$3,300 Main Event | 2024 Merit Poker Western Series

01-25-2024 15:16 UTC+2

Vedat Yilmaz Eliminated in 14th Place ($20,400)

Ryan Lashmar

Level 29 : Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante

Antoine Hasbani opened to 220,000 from the hijack and Vedat Yilmaz moved all in for 900,000 from the button. Hasbani made the call to put Yilmaz at risk.

Vedat Yilmaz: J♥J♦
Antoine Hasbani: A♠7♠

Hasbani spiked an ace on the A♥9♣8♠ flop to take the lead. He remained ahead on the 4♣ turn and 3♠ river to send the Day 1d chip leader to the rail in 14th place.

Player	Chips	Progress
Antoine Hasbani	3,900,000 870,000	870,000
Vedat Yilmaz	Busted

Tags: Antoine Hasbani Vedat Yilmaz

01-25-2024 15:29 UTC+2

Soika Slows Down Ketzer

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 29 : Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante

Felipe Ketzer opened to 200,000 from the button and Ihar Soika moved all in for 2,665,000 from the small blind. Ketzer called with a covering stack to put Soika at risk.

Ihar Soika: A♥K♦
Felipe Ketzer: J♥J♣

It was a classic preflop flip that Ketzer pulled ahead of on the 8♠5♣3♥ flop. Things were looking grim for Soika on the Q♠ turn but the K♥ river gave Soika top pair to score a massive double up through Ketzer.

Player	Chips	Progress
Felipe Ketzer	6,400,000 -2,900,000	-2,900,000
Ihar Soika	5,580,000 3,620,000	3,620,000

Tags: Felipe Ketzer Ihar Soika

01-25-2024 16:44 UTC+2

Ihar Soika Eliminated in 13th Place ($20,400)

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 30 : Blinds 50,000/125,000, 125,000 ante

Felipe Ketzer opened to 250,000 from the button and Ihar Soika three-bet to 950,000 from the small blind. Ketzer four-bet to 1,650,000 and Soika moved all in for 4,900,000. Ketzer snap-called to put Soika at risk.

Ihar Soika: J♠J♦
Felipe Ketzer: K♥K♣

Soika couldn't catch up to Ketzer's pocket-kings on the 4♥7♠7♣4♠3♥ runout and was sent to the rail while Ketzer catapulted himself well above 10,000,000 chips.

Player	Chips	Progress
Felipe Ketzer	13,900,000 7,500,000	7,500,000
Ihar Soika	Busted

Tags: Felipe Ketzer Ihar Soika

01-25-2024 16:48 UTC+2

Bassel Moussa Eliminated in 12th Place ($25,200)

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 30 : Blinds 50,000/125,000, 125,000 ante

Bassel Moussa moved all in from the button for 1,225,000 and Christophe Panetti called from the big blind with a covering stack to put Moussa at risk.

Bassel Moussa: A♣3♥
Christophe Panetti: 4♦4♠

Moussa was in rough shape with only one overcard to Panetti's pocket-pair. He found no help on the 6♥7♥7♠5♣9♠ runout and made his exit from the tournament area while Panetti collected a decent pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Christophe Panetti	7,625,000 2,275,000	2,275,000
Bassel Moussa	Busted

Tags: Bassel Moussa Christophe Panetti

01-25-2024 16:55 UTC+2

Ermanno Di Nicola Eliminated in 11th Place ($25,200)

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 30 : Blinds 50,000/125,000, 125,000 ante

Ermanno Di Nicola moved all in from the small blind for 1,950,000 and was called by Nichan Khorchidian in the big blind who held a covering stack.

Ermanno Di Nicola: Q♣6♣
Nichan Khorchidian: K♣J♣

Di Nicola failed to connect with the 5♠A♥J♦10♥3♠ and was sent to the rail just two spots shy of the final table while Khorchidian continued to accumulate chips.

Player	Chips	Progress
Nichan Khorchidian	14,400,000 2,200,000	2,200,000
Ermanno Di Nicola	Busted

Tags: Ermanno Di Nicola Nichan Khorchidian

01-25-2024 17:30 UTC+2

Giuliano Boellis Eliminated in 10th Place ($25,200)

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 31 : Blinds 75,000/150,000, 150,000 ante

With two players seeing a board of 7♦4♦2♠ and roughly 1,200,000 in the middle Nichan Khorchidian bet 1,000,000 from the small blind. Giuliano Boellis moved all in from early position for just over 6,000,000 and Khorchidian snap-called to put him at risk.

Giuliano Boellis: J♦J♠
Nichan Khorchidian: A♥A♦

The baord ran out 7♦4♦2♠5♥10♦. Khorchidian's pocket-aces were good at showdown and he took down one of the biggest pots of the tournament so far while Boellis was sent to the rail on the final table bubble.

The players are now going on a 40-minute break as the tournament staff prepares the final table ceremony.

Player	Chips	Progress
Nichan Khorchidian	19,650,000 7,650,000	7,650,000
Giuliano Boellis	Busted

Tags: Giuliano Boellis Nichan Khorchidian

01-25-2024 18:57 UTC+2

Hadi Khordbin Eliminated in 9th Place ($34,300)

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 32 : Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante

Samy Barka opened to 425,000 from middle position and Hadi Khordbin moved all in for 1,300,000 from the small blind. Barka called with a covering stack to put Khordbin at risk.

Hadi Khordbin: A♠Q♥
Samy Barka: A♥K♦

Khordbin was pipped by a bigger ace and couldn't catch up on the Q♠6♠K♣J♦5♣ runout , resulting in him becoming the first final table casualty of the day while Barka collected the last of his chips.

Player	Chips	Progress
Samy Barka	7,100,000 1,425,000	1,425,000

Hadi Khordbin	Busted

Tags: Hadi Khordbin Samy Barka

01-25-2024 19:30 UTC+2

Samy Barka Eliminated in 8th Place ($45,600)

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 32 : Blinds 100,000/200,000, 200,000 ante

Samy Barka moved all in for 1,050,000 from under the gun and Christophe Panetti reshoved from the cutoff with a covering stack, folding out all other players to leave Barka at risk.

Samy Barka: A♦4♥
Christophe Panetti: A♠J♥

Barka was dominated by a bigger ace but did pick up a gutshot straight draw on the 2♠10♣3♦. The 7♥ turn and K♦ river were bricks and Bark's deep run came to an end in eight-place.

Player	Chips	Progress
Christophe Panetti	8,500,000 -25,000	-25,000
Samy Barka	Busted

Tags: Christophe Panetti Samy Barka

01-25-2024 20:30 UTC+2

Antoine Hasbani Eliminated in 7th Place ($57,300)

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 33 : Blinds 125,000/250,000, 250,000 ante

Antoine Hasbani moved all in for 850,000 and Damir Zhugralin raised all in over the top to 2,650,000. Nichan Khorchidian called from the small blind to leave both players at risk.

Antoine Hasbani: K♦Q♥
Damir Zhugralin: A♥5♣
Nichan Khorchidian: A♦Q♦

Khorchidian had both opponents dominated and seemed poised to score a double knockout until Zhugralin made trips on the 5♥5♠6♥ flop leaving Khorchidian drawing dead and Hasbani drawing only to running kings. The 4♥ turn sealed the pot for Zhugralin and after the 4♣ river scored well over a full double up while Hasbani was sent to the rail in seventh place.

Player	Chips	Progress
Nichan Khorchidian	21,600,000 -3,200,000	-3,200,000
Damir Zhugralin	6,700,000 3,900,000	3,900,000
Antoine Hasbani	Busted

Tags: Antoine Hasbani Damir Zhugralin Nichan Khorchidian

01-25-2024 20:33 UTC+2

Mustafa Ercan Eliminated in 6th Place ($69,100)

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 33 : Blinds 125,000/250,000, 250,000 ante

Felipe Ketzer opened to 525,000 from under the gun and Damir Zhugralin moved all in for 5,525,000 from the button. Mustafa Ercan snap-called with his stack of 4,150,000. Ketzer thought for a few moments before folding A♣K♥, leaving Zhugralin at risk.

Mustafa Ercan: A♥J♥
Damir Zhugralin: A♦10♠

Zhugralin was dominated against a bigger ace but he took the lead on the K♦10♥K♠ flop. The 8♥ turn brought in a flush draw for Ercan but the 7♠ river was a brick. Zhugralin dragged in a pot worth over 10,000,000 while Ercan made his exit from the tournament area.

Player	Chips	Progress
Felipe Ketzer	21,600,000 -275,000	-275,000
Damir Zhugralin	10,700,000 4,000,000	4,000,000
Mustafa Ercan	Busted

Tags: Damir Zhugralin Felipe Ketzer Mustafa Ercan