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

01-21-2025 19:41 UTC+2

Sey's River Bet Goes Uncalled

Kai Cocklin

Level 7 : Blinds 1,000/1,500, 1,500 ante

Andrei Roscan made it 3,000 to go from under the gun and got a call from a player in the cutoff. Hassan Sey also called from the big blind.

The action was checked to the river on the 8♦7♣Q♣10♣7♠ board where Sey led out for 10,000, which earned him the pot as both of his opponents folded.

Player	Chips	Progress
Hassan Sey	370,000 90,000	90,000
Andrei Roscan	180,000 55,000	55,000

Tags: Andrei Roscan Hassan Sey

01-21-2025 19:46 UTC+2

Duta Fires All Three Streets Into Ketzer

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Kai Cocklin

Level 7 : Blinds 1,000/1,500, 1,500 ante

In a pot of around 20,000 on a 10♠J♦J♥ flop, Felipe Ketzer checked from middle position and Florian Duta bet 5,000 from the button. Ketzer called.

An A♠ dropped on the turn and again Ketzer checked, the Duta fired out 9,000. Ketzer thought for some time, but eventually called.

A third check came from Ketzer on the K♠ river, and a third bet was made by Duta as he put 16,500 into the pot. Ketzer thought about this one a little longer, but eventually settled on a fold.

Duta was made to show one by his tablemates and revealed the K♥ as he raked in the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Felipe Ketzer	275,000 175,000	175,000
Florian Duta	110,000 110,000	110,000

Tags: Felipe Ketzer Florian Duta

Level: 8

Blinds: 1,000/2,000

Ante: 2,000

01-21-2025 19:58 UTC+2

Ehsan Amiri

547,000 197,000

Table 6Seat 1

01-21-2025 19:59 UTC+2

Player	Chips	Progress
Philip Joyce	350,000 50,000	50,000
Kirill Shcherbakov	300,000 160,000	160,000
Shankui Li	300,000 110,000	110,000
Adrian State	260,000 100,000	100,000
Sergei Varnaev	250,000 20,000	20,000
Felipe Ketzer	250,000 25,000	25,000
Marc Foggin	240,000 65,000	65,000
Motokatsu Uhara	220,000 130,000	130,000
Walid Bou Habib	200,000 20,000	20,000
Aylar Lie	180,000 75,000	75,000
Alisa Sibgatova	170,000 70,000	70,000
Tobias Peters	140,000 10,000	10,000

Daniel Charlton	80,000 10,000	10,000

Amiri's Stack on the Rise

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Kai Cocklin

Level 8 : Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante

Ehsan Amiri has been slowly pulling away from the field as of late and just took down another pot to burst through the 600,000 mark.

There were already 105,000 chips in the middle on a 10♠5♣K♦ flop when Motokatsu Uhara checked from the hijack and Amiri bet 25,000 from the cutoff. Uhara called.

On the A♠ turn, Uhara tapped the table once again and Amiri fired out 55,000. Uhara thought for some time, but eventually elected to fold, and Amiri's stack grew bigger.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ehsan Amiri	625,000 78,000	78,000

Motokatsu Uhara	180,000 40,000	40,000

Tags: Ehsan Amiri Motokatsu Uhara

01-21-2025 20:18 UTC+2

Habib Always Has It

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Kai Cocklin

Level 8 : Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante

Daniel Charlton raised to 4,000 from under the gun and Walid Bou Habib made it 10,500 from middle position. When the action got back to Charlton, he flicked in the call.

The flop came 7♣3♦10♠ and Charlton checked in flow, then Habib bet 7,000. Charlton called.

A K♦ dropped on the turn and again Charlton tapped the table, then Habib fired out 23,000. Charlton wasted no time in letting his cards go, and Habib took the pot.

This table seem to be playing a game that whenever somebody wins a non-showdown pot, the dealer gets to expose one of the cards. The dealer chose one of Habib's and flipped the K♠.

"I always have it," said Habib.

Player	Chips	Progress
Walid Bou Habib	240,000 40,000	40,000
Daniel Charlton	80,000

Tags: Daniel Charlton Walid Bou Habib

01-21-2025 20:26 UTC+2

Record Opening Flight

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Kai Cocklin

Level 8 : Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante

With 218 entries recorded in Day 1b of the Main Event, it marks a post-covid record for the largest opening flight in a Western Series Main Event!

There is still time for that number to grow as there is around an hour and half of play left in the day before the survivors bag up. Currently, the cumulative number of entries has just hit 400 with two flights still to go. Overall field size record on the horizon?

Late registration is open until the end of Level 14, which is around the midway point of Day 2.

01-21-2025 20:33 UTC+2