2024 Merit Poker Western Series

$3,300 Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info

2024 Merit Poker Western Series

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
99
Prize
$342,500
Event Info
Buy-in
$3,300
Prize Pool
$1,854,720
Entries
672
Level Info
Level
36
Blinds
200,000 / 500,000
Ante
500,000
Players Info - Day 1a
Entries
188
Players Left
71

Tantillo Hits the River to Leave Chaychi Fuming

Level 1 : Blinds 200/500, 500 ante

Fausto Tantillo and Rawand Chaychi went to the turn with the board showing 37103 when Chaychi bet 6,200 from the button.

Tantillo called under the gun and the 2 fell on the river. Tantillo checked over to Chaychi, who took his time before checking back.

"Flush," Tantillo said, turning over A7 for the rivered nut flush. Chaychi spent a few moments staring at the board before flipping over 99 and tossing it angrily into the muck.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Fausto Tantillo it
Fausto Tantillo
115,000
15,000
15,000
Profile photo of Rawand Chaychi iq
Rawand Chaychi
80,000

Tags: Fausto TantilloRawand Chaychi

Davenport Gets Aggressive Against Warde

Level 1 : Blinds 200/500, 500 ante

Jad Warde opened to 2,000 from the cutoff before Matthew Davenport three-bet to 6,000 on the button. Warde called and they went heads-up to a 27J flop.

Davenport then bet 4,500 and Warde called. The turn was the Q and Davenport fired out another 17,500.

Warde this time tanked for a moment before giving up his hand.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Matthew Davenport gb
Matthew Davenport
105,000
Profile photo of Jad Warde lb
Jad Warde
55,000

Tags: Jad WardeMatthew Davenport

Hasbani Gets an Early Double

Level 1 : Blinds 200/500, 500 ante
Antoine Hasbani
Antoine Hasbani

Antoine Hasbani and Aziz Efe got into a pre-flop raising war that ended with Hasbani all in for 65,000 under the gun as Efe had him at risk from the button.

Antoine Hasbani: 77
Aziz Efe: KJ

The board ran out 38395 and Hasbani survived the coin flip to earn a double up on the first level of the day.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Antoine Hasbani lb
Antoine Hasbani
130,000
30,000
30,000
Profile photo of Aziz Efe tr
Aziz Efe
20,000
20,000
20,000

Tags: Antoine HasbaniAziz Efe

Level: 2

Blinds: 300/600

Ante: 600

Qushqar Shoves Into Aces

Level 2 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante
Vedat Yilmaz
Vedat Yilmaz

Iulian-Andrei Bleau raised to 1,200 in the cutoff before Morad Qushqar moved all in for 17,500 in the small blind. Vedat Yilmaz called in the big blind, while Bleau got out of the way.

Morad Qushqar: AQ
Vedat Yilmaz: AA

Yilmaz had woken up with aces and spiked the last remaining one in the deck on the 74A flop to make top set. Qushqar was already drawing dead after the 5 turn, while the 10 river sealed his early elimination.

Aziz Efe was eliminated shortly after doubling up Antoine Hasbani but immediately jumped back into the field with a fresh stack. Aylar Lie also recently joined the field.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Iulian Andrei Bleau ro
Iulian Andrei Bleau
210,000
210,000
210,000
Profile photo of Aziz Efe tr
Aziz Efe
100,000
80,000
80,000
Profile photo of Aylar Lie no
Aylar Lie
100,000
100,000
100,000
Profile photo of Vedat Yilmaz tr
Vedat Yilmaz
60,000
60,000
60,000
Day 1D Chip Leader
Profile photo of Morad Qushqar af
Morad Qushqar
Busted

Tags: Iulian-Andrei BleauMorad QushwarVedat Yilmaz

Khordbin Lays Down Kings

Level 2 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante
Hadi Khordbin
Hadi Khordbin

Hadi Khordbin was in the small blind and three-bet to 5,000. Sultan Meirbekov then four-bet to 9,500 in early position. John Doe F, in the cutoff, put in a five-bet to 20,000.

Khordbin went into the tank for several minutes. "Pass. I want to show my hand," he eventually said, keeping his cards beside him as action went on Meirbekov.

"You want to show your hand? Me too," Meirbekov said, tossing AxQx into the muck. Khordbin then showed KK.

"Aces," he asked Doe, who returned his cards face down.

"100 percent aces," Meirbekov added.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of John Doe F
John Doe F
110,000
110,000
110,000
Profile photo of Hadi Khordbin ir
Hadi Khordbin
105,000
105,000
105,000
Profile photo of Sultan Meirbekov kz
Sultan Meirbekov
70,000
70,000
70,000

Tags: Hadi KhordbinJohn Doe FSultan Meirbekov

Guven Puts in a Big Raise

Level 2 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Vasil Giliazetdinov raised to 3,100 in the hijack and Akin Guven called on the button before Aurelijus Sipavicius reraised to 21,100 in early position.

Giliazetdinov took his time before calling. Action then went back on Guven, who tied up some of his chips in a string and began spinning it around for several minutes before he emerged with a reraise to 95,000.

Sipavicius quickly folded, but Giliazetdinov tanked for a few minutes until he gave up his hand.

"Show the bluff," Sipavicius said, but Guven returned his cards face down.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Akin Guven tr
Akin Guven
130,000
130,000
130,000
Profile photo of Vasil Giliazetdinov ru
Vasil Giliazetdinov
65,000
65,000
65,000
Profile photo of Aurelijus Sipavicius lt
Aurelijus Sipavicius
50,000
50,000
50,000

Tags: Akin GuvenAurelijus SipaviciusVasil Giliazetdinov

Doe Shoves on Peluso

Level 2 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Heads-up on a board of Q774 and around 25,000 in the pot, Fabio Peluso bet 22,000 from the big blind before John Doe F raised to 50,000 on the button.

Peluso took a minute before calling as the 6 fell on the river. Doe then moved all in for 63,500.

Peluso again went into the tank, taking nearly five minutes until he tossed his cards into the muck.

"Kings?" Doe asked him. He then offered Peluso to show one and Peluso picked the A.

"Aces. Second time with aces," tablemate Sultan Meirbekov said.

Peluso's countryman Candido Cappiello recently joined the field and took his seat at this table.

Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of John Doe F
John Doe F
190,000
80,000
80,000
Profile photo of Fabio Peluso it
Fabio Peluso
130,000
30,000
30,000
Day 1B Chip Leader
WSOP 1X Winner
Profile photo of Candido Cappiello it
Candido Cappiello
100,000

Tags: Candido CappielloFabio PelusoJohn Doe F

Updated Chip Counts

Level 2 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante
Player Chips Progress
Profile photo of Ryan Plant gb
Ryan Plant
210,000
110,000
110,000
Profile photo of Antoine Hasbani lb
Antoine Hasbani
170,000
40,000
40,000
Profile photo of Sinead Priestley gb
Sinead Priestley
140,000
Profile photo of Cheng Zhao
Cheng Zhao
120,000
20,000
20,000
Profile photo of Dean Hutchison gb
Dean Hutchison
120,000
-35,000
-35,000
Profile photo of Peng Yang cn
Peng Yang
120,000
Profile photo of Kacper Pyzara pl
Kacper Pyzara
110,000
10,000
10,000
Profile photo of Panicos Charalambides cy
Panicos Charalambides
100,000
-5,000
-5,000
Profile photo of Andrew Hedley gb
Andrew Hedley
100,000
15,000
15,000
Profile photo of Koray Korkmaz tr
Koray Korkmaz
95,000
Profile photo of Mehmet Demirkol tr
Mehmet Demirkol
90,000
-18,000
-18,000
Profile photo of Bakhos Joumaa lb
Bakhos Joumaa
80,000
-20,000
-20,000
Profile photo of Catalin Moraru ro
Catalin Moraru
75,000
Profile photo of Andrea Dato it
Andrea Dato
55,000
-45,000
-45,000
WPT 1X Winner