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

01-24-2025 15:05 UTC+2

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 15:10 UTC+2

Eliminations Throughout the Day

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Kai Cocklin

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

Player	Chips	Progress
Eusebiu Jalba	Busted
Asher Oz	Busted
Menikos Panagiotou	Busted

Cristian David	Busted
Fatima Mourchid	Busted
Ori Elul	Busted
Andras Matrai	Busted
Grigoli Liklikadze	Busted
Mekan Yusupov	Busted
Stojan Vazic	Busted
Yaniv Shushan	Busted
Ihar Narushevich	Busted
Gregoire Auzoux	Busted
Hadi Khordbin	Busted
Michel Atallah	Busted
Jay O'Leary	Busted
Hassan Halil	Busted
Traian Stanciu	Busted
Philippe Souki	Busted
Mounim Kaddouri	Busted
Justin Steinbrenner	Busted
Kirill Shcherbakov	Busted
Halil Tasyurek	Busted
Aliaksandr Hirs	Busted
Ramzi Karam	Busted

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01-24-2025 15:19 UTC+2

Quinn's Queens Send Estrada to the Rail

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Kai Cocklin

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

Edward Quinn recalled a hand where he eliminated Soraya Estrada not so long ago.

Estrada opened to 25,000 from the hijack and Quinn three-bet the button to 70,000. Estrada then shoved for around 220,000, and Quinn called.

Soraya Estrada: 9♥9♦ All in
Edward Quinn: Q♦Q♥

The board ran out 10x5x5xKxAx, which kept the queens of Quinn in the lead, and Estrada made her way to the exit just a few spots from the money.

Player	Chips	Progress
Edward Quinn	1,160,000 295,000	295,000

Soraya Estrada	Busted

Tags: Edward Quinn Soraya Estrada

01-24-2025 15:20 UTC+2

Tannouri Takes From Paunescu

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Tim Baker

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

Issam Tannouri raised to 27,000 from the hijack and only Nicolae Paunescu called from the button.

Tannouri put out a bet of 15,000 when the flop came down J♦8♣10♣ and Paunescu called.

The two players checked the 2♣ turn to see the A♦ land on the river. Tannouri bet out for 30,000 and Paunescu released his cards.

Player	Chips	Progress
Issam Tannouri	420,000 59,000	59,000
Nicolae Paunescu	380,000 173,000	173,000

Tags: Issam Tannouri Nicolae Paunescu

Level: 21

Blinds: 10,000/15,000

Ante: 15,000

01-24-2025 15:24 UTC+2

Gromov's Ducks Hold On to Bust Aslan

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Kai Cocklin

Level 21 : Blinds 10,000/15,000, 15,000 ante

Dmitry Gromov opened from the cutoff and Kemal Aslan shoved for around 230,000 out of the big blind. Gromov thought for some time before he flicked in the call.

Kemal Aslan: A♦J♦ All in
Dmitry Gromov: 2♣2♦

Aslan was flipping for his tournament life and was only four spots away from a payday of at least $4,450.

The flop of K♥3♣Q♠ improved Aslan to a Broadway draw, and the K♣ turn gave him even more outs as if they board paired, he would scoop the pot by counterfeiting Gromov's deuces. Instead, the 7♥ rolled off, and Aslan was sent on his way.

Player	Chips	Progress
Dmitry Gromov	1,800,000 450,000	450,000

Kemal Aslan	Busted

Tags: Dmitry Gromov Kemal Aslan

01-24-2025 15:33 UTC+2

Molenaar Spikes an Ace to Bust Peluso Just Before the Money

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Tim Baker

Level 21 : Blinds 10,000/15,000, 15,000 ante

When it folded to Fabio Peluso on the button he raised to 30,000 with roughly 170,000 behind. Michel Molenaar three-bet to 135,000 from the small blind, and after the big blind folded, Peluso shoved for his remaining chips. Molenaar called to put Peluso at risk of elimination.

Fabio Peluso: K♠K♦ All in
Michel Molenaar: A♥4♥

Peluso was in a great spot to double up right on the right bubble, but he had to avoid an ace or some hearts to do so.

The flop of A♠6♦3♣ was devastating for Peluso as Molenaar took a commanding lead with a pair of aces. The 8♥ hit the turn, which meant Peluso needed to find one of the two remaining kings in the deck to stay alive. The river was the 3♠ and Peluso was sent to the rail empty-handed.

Player	Chips	Progress
Michel Molenaar	500,000
Fabio Peluso	Busted

Tags: Fabio Peluso Michel Molenaar

01-24-2025 15:36 UTC+2

Joyce Spikes an Ace Against Skanis' Cowboys

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Kai Cocklin

Level 21 : Blinds 10,000/15,000, 15,000 ante

Philip Joyce risked it all on the bubble and it paid off!

Sergei Varnaev started with a raise from early position and Joyce called on the button, before Renars Skanis three-bet the small blind to 150,000. Varnaev called the 150,000, then Joyce made it 500,000, leaving himself around 150,000 behind. Skanis then shoved, Varnaev folded, and Joyce — after taking a peek at the clock — called.

Philip Joyce: A♣K♣ All in
Renars Skanis: KxKx

It wasn't looking good for Joyce...until an ace dropped on the turn to give him the pot and keep him alive!

Player	Chips	Progress
Philip Joyce	1,500,000 600,000	600,000
Renars Skanis	1,100,000 380,000	380,000

Sergei Varnaev	1,000,000

Tags: Philip Joyce Renars Skanis Sergei Varnaev

01-24-2025 15:44 UTC+2

Vaskaboinikau Busts to Yagmaie's Higher Flush

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Tim Baker

Level 21 : Blinds 10,000/15,000, 15,000 ante

Naryman Yaghmaie raised to 30,000 from the cutoff and Mikalai Vaskaboinikau defended out of the big blind.

After Vaskaboinikau checked the Q♦3♣6♦ flop, Yagmaie bet 25,000. Vaskaboinikau shoved for roughly 120,000 and Yaghmaei called.

Mikalai Vaskaboinikau: 9♦8♦ All in
Naryman Yaghmaie: A♦6♥

Vaskaboinikau had a flush draw against the ace-high of Yaghmaie. The turn came the 5♦ to give Vaskaboinikau the flush, but Yaghmaie had a redraw to a higher flush. The river was the 3♦ which gave Yaghmaie the best hand with the ace-high flush, sending Vaskaboinikau to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Naryman Yaghmaie	850,000 270,000	270,000
Mikalai Vaskaboinikau	Busted

Tags: Mikalai Vaskaboinikau Naryman Yaghmaie

01-24-2025 15:45 UTC+2

Boat Over Boat Goes Against Neagoe

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Kai Cocklin

Level 21 : Blinds 10,000/15,000, 15,000 ante

Another big hand played out on the bubble between Darius Neagoe and Andrey Litvinov.

Litvinov recalled that he opened the cutoff and Neagoe defended his big blind.

They went to a flop of 8♠10♠A♣ where Neagoe check-called a bet of 25,000 from Litvinov to the J♥ turn, where again Neagoe went into check-call mode when Litvinov fired 75,000.

When the J♦ landed on the river, Neagoe checked again and Litvinov fired 160,000. Neagoe then shoved, and Litvinov snap-called for his stack of around 750,000.

Neagoe showed J♣10x for a full house, but Litvinov held A♦J♠ for a bigger boat to scoop the pot!