$3,300 Main Event Day 2 | 2025 Merit Poker Western Series

01-23-2025 18:29 UTC+3

Guilbert Forces a Fold From Leonzio

Kai Cocklin

Level 14 : Blinds 2,000/3,500, 3,500 ante

Marco Leonzio raised from the hijack to 7,500 and Johan Guilbert three-bet from the button to 21,500. Once the blinds folded, Leonzio called.

They both saw a flop of 8♣4♥5♣ where Leonzio checked and Guilbert fired out 37,000. After a brief pause, Leonzio called.

A 10♦ dropped on the turn and again Leonzio checked in flow, only to then be faced with a chunky bet of 92,000 from Guilbert. Leonzio had been clutching his cards tightly, but swiftly released that grip and folded, which meant Guilbert was pushed the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Johan Guilbert	360,000 80,000	80,000

Marco Leonzio	350,000 158,500	158,500

Tags: Johan Guilbert Marco Leonzio

01-23-2025 17:30 UTC+3

Puczylowski Bluffs Into Jalba

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Kai Cocklin

Level 13 : Blinds 1,500/3,500, 3,500 ante

Eusebiu Jalba opened from the hijack to 7,000 and Marcin Puczylowski made a three-bet of 31,000 out of the small blind. When it got back to Jalba, he called.

They both saw a flop of 10♥J♥6♦ where Puczylowski made a big continuation-bet of 51,000. Jalba took some time, counted out his stack, then made the call.

A 5♥ on the turn was checked by both players to the board-pairing 5♠ river, where Puczylowski grabbed a bunch of white chips, worth 25,000 each, and fired out 125,000. Jalba went back to his stack and started counting, then after around a minute, he tossed in the call.

Puczylowski immediately showed K♦Q♦ for a busted open-ender, and Jalba flipped A♦J♣ for a pair of jacks to scoop the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Eusebiu Jalba	800,000 210,000	210,000
Marcin Puczylowski	150,000 135,000	135,000

Tags: Eusebiu Jalba Marcin Puczylowski

01-23-2025 17:05 UTC+3

Skarparis Takes From Hajj

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Tim Baker

Level 13 : Blinds 1,500/3,500, 3,500 ante

Alain Hajj raised to 7,000 from late position and Georgios Skarparis three-bet to 20,000 from the button. Hajj put in the call.

The flop came down K♠7♦9♦ and Hajj check-called a bet of 22,000 from Skarparis.

The two players checked the 7♥ turn for the 2♦ to land on the river. Hajj led out for 18,500 and was met by a raise to 66,000 from Skarparis. Hajj reluctantly called and was shown A♦5♦ by Skarparis for the ace-high flush. Hajj showed K♦Q♦ for the king-high flush as the pot was pushed to Skarparis.

Player	Chips	Progress
Georgios Skarparis	490,000 305,000	305,000

Alain Hajj	120,000 102,500	102,500

Tags: Alain Hajj Georgios Skarparis

01-23-2025 16:23 UTC+3

Ghadamian Doubles Through Habib

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Kai Cocklin

Level 12 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante

Livia Toderita raised from middle position and Emad Ghadamian three-bet the hijack to 18,000. Michel Habib then put in a cold four-bet from the small blind to 45,000, which got Toderita to fold, but Ghadamian called, leaving himself around 95,000 behind.

The monotone flop of 2♥3♥5♥ was spread across the table and Habib instantly bet enough to put Ghadamian all-in. After thinking it over, Ghadamian called.

Emad Ghadamian: A♠5♠ All in
Michel Habib: A♥Q♣

Ghadamian was ahead with his pair of fives, but had a lot of outs to dodge as Habib had a flush draw and an overcard he could hit. The 3♠ turn didn't change anything, and neither did the 7♠ river, which meant Ghadamian doubled up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Michel Habib	300,000
Emad Ghadamian	280,000

Tags: Emad Ghadamian Michel Habib

01-23-2025 16:10 UTC+3

Amiri's Stack Continues to Bleed

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Kai Cocklin

Level 12 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante

Ehsan Amiri opened to 6,000 from under the and got a call from the hijack. Kemal Aslan also called on the button,.

They went to a flop of 9♣3♣K♠ where Amiri fired out 10,000, and only Aslan called.

When the K♦ landed on the turn, Amiri continued to fire with a bet of 22,000, and again Aslan stuck around.

On the J♣ river, there were around 80,000 chips in the pot when Amiri fired out 26,000. Aslan, after a lengthy pause, made a chunky raise to 137,000.

It was then Amiri's turn to go into the tank and he rechecked his cards several times while thinking, then ultimately decided on a call. Aslan showed a full house with J♥J♠, and Amiri initially mucked then showed his A♣A♥.

"You're a lucky guy," said Amiri. After peaking at around 1,200,000, Amiri's stack has been a downward trend since and now sits at around 540,000.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ehsan Amiri	540,000 160,000	160,000

Kemal Aslan	500,000 184,000	184,000

Tags: Ehsan Amiri Kemal Aslan

01-23-2025 15:42 UTC+3

Rodin Wins a Flip Against Biz

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Tim Baker

Level 12 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante

After three limps, Grigorii Rodin raised to 18,000 from the button. Alexandru Cinca three-bet out of he big blind to 42,000 which forced two of the limpers to fold, before Mustafa Biz, who limped the cutoff, back-jammed with a stack that covered Rodin and Cinca. Rodin committed his 100,000 into the middle, but Cinca folded.

Grigorii Rodin: Q♣Q♥ All in
Mustafa Biz: A♣K♠

Biz had limped behind two players with Big Slick and found himself in a race against Rodin's pocket queens. The board ran out 5♣10♠9♥8♣Q♠ to give Rodin the winner with a set of queens, earning him more than a double up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Grigorii Rodin	250,000 213,500	213,500
Mustafa Biz	180,000 216,500	216,500
Alexandru Cinca	100,000 55,500	55,500

Tags: Alexandru Cinca Grigorii Rodin Mustafa Biz

01-23-2025 15:23 UTC+3

Battle of Big Slick Ends with Tasyurek's Flush Sending Toderita Out

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Kai Cocklin

Level 11 : Blinds 1,500/2,500, 2,500 ante

Stefan Toderita in the cutoff had his stack of around 130,000 in the middle against Halil Tasyurek from the big blind.

Stefan Toderita: A♠K♥ All in
Halil Tasyurek: A♣K♣

The most likely outcome of the hand would be a chop, but the 9♣3♠8♣ flop certainly made things interesting as Tasyurek picked up a flush draw. A 4♥ on the turn brought Toderiita one step closer to survival, but the Q♣ river gave Tasyurek the nut flush, ending Toderita's tournament life.

Player	Chips	Progress
Halil Tasyurek	270,000 225,000	225,000
Stefan Toderita	Busted

Tags: Halil Tasyurek Stefan Toderita

01-23-2025 15:21 UTC+3

Estrada Holds On With Pocket Sixes

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Tim Baker

Level 11 : Blinds 1,500/2,500, 2,500 ante

Denis Vlasov raised to 5,50 from middle position with Soraya Estrada calling from the small blind, and Maksim Shornikau defending out of the big blind.

The action checked to Vlasov on the 7♥K♠7♠ flop and he put out a bet of 4,400, which only Estrada called.

Estrada check-called another bet from Vlasov when the 4♥ landed on the turn, this time for 13,000.

Both players checked the 10♣ river and Estrada took down the pot with 6♠6♦ for just a pair of sixes.

Player	Chips	Progress
Soraya Estrada	390,000 170,000	170,000
Maksim Shornikau	185,000 54,500	54,500
Denis Vlasov	100,000 55,000	55,000

Tags: Denis Vlasov Maksim Shornikau Soraya Estrada

01-23-2025 14:53 UTC+3

Kamel With the Higher Overpair

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Tim Baker

Level 11 : Blinds 1,500/2,500, 2,500 ante

Musa Genc raised from early position to 6,000 and Tamer Kamel three-bet to 17,000 from late position. Genc made the call when it folded back to him.

The two players checked a board of 6♣8♥3♠ to see the 7♥ hit the turn. Genc checked, and Kamel put out a delayed continuation-bet of 15,000. Genc carved out the call.

The river came the 3♥ and Genc led out for 45,000. Kamel snap-called and Genc turned over JxJx for a pair of jacks. This was second best to the Q♥Q♣ of Kamel for a higher overpair.

Player	Chips	Progress
Tamer Kamel	640,000 108,000	108,000
Musa Genc	200,000 87,000	87,000

Tags: Tamer Kamel Musa Genc

01-23-2025 14:00 UTC+3

Neagoe's Bullets Earm Him a Knockout

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Tim Baker

Level 10 : Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante

There was a raise to 5,000 from middle position with Eusebiu Jalba calling from the cutoff before Darius Neagoe squeezed to 25,000 from the button. The middle position player four-bet ripped it for roughly 90,000 and only Neagoe called.

Middle Postion: J♠J♦ All in
Darius Neagoe: A♥A♣

It was a cooler that was in Neagoe's favor as he had the best starting hand in poker. The middle position player needed a jack, or he would be out. The board ran out 10♦4♠10♠A♠2♥, which improved Neagoe to an unnecessary full house, and his opponent was sent to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Darius Neagoe	350,000 85,500	85,500

Eusebiu Jalba	320,000 107,000	107,000

Tags: Boris Smuskevicius Darius Neagoe Eusebiu Jalba