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

01-16-2025 23:36 UTC+2

Estrada and Shcherbakov Play a Blind Pot

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 23:33 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 23:33 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

Level: 24

Blinds: 20,000/40,000

Ante: 40,000

01-16-2025 23:21 UTC+2

Samavati Busts to Borlan

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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

01-16-2025 23:18 UTC+2

Selected Chip Counts

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Kai Cocklin

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

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

01-16-2025 23:11 UTC+2

Early Visitors to the Cashier

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Kai Cocklin

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

Player	Chips	Progress
Korhan Aydin	Busted
Dore Hajjar	Busted
Sakis Adrianopoulos	Busted
Jakub Michalak	Busted
Stanislaw Grodek	Busted
Imad Saab	Busted

01-16-2025 23:08 UTC+2

Fata Takes From the Big Stack

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Tim Baker

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

Georgios Skarparis raised to 65,000 from the button with Mario Fata defending out of the big blind.

Fata check-called a bet of 40,000 from Skarparis on the Q♠Q♥9♣ flop to see the 6♣ drop on the turn. Both players checked and the 8♦ hit the river. Fata led out for 150,000 and Skarparis folded his cards.

Player	Chips	Progress
Georgios Skarparis	3,050,000 70,000	70,000

Mario Fata	950,000 613,500	613,500

Tags: Georgios Skarparis Mario Fata

01-16-2025 23:05 UTC+2

Sapiano Climbing the Counts

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Kai Cocklin

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

On a board of 9♦5♦4♠6♦ with around 600,000 chips already in the pot, Albert Sapiano in the small blind and Kianoosh Matin in the big blind both tapped the table.

A 10♦ on the river put four diamonds on board and Sapiano put out a teasing bet of 100,000. Despite being all-fired unwilling to put another dime into the pot, Matin eventually stuck in a call.

Sapiano then calmly rolled over 9♥8♦ for a flush, and Matin shook his head as he mucked.

Player	Chips	Progress
Albert Sapiano	1,500,000 600,000	600,000
Kianoosh Matin	1,100,000 600,000	600,000

Tags: Albert Sapiano Kianoosh Matin

01-16-2025 22:56 UTC+2

Reichenstein First to the Payout Desk

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Kai Cocklin

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

Just after the money bubble burst, Uri Reichenstein shoved for 80,000 from the hijack and was called by both Xin Yuan on the button & Zhen Chen in the big blind.

The action was checked to showdown on the 7♣7♠K♠10♣K♣ runout where Reichenstein showed J♠9♦, Chen showed 9♥8♥, but Yuan had the winner holding A♥3♥ for just ace-high.

It always pays to have an ace in the hole!

Player	Chips	Progress
Zhen Chen	1,250,000 50,000	50,000
Xin Yuan	1,200,000 300,000	300,000
Uri Reichenstein	Busted

Tags: Uri Reichenstein Xin Yuan Zhen Chen