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The $3,300 Main Event at the 2025 Merit Poker Western Series continued to break records inside the stunning Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino, with an impressive 218 entries recorded on Day 1b. This marks the largest single flight in a Western Series Main Event since the pandemic, showcasing the growing popularity of this marquee tournament.
By the end of nine grueling levels, only 81 players survived, with Australia's Ehsan Amiri bagging an enormous 902,500 chips to secure the chip lead.
The total number of entries across the first two flights now stands at 400, with two more starting flights still to come. With late registration open until the end of Level 14, midway through Day 2, the prize pool is well on its way to surpassing the $1,500,000 guarantee.
Day 1b Top Ten Chip Counts
| Place | Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ehsan Amiri | Australia | 902,500 |
| 2 | Dmitry Gromov | Russia | 706,500 |
| 3 | Philip Joyce | United Kingdom | 660,000 |
| 4 | Joseph Houayek | Lebanon | 579,000 |
| 5 | Stanislau Charvinski | Belarus | 573,500 |
| 6 | Tamer Kamel | United Kingdom | 532,000 |
| 7 | Walid Bou Habib | Lebanon | 492,000 |
| 8 | Hassan Sey | Philippines | 474,000 |
| 9 | Themistoklis Themistokleous | Cyprus | 459,500 |
| 10 | Andrei Roscan | Romania | 455,500 |
Another record set today is Amiri's massive stack, with it being the largest recorded in any Western Series Main Event opening flight since the pandemic, and perhaps even longer in the tournament's history. His impressive performance saw him accumulate the equivalent of nine starting stacks—one for each level played throughout the day.
Dmitry Gromov also bagged a healthy stack, finishing the day with 706,500 chips. The Russian player, who placed third in the Gatsby Gala Main Event just a few months ago, has made Cyprus his playground, boasting over 100 career cashes. Gromov is no stranger to success in Merit Poker Main Events, with cashes in no less than ten previous editions. He’s now positioned himself well for a potential eleventh deep run here.
Philip Joyce rounds out the top three with a stack of 660,000, and they were the only players to surpass the 600,000-chip mark. Walid Bou Habib (492,000), Hassan Sey (474,000), and Andrei Roscan (455,500) also made it into the top ten.
As Day 1c and Day 1d approach, the Main Event is poised to see even more players join the action, all vying for a spot in Day 2. Players in the final two flights will start with 100,000 in chips and play through nine levels, with the survivors making it into Day 2 on Thursday, January 23.
Remaining Schedule
| Date | Day | Time | Blind Levels |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 22 | Day 1c | 12:00 p.m. | 40 minutes |
| January 22 | Day 1d | 7:00 p.m. | 25 minutes |
| January 23 | Day 2 | 12:00 p.m. | 60 minutes |
| January 24 | Day 3 | 12:00 p.m. | 60 minutes |
| January 25 | Day 4 | 12:00 p.m. | 60 minutes |
| January 26 | Day 5 | 1:00 p.m. | 60 minutes |
Stay tuned to PokerNews for live updates and chip counts as we continue our coverage of the 2025 Merit Poker Western Series.
