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

01-24-2025 16:05 UTC+3

Jontulovic Bows Out to Colavita's Straight Flush

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Tim Baker

Level 20 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

Bogdan Jontulovic just approached PokerNews to tell us of his unfortunate bustout hand.

Jontulovic said that Mario Colavita opened from the hijack and he defended out of the big blind.

The flop came down 10♣8♣8♥ and Jontulovic check-called a continuation-bet from Colavita. The turn was a flush completing 9♣ and Jontulovic check-called another bet from Colavita.

Jontulovic checked for the last time when the 3♥ came on the river and Colavita shoved to put Jontulovic all in. Jontulovic called and tabled the king-high flush with K♣4♣, but he had been drawing dead already on the turn to the straight flush of Colavita. The pot was pushed to Colavita, and Jontulovic was out of the tournament just shy of the money.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mario Colavita	800,000 18,000	18,000
Bogdan Jontulovic	Busted

Tags: Bogdan Jontulovic Mario Colavita

01-24-2025 15:38 UTC+3

Gromov Applies Maximum Pressure to Aslan

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Kai Cocklin

Level 20 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

There had been an open before Dmitry Gromov made it 75,000 from the hijack. Kemal Aslan then four-bet from the small blind to 207,000, which only Gromov called.

On the 9♥6♦8♣ flop, Aslan continued with a bet of 107,000, and was put to the test as Gromov slid out a full stack of white chips, for a raise to 500,000. Aslan had around 260,000 behind and was deep in the tank while he pondered how to proceed.

After counting out his stack a few times, Aslan elected to fold, and Gromov added to his stack as the bubble looms closer.

Gromov + big stack + bubble = A nightmare for short stacks.

Player	Chips	Progress
Dmitry Gromov	2,300,000 700,000	700,000

Kemal Aslan	260,000 209,000	209,000

Tags: Dmitry Gromov Kemal Aslan

01-24-2025 14:59 UTC+3

Fata Shoves Over Cinca's River bet

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Tim Baker

Level 19 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

Georgios Skarparis raised the cutoff to 22,000 with Mario Fata calling from the button and Alexandru Cinca defending out of the big blind.

Cinca led out for 34,000 on the 8♦5♣9♣ flop and only Fata called.

The two players checked the 10♣ turn for the 6♣ to fall on the river. Cinca led out for 100,000 and was met by a shove from Fata for 455,000. Cinca went into the tank but eventually, let go of his cards and the pot was sent over to Fata.

Player	Chips	Progress
Georgios Skarparis	1,150,000 17,000	17,000

Mario Fata	720,000 320,000	320,000
Alexandru Cinca	600,000 85,000	85,000

Tags: Alexandru Cinca Georgios Skarparis Mario Fata

01-24-2025 14:33 UTC+3

Kolev Busts the Main Event

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Tim Baker

Level 19 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

Mehmet Demirkol raised to 22,000 from early position and Boris Kolev shoved for 120,000 from the button. Mario Fata jammed over the top for 245,000, and after a bit of tanking, Demirkol folded his cards.

Boris Kolev: 8♦8♠ All in
Mario Fata: A♥J♠

Kolev found himself in a flip with two eights. Kolev stayed ahead on the 2♦K♦4♥3♥ flop and turn, but the J♣ fell on the river to give Fata the winner with a pair of jacks, sending Kolev out of the tournament.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mehmet Demirkol	520,000 166,000	166,000
Mario Fata	400,000 136,000	136,000
Boris Kolev	Busted

Tags: Boris Kolev Mario Fata Mehmet Demirkol

01-24-2025 14:33 UTC+3

Chen Attempts a Bluff, Aksu Doubles Up

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Kai Cocklin

Level 19 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

Osman Aksu opened the cutoff to 20,000 and Zhen Chen three-bet from the button to 55,000. When it got back to Aksu, he dropped in the call.

They saw a flop of J♦6♦10♠ where Aksu check-called a bet of 40,000 from Chen to the J♥ turn, which went check-check.

An 8♦ landed on the river and Aksu quickly led out with a bet of 75,000. Chen, composed as always, took his time before he shoved, which put Aksu to the test for his remaining 325,000. Aksu didn't need to think for too long before he shrugged his shoulders, grabbed his chips, and shoved them into the pot.

Chen then revealed he had a bluff with A♥Q♠. and Aksu's nut flush holding A♦Q♦ was good for the pot and a double-up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Zhen Chen	1,000,000 500,000	500,000

Osman Aksu	1,000,000 577,000	577,000

Tags: Osman Aksu Zhen Chen

01-24-2025 14:18 UTC+3

Meir Sends Genc to the Rail

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Tim Baker

Level 19 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

Oren Meir min-raised from middle position with Nils Pudel calling on the button before Musa Genc squeezed all in for roughly 120,000 out of the big blind. Meir shoved over the top for around 280,000 which caused Pudel to let go of his hand.

Musa Genc: A♦Q♠ All in
Oren Meir: 10♥10♣

Genc needed to win the flip to have a chance of making money in the Main Event. The flop of 7♠K♠J♠ offered a lot of outs to Genc as he picked up flush and straight draws. However, the rest of the board ran out 2♥3♥ and Meir's tens held up, sending Genc to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Nils Pudel	420,000 136,000	136,000
Oren Meir	390,000 175,000	175,000
Musa Genc	Busted

Tags: Musa Genc Nils Pudel Oren Meir

01-24-2025 14:03 UTC+3

Kashani Punished For Correct Call

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Kai Cocklin

Level 19 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

Arian Kashani recalled a hand where he raised to 18,000 from the button and Luke Marsh defended from the big blind.

They went to a flop of K♥3♦7♦ where Marsh check-called a bet of 14,000 from Kashani.

A 4♣ dropped on the turn and after Marsh checked, Kashani bet 62,000. Marsh then check-shoved for 208,000, which sent Kashani into the tank. After several minutes of thinking, Kashani stuck in the call.

Luke Marsh: Q♦10♦ All in
Arian Kashani: A♣6♦

Kashani's gut instinct was on point and he needed to fade just one card to scoop the pot and eliminate Marsh. However, the poker gods were not on Kashani's side as his correct call was punished when the 4♦ landed on the river, which completed Marsh's flush.

Several hands later, Kashani lost a flip with ace-king against pocket eights for a pot worth around 300,000, and now sits with 375,000.

Player	Chips	Progress
Luke Marsh	500,000 275,000	275,000
Arian Kashani	375,000 339,000	339,000

Tags: Arian Kashani Luke Marsh

01-24-2025 13:47 UTC+3

Sey's Cowboys Get Shot Down by Mavromoustakis' Quads

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Tim Baker

Level 18 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante

The action was picked up on the turn with the board showing 5♣3♦5♥J♦. Andreas Mavromoustakis checked from the small blind and Hassan Sey bet 80,000 from under the gun. Mavromoustakis thought about it briefly before making the call to see a river.

The Q♠ dropped on the river and Mavromoustakis led out for 20,000. Sey shoved for Mavromoustakis' remaining 361,000 and Mavromoustakis snap-called.

Sey showed K♣K♦ for an overpair to the board but was way behind to the flopped quads of Mavromoustakis holding 5♠5♦. Mavromoustakis earned a huge double up at the expense of Sey.

Player	Chips	Progress
Andreas Mavromoustakis	980,000 555,000	555,000
Hassan Sey	320,000 442,000	442,000

Tags: Andreas Mavromoustakis Hassan Sey

01-24-2025 13:35 UTC+3

Jontulovic Adds to His Stack

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Tim Baker

Level 18 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante

Marcin Dziubdziela opened with a raise from under the gun to 16,000 before Bogdan Jontulovic three-bet to 55,000 from the hijack. Dziubdziela four-bet to 97,000 and Jontulovic called.

With over 200,000 in the pot the flop came down A♥A♣10♦. Dziubdziela bet 20,000 and Juntolovic called.

Dziubdziela slowed down and checked when the J♥ hit the turn. Jontulovic bet 45,000 and Dziubdziela didn't long to push his cards into the muck.

Player	Chips	Progress
Marcin Dziubdziela	520,000
Bogdan Jontulovic	500,000

Tags: Bogdan Jontulovic Marcin Dziubdziela

01-24-2025 13:24 UTC+3

Ghasan Stuns Jalba

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Kai Cocklin

Level 18 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante

After just being involved in a pot together, Eusebiu Jalba and Ibrahim Ghasan were tangling again, which resulted in them both getting their chips in preflop.

Ghasan had opened from the cutoff and Jalba three-bet the big blind to 71,000. Ghasan then four-bet to 181,000, and Jalba shoved! Ghasan had almost 500,0000 to start the hand and immediately called.

Ibrahim Ghasan: A♣A♥ All in
Eusebiu Jalba: Q♥Q♠

Unfortunate timing for Jalba, who ran into aces in the early stages of the day. However, there was still a runout to sweat where anything could happen.

However, not much did happen on the K♠3♦9♦6♣K♦ runout as neither player improved, which meant Ghasan doubled up to around a million, and Jalba's stack plummeted to 70,000.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ibrahim Ghasan	1,000,000 505,000	505,000
Eusebiu Jalba	70,000 490,000	490,000

Tags: Eusebiu Jalba Ibrahim Ghasan