$3,300 Main Event Day 1a | 2025 Merit Poker Western Series

01-20-2025 15:00 UTC+3

Hirs Goes on a Wild West Adventure, Soika Benefits

Kai Cocklin

Level 2 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Aliaksandr Hirs had 10,000 chips in front of him from the big blind and Ihar Soika had made it 22,500 from the hijack. With the action back on Hirs, he decided to shove for around 95,000, which made Soika ask for a count. After getting the figure, Soika elected to call.

Ihar Soika: J♥J♦ All in
Aliaksandr Hirs: J♣5♣

Hirs had gone on a Wild West adventure with jack-five and ran into the worst hand he could possibly see as Soika had pocket jacks. A flop of 10♥3♥2♣ didn't offer much help to Hirs, but the A♣ turn opened up a world of opportunity as he picked up both flush and straight draws.

However, Hirs couldn't connect with the river as the 2♠ filled out the board, which sent his stack down to around 5,000, while Soika doubled up to 190,000.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ihar Soika	190,000 190,000	190,000
Aliaksandr Hirs	5,000 5,000	5,000

Tags: Aliaksandr Hirs Ihar Soika

01-20-2025 14:46 UTC+3

Iarilov Stacks Amiri

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Kai Cocklin

Level 2 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Ehsan Amiri opened to 1,200 from early position and Samer Kreidieh called from the small blind before Viktor Iarilov three-bet to 5,000 from the big blind. Amiri and Kreidieh both called.

On the K♠J♠10♥ flop, Kreidieh checked and Iarilov bet 7,000. Amiri then raised to 25,500, which got Kreidieh to fold, but Iarilov shoved. Amiri quickly called off his remaining stack of around 90,000.

Ehsan Amiri: Q♠J♦ All in
Viktor Iarilov: A♥K♥

Amiri had flopped a pair with an open-ended straight draw, and needed to get there against the top pair of Iarilov's top pair. A 7♥ on the turn gave Iarilov a flush draw, which reduced the number of outs Amiri could hit, and the 8♦ river was a brick.

Player	Chips	Progress
Viktor Iarilov	190,000
Samer Kreidieh	70,000
Ehsan Amiri	Busted

Tags: Ehsan Amiri Samer Kreidieh Viktor Iarilov

01-20-2025 14:23 UTC+3

Sokol Doubles Through Spasov

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Kai Cocklin

Level 2 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

With around 35,000 chips in the middle on a 8♥3♥7♠5♥Q♠ board, Kamil Sokol bet 13,000 from the small blind. Simeon Spasov was in the big blind and after some time, he shoved. Sokol took just a few seconds to call for his stack of around 75,000.

Spasov showed a rivered set with Q♥Q♦, but Sokol held the winner with K♥J♥ for a flush.

Player	Chips	Progress
Kamil Sokol	190,000
Simeon Spasov	20,000

Tags: Kamil Sokol Simeon Spasov

01-20-2025 13:29 UTC+3

Danilov Wins a Healthy Pot Against Zebarjad

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Kai Cocklin

Level 1 : Blinds 200/500, 500 ante

The action started with Tobias Peters making it 700 to go from under the gun and Ali Zebarjad calling from middle position. Anton Danilov then squeezed to 3,500 from the button, which both Peters and Zebarjad called.

The three saw a flop of 3♠8♦2♦ where it checked to Danilov, who then fired out a continuation-bet of 5,500. Peters folded, but Zebarjad called.

A 9♣ dropped on the turn and after Zebarjad tapped the table, Danilov slung out a bet of 11,500. After some time, Zebarjad called.

When the K♥ fell on the river, Zebarjad elected to lead for 10,000, only for Danilov to put in a raise to 37,500. Zebarjad leant back in his chair and thought for a while, but eventually elected to fold, and Danilov took the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Anton Danilov	135,000
Tobias Peters	96,000

Ali Zebarjad	70,000

Tags: Ali Zebarjad Anton Danilov Tobias Peters

01-20-2025 11:24 UTC+3

Who Will Be the New Sheriff in Town in the $3,300 Main Event?

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Kai Cocklin

The poker saloon doors swing open once more as the $3,300 Main Event at the 2025 Merit Poker Western Series gets underway today at noon local time. Held in the dazzling Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino in North Cyprus, this high-stakes showdown promises to be a battle of wits, guts, and grit as players aim to outlast the field and stake their claim to poker glory.

Last year, the Western Series crown was claimed by France's Mohamed Mokrani, who galloped to victory through a field of 672 contenders, pocketing a whopping $342,500 after a thrilling heads-up duel. Mokrani’s meteoric rise from the middle of the pack to the top spot was the stuff of poker folklore, as he left behind a trail of fallen opponents, including Nichan Khorchidian and Felipe Ketzer, in a showdown reminiscent of an old Western duel.

2024 Western Series Main Event Final Table Results

Place	Player	Country	Prize
1	Mohamed Mokrani	France	$342,500
2	Nichan Khorchidian	Lebanon	$252,500
3	Felipe Ketzer	Brazil	$155,000
4	Christophe Panetti	Switzerland	$114,400
5	Damir Zhugralin	Kazakhstan	$85,700
6	Mustafa Ercan	Turkey	$69,100
7	Antoine Hasbani	Lebanon	$57,300
8	Samy Barka	France	$45,600
9	Hadi Khordbin	Iran	$34,300

This year’s field of poker gunslingers will aim to carve their own legend, starting with Day 1a — the first of four starting flights. Armed with 100,000 chips in their holsters, players will navigate nine 60-minute levels in hopes of advancing to Day 2 and keeping their dream alive.

With late registration open until Level 14 on Day 2 and unlimited reentries, the field is expected to blow past the $1,500,000 guarantee, creating a prize pool worthy of the Wild West’s biggest bounty.

Will a new sheriff rise to claim the title, or could Mokrani return to defend his throne? Stay tuned to PokerNews as we follow every daring play and nail-biting showdown in the 2025 Merit Poker Western Series $3,300 Main Event.

Tags: Antoine Hasbani Christophe Panetti Damir Zhugralin Felipe Ketzer Hadi Khordbin Mohamed Mokrani Mustafa Ercan Nichan Khorchidian Samy Barka