$3,300 Main Event
Day 1a Started
2025 Merit Poker Western Series
$3,300 Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info
2025 Merit Poker Western Series
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1a
Buy-in
$3,300
Prize Pool
$2,183,160
Entries
791
Level
39
Blinds
500,000 / 1,000,000
Ante
1,000,000
Entries
182
Players Left
73
Players Left 1 / 791
Filter
(1)
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.
There is a slight delay to the Main Event while players take their seats,
Level: 1
Blinds: 200/500
Ante: 500
Level 1
: Blinds 200/500, 500 ante
After a slight delay for players to take their seats, cards are in the air for Day 1a of the $3,300 Main Event.
Level 1
: Blinds 200/500, 500 ante
Day 1a has kicked off with 90 players in their seats!
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
100,000 | |
|
100,000 | |
|
100,000 | |
|
100,000 | |
|
100,000 | |
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|
100,000 | |
|
100,000 | |
|
100,000 | |
|
100,000 | |
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100,000 | |
|
100,000 | |
|
100,000 | |
|
100,000 | |
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Level 1
: Blinds 200/500, 500 ante
Andras Matrai from the cutoff and Ilnur Murtazin in the big blind had seen a flop of 2♥K♠3♦ with around 3,000 in the middle, where Murtazin check-called a bet of 2,200 from Matrai.
Both checked the 9♣ turn to the 4♦ river, where Murtazin checked and Matrai fired a chunky overbet of 18,000. After thinking for just a few seconds, Murtazin folded, and Matrai took the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
105,000 | |
|
95,000 |
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 |
|---|---|---|
|
135,000 | |
|
96,000 | |
|
|
||
|
70,000 | |
Level 1
: Blinds 200/500, 500 ante
There were around 80,000 chips already in the middle between Arthur Thiriart and Michel Molenaar, who were both in the blinds.
The board read 10♠6♥8♥5♥K♣ and Thiriart had bet 22,500 on the river, leaving himself a little under 40,000 behind. Molenaar then shipped all in, which sent Thiriart into a deep tank. After thinking for around three minutes, the clock was called and a 30-second countdown was initiated. When the countdown got to three seconds remaining, Thiriart folded, and Molenaar took the pot.
"It's been 30 minutes and we've played five hands, nobody is going to win any chips at this rate," said Paul Newey in relation to the slow pace the table has been playing.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
165,000 | |
|
38,000 |
Level 1
: Blinds 200/500, 500 ante
Arian Kashani is in the Main Event hunting another deep run, and made a good start after taking down a pot against Merijn van Rooij not so long ago.
On a board of 2♦9♦10♦Q♥, Kashani had checked the turn and Van Rooij fired 5,000 into the pot of around 11,000. Kashani then check-raised to 18,500, and after rechecking his cards, van Rooij folded.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
110,000 | |
|
85,000 |
