/5,000, 5,000 ante

While the rest of the field went on break, Shankui Li and Candido Cappiello were playing out a hand that resulted in them both getting their chips in the middle preflop, with the former at risk for his stack of around 100,000.

Shankui Li: 6♠6♦ All in
Candido Cappiello: A♣A♠

Li was well behind and did momentarily think he jumped into the lead on the K♥6♣A♥ flop, but he soon realized that Cappiello had also made a set. The turn brought a 9♣ and Boris Smuskevicius, who had folded preflop, said he mucked 9x9x and would have also made a set!

Only one out could save Li, but the 3♥ river wasn't what he needed, meaning he was eliminated.