Over $4.5 Million Guaranteed at the Merit Poker Western Series (Jan 14-26)

Matthew Pitt
Senior Editor
4 min read
Merit Poker Western Series

What better way to welcome in 2025 than by heading to warmer climes and playing poker for big money? The Merit Poker Western Series gives you the opportunity to do both because the festival, held in Northern Cyprus, boasts over $4.5 million in combined guaranteed prize pools, including a $1,500,000 guaranteed Main Event.

The Merit Crystal Cove Hotel & Casino in Kyrenia, North Cyprus, is where hundreds of poker players will descend between January 14-26 for the 2025 Merit Poker Western Series. The PokerNews live reporting team will join those players and bring you all the live updates you can handle from the $2,200 Warm Up, the $3,300 Main Event, and the $5,300 High Roller.

The first event of the Western Series starts at noon local time on January 14. That is when the $2,200 buy-in, $1,000,000 guaranteed Warm Up shuffles up and deals. The Warm Up features four flights, including a turbo-structured Day 1D.

Last year's $2,200 Warm Up saw 446 players compete for an $820,640 prize pool. Italy's Simone Andrian came out on top, scooping $165,000 in the process. First place could be worth even more money this time around because Merit Poker has boosted the guarantee from $800,000 to $1,000,000.

The first day of the $5,300 High Roller starts on January 17, and it crowns its champion on January 20. Whoever that champion is, they will receive the lion's share of the $500,000 guaranteed prize pool. Maksim Shornikau of Belarus banked $177,500 last year when this event had $300,000 guaranteed, so expect even larger payouts in 2025.

Mohamed Mokrani
Reigning Western Series Main Event champion Mohamed Mokrani

The $3,300 Main Event, the final event that PokerNews is live reporting from, guarantees $1,500,000. It runs from January 20-26. Although this is the same guarantee size as the 2024 edition, some 672 players bought in and created a $1,854,720 prize pool. Frenchman Mohamed Mokrani emerged victoriously in 2024, scooping $342,500!

2025 Merit Poker Western Series Full Schedule

DateTimeEventGuarantee
Tue 14 Jan11:00 a.m.$360 Satellite to Warm Up Day 1A3x seats
 12:00 p.m.$2,200 NLHE Warm Up Day 1A$1,000,000
 6:00 p.m.$660 NLHE Hyper Turbo Deep Stack$25,000
 9:00 p.m.$505 Satellite to Warm Up Day 1B10x seats
Wed 15 Jan11:00 a.m.$360 Satellite to Warm Up Day 1B3x seats
 12:00 p.m.$2,200 NLHE Warm Up Day 1B$1,000,000
 5:00 p.m.$505 Satellite to Warm Up Day 1C5x seats
 8:00 p.,.$880 NLHE Turbo Bounty$40,000
 9:00 p.m.$2,200 NLHE Warm Up Day 1C$1,000,000
Thu 16 Jan10:00 a.m.$2,200 NLHE Warm Up Day 1D Turbo$1,000,000
 12:30 p.m.$2,200 NLHE Warm Up Day 2$1,000,000
 6:00 p.m.$1,210 Satellite to High Roller5x seats
 9:00 p.m.$1,100 NLHE Turbo Deep Stack$50,000
Fri 17 Jan12:00 p.m.Warm Up Day 3$1,000,000
 12:30 p.m.$1,650 NLHE Luxon Pay Mystery Bounty Day 1A$150,000
 5:00 p.m.$1,210 Satellite to High Roller Day 15x seats
 7:00 p.m.$660 NL Texas Split 7-Max$20,000
 8:00 p.m.$5,300 NLHE High Roller Day 1$500,000
 9:00 p.m.$755 Satellite to Main Event Day 1A10x seats
Sat 18 Jan12:00 p.m.$1,650 NLHE Luxon Pay Mystery Bounty Day 1B$150,000
 12:00 p.m.Warm Up Final Day$1,000,000
 4:00 p.m.$1,210 Satellite to High Roller Day 24x seats
 6:00 p.m.$1,100 PLO 
 8:00 p.m.$5,300 NLHE High Roller Day 2$500,000
 9:00 p.m.$755 Satellite to Main Event Day 1A10x seats
Sun 19 Jan12:00 p.m.Luxon Pay Mystery Bounty Final Day$150,000
 12:30 p.m.$1,650 NLHE KO Bounty$100,000
 4:00 p.m.NLHE High Roller Day 3$500,000
 5:00 p.m.$1,100 NLHE Seniors 50+$30,000
 8:00 p.m.$755 Satellite to Main Event Day 1A10x seats
 10:00 p.m.$880 NLHE Hyper Turbo Bounty Freezeout$30,000
Mon 20 Jan11:00 a.m.$375 Satellite to Main Event Day 1A3x seats
 12:00 p.m.$3,300 NLHE Main Event Day 1A$1,500,000
 1:00 p.m.NLHE High Roller Final Day$500,000
 6:00 p.m.$1,100 NLHE Single Re-Entry$30,000
 7:00 p.m.$220 NLHE Women's Championship$10,000
 10:00 p.m.$755 Satellite to Main Event Day 1B10x seats
Tue 21 Jan11:00 a.m.$755 Satellite to Main Event Day 1B3x seats
 12:00 p.m.$3,300 NLHE Main Event Day 1B$1,500,000
 6:00 p.m.$755 Satellite Main Event Day 1C10x seats
 10:00 p.m.$1,100 NLHE Mix-Max 9-Handed Day 1$100,000
Wed 22 Jan11:00 a.m.$375 Satellite to Main Event Day 1C3x seats
 12:00 p.m.$3,300 NLHE Main Event Day 1C$1,500,000
 2:00 p.m.$1,650 PLO Big O KO$100,000
 5:00 p.m.$630 Satellite to Main Event Day 1D5x seats
 7:00 p.m.$3,300 NLHE Main Event Day 1D Turbo$1,500,000
 10:00 p.m.$1,100 NLHE Mix-Max 7-Handed Day 2$100,000
Thu 23 Jan12:00 p.m.$3,300 NLHE Main Event Day 2$1,500,000
 6:00 p.m.$1,185 Satellite to MILLIONS Day 1A 
 9:00 p.m.$1,100 PLO Double Board Bomb Pot$50,000
 10:00 p.m.NLHE Mix-Max 6-Handed Final Day$100,000
Fri 24 Jan12:00 p.m.Main Event Day 3$1,500,000
 12:30 p.m.$2,750 NLHE Mystery Bounty Day 1A$500,000
 4:00 p.m.$630 Satellite to Mystery Bounty Day 1B5x seats
 7:00 p.m.$2,750 NLHE Mystery Bounty Day 1B$500,000
 9:00 p.,.$880 NLHE Bounty KO$40,000
Sat 25 Jan11:00 a.m.$2,750 NLHE Mystery Bounty Day 1C Turbo$500,000
 12:00 p.m.Main Event Day 4$1,500,000
 12:30 p.m.$1,100 NLHE Honor Poker Cup 7-Handed Day 1$70,000
 6:00 p.m.$630 Satellite to OPE Classic Day 15x seats
 7:00 p.m.Mystery Bounty Final Day$500,000
 9:00 p.m.$880 NLHE Turbo Deep Stack 
 9:00 p.m.$3,300 NLHE OPE Classic Day 1$100,000
Sun 26 Jan12:00 p.m.$1,100 NLHE Honor Poker Cup 7-Handed Final Day$70,000
 1:00 p.m.Main Event Final Day$1,500,000
 2:00 p.m.$770 NLHE Single Re-Entry$30,000
 2:00 p.m.$3,300 NLE OPE Classic Final Day$100,000
 6:00 p.m.$660 NLHE Deep Stack KO 6-Handed$25,000

The 2025 Merit Poker Western Series has much more to offer than the $2,200 Warm Up, $3,300 Main Event, and the $5,300 High Roller. Each day, between January 14-26, several tournaments and satellites run, including the $1,650 Luxon Pay Mystery Bounty ($150,000 guaranteed), a $1,100 Mix-Max event ($100,000), a $1,100 PLO Double Board Bomb Pot ($50,000), and a $3,300 OPE Classic ($100,000).

Throw into the mix a plethora of satellites, a $1,100 Seniors, $220 Women's Championship, and scores of other exciting events, and you have all the ingredients for an epic couple of weeks in North Cyprus. Here's to seeing you there.

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Matthew Pitt
Senior Editor

Matthew Pitt hails from Leeds, West Yorkshire, in the United Kingdom, and has worked in the poker industry since 2008, and worked for PokerNews since 2010. In September 2010, he became the editor of PokerNews. Matthew stepped away from live reporting duties in 2015, and now concentrates on his role of Senior Editor for the PokerNews.

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