$2,200 Warm Up Day 3 | 2025 Merit Poker Western Series

01-17-2025 14:58 UTC+2

Ponomarev Stays Alive

Tim Baker

Level 28 : Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante

Konstantin Kvashin raised to 200,000 from the hijack before Nikolay Ponomarev shoved for 405,000 from the button. Kvashin called to try and bust Ponomarev.

Nikolay Ponomarev: A♥Q♦ All in
Konstantin Kvashin: Q♥8♥

Kvashin was behind to the ace-high of Ponomarev and couldn't find any help to win on the 7♥7♣5♠9♣3♣ runout, meaning around a fifth of his chips were sent over to Ponomarev.

Player	Chips	Progress
Konstantin Kvashin	2,000,000 700,000	700,000
Nikolay Ponomarev	1,000,000 20,000	20,000

Tags: Konstantin Kvashin Nikolay Ponomarev

01-17-2025 14:53 UTC+2

Hirs Quadruples

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Kai Cocklin

Level 28 : Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante

Aliaksandr Hirs moved his last two big blinds into the middle from the button and Mario Fata called in the small blind. Grigorii Rodin was in the big blind and raised to 600,000, which got Fata to fold.

Aliaksandr Hirs: A♣9♠ All in
Grigorii Rodin: J♠J♦

Hirs caught an ace on the 3♥A♥3♠K♠Q♠ runout to quadruple up and get back into contention.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mario Fata	4,200,000 600,000	600,000
Grigorii Rodin	1,800,000 250,000	250,000
Aliaksandr Hirs	900,000 300,000	300,000

Tags: Aliaksandr Hirs Grigorii Rodin Mario Fata

01-17-2025 14:50 UTC+2

Zebarjad Douibles Up through Skarparis

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Tim Baker

Level 28 : Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante

Georgios Skarparis raised from the small blind and Ali Zebarjad shoved for 1,755,000 out of the big blind. After getting a count from the dealer, Skarparis called to put Zebarjad at risk.

Ali Zebarjad: Q♣Q♥ All in
Georgios Skarparis: 7♥7♠

Zebarjad was in great shape to double through Skarparis if he could fade a seven. The dealer put out a safe board of J♦10♠4♠5♣9♥ and Zebarjad doubled up with his pocket queens.

Player	Chips	Progress
Georgios Skarparis	6,900,000 1,225,000	1,225,000

Ali Zebarjad	3,600,000 2,000,000	2,000,000

Tags: Georgios Skarparis Ali Zebarjad

01-17-2025 14:47 UTC+2

Roscan and Chen Clash Twice

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Kai Cocklin

Level 28 : Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante

Andrei Roscan and Zhen Chen just played two hands against each other with lots of chips changing hands.

First, Roscan raised from middle position to 200,000 and Chen three-bet from the hijack to 525,000. When it got back to Roscan, he called.

They saw a flop of 3♠10♣9♥ where Roscan check-called a bet of 350,000 from Chen to see the 6♣ drop on the turn, Again Roscan checked, then Chen fired out 775,000. After thinking it over, Roscan shoved for around 2,800,000, and Chen quickly folded.

Not long after, Roscan shoved the button into the two shorter stacks in the blinds, and Chen called from the small blind for around 1,100,000.

Zhen Chen: A♠10♥ All in
Andrei Roscan: K♠9♠

Chen flopped an ace and maintained the lead throughout the hand on the 4♦A♦7♣Q♦7♥ board and doubled up, clawing some chips back from Roscan.

Player	Chips	Progress
Andrei Roscan	4,300,000 650,000	650,000
Zhen Chen	2,400,000 600,000	600,000

Tags: Andrei Roscan Zhen Chen

01-17-2025 14:38 UTC+2

Fata Doubles With the Ladies

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Tim Baker

Level 28 : Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante

Aliaksandr Hirs raised to 200,000 on the button and Mario Fata three-bet to 600,000 from the small blind. Hirs four-bet shoved and Fata called off for his remaining 1,700,000.

Mario Fata: Q♠Q♣ All in
Aliaksandr Hirs: 3♥3♣

Hirs was in bad shape and needed to find a Trey or he would be left on fumes. The board ran out 2♦8♠9♥J♠A♦, which kept Fata ahead with queens, and he doubled up through Hirs.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mario Fata	4,800,000 2,230,000	2,230,000
Aliaksandr Hirs	600,000 2,200,000	2,200,000

Tags: Aliaksandr Hirs Mario Fata

Level: 28

Blinds: 50,000/100,000

Ante: 100,000

01-17-2025 14:18 UTC+2

Updated Chip Counts

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Tim Baker

Level 27 : Blinds 40,000/80,000, 80,000 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Georgios Skarparis	8,125,000 325,000	325,000

Haghgou Seyedahmad	4,680,000 1,380,000	1,380,000
Danielle Noja	4,600,000
Andrei Roscan	3,650,000 950,000	950,000
Esper Sadek	3,150,000 350,000	350,000
Zhen Chen	3,000,000 1,200,000	1,200,000
Aliaksandr Hirs	2,800,000 800,000	800,000
Konstantin Kvashin	2,700,000 550,000	550,000
Dan Borlan	2,580,000 820,000	820,000
Mario Fata	2,570,000 970,000	970,000
Murat Bayyurt	2,500,000 300,000	300,000
Grigorii Rodin	2,050,000 450,000	450,000
Sachin Joshi	1,800,000 200,000	200,000
Ali Zebarjad	1,600,000
Nicolae Paunescu	1,325,000 775,000	775,000
Yaniv Shushan	980,000 320,000	320,000
Nikolay Ponomarev	980,000
Philipp Wood	750,000 100,000	100,000

01-17-2025 14:09 UTC+2

Break TIme

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Tim Baker

Level 27 : Blinds 40,000/80,000, 80,000 ante

The remaining 18 players are now on a 20-minute break.

01-17-2025 14:08 UTC+2

Alexandru Lupuleac Eliminated in 19th Place ($8,020)

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Kai Cocklin

Level 27 : Blinds 40,000/80,000, 80,000 ante

As the other players were heading on break, Alexandru Lupuleac made it 600,000 to go on the button, leaving himself around 200,000 behind. Danielle Noja then immediately shoved from the small blind, and after an unsuccessful ladder hunt, Lupuleac called.

Alexandru Lupuleac: A♠7♦ All in
Danielle Noja: A♣K♣

It didn't look good for Lupuleac, who lost one of his outs on the 9♣J♥4♣ flop as Noja picked up a flush draw. A Q♣ on the turn ended the hand right there as Noja completed his flush, and even had a sweat for a Royal. However, the 5♥ river didn't bring in the rarest hand in poker, but still meant Lupuleac was out in 20th.

Player	Chips	Progress
Danielle Noja	4,600,000 800,000	800,000
Alexandru Lupuleac	Busted

Tags: Alexandru Lupuleac Danielle Noja

01-17-2025 14:06 UTC+2

Hirs Leads into Skarparis Twice

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Tim Baker

Level 27 : Blinds 40,000/80,000, 80,000 ante

Georgios Skarparis raised from the cutoff to 160,000 with Dan Borlan and Aliaksandr Hirs calling out of the blinds.

The action checked to Skarparis on the 4♣7♦Q♣ flop and he fired out a bet of 185,000. Borlan folded, but Hirs called from the big blind.

Hirs opted to lead out for 275,000 upon seeing the 4♦ land on the turn. Skarparis called and the 2♣ dropped on the river. Hirs led out again for the same bet of 275,000 and after a bit of deliberation, Skarparis folded his cards.

Player	Chips	Progress
Georgios Skarparis	7,800,000 200,000	200,000

Dan Borlan	3,400,000 1,100,000	1,100,000
Aliaksandr Hirs	2,000,000 900,000	900,000

Tags: Aliaksandr Hirs Dan Borlan Georgios Skarparis