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

01-20-2025 13:03 UTC+2

Stanciu Gets Value From Morariu

Kai Cocklin

Level 1 : Blinds 200/500, 500 ante

On a full board of 4♦J♥6♦9♠8♣ with around 50,000 chips in the pot, Sorin Morariu checked from the big blind and Traian Stanciu fired out 16,000 from the hijack.

"Set of jacks?" asked Morariu after some time in the tank. After a little more deliberation, Morariu flicked in the call.

Stanciu then flipped 10♥10♦ for a pair of tens, and Morariu quickly mucked.

Player	Chips	Progress
Traian Stanciu	140,000
Sorin Morariu	55,000

Tags: Sorin Morariu Traian Stanciu

Level: 2

Blinds: 300/600

Ante: 600

01-20-2025 13:12 UTC+2

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Kai Cocklin

Level 2 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

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01-20-2025 13:23 UTC+2

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 13:34 UTC+2

Hashim Extracts Value From Samavati

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Kai Cocklin

Level 2 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

With around 16,000 chips in the pot on a 6♥2♣4♥A♦ board, both Hassanin Hashim in the big blind and Navid Samavati in the cutoff knuckled the table.

The river brought a Q♦ and after a short time, Hashim bet out 8,200. Samavati looked at the board for a while before he eventually tossed in a call.

Hashim then showed A♥2♦ for two pair, and Samavati quickly mucked.

Player	Chips	Progress
Hassanin Hashim	120,000
Navid Samavati	80,000

Tags: Hassanin Hashim Navid Samavati

01-20-2025 13:46 UTC+2

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 14:00 UTC+2

Hirs Goes on a Wild West Adventure, Soika Benefits

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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 14:09 UTC+2

Break Time

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Kai Cocklin

Level 2 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Players are on a 15-minute break.

01-20-2025 14:20 UTC+2

Selected Chip Counts

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Kai Cocklin

Level 2 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Dawid Smolka	240,000
Omer Erkus	175,000
Gaspare Sposato	170,000
Traian Stanciu	160,000 20,000	20,000
Andrei Spataru	160,000
Boris Smuskevicius	150,000
Edgard Raffoul	150,000
Andrey Golubev	140,000
Andrey Pateychuk	140,000

Daniel Charlton	135,000 35,000	35,000

Level: 3

Blinds: 400/800

Ante: 800