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

01-25-2025 13:20 UTC+2

Mokrani Takes From Skanis

Tim Baker

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

Can Miral raised to 120,000 from early position with Mohamed Mokrani calling from the next position and Renars Skanis defending out of the big blind.

The 7♦9♦8♠ flop was checked to Mokrani, who placed out a bet of 175,000. Skanis called, but Miral folded.

The 2♠ turn checked through for the J♥ to land on the river. Skanis checked, and Mokrani bet out for 425,000. Skanis quickly folded and Mokrani pulled in the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Renars Skanis	5,700,000 200,000	200,000

Mohamed Mokrani	1,800,000 100,000	100,000
Can Miral	1,800,000 800,000	800,000

Tags: Can Miral Mohamed Mokrani Renars Skanis

01-25-2025 13:22 UTC+2

Sposato Flips Out Kashani

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Kai Cocklin

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

Arian Kashani recalled his bustout hand as he departed in 31st from the Main Event.

Gaspare Sposato opened the button to 135,000 and Kashani shoved for around 600,000 from the big blind. Sposato, with just over a million to start the hand, made the call.

Arian Kashani: 9♣9♥ All in
Gaspare Sposato: K♠10♦

Kashani was flipping for his tournament life, which unfortunately ended after the Sposato hit a ten on the flop.

Player	Chips	Progress
Gaspare Sposato	1,800,000 850,000	850,000
Arian Kashani	Busted

Tags: Arian Kashani Gaspare Sposato

01-25-2025 13:31 UTC+2

Zheng Out-Flops Ruggeri

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Tim Baker

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

Xiaosheng Zheng raised to 225,000 from the small blind and Umberto Ruggeri defended out of the big blind.

Zheng continued with a bet of 175,000 on the K♦5♥K♥ flop and Ruggeri called.

The turn came the K♠ and Zheng check-called a bet of 225,000 from Ruggeri.

The two players checked the J♠ river and Zheng took down the pot with A♣5♣ for a full house, kings full of fives. Ruggeri showed he started the hand with the superior ace, as he flipped over A♠10♥.

Player	Chips	Progress
Xiaosheng Zheng	5,000,000 1,000,000	1,000,000
Umberto Ruggeri	2,000,000 1,365,000	1,365,000

Tags: Umberto Ruggeri Xiaosheng Zheng

01-25-2025 13:36 UTC+2

Iskandarov Takes It On the Turn

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Kai Cocklin

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

Rashad Iskandarov opened from early position to 120,,000 and got a call from Joseph Houayek in the cutoff. Nichan Khorchidian also called from the big blind.

All three checked the A♣10♥7♣ flop and when it got to Iskandarov on the K♦ turn, he fired out 175,000. Both of his opponents quickly folded, and Iskandarov took the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Rashad Iskandarov	1,700,000 125,000	125,000
Joseph Houayek	1,000,000 350,000	350,000
Nichan Khorchidian	900,000 700,000	700,000

Tags: Joseph Houayek Nichan Khorchidian Rashad Iskandarov

01-25-2025 13:42 UTC+2

Selected Chip Counts

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Kai Cocklin

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

Player	Chips	Progress
Mihai Niste	6,400,000 1,500,000	1,500,000
Renars Skanis	5,400,000 300,000	300,000

Dmitry Gromov	4,100,000 800,000	800,000

Georgios Skarparis	3,500,000 1,200,000	1,200,000

Mario Colavita	2,500,000 1,400,000	1,400,000
Ryan Mandara	2,500,000 300,000	300,000

Ahmad Abdelhadi	1,600,000 200,000	200,000
Kamil Sokol	1,300,000 50,000	50,000
Hassan Sey	1,200,000 200,000	200,000
Nils Pudel	800,000 1,245,000	1,245,000
Andrey Litvinov	700,000 1,785,000	1,785,000

01-25-2025 13:48 UTC+2

Ruggeri's Double Barrel Takes it Down

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Tim Baker

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

Umberto Ruggeri raised to 120,000 under the gun with only Joseph Houayek calling from the next position.

Ruggeri put out a continuation bet of 130,000 on the 2♦5♦9♠ flop, which Houayek called.

The 8♦ dropped on the turn and Ruggeri put out another bet, this time for 225,000. Houayek did a bit of inventory before opting to fold his hand and forfeit the pot to Ruggeri.

Player	Chips	Progress
Umberto Ruggeri	2,400,000 400,000	400,000
Joseph Houayek	700,000 300,000	300,000

Tags: Joseph Houayek Umberto Ruggeri

01-25-2025 13:54 UTC+2

Defending Champion Mokrani Eliminated

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Kai Cocklin

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

The defending champion has his marching orders!

Mohamed Mokrani raised to 160,000 and was faced with a three-bet of 350,000 from Ionut-Alexandru Moldovan. Mokrani then shoved for around 1,000,000, and Moldovan quickly called.

Mohamed Mokrani: 10♣10♠ All in
Ionut-Alexandru Moldovan: A♦Q♥

Mokrani knows better than most that you need to win flips to win tournaments, and this one went against him as Moldovan paired his queen on the 5♦6♦Q♣9♣6♥ runout.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ionut-Alexandru Moldovan	6,800,000 1,800,000	1,800,000
Mohamed Mokrani	Busted

Tags: Ionut-Alexandru Moldovan Mohamed Mokrani

01-25-2025 13:57 UTC+2

Munitis Flops Two Pair to Bust Sokol

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Tim Baker

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

Arriving at the table, Kamil Sokol was getting up after busting to Pedro Munitis.

Kamil Sokol : KxKx All in
Pedro Munitis: 9♠7♠

The action was unknown, but on a board that read 9♣7♥2♦J♣8♣ Sokol's pocket kings had ended up second best to the flopped two pair of Munitis, meaning he was eliminated from the tournament.

Player	Chips	Progress
Pedro Munitis	4,300,000 2,130,000	2,130,000
Kamil Sokol	Busted

Tags: Kamil Sokol Pedro Munitis

01-25-2025 14:02 UTC+2

Ruggeri Collects the Last of Houayek's Stack

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Kai Cocklin

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

Joseph Houayek shoved from under the gun for 520,000 and Umberto Ruggeri called from the big blind.

Joseph Houayek: K♥J♣ All in
Umberto Ruggeri: A♦9♦

Houayek was happy to see he wasn't dominated and had lives cards, but not so impressed with the runout as the 6♦2♥10♥4♦8♣ board meant he was eliminated.

Gaspare Sposato was also eliminated shortly before.