$3,300 Main Event
Day 1cd Started
$3,300 Main Event
Day 1cd Started
Day 1c of the $3,300 Main Event at the 2025 Merit Poker Western Series kicks off today at 12:00 p.m. local time inside the stunning Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino. Following two record-setting starting flights, the tournament is well on its way to smashing the $1,500,000 guaranteed prize pool, with 400 entries already tallied.
Australia's Ehsan Amiri leads the overall chip counts after bagging an impressive 902,500 chips on Day 1b, marking the largest stack ever recorded in a Western Series Main Event opening flight since the pandemic. Close behind are Russia’s Dmitry Gromov (706,500) and Jersey’s Edward Quinn (685,000), both of whom will return on Day 2 in commanding positions.
| Place | Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ehsan Amiri | Australia | 902,500 |
| 2 | Dmitry Gromov | Russia | 706,500 |
| 3 | Edward Quinn | Jersey | 685,000 |
| 4 | Philip Joyce | United Kingdom | 660,000 |
| 5 | Joseph Houayek | Lebanon | 579,000 |
| 6 | Antoine Vranken | Netherlands | 557,000 |
| 7 | Kamil Sokol | Poland | 540,000 |
| 8 | Stanislau Charvinski | Belarus | 573,500 |
| 9 | Walid Bou Habib | Lebanon | 492,000 |
| 10 | Hassan Sey | Philippines | 474,000 |
Among the notables advancing to Day 2 so far are Aliaksei Boika (403,500), Andrey Pateychuk (360,500), Boris Kolev (493,500), and Jakub Michalak (249,000). These seasoned competitors have all positioned themselves for a shot at making a deep run.
As Day 1c unfolds, players will begin with 100,000 chips and battle through nine 40-minute levels to secure their place in Day 2. The action is expected to attract both new entrants and reentries from those who fell short in the first two flights, with late registration remaining open until the end of Level 14 on Day 2.
Later today, the final starting flight, Day 1d, will kick off at 7:00 p.m. in a turbo format, offering players one last chance to run up a stack before the start of Day 2.
| 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, chip counts, and all the action as Day 1c unfolds in what promises to be another exciting chapter of the Merit Poker Western Series Main Event!
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There is a slight delay to the start of Day 1c.
Level: 1
Blinds: 200/500
Ante: 500
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
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 |
|
|
||
|
|
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 |
|
|
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 |
|
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
Kianoosh Matin raised to 1,100 from the button, with Fredrico Senno calling out of the small blind and Osman Aksu defending his big blind.
The flop came down 5♥Q♦4♦ and the action checked to Matin. He fired a continuation-bet of 1.600, which only Senno called.
Heads-up to the 6♣ turn and Senno check-called another bet from Matin, this time for 2,000.
The flush-completing J♥ fell on the river and Senno checked for the last time. Matin bet 5,000 and Senno swiftly folded.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
106,000
6,000
|
6,000 |
|
|
99,000
1,000
|
1,000 |
|
|
96,000
4,000
|
4,000 |
Daniel Wong opened the action up with a raise to 1,200 from under the gun. Pierre Jreige called from the next seat, and Uri Reichenstein called from the button before Mustafa Ercan squeezed to 7,500 out of the big blind.
Wong didn't take long to put in a four-bet to 22,000. Jreige and Reichenstein instantly folded, but Ercan five-bet shoved for the 100,000 starting. Wong pondered briefly before he ultimately decided to let go of his hand and forfeit the pot to Ercan.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
126,000
26,000
|
26,000 |
|
|
98,000
2,000
|
2,000 |
|
|
98,000
2,000
|
2,000 |
|
|
78,000
22,000
|
22,000 |
Daniel Charlton opened under the gun to 1,200 with Mario Colavita calling on the button and Maroun Jazzar defending his big blind.
The action checked through on the Q♠6♥J♣ flop and the 5♠ hit the turn. Jazzar checked. Charlton bet 2,500, which only Colavita called.
Charlton bet 6,700 when the 10♥ fell on the river and Colavita quickly called. Charlton flipped over A♣J♠ for a pair of jacks but was second best to the K♣Q♥ of Colavita for a pair of queens.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
125,000
25,000
|
25,000 |
|
|
85,000
15,000
|
15,000 |
|
|
80,000
20,000
|
20,000 |
Johnny Saad and Mitchell Foster just got all of their chips into the middle preflop with Saad being the player at risk for his remaining 85,000.
Johnny Saad: Q♠Q♥
Mitchell Foster: A♦K♠
It was a flip that would either send Saad to the rail or leave Foster with only a tenth of the starting stack. The board ran out J♠8♦4♠5♣9♣, which meant Saad's pocket queens earned him the double up and Foster was left on fumes.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
173,000
173,000
|
173,000 |
|
|
10,100
89,900
|
89,900 |