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

01-23-2025 17:12 UTC+2

Koering Extracts Value From State; Estrada Recovers From Earlier Misfortune

Kai Cocklin

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

On a board of 2♠9♠A♣3♠, there were around 18,000 chips in the pot when Adrian State checked from the small blind and Nemo Koering bet 6,000. State called.

An 8♦ landed on the river and again State checked, then Koering threw a white chip into the pot, a bet of 25,000. State pondered for some time before he eventually settled on a call.

Koering then flipped A♥6♥ for a pair of aces. and State mucked.

Soraya Estrada is on the same table and lost a three-way all-in earlier in the day with aces, but has recovered well to have around 600,000 now.

Player	Chips	Progress
Soraya Estrada	600,000 160,000	160,000
Adrian State	340,000 50,000	50,000
Nemo Koering	230,000 50,000	50,000

Tags: Adrian State Nemo Koering Soraya Estrada

01-23-2025 17:20 UTC+2

New Record on the Horizon

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Kai Cocklin

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

Currently, there have been 750 entries in the Main Event — just seven away from the previous high of 757 set in 2023.

There are 27 minutes left in the level plus a 20 minute break until registration closes!

01-23-2025 17:24 UTC+2

Ehsan Amiri

1,025,000 194,000

Table 25Seat 6

01-23-2025 17:25 UTC+2

Kamel gets Molenaar to Fold the River

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Tim Baker

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

Heads-up to a flop of 7♠2♠2♥ that saw Tamer Kamel check from the big blind and Michel Molenaar bet 4,000 out of the hijack. Kamel check-raised to 15,000 and Molenaar called.

The two players saw the K♥ land on the turn and Kamel continued to be the aggressor by firing out 15,000. Molenaar called again.

Upon seeing the 3♣ drop on the river, Kamel bet 60,500 and Molenaar quickly released his cards.

Player	Chips	Progress
Tamer Kamel	920,000 280,000	280,000
Michel Molenaar	375,000 125,000	125,000

Tags: Michel Molenaar Tamer Kamel

01-23-2025 17:29 UTC+2

Guilbert Forces a Fold From Leonzio

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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 17:33 UTC+2

Record Broken

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Kai Cocklin

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

That didn't take long!

There are now 758 entries in the Main Event, which surpasses the record set in 2023 by 1, with late registration still open for around 30 minutes more.

What a turnout!

01-23-2025 17:40 UTC+2

Zheng Picks Off Mandara's River Bluff

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Tim Baker

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

Three-ways on a flop of 4♠4♦A♦ where Ryan Mandara bet 5,000 from the cutoff, which got called by Xiaosheng Zheng on the button, and a fold out of the player in the big blind.

The two players checked the 3♣ turn for the 10♠ to land on the river. Mandara bet out for 14,000, and Zheng slid in the call.

Mandara turned over queen-high with Q♣J♣ and lost the pot to Zheng's two Snowmen with 8♦8♣.

Player	Chips	Progress
Xiaosheng Zheng	1,480,000 380,000	380,000
Ryan Mandara	330,000 155,000	155,000

Tags: Ryan Mandara Xiaosheng Zheng

01-23-2025 17:44 UTC+2

Deveson Stacks Tannoury

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Kai Cocklin

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

Max Deveson raised from under the gun to 7,000 and Naji Tannoury three-bet the small blind to 27,000. When it got back to Deveson, he shoved, which gave Tannoury a decision for his stack of around 250,000. After thinking it over, Tannoury picked up his stack and slammed it into the middle.

Naji Tannoury: 8♥8♦ All in
Max Deveson: K♣K♥

Tannoury was way behind with his pocket eights and desperately needed to see a Snowman to survive. However, the runout of 6♥4♥9♠4♦3♥ offered no help, which meant Tannoury was eliminated.