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

01-20-2025 15:52 UTC+2

Yuan and Dziubdziela Clash

Kai Cocklin

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

Marcin Dziubdziela had made a three-bet from the cutoff and Xin Yuan four-bet from the big blind to 20,000. The original raiser folded, and Dziubdziela called.

They went to a flop of 10♠K♣J♦ where Yuan put out a continuation-bet of 15,000, which got the job done as Dziubdziela quickly folded.

Despite that small setback, Dziubdziela still has around 230,000 in his stack while Yuan has 180,000.

Player	Chips	Progress
Marcin Dziubdziela	230,000 230,000	230,000
Xin Yuan	180,000 80,000	80,000

Tags: Marcin Dziubdziela Xin Yuan

01-20-2025 16:00 UTC+2

Kolev Hits 200,000

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Kai Cocklin

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

With a player already all-in for the main pot of around 30,000, Boris Kolev fired out 22,000 on a flop of 7♣5♥8♣, and Hassan Sey flicked in the call..

An A♥ dropped on the turn and Kolev moved all in, which got a quick fold out of Sey, who had around 40,000 behind.

Kolev flipped over 7♥7♠ for a set of sevens and had the hand locked up as the all-in player showed A♣J♠ and was drawing dead. The meaningless J♣ fell on the river, and Kolev scooped in the pot, which brought his stack to around 200,000.

Player	Chips	Progress
Boris Kolev	200,000 100,000	100,000

Hassan Sey	40,000 40,000	40,000

Tags: Boris Kolev Hassan Sey

01-20-2025 16:10 UTC+2

Chen Doubles Through Svesko

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Kai Cocklin

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

On a flop of 5♦10♥Q♦ with around 8,000 in the middle, Zhen Chen was seen with 10,500 in front of him and Darko Svesko had made it 25,000. Chen then shoved for around 95,000, and Svesko quickly called.

Zhen Chen: J♦9♦ All in
Darko Svesko: Q♣10♣

Chen had flopped a huge combo draw and needed to get there against the top two pair of Svesko. It was a case of 'instant service' for Chen as the 8♣ turn gave him the nuts, leaving Svesko needing to boat up on the river. However, the 6♥ river was a brick, meaning Chen doubled up while Svesko was left with 50,000 and anything but a convivial look on his face.

Player	Chips	Progress
Zhen Chen	200,000 200,000	200,000

Darko Svesko	50,000 50,000	50,000

Tags: Darko Svesko Zhen Chen

01-20-2025 16:22 UTC+2

Estrada Bets Big Against Tasyurek

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Kai Cocklin

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

Halil Tasyurek won a satellite to the Main Event not too long ago and was straight into the action in a hand against Soraya Estrada.

With 25,000 in the middle on a 3♠5♠3♦Q♦ board, Tasyurek checked from middle position and Estrada bet 20,000 from the hijack. Tasyurek called.

An A♣ dropped on the river and after Tasyurek checked, Estrada stayed aggressive with a bet of 45,000. Tasyurek quickly folded.

Player	Chips	Progress
Soraya Estrada	140,000 140,000	140,000
Halil Tasyurek	70,000 70,000	70,000

Tags: Halil Tasyurek Soraya Estrada

01-20-2025 16:24 UTC+2

Break Time

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Kai Cocklin

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

Players have been sent on a 15-minute break.

Level: 5

Blinds: 600/1,200

Ante: 1,200

01-20-2025 16:40 UTC+2

Selected Chip Counts

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Kai Cocklin

Level 5 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Dawid Smolka	320,000 20,000	20,000
Tom Verbruggen	300,000 110,000	110,000
Marcin Dziubdziela	260,000 30,000	30,000
Andrei Spataru	250,000 90,000	90,000
Ibrahim Ghasan	250,000 250,000	250,000
Karzan Hamarash	240,000 240,000	240,000
Ihar Soika	230,000 40,000	40,000
Ehsan Amiri	230,000 13,300	13,300

Daniel Charlton	210,000 75,000	75,000
Nemo Koering	200,000 200,000	200,000
Andrey Pateychuk	190,000 10,000	10,000

Boris Kolev	185,000 15,000	15,000

Andrey Golubev	180,000 40,000	40,000
Ali Zebarjad	170,000 50,000	50,000
Samer Kreidieh	160,000 90,000	90,000
Gaspare Sposato	150,000 20,000	20,000
Dumitru Pora	140,000 140,000	140,000
Nils Pudel	65,000 35,000	35,000

01-20-2025 16:48 UTC+2

Zoufri Wins at Showdown Without Revealing Cards

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Kai Cocklin

Level 5 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

With around 7,000 in the pot on a 9♣A♣5♠Q♣ board, Hakim Zoufri checked from the big blind and Tom Verbruggen fired out a bet of 6,000. Zoufri called.

A K♥ landed on the river and once again Zoufri tapped the table, then Verbruggen bet 17,000. After a while in the tank, Zoufri elected to call.

Verbruggen didn't want to show and just mucked his cards, and Zoufri took the pot at showdown without revealing his holding.

Player	Chips	Progress
Tom Verbruggen	270,000 30,000	30,000
Hakim Zoufri	140,000

Tags: Hakim Zoufri Tom Verbruggen

01-20-2025 16:58 UTC+2

Sey Flipped Out By Boika

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Kai Cocklin

Level 5 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

Hassan Sey had his stack of a little under 40,000 in the middle and was put at risk by Aliaksei Boika.

Hassan Sey: Q♣Q♦ All in
Aliaksei Boika: A♣K♦

Sey was on the prowl for a double-up, but got off to a bad start when the 8♣A♠6♥ flop paired Boika's ace. No queen appeared on the 6♦ turn or 10♣ river, and Sey was eliminated.

Player	Chips	Progress
Aliaksei Boika	200,000 70,000	70,000

Hassan Sey	Busted

Tags: Aliaksei Boika Hassan Sey

01-20-2025 17:10 UTC+2

Verbruggen Shows the Bluff to Danilov

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Kai Cocklin

Level 5 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

The full action was missed but Tom Verbruggen was involved again in a hand against Anton Danilov.

On a board of J♥A♣9♠5♦J♠, there were around 125,000 chips in the pot when Verbruggen shoved from the small blind, which put Danilov to the test for his stack of around 140,000.

After a long time, Danilov finally decided to fold, then was shown a bluff by Verbruggen, who flipped K♦Q♥.