$5,300 High Roller Day 3 | 2025 Merit Poker Western Series

01-19-2025 17:16 UTC+2

Gromov Five-Bets Runcan

Tim Baker

Level 18 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

Paul Runcan raised to 24,000 from ealry position and Dmitry Gromov three-bet to 62,000 from the button. When it got back to Runcan he four-bet to 102,000 and was met an instant shove from Fromov for roughly 300,000. Runcan quickly folded and Gromov increased his stack considerably without seeing a flop.

Player	Chips	Progress
Dmitry Gromov	410,000 160,000	160,000

Paul Runcan	350,000 158,000	158,000

Tags: Dmitry Gromov Paul Runcan

01-19-2025 17:07 UTC+2

Sposato Finds a Queen to Bust Sibgatova

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Tim Baker

Level 18 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

Sachin Joshi opened to 24,000 from early position with Gaspare Sposato calling out of the small blind before Alisa Sibgatova squeezed all in for 98,000 grom the big blind. Joshi folded, but Sposato reluctantly called.

Alisa Sibgatova: A♦J♦ All in
Gaspare Sposato: Q♥10♥

Sibgatova was ahead, but Sposato had live cards that he could hit to end her tournament. The flop of 5♦Q♦7♣ put Sposato in the lead with a pair of queens, though Sibgatova had a flush draw. The rest of the board ran out K♥3♠ and Sibgatova was out of the tournament.

Player	Chips	Progress
Gaspare Sposato	900,000 399,000	399,000
Sachin Joshi	620,000 120,000	120,000
Alisa Sibgatova	Busted

Tags: Alisa Sibgatova Gaspare Sposato Sachin Joshi

01-19-2025 16:56 UTC+2

State Heads to the Rail; Auzoux Has Over a Million

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Tim Baker

Level 18 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

Adrian State had roughly 200,000 remaining in stack and committed them all into the middle preflop with Gregoire Auzoux making the call to try and bust him.

Adrian State: A♠K♠ All in
Gregoire Auzoux: J♠J♥

It was a flip that State needed to win to continue his run in the High Roller. However, the board came 5♠3♥5♦Q♣3♦ and all State could do was wish the players at his table good luck as he was eliminated from the event.

Player	Chips	Progress
Gregoire Auzoux	1,200,000 308,000	308,000

Adrian State	Busted

Tags: Adrian State Gregoire Auzoux

01-19-2025 16:51 UTC+2

Big Slick Helps Joshi Eliminate Ketzer

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Tim Baker

Level 18 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

Sachin Joshi opened to 24,000 under the gun before Roman Stoika three-bet to 60,000 from the hijack. Felipe Ketzer then four-bet shoved for 206,000 from the big blind. Joshi moved all in over the top for 222,000 and Stoika folded.

Felipe Ketzer: A♥Q♥ All in
Sachin Joshi: A♠K♠

Ketzer was already out of his chair upon seeing the cards as he knew he was likely headed to the rail. The runout of K♣Q♣3♣6♣5♠ gave both players a pair, but it was Joshi's pair of kings that won him the hand, and eliminated Ketzer.

Player	Chips	Progress
Sachin Joshi	500,000 374,000	374,000
Roman Stoika	300,000 73,000	73,000
Felipe Ketzer	Busted

Tags: Felipe Ketzer Roman Stoika Sachin Joshi

Level: 18

Blinds: 6,000/12,000

Ante: 12,000

01-19-2025 16:38 UTC+2

Molenaar Takes all of Paunescu's Chips; Defending Champion Shornikau Busts

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Tim Baker

Level 17 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

Nicolae Paunescu got his last 120,000 into the middle preflop with Michel Molenaar being the player to try and bust him.

Nicolae Paunescu: 7♦7♠ All in
Michel Molenaar: K♦K♥

Paunescu would need to find a lucky seven or he would be headed to the rail. The board came A♣10♣9♣Q♠4♥ which kept Molenaar's Cowboys ahead the whole way, eliminating Paunescu.

At another table, last year's champion Maksim Shornikau was seen exiting the tournament as he has been eliminated.

Player	Chips	Progress
Michel Molenaar	480,000 79,000	79,000
Nicolae Paunescu	Busted
Maksim Shornikau	Busted

Tags: Maksim Shornikau Michel Molenaar Nicolae Paunescu

01-19-2025 16:29 UTC+2

Akyel's Second Bet Forces Shcherbakov to Fold

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Tim Baker

Level 17 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

Ramazan Akyel opened from the button with Kirill Shcherbakov defending out of the big blind.

The flop came down 10♥2♥3♣ and Shcherbakov check-called a bet of 20,000 from Akyel.

The 4♣ fell on the turn and Shcherbakov check-folded after Akyel bet 55,000.

Player	Chips	Progress
Kirill Shcherbakov	430,000 118,000	118,000
Ramazan Akyel	390,000 51,000	51,000

Tags: Kirill Shcherbakov Ramazan Akyel

01-19-2025 16:24 UTC+2

A Few Early Eliminations

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Tim Baker

Level 17 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Tom Verbruggen	Busted
Joseph Sabe	Busted
Andras Matrai	Busted
Aliaksei Boika	Busted

01-19-2025 16:16 UTC+2

Archour Takes From State

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Tim Baker

Level 17 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

Heads-up to a turn of a board that read 4♣4♠K♦A♥ and with roughly 90,000 in the middle. Maher Achour checked from under the gun and Adrian State fired out a bet of 60,000 from the button. Achour slid in the call.

The two players saw the 9♠ come on the river and Achour checked again. State thought about betting briefly, but ultimately checked and was shown A♠10♥ by Achour for a pair of aces. State mucked and Archour pulled in the pot.