$3,300 Main Event Day 4 | 2025 Merit Poker Western Series

01-25-2025 12:27 UTC+2

Niste Snatches the Chip Lead From Gromov

Kai Cocklin

Level 26 : Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante

There were around 500,000 chips in the pot on an A♦J♠4♠10♥ board when Dmitry Gromov checked from the big blind and Mihai Niste fired 350,000 from under the gun. Gromov responded with a check-raise to an even 1,000,000, which Niste called pretty quickly.

A 5♣ appeared on the river and Gromov checked, then after a long time, Niste checked back. Gromov then showed Q♠Q♣ for a pair of queens, but Niste had a set of jacks holding J♦J♣ to scoop the pot...and take the chip lead!

Player	Chips	Progress
Mihai Niste	5,000,000 1,340,000	1,340,000
Dmitry Gromov	4,800,000 1,400,000	1,400,000

Tags: Dmitry Gromov Mihai Niste

01-25-2025 12:30 UTC+2

Gadzhiev Was One Card Away From Elimination

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Tim Baker

Level 26 : Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante

Roman Gadzhiev raised to 500,000 from the cutoff with just 300,000 behind. Hassan Sey shoved from the small blind with a covering stack, and after the blig folded, Gadzhiev called.

Roman Gadzhiev: 8♠8♣ All in
Hassan Sey: A♣J♥

Gadzhiev needed to hold with his Snowmen to stay alive in the tournament. The flop of A♦J♦K♣ was disastrous for Gadzhiev as Sey took a commanding lead in the hand with two pair. The 3♥ turn meant only an eight on the river would save Gadzhiev. To everyone's surprise, the 8♦ rolled off on the river to give Gadzhiev a set of eights, and he remained in the tournament.

Player	Chips	Progress
Roman Gadzhiev	1,750,000 830,000	830,000
Hassan Sey	400,000 900,000	900,000

Tags: Hassan Sey Roman Gadzhiev

01-25-2025 12:41 UTC+2

Sey Wins Round Two vs Gadzhiev

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Tim Baker

Level 26 : Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante

Hassan Sey shoved under the gun for roughly 400,000 with Roman Gadzhiev calling from the small blind to try and finish him off.

Hassan Sey: 10♠10♥ All in
Roman Gadzhiev: A♦Q♠

It was another race between these two, but this time, the roles were reversed as Sey was the player with the pair and the player at risk of elimination. A clean runout of 5♠8♥4♣J♣J♥ meant that Sey's pocket tens earned him the double up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Hassan Sey	1,000,000 600,000	600,000
Roman Gadzhiev	900,000 850,000	850,000

Tags: Hassan Sey Roman Gadzhiev

01-25-2025 12:42 UTC+2

Quinn Sends Salamoun Out

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Kai Cocklin

Level 26 : Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante

Marwan Salamoun moved all in for 530,000 from middle position and was put at risk by Edward Quinn in the small blind.

Marwan Salamoun: K♥J♦ All in
Edward Quinn: Q♠Q♥

Salamoun was in dire need of a king, but it was instead the queens of Quinn that took command as the 3♦7♣A♣6♠7♠ runout left Salamoun on the sidelines.

Shortly before Salamoun's departure, Maksim Shornikau was also eliminated.

Player	Chips	Progress
Edward Quinn	3,500,000 1,090,000	1,090,000

Marwan Salamoun	Busted
Maksim Shornikau	Busted

Tags: Edward Quinn Marwan Salamoun

01-25-2025 12:50 UTC+2

Zheng Hits Running Cards to Bust Ghasan in a Huge Pot

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Tim Baker

Level 26 : Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante

Ibrahim Ghasan got all of his 1,600,000 chips into the middle preflop against Xiaosheng Zheng, who had the covering stack.

Ibrahim Ghasan: K♣K♦ All in
Xiaosheng Zheng: J♠J♣

Ghasan's Cowboys were way ahead of the pocket jacks of Zheng. The flop of K♥6♦Q♣ put Ghasan even further ahead, having flopped a set of kings, and now could only lose to running cards. The A♣ on the turn presented a slight sweat as Zheng picked up a gutshot straight draw. The river was a soul-crushing 10♣ to give Zheng a Broadway straight with his jacks, earning him the pot and sending Ghasan to the rail in heartbreaking fashion.

Player	Chips	Progress
Xiaosheng Zheng	4,000,000 1,500,000	1,500,000
Ibrahim Ghasan	Busted

Tags: Ibrahim Ghasan Xiaosheng Zheng

01-25-2025 12:55 UTC+2

Selected Chip Counts

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Kai Cocklin

Level 26 : Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Renars Skanis	5,900,000 1,150,000	1,150,000

Dmitry Gromov	4,900,000 100,000	100,000

Mihai Niste	4,900,000 100,000	100,000
Tamer Kamel	4,200,000 515,000	515,000
Adrian State	3,500,000 1,400,000	1,400,000
Georgios Skarparis	3,400,000 100,000	100,000

Ryan Mandara	2,800,000 700,000	700,000

Philip Joyce	2,300,000 1,065,000	1,065,000
Mohamed Mokrani	1,700,000 885,000	885,000
Mario Colavita	1,100,000 265,000	265,000
Gaspare Sposato	950,000 710,000	710,000
Alexander Sokolovsky	450,000 420,000	420,000
Roman Gadzhiev	Busted

01-25-2025 13:05 UTC+2

Taysi's Check-Raise Gets Respect

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Kai Cocklin

Level 26 : Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante

Georgios Skarparis made it 115,000 from the hijack and both Muhtar Taysi & Alexander Sokolovsky called from the blinds.

All three checked the J♦4♣9♥ flop to the 10♣ turn, where it checked to Skarparis, who then fire out 165,000. Taysi put in a check-raise to 575,000, which got two quick folds from his opponents.

Player	Chips	Progress
Georgios Skarparis	4,700,000 1,300,000	1,300,000

Muhtar Taysi	3,200,000 965,000	965,000
Alexander Sokolovsky	300,000 150,000	150,000

Tags: Alexander Sokolovsky Georgios Skarparis Muhtar Taysi

01-25-2025 13:07 UTC+2

Moldovan Sniffs Out Joyce's Bluff

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Tim Baker

Level 26 : Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante

Ionut-Alexandru Moldovan raised to 100,000 from the cutoff and Philip Joyce defended out of the big blind.

The dealer fanned out a flop of 3♥4♣5♦ and Joyce opted to lead out for 90,000. Moldovan called.

The 2♣ dropped on the turn and Joyce led out again, this time for 460,000. Moldovan pondered briefly before making the call to see a river.

When the K♠ dropped on the river, Joyce did a bit of inventory before betting 1,685,000, leaving himself just 5,000 behind. Moldovan went deep into the tank, thinking for almost two minutes. Eventually, he slammed down the call.

Joyce flipped over a bluff with Q♣7♥, and Moldovan turned over the A♣2♥ for the low-end of a straight to scoop in a massive pot, after picking off Joyce's bluff.

On the next hand, Joyce was forced all-in from the small blind and was eliminated from the Main Event.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ionut-Alexandru Moldovan	5,000,000 2,490,000	2,490,000
Philip Joyce	Busted

Tags: Ionut-Alexandru Moldovan Philip Joyce

Level: 27

Blinds: 30,000/60,000

Ante: 60,000

01-25-2025 13:15 UTC+2

Quinn Surges Past Four Million

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Kai Cocklin

Level 27 : Blinds 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante

Johan Guilbert opened from under the gun and got a call from Tamer Kamel in the hijack. Edward Quinn also called from the small blind.

They went to a flop of 10♣9♥5♣ where all three checked to the board-pairing 9♠ turn. It checked through to Kamel, who fired out 215,000. Quinn called, and Guilbert folded.

When the Q♥ dropped on the river, Quinn checked it over again and after some thought, Kamel fired out 525,000. Quinn called at lightning speed and instantly showed J♣9♣ for trips nines, which beat the A♣Q♣ of Kamel.

Player	Chips	Progress
Edward Quinn	4,200,000 700,000	700,000

Tamer Kamel	3,600,000 600,000	600,000
Johan Guilbert	1,900,000 995,000	995,000

Tags: Edward Quinn Johan Guilbert Tamer Kamel