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The second-to-last starting flight of the 2025 Merit Poker Western Series $3,300 Main Event wrapped up at the Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino. Day 1c drew a total of 175 entries, increasing the overall field to 575 so far. At the conclusion of the night, 86 players successfully bagged up chips and secured their spot in Day 2.
After nine 40-minute levels, Bogdan Munteanu of Romania emerged as the chip leader, amassing an impressive stack of 663,500 to carry into Day 2. He was the only player from today's flight to exceed the 600,000-chip milestone. Close behind, Tunisia's Ali Fkih secured second place with 595,000 chips, while Ihar Narushevich rounded out the top three with a solid stack of 516,000.
Day 1c Top Ten Chip Counts
| Place | Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bogdan Munteanu | Romania | 663,500 |
| 2 | Ali Fkih | Tunisia | 595,000 |
| 3 | Ihar Narushevich | Belarus | 516,000 |
| 4 | Florian Duta | Romania | 510,000 |
| 5 | Timur Margolin | Israel | 362,000 |
| 6 | Tom Verbruggen | Netherlands | 351,000 |
| 7 | Xiaosheng Zheng | China | 343,000 |
| 8 | Mikalai Vaskaboinikau | Belarus | 333,500 |
| 9 | Bandar Alireza | United Kingdom | 330,000 |
| 10 | Grigoli Liklikadze | Georgia | 315,500 |
Munteanu catapulted to the top of the chip counts on the very last hand of the day. While the rest of his table was bagging up their chips, he found himself deep in the tank on the river, facing an all-in from his opponent. Eventually, Munteanu made the call — and what an incredible call it was. His opponent flipped over a busted straight draw, while Munteanu's had just a pair of fives which earned him the Day 1c chip lead.
Other notables to make it through to Day 2 include three-time bracelet winner TImur Margolin (362,000), Bogdan Jontulovic (307,000), this series $5,300 High Roller champion Sergei Varnaev (302,500), Maxime Chilaud (292,000), Jianfeng Sun (191,500), Dean Hutchinson (156,000), Uri Reichenstein (155,000), and two-time bracelet winner Simeon Spasov (96,000).
The final starting flight is already underway, with the turbo Day 1d having started at 7:00 p.m. After that, the fields will combine for Day 2 tomorrow, January 23, at noon local time. Late registration will remain open until Level 14, and a winner will be crowned on the fifth and final day, taking place January 26.
Remaining Schedule
| Date | Day | Time | Blind Levels |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
As always, stay tuned to Pokernews as we bring you all the action for the remainder of the 2025 Western Poker Series.
