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

Doe Bombs the River to Take Chip Lead

Level 19 : Blinds 10,000/15,000, 15,000 ante

Valeriy Pak raised to 35,000 pre-flop and was called by John Doe next to act. The flop came {2-Hearts}{6-Clubs}{4-Spades} and Pak bet another 50,000 before Doe raised to 150,000.

Pak called, then checked when the {10-Hearts} fell on the turn. Doe bet another 300,000 and Pak once again called to see the {q-Clubs} river.

He checked once more and Doe pushed forward a tower of white 25,000 chips, a bet totaling 500,000. Pak quickly folded.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of John Doe
John Doe
2,500,000
2,500,000
2,500,000
Day 3 Chip Leader
Profile photo of Valeriy Pak uz
Valeriy Pak
2,100,000
-100,000
-100,000
Day 2 Chip Leader

Tags: John DoeValeriy Pak

Stoyanov Sizes Up

Level 19 : Blinds 10,000/15,000, 15,000 ante

Akin Guven bet 35,000 on an all-diamond flop of {8-Diamonds}{k-Diamonds}{5-Diamonds} from the button. Martin Stoyanov called from the cutoff.

The turn was the {9-Clubs}, both players checked to the {3-Clubs} river. Stoyanov made a sized-up bet of 150,000 which got a fold from Guven.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Akin Guven tr
Akin Guven
925,000
175,000
175,000
Profile photo of Martin Stoyanov bg
Martin Stoyanov
680,000
130,000
130,000

Tags: Akin GuvenMartin Stoyanov

Margolin Climbs Over a Million With Big River Bet

Level 19 : Blinds 10,000/15,000, 15,000 ante

Timur Margolin was in middle position and bet 200,000 on a board of {k-Diamonds}{7-Hearts}{6-Diamonds}{5-Hearts}. Roman Kolotiuk, on the button, called as they went heads-up to the {9-Diamonds} river.

Margolin methodically assembled a bet of 275,000 and pushed it into the middle. Kolotiuk, a cowboy hat dangling from his neck, starred him down for about two minutes before tossing his cards across the table.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Timur Margolin il
Timur Margolin
1,200,000
580,000
580,000
WSOP 3X Winner
Profile photo of Roman Kolotiuk ru
Roman Kolotiuk
400,000
-410,000
-410,000

Tags: Roman KolotiukTimur Margolin

Tsoy Raises Flop

Level 19 : Blinds 10,000/15,000, 15,000 ante

The flop showed {3-Diamonds}{a-Diamonds}{7-Spades}. From the hijack, Dawid Kuliberda bet 75,000. That was promptly check-raised by Valentin Tsoy in early position to 175,000.

Kuliberda assessed his fellow larger stacked opponent before he laid his hand down.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Dawid Kuliberda pl
Dawid Kuliberda
1,280,000
70,000
70,000
Profile photo of Valentin Tsoy uz
Valentin Tsoy
1,230,000
209,000
209,000

Tags: Dawid KuliberdaValentin Tsoy

Smolka Doubles His Short Stack

Level 19 : Blinds 10,000/15,000, 15,000 ante

Dawid Smolka was down to only 70,000 when he pushed all in from early position. Timur Margolin in the small blind reshoved, and Andress Merheb in the big blind got out of the way.

Dawid Smolka: {a-Hearts}{q-Spades}
Timur Margolin: {2-Hearts}{2-Diamonds}

The {9-Hearts}{6-Diamonds}{9-Clubs} flop was safe for Margolin, but Smolka hit the {a-Diamonds} on the turn to take the lead. The river came the {j-Hearts} and Smolka doubled up.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Timur Margolin il
Timur Margolin
1,150,000
-50,000
-50,000
WSOP 3X Winner
Profile photo of Dawid Smolka pl
Dawid Smolka
150,000
-125,000
-125,000

Tags: Dawid SmolkaTimur Margolin

Kuliberda Puts Phung to the Test

Level 19 : Blinds 10,000/15,000, 15,000 ante

In a three-handed pot, Helmut Phung bet 25,000 from the hijack on a flop of {9-Spades}{6-Clubs}{5-Spades} before Dawid Kuliberda raised to 100,000 in the big blind.

Katherina Aristotelos folded, but Phung called to see the {q-Clubs} on the turn. Kuliberda announced he was all in and Phung, with around 225,000 remaining, tanked for around two minutes before folding.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Dawid Kuliberda pl
Dawid Kuliberda
1,600,000
320,000
320,000
Profile photo of Katherina Aristotelos cy
Katherina Aristotelos
1,100,000
473,000
473,000
Profile photo of Helmut Phung de
Helmut Phung
225,000
-158,000
-158,000
WSOP 1X Winner

Tags: Dawid KuliberdaHelmut PhungKatherina Aristotelos

Margolin Multiplying

Level 19 : Blinds 10,000/15,000, 15,000 ante
Timur Margolin
Timur Margolin

Timur Margolin called a bet on the turn from Huseyin Akgul to go to the river and complete the board to read {a-Clubs}{9-Clubs}{4-Hearts}{q-Clubs}{7-Clubs}.

Huseyin Akgul slowed down and checked from middle position. Margolin was on the button and took quite a while to gather his thoughts and bet 195,000 which got an almost immediate fold from Akgul as Margolin's stack has grown here on Day 2.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Timur Margolin il
Timur Margolin
1,440,000
290,000
290,000
WSOP 3X Winner
Profile photo of Huseyin Akgul tr
Huseyin Akgul
820,000
30,000
30,000

Tags: Huseyin AkgulTimur Margolin

Sadek Nearly Makes Big Mistake

Level 19 : Blinds 10,000/15,000, 15,000 ante

Nikolay Fal raised to 30,000 from early position before Iulian-Remus Blebea moved all in for 155,000. In the big blind, Esper Sadek reshoved and Fal got out of the way.

Iulian-Remus Blebea: {a-Spades}{q-Diamonds}
Esper Sadek: {k-Clubs}{j-Diamonds}

Blebea hit two pair on the {a-Diamonds}{9-Spades}{q-Clubs} flop, while Sadek picked up a straight draw. The board ran out {k-Hearts}{a-Clubs} and Blebea finished with a full house to double up.

After the hand, Sadek admitted he didn't see Fal's original raise.

"You didn't see him? I didn't understand," Blebea asked.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Nikolay Fal ru
Nikolay Fal
900,000
-50,000
-50,000
WSOP 1X Winner
Profile photo of Esper Sadek lb
Esper Sadek
600,000
50,000
50,000
Profile photo of Iulian-Remus Blebea ro
Iulian-Remus Blebea
320,000
49,000
49,000

Tags: Esper SadekIulian-Remus BlebeaNikolay Fal

Browne Slays Kolotiuk With Set

Level 19 : Blinds 10,000/15,000, 15,000 ante
Paul Browne
Paul Browne

The flop read {3-Spades}{4-Clubs}{q-Clubs}. Paul Browne raised Roman Kolotiuk's 60,000 bet to 125,000 and Kolotiuk took some time before he called.

The turn came the {9-Clubs}. Browne jammed all in, Kolotiuk thought for a bit and called.

Browne tabled the {3-Clubs}{3-Hearts} set while Kolotiuk had the {a-Clubs}{j-Spades}. The river was the {7-Spades} to bust Kolotiuk while Browne gathered in another pot.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Paul Browne gb
Paul Browne
1,690,000
40,000
40,000
Profile photo of Roman Kolotiuk ru
Roman Kolotiuk
Busted

Tags: Paul BrowneRoman Kolotiuk's