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

01-16-2025 23:18 UTC+2

Player	Chips	Progress
Georgios Skarparis	3,100,000 50,000	50,000

Gaspare Sposato	2,200,000 900,000	900,000
Damir Zhugralin	1,500,000 500,000	500,000
Philip Joyce	1,300,000 150,000	150,000
Grigorii Rodin	1,200,000 100,000	100,000
Paul Newey	1,100,000 410,000	410,000
Kirill Shcherbakov	900,000 300,000	300,000
Azamat Tulepbergenov	850,000 400,000	400,000

Yaniv Shushan	500,000 200,000	200,000
Traian Stanciu	350,000 100,000	100,000
Edward Quinn	300,000
Sofia Merkulova	300,000 290,000	290,000
Soraya Estrada	120,000 680,000	680,000

Samavati Busts to Borlan

Tim Baker

Level 23 : Blinds 15,000/30,000, 30,000 ante

The action was picked up with the board showing 3♣K♣8♠J♠5♥ and with around 750,000 in the middle. Dan Borlan was first to act from the big blind and shoved for Navid Samavati's remaining 250,000. Samavati started the hand from under the gun and after deliberating for a while he made the call.

Navid Samavati: A♠Q♦ All in
Dan Borlan: J♣8♣

Borlan had turned two pair, which was good to win him the pot as Samavati had hero called with ace-high. Borlan dragged in the pot while Samavati headed to the payout desk.

Player	Chips	Progress
Dan Borlan	2,350,000 850,000	850,000
Navid Samavati	Busted

Tags: Dan Borlan Navid Samavati

Level: 24

Blinds: 20,000/40,000

Ante: 40,000

01-16-2025 23:33 UTC+2

Skarparis Gives Cappiello a Gift

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Kai Cocklin

Level 24 : Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante

With around 400,000 chips already in the pot on a board of 3♣J♠J♦A♠, Candido Cappiello checked from the blinds and Jianfeng Sun bet 75,000. Georgios Skarparis then called before Cappiello shoved for 300,000. Sun got out of the way, and Skarparis stuck in the call.

Candido Cappiello: K♥J♥ All in
Georgios Skarparis: A♦Q♠

Cappiello was well ahead with his trips and faded the two-outer on the river as the 7♣ completed the runout, which earned him a double-up.

"I gave you a gift, bro!" said Skarparis.

"You're not a believer," replied Cappiello.

Player	Chips	Progress
Georgios Skarparis	2,700,000 400,000	400,000

Jianfeng Sun	1,200,000 400,000	400,000
Candido Cappiello	1,100,000 550,000	550,000

Tags: Candido Cappiello Georgios Skarparis Jianfeng Sun

01-16-2025 23:33 UTC+2

Paunescu Ends Stanciu's Tournament

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Tim Baker

Level 24 : Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante

Traian Stanciu three-bet shoved from the big blind after Nicolae Paunescu had opened from the button. Paunescu called and the cards were revealed.

Traian Stanciu: A♥9♦ All in
Nicolae Paunescu: J♦J♠

Stanciu was behind and had to find an ace to have a chance of making it to Day 3. However, the board ran out clean for Paunescu's pocket jacks as it came 4♣Q♦3♠6♠8♦ and all of Stanciu's chips were sent over to Paunescu.

Player	Chips	Progress
Nicolae Paunescu	800,000 465,000	465,000
Traian Stanciu	Busted

Tags: Nicolae Paunescu Traian Stanciu

01-16-2025 23:36 UTC+2

Estrada and Shcherbakov Play a Blind Pot

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Kai Cocklin

Level 24 : Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante

Soraya Estrada had 115,000 left in her stack and from under the gun, she shoved without even looking at her cards. The action folded around to Kirill Shcherbakov in the big blind, who also didn't look at his cards before he called.

Estrada revealed her cards to be J♥3♣, but the table was shocked to see Shcherbakov roll over A♠A♥!

The runout of 10♠8♦6♥Q♥7♦ was no help to Estrada, and she was eliminated in the last level of the day.

Player	Chips	Progress
Kirill Shcherbakov	1,000,000 100,000	100,000
Soraya Estrada	Busted

Tags: Kirill Shcherbakov Soraya Estrada

01-16-2025 23:44 UTC+2

Late Bustouts

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Kai Cocklin

Level 24 : Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Edward Quinn	Busted
Soraya Estrada	Busted
Matteo Sarais	Busted
Traian Stanciu	Busted
Georges Chehade	Busted
Angelos Michael	Busted
Ibrahim Ghasan	Busted
Navid Samavati	Busted
Rusen Mat	Busted

01-16-2025 23:48 UTC+2

Fata's Cowboys Crush Cappiello's Ladies

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Tim Baker

Level 24 : Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante

Mario Fata raised to 80,000 from early position before Candido Cappiello three-bet to 200,000 from the hijack. After it folded back to Fata, he four-bet shoved for roughly 1,150,000. Cappiello called to put himself at risk.

Candido Cappiello: Q♦Q♣ All in
Mario Fata: K♠K♥

Cappiello started the hand with a stack of around 1,000,000 and needed to find a queen if he was to remain in the tournament. The dealer put out a board of 8♥6♥4♣J♣A♠ which kept Fata's Cowboys ahead, sending Cappiello to the rail close to the end of the day.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mario Fata	2,250,000
Candido Cappiello	Busted

Tags: Candido Cappiello Mario Fata

01-16-2025 23:55 UTC+2

Final Five Hands

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Kai Cocklin

Level 24 : Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante

The floor have announced that five more hands will be played before play wraps up for the evening.

01-16-2025 23:58 UTC+2

Yuan Surges Past Two Million Late in the Day

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Kai Cocklin

Level 24 : Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante

On a flop of 6♥8♦J♠ with around 200,000 in the middle, Xin Yuan got his stack of 1,130,000 into the middle from the small blind and was put at risk by Nicolae Paunescu in the big blind.

Xin Yuan: A♠J♥ All in
Nicolae Paunescu: 9x7x

Paunescu had an open-ended straight draw, but wasn't able to connect with it as neither the Q♣ turn nor 9♥ river were the cards he was looking for.