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

01-20-2025 14:28 UTC+2

Verbruggen Six-Bet Shoves Seven-Deuce and Cracks Joyce's Cowboys

Kai Cocklin

Level 3 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

Philip Joyce recalled a hand that happened shortly before the break where he had squeezed from the blinds and Tom Verbruggen made a four-bet. Joyce then five-bet, Verbruggen six-bet shoved for around 90,000, and Joyce snap-called.

Tom Verbruggen: 7♥2♥ All in
Philip Joyce: K♠K♣

Verbruggen wanted an adventure of his own and got in one of the worst starting hands in poker against one of the best. However, the result wasn't was expected as Verbruggen made two pair on the 9♠2♦7♣3♠5♣ runout to secure an unexpected double-up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Tom Verbruggen	190,000 190,000	190,000
Philip Joyce	30,000 70,000	70,000

Tags: Philip Joyce Tom Verbruggen

01-20-2025 14:41 UTC+2

Wood Rivers Broadway

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Kai Cocklin

Level 3 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

With around 7,000 chips in the pot on a K♥4♦10♦ flo[, Philipp Wood fired out 1,300 from the small blind, and Kirill Shcherbakov called in the big blind.

A 6♠ dropped on the turn where Wood slowed down with a check, then he called the 2,500-chip bet of Shcherbakov to see the Q♦ land on the river. Wood checked again, then after a short time, Shcherbakov checked back.

Wood flipped over Broadway with A♣J♣, and Shcherbakov mucked.

Player	Chips	Progress
Konstantin Kvashin	180,000
Kirill Shcherbakov	150,000
Philipp Wood	90,000 10,000	10,000

Tags: Philipp Wood Kirill Shcherbakov

01-20-2025 14:51 UTC+2

Pateychuk Rivers a Flush and Stacks Gabdullin

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Kai Cocklin

Level 3 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

There were already around 10,000 chips in the pot on a flop of A♦8♥2♠7♠ when Andrey Pateychuk fired out a bet of 10,000 from early position and Damir Gabdullin called from the hijack.

They both saw the 10♠ hit the river and after taking a look at his opponent's stack, Pateychuk shoved.

"I can't fold this one," said Gabdullin, who then put in the remainder of his stack, which looked to be around 50,000.

Pateychuk then flipped K♠5♠ for a flush, and Gabdullin's set of eights with 8♦8♣ went into the bin.

Player	Chips	Progress
Andrey Pateychuk	200,000 60,000	60,000

Damir Gabdullin	Busted

Tags: Damir Gabdullin Andrey Pateychuk

01-20-2025 14:54 UTC+2

Ehsan Amiri

117,000 117,000

01-20-2025 15:04 UTC+2

Boika Good at Showdown

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Kai Cocklin

Level 3 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

Aliaksei Boika had made it 8,000 to go from the small blind after an open, and only the player in the cutoff called.

On the 8♥10♣K♠ flop, Boika led out for 5,000, which the hijack called to see the 5♥ turn. Boika checked, the hijack bet 18,000, and Boika called.

When the 5♦ paired the board on the river, both quickly checked and Boika's 10♠9♠ was good at showdown with a pair of tens.

Player	Chips	Progress
Aliaksei Boika	130,000 130,000	130,000

Tags: Aliaksei Boika

01-20-2025 15:15 UTC+2

Add PokerNews to Your Mobile Home Screen

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Kai Cocklin

Level 3 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

The PokerNews desktop and mobile browser websites are as feature-rich as ever, so our tech gurus have decided to call time on the PokerNews mobile app.

Don't fret if you spend your time reading PokerNews articles and live tournament updates from your mobile device because adding PokerNews to your Android or iOS-powered device is simple. Doing so enables you to continue enjoying PokerNews in its glory, including seeing badges, using emojis, browsing famously easy-to-navigate pages, and getting closer to the action with MyStack.

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Level: 4

Blinds: 500/1,000

Ante: 1,000

01-20-2025 15:23 UTC+2

Selected Chip Counts

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Kai Cocklin

Level 4 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Edward Quinn	170,000

Adam Wagner	150,000 50,000	50,000
Grigorii Rodin	120,000
Ali Zebarjad	120,000 50,000	50,000
Arian Kashani	120,000 10,000	10,000
Xiaosheng Zheng	110,000
Paul Runcan	105,000
Johan Guilbert	100,000

Darko Svesko	100,000
Pouya Ranjehdel	95,000
Tobias Peters	90,000 6,000	6,000

Sandra Cotescu	85,000

01-20-2025 15:34 UTC+2

Smolka Gets a Freebie

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Kai Cocklin

Level 4 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

With around 15,000 chips in the pot on a Q♠2♦A♥ flop, Paul Runcan in the big blind check-called a bet of 4,500 from Dawid Smolka, who was on the button.

Both then checked to showdown on the 9♥5♠ runout, where Runcan didn't reveal his cards and just mucked, forfeiting the pot to Smolka.

Smolka has around 300,000 now, good for 300 big blinds!

Player	Chips	Progress
Dawid Smolka	300,000 60,000	60,000
Paul Runcan	80,000 25,000	25,000

Tags: Dawid Smolka Paul Runcan

01-20-2025 15:43 UTC+2

Tulepbergenov Shows One to Rodin

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Kai Cocklin

Level 4 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

With around 50,000 in the pot on a 7♥A♥6♣A♣ board, Grigorii Rodin fired out 25,000 from the small blind, and Azamat Tulepbergenov called in the big blind.

They both saw the 9♥ drop on the river, where Rodin decided to check and Tulepbergenov quickly threw out a bet of 75,000. Rodin just as quickly folded, and Tulepbergenov flashed the 9♣ as he raked in the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Azamat Tulepbergenov	240,000 240,000	240,000
Grigorii Rodin	80,000 40,000	40,000

Tags: Azamat Tulepbergenov Grigorii Rodin