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

01-16-2025 14:39 UTC+2

Ojeil Pays Off Quinn

Kai Cocklin

Level 13 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante

The action was picked up on a board of Q♥10♥Q♦2♣ with almost 30,000 chips already in the middle. Chady Ojeil was in the big blind and checked it over to Edward Quinn on the button, who fired out 13,500. Ojeil then snapped back with a raise to 40,000, which Quinn called.

When the A♣ dropped on the river, Ojeil checked and was then faced with a 75,000-chip bet from Quinn. After thinking it over, Ojeil called.

Quinn then revealed trips with K♦Q♣, and Ojeil quickly mucked.

Player	Chips	Progress
Edward Quinn	950,000 150,000	150,000
Chady Ojeil	300,000 125,000	125,000

Tags: Chady Ojeil Edward Quinn

01-16-2025 14:38 UTC+2

Smolka's Bullets End Bakhteiv's Tournament

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Tim Baker

Level 13 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante

On the turn with the board showing 4♣10♥Q♣9♥, Ruslan Bakhtiev got the last of his chips into the middle, with Dawid Smolka making the call to try and bust him.

Ruslan Bakhtiev: J♥9♦ All in
Dawid Smolka: A♦A♠

Smolka was ahead with aces, but he had to fade a lot of cards on the river if he was to win the pot and send Bakhtiev home. A clean 4♦ dropped on the river for Smolka, and Bakhtiev was out of the tournament.

Player	Chips	Progress
Dawid Smolka	350,000 231,000	231,000
Ruslan Bakhtiev	Busted

Tags: Dawid Smolka Ruslan Bakhtiev

01-16-2025 14:30 UTC+2

Aristotelos Makes a Big Laydown Against Amiri

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Kai Cocklin

Level 13 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante

Ehsan Amiri opened to 7,000 from the hijack and was met with a three-bet by Katherina Aristotelos. Amiri then four-bet to 82,000, which sent Aristotelos into the tank. Around a minute passed and Aristotelos still hadn't made a decision.

"I'm all in or I pass," said Aristotelos. After counting out her stack and seeing she had around 200,000 behind, she shrugged her shoulders and folded A♦K♥ face up, much to the shock of the table.

Amiri responded by showing Q♥Q♠, and both parties seemed happy not having to flip for their tournament lives.

"What a pass I made for you," added Aristotelos.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ehsan Amiri	250,000 58,500	58,500
Katherina Aristotelos	200,000 22,000	22,000

Tags: Ehsan Amiri Katherina Aristotelos

01-16-2025 14:23 UTC+2

Akansu Spikes an Ace to Bust Cotescu

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Tim Baker

Level 13 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante

Sandra Cotescu opened to 6,000 from middle position and Emrah Akansu shoved for 71,000 out of the small blind. After it folded back to Cotescu, she called with slightly fewer chips than Akansu.

Sandra Cotescu: J♦J♠ All in
Emrah Akansu: A♠J♣

Cotescu was in great shape to double-up and leave Akansu on fumes. However, the flop of A♦4♣6♣ propelled Akansu into the lead with a pair of aces. There was no miracle one-outer for Cotescu on the 8♥ turn or A♣ river. Akansu pulled in the pot and Cotescu was sent to the showers.

Player	Chips	Progress
Emrah Akansu	150,000 11,000	11,000
Sandra Cotescu	Busted

Tags: Emrah Akansu Sandra Cotescu

01-16-2025 14:16 UTC+2

Selected Chip Counts at the First Break

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Kai Cocklin

Level 13 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Luke Marsh	885,000 65,000	65,000

Edward Quinn	800,000 150,000	150,000
Dmitry Gromov	770,000 20,000	20,000

Jakub Michalak	610,000 412,500	412,500
Azamat Tulepbergenov	600,000 50,000	50,000

Soraya Estrada	600,000 160,000	160,000
Adrian State	550,000 50,000	50,000
Haghgou Seyedahmad	550,000 248,000	248,000
Sofia Merkulova	500,000 189,500	189,500
Xiaosheng Zheng	460,000 170,000	170,000
Chady Ojeil	425,000 80,000	80,000
Imad Saab	425,000 285,000	285,000
Aliaksandr Hirs	425,000 207,500	207,500
Konstantin Kvashin	420,000 135,000	135,000
Esper Sadek	410,000 56,000	56,000
Adlan Vikayev	400,000 72,000	72,000
Motokatsu Uhara	400,000 175,500	175,500
Jianfeng Sun	390,000 79,500	79,500
Dan Borlan	350,000 64,000	64,000
Ran Ilani	310,000 183,000	183,000

Level: 13

Blinds: 1,500/3,000

Ante: 3,000

01-16-2025 13:55 UTC+2

Break Time

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Kai Cocklin

Level 12 : Blinds 1,500/2,500, 2,500 ante

Players have been sent on their first 20-minute break of the day.

01-16-2025 13:48 UTC+2

Welcome to Club PokerNews

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Tim Baker

Level 12 : Blinds 1,500/2,500, 2,500 ante

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01-16-2025 13:45 UTC+2

Gromov Sends Gallona Home

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Tim Baker

Level 12 : Blinds 1,500/2,500, 2,500 ante

Paco Gallano got his last 60,000 into the middle preflop with Dmitry Gromov making the call to try and bust him.

Paco Gallano: A♥7♦ All in
Dmitry Gromov: A♦Q♠

Gallano looked poised to be headed to the exit as Gromov had him dominated. The board ran out 6♦2♥9♥10♦J♦ which kept Gromov ahead the whole way, sending Gallano to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Dmitry Gromov	750,000 329,500	329,500

Paco Gallano	Busted

Tags: Dmitry Gromov Paco Gallano

01-16-2025 13:42 UTC+2

Selected Chip Counts

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Kai Cocklin

Level 12 : Blinds 1,500/2,500, 2,500 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Ashraf Akeh	700,000 18,500	18,500
Adrian State	600,000 440,000	440,000
Azamat Tulepbergenov	550,000 87,000	87,000

Sergei Varnaev	450,000 45,000	45,000
Alisa Sibgatova	300,000 221,000	221,000
Traian Stanciu	240,000 33,000	33,000
Fredrico Senno	130,000 53,500	53,500
Paul Runcan	100,000 300,500	300,500
Sandra Cotescu	100,000 5,000	5,000
Kirill Shcherbakov	80,000 20,000	20,000