2023 Merit Poker Western Series

$2,200 Warmup
Day: 3
Event Info

2023 Merit Poker Western Series

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
a5
Prize
$181,200
Event Info
Buy-in
$2,200
Prize Pool
$962,320
Entries
523
Level Info
Level
36
Blinds
400,000 / 800,000
Ante
800,000
Players Info - Day 3
Entries
102
Players Left
19

Sadek Sends Di Nicola Into the Tank, Shows the Bluff

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

Esper Sadek three-bet to 80,000 from the big blind and was called by Ermanno Di Nicola in middle position.

Both players checked the {8-Clubs}{7-Diamonds}{4-Clubs} flop before Sadek led out for 60,000 on the {8-Diamonds} turn. Di Nicola called as the river came the {k-Spades}.

Sadek immediately pushed his stack forward, an all-in bet of around 450,000. Di Nicola went into the tank for nearly five minutes, counting down his stack and rechecking his cards before he slid them back to the dealer.

Sadek slammed down {a-Hearts}{2-Spades} for a bluff and turned around to show a friend on another table.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Esper Sadek lb
Esper Sadek
600,000
-150,000
-150,000
Profile photo of Ermanno Di Nicola it
Ermanno Di Nicola
350,000
-310,000
-310,000
Day 1B Chip Leader
WSOP 2X Winner

Tags: Ermanno Di NicolaEsper Sadek

Karakaya's Call Goes Wrong

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

There was already around 200,000 in the pot as Hakan Karakaya in the big blind and John Doe in the cutoff saw a flop of {8-Diamonds}{9-Diamonds}{q-Spades}. Doe moved all in, having Karakaya's remaining 280,000 well covered.

Karakaya spent several minutes in the tank before he committed his last chips, turning over {j-Spades}{j-Hearts}. Doe, though, had hit top pair with {a-Diamonds}{q-Clubs}.

The board ran out {6-Hearts}{4-Hearts} and Karakaya was sent to the rail. "Would you call," he asked chip leader Valeriy Pak on his way to the exit.

"Good call," Pak replied.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of John Doe
John Doe
1,050,000
1,050,000
1,050,000
Day 3 Chip Leader
Profile photo of Hakan Karakaya tr
Hakan Karakaya
Busted

Tags: John DoeHakan Karakaya

Shkulukhiia Forces Fold

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

Action came in on the river as the board read {8-Spades}{6-Hearts}{5-Spades}{3-Hearts}{5-Diamonds} and a pot of around 240,000 in the middle.

Gokhan Ozbek checked from the small blind and was then put to a decision by Giorgii Shkulukhiia in the big blind who put out a bet of 175,000. Ozbek's decision was ultimately to fold and the pot went to his left.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Giorgii Shkulukhiia ru
Giorgii Shkulukhiia
630,000
153,000
153,000
Profile photo of Gokhan Ozbek tr
Gokhan Ozbek
425,000
-75,000
-75,000

Tags: Giorgii ShkulukhiiaGokhan Ozbek

Baybars Leads the River

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

Andrey Litvinov raised to 20,000 before Osman Midik reraised to 40,000 next to act. Both blinds called, as did Litvinov as they went four-handed to a {6-Clubs}{a-Spades}{9-Hearts} flop.

Action checked around to Midik who continued for 100,000. Only Halil Baybars in the small blind called to see the {4-Diamonds} turn.

Both players checked, then Baybars led out for 215,000 on the {5-Hearts} river. Midik quickly called, only to get shown {9-Clubs}{9-Spades} by Baybars for a flopped set that took the pot.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Halil Baybars tr
Halil Baybars
950,000
460,000
460,000
Profile photo of Andrey Litvinov ru
Andrey Litvinov
200,000
-110,000
-110,000
Profile photo of Osman Midik tr
Osman Midik
120,000
-280,000
-280,000

Tags: Andrey LitvinovHalil BaybarsOsman Midik

Guven Hits a Miracle to Bust Segal

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

Omer Segal was all in for around 250,000 from under the gun and up against Akin Guven in the big blind.

Omer Segal: {a-Hearts}{a-Clubs}
Akin Guven: {q-Diamonds}{q-Clubs}

The {q-Hearts} appeared in the window to give Guven a set, but it was followed by the {a-Spades}{6-Hearts} as Segal made top set. The turn, though, was a disaster for Segal as the dealer flipped over the {q-Spades}.

Segal slammed his fist on the table and shot out of his seat at the sight of Guven's turned quads. The river came the {2-Clubs} and Segal was eliminated as a crowd gathered around the table.

"Wow," Guven repeated as he stacked his new chips.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Akin Guven tr
Akin Guven
900,000
-10,000
-10,000
Profile photo of Omer Segal il
Omer Segal
Busted

Tags: Akin GuvenOmer Segal

Nixon Rivers Flush

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

On the turn, the board read {a-Diamonds}{8-Clubs}{j-Clubs}{9-Diamonds}. Jamie Nixon bet 57,000 from the hijack. Zaid Al-Khashab clicked it back to 114,000 from the cutoff and Nixon called.

The turn was the {j-Diamonds}. Both players checked. Nixon tabled the {7-Diamonds}{6-Diamonds} flush for the winner as Al-Khashab threw up his hands and laughed in frustration.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Jamie Nixon gb
Jamie Nixon
1,160,000
158,000
158,000
Profile photo of Zaid Al-Khashab ir
Zaid Al-Khashab
760,000
-242,000
-242,000

Tags: Jamie NixonZaid Al-Khashab

Level: 18

Blinds: 6,000/12,000

Ante: 12,000

Onoprienko Shoves Into Kings

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

Musa Genc raised to 25,000 from early position before Sergei Onoprienko shoved in the big blind for around 210,000. Genc quickly tossed in a chip to call.

Sergei Onoprienko: {a-Diamonds}{4-Diamonds}
Musa Genc: {k-Hearts}{k-Spades}

Onoprienko needed to improve against Genc's kings but got no help on the {8-Hearts}{q-Clubs}{9-Diamonds}{5-Clubs}{8-Spades} board as he tapped the felt and headed to the exit.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Musa Genc tr
Musa Genc
600,000
188,000
188,000
Profile photo of Sergei Onoprienko ru
Sergei Onoprienko
Busted

Tags: Musa GencSergei Onoprienko

Koller Gets One Through

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

Action was picked up on the turn with the board showing the {7-Clubs}{8-Hearts}{5-Clubs}{3-Diamonds}. From the button, Jeffrey Hubbell bet 25,000. Ran Koller was under the gun and he jammed all in for what looked like 183,000.

Hubbell thought it out for a while before he said, "I'll let you take this one" and sent his cards into the muck.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Jeffrey Hubbell us
Jeffrey Hubbell
770,000
510,000
510,000
Profile photo of Ran Koller il
Ran Koller
350,000
-5,000
-5,000
WSOP 1X Winner

Tags: Jeffrey HubbellRan Koller

A Round of Chip Counts

Level 18 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Valeriy Pak uz
Valeriy Pak
1,900,000
580,000
580,000
Day 2 Chip Leader
Profile photo of Maxime Chilaud fr
Maxime Chilaud
1,200,000
79,000
79,000
Profile photo of Dawid Kuliberda pl
Dawid Kuliberda
1,120,000
307,000
307,000
Profile photo of Nariman Yaghmai ir
Nariman Yaghmai
960,000
-33,000
-33,000
Profile photo of Gurcan Gungoren tr
Gurcan Gungoren
920,000
335,000
335,000
Profile photo of Ryan Mandara gb
Ryan Mandara
800,000
-400,000
-400,000
Profile photo of Jeffrey Hubbell us
Jeffrey Hubbell
620,000
360,000
360,000
Profile photo of Ran Ilani il
Ran Ilani
440,000
-140,000
-140,000
Profile photo of La Sengphet us
La Sengphet
240,000
-136,000
-136,000
Profile photo of Gabi Livshitz il
Gabi Livshitz
220,000
11,000
11,000
WSOP 1X Winner