$3,300 Main Event
Day 1b Started
2025 Merit Poker Western Series
$3,300 Main Event
Day: 1b
Event Info
2025 Merit Poker Western Series
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1b
Buy-in
$3,300
Prize Pool
$2,183,160
Entries
791
Level
39
Blinds
500,000 / 1,000,000
Ante
1,000,000
Entries
218
Players Left
81
Players Left 1 / 791
Filter
(1)
The $3,300 Main Event at the 2025 Merit Poker Western Series continues today as Day 1b welcomes a fresh wave of hopefuls to the felt at the stunning Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino. After an action-packed Day 1a, where Edward Quinn emerged as the chip leader with an impressive stack of 685,000, players in today’s flight will be eager to build stacks of their own and secure a spot in Day 2.
The tournament’s $1,500,000 guarantee is already well on its way to being smashed, with 182 entries recorded in the opening flight. With three more starting flights — including today’s nine 60-minute levels — the Main Event is shaping up to be another unforgettable chapter in the Western Series saga.
Current Top Ten Chip Counts
| Place | Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Edward Quinn | Jersey | 685,000 |
| 2 | Antoine Vranken | Netherlands | 557,000 |
| 3 | Kamil Sokol | Poland | 540,000 |
| 4 | Stojan Vazic | Serbia | 522,500 |
| 5 | Boris Kolev | Bulgaria | 493,500 |
| 6 | Tommy Kemter | Netherlands | 478,000 |
| 7 | Menikos Panagiotou | Cyprus | 476,500 |
| 8 | Aliaksei Boika | Belarus | 403,500 |
| 9 | Wael Sarkis | Lebanon | 401,000 |
| 10 | Nicolae Paunescu | Romania | 395,500 |
Today's flight will feature 60-minute levels, but for those seeking a faster-paced structure to build a stack, tomorrow's Day 1c will have 40-minute levels, while Day 1d will offer 25-minute levels. All Day 1 flights will play nine levels.
Remaining Schedule
| Date | Day | Time | Blind Levels |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 21 | Day 1b | 12:00 p.m. | 60 minutes |
| 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 |
Players start with 100,000 chips, and late registration remains open until the end of Level 14 on Day 2, allowing plenty of opportunities for reentries. The question is: Who will rise to the occasion and challenge Quinn at the top of the leaderboard?
Stay tuned as PokerNews brings you all the live updates from the second starting flight of the 2025 Merit Poker Western Series Main Event.
Level: 1
Blinds: 200/500
Ante: 500
Level 1
: Blinds 200/500, 500 ante
Cards are in the air for Day 1b of the $3,300 Main Event.
Level 1
: Blinds 200/500, 500 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
100,000 | |
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
||
|
100,000
19,000
|
19,000 |
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
Level 1
: Blinds 200/500, 500 ante
In a pot that had around 5,000 on it on a 9♥10♣3♥ flop, Aleksandr Chernikov checked from the small blind and Maroun Jazzar tapped the table from the big blind before Hassan Halil fired out 1,000 from under the gun. Haghgou Seyedahmad then made it 4,000, which both Chernikov and Jazzar called, but Halil decided to fold.
An A♥ on the turn brought in the front door flush draw and after Chernikov checked, Jazzar bet 7,500. This was enough to win the pot as Seyedahmad and Chernikov both folded.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
115,000 | |
|
98,000 | |
|
|
94,000
6,000
|
6,000 |
|
94,000 |
Level 1
: Blinds 200/500, 500 ante
In a pot that had 10,000 chips in it on an 8♣A♦K♥ flop, Fabio Peluso checked from under the gun and then called a bet of 2,500 from Denis Vlasov.
Both tapped the table when they saw the 8♠ pair the board on the turn and Peluso fired 2,500 on the 6♦ river. After thinking for a short time, Vlasov elected to fold.
Peluso played Day 1a yesterday, but never managed to find a bag and is back to try and run up a stack in Day 2.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
108,000
8,000
|
8,000 |
|
|
||
|
92,000 | |
Level 1
: Blinds 200/500, 500 ante
On a full board of 4♥2♦9♥5♠Q♥, there were around 45,000 chips in the pot when Sergei Varnaev fired out a small bet of 6,000 from early position.
Haghgou Seyedahmad was on the button and wasted no time to move all in for around 55,000. Varnaev didn't need to think for too long before he flicked in the call.
Seyedahmad was sheepish to flip over K♣8♣ for a total bluff, and Varnaev had the winner after rivering a pair of queens holding A♣Q♠.
Varnaev took down the $5,300 High Roller yesterday for a cool $200,000, and is off to a great start in the Main Event here on Day 1b.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
180,000
80,000
|
80,000 |
|
|
Busted |
Level 1
: Blinds 200/500, 500 ante
On a board of 3♦2♣8♣9♣ with around 12,000 in the middle, Mircea Flutur checked from under the gun and Denis Vlasov checked back on the button.
Both saw the 9♦ pair the board on the river where Flutur threw out a bet of 6,500. Vlasov mulled it over for a few moments before he eventually tossed in the call.
Flutur then showed A♠4♠ for ace-high, and Vlasov's 8♠7♠ was good as he paired his eight.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
105,000
13,000
|
13,000 |
|
|
95,000
5,000
|
5,000 |
Level 1
: Blinds 200/500, 500 ante
Haghgou Seyedahmad was straight back into the action after bluffing of a bullet to Sergei Varnaev not too long ago, and he was caught bluffing again in a hand against Roman Stoika.
The action was picked up on the turn with the board reading 10♥7♥9♠7♠ where Stoika checked from the hijack and Seyedahmad bet 11,000 on the button. Stoika called.
When the 4♥ dropped on the river, Stoika checked it over again and Seyedahmad fired out 16,000. Stoika only needed a few seconds to think before he elected to call.
Seyedahmad didn't want to show his hand and immediately mucked, which meant Stoika took the pot at showdown without revealing his cards.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
125,000
25,000
|
25,000 |
|
|
75,000
75,000
|
75,000 |
