$3,300 Main Event Day 1a | 2024 Merit Poker Western Series

01-20-2024 15:25 UTC+2

Yildirim Shoves on Hedley; Akbas Spikes the River on Warde

David Salituro

Level 3 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

Heads-up on a board of 8♠A♠7♣10♥ and around 30,000 in the pot, Arif Yildirim bet 10,000 from the big blind before Andrew Hedley raised to 30,000 in middle position.

Yildirim then moved all in for 82,000 and sent Hedley deep in the tank. "Top set?" Hedley asked after several minutes had gone by before he mucked his hand.

At the same time at another table, Jad Warde was all in for around 42,000 from middle position on a flop of 3♣6♦8♣ with pocket aces and up against Halal Akbas in the cutoff holding 9♠8♦.

Warde remained in the lead on the 10♣ turn, but Akbas hit the 9♦ on the river to make two pair as Warde made a quick exit from the room.

Player	Chips	Progress
Arif Yildirim	150,000 150,000	150,000
Halil Akbas	120,000 120,000	120,000
Andrew Hedley	60,000 -40,000	-40,000
Jad Warde	Busted

Tags: Andrew Hedley Arif Yildirim Halal Akbas Jad Warde

Level: 4

Blinds: 500/1,000

Ante: 1,000

01-20-2024 15:41 UTC+2

Burmistrov Freezes Out Sun

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David Salituro

Level 4 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

Yunsheng Sun raised to 2,500 under the gun and Alexander Sazhinov called in the hijack. Fedor Burmistrov then three-bet to 12,000 in the big blind and only Sun called.

Both players checked the Q♠5♠A♠ flop before Burmistrov led out for 3,500 on the 5♣ turn. Sun called and the K♦ fell on the river.

Burmistrov then moved all in and Sun, with around 50,000 remaining, snap-folded.

Player	Chips	Progress
Fedor Burmistrov	150,000
Alexander Sazhinov	70,000 -40,000	-40,000
Yunsheng Sun	50,000

Tags: Fedor Burmistrov Yunsheng Sun Alexander Sazhinov

01-20-2024 15:42 UTC+2

Player	Chips	Progress
Abdullah Alajmi	100,000
Dmitry Yurasov	100,000

Recep Aydemir	100,000
Nina Krasilnikova	100,000

Yang Shoves on Zebarjad

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David Salituro

Level 4 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

Peng Yang, who had an incredible Day 1 of the Warm Up on his way to finishing as chip leader, is building another big stack in this event and just took down a pot against Ali Zebarjad with some aggression.

With around 20,000 in the middle and the flop showing 7♣10♠5♦, Yang bet 16,000 from the button before Zebarjad raised to 32,000 in the hijack. Yang then put in a stack of white 25,000 chips, enough to put Zebarjad all in.

Zebarjad had around 70,000 remaining and tanked for nearly two minutes before giving up his hand.

Player	Chips	Progress
Peng Yang	220,000 100,000	100,000
Ali Zebarjad	70,000

Tags: Ali Zebarjad Peng Yang

01-20-2024 15:56 UTC+2

Lin Makes a Big Fold to Adrianapoulos

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David Salituro

Level 4 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

Jianwei Lin and Sakis Adrianapoulos were already on the river with the board showing A♠K♥8♠K♣6♦ when Lin bet 16,000 from middle position.

Adrianapoulos then raised to 75,000 under the gun, sending Lin deep into the tank. He eventually folded K♦J♦ for trip kings and Adrianapoulos returned the favor, turning over A♣A♥ for a full house as he took the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Jianwei Lin	175,000 175,000	175,000
Sakis Adrianapoulos	170,000 170,000	170,000

Tags: Jianwei Lin Sakis Adrianapoulos

01-20-2024 16:03 UTC+2

Aydemir Survives a Flip

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David Salituro

Level 4 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

A player in the cutoff moved all in and Recep Aydemir called for his last 81,400.

Recep Aydemir: 10♥10♦
Opponent: A♦K♥

The two players were flipping heading to the 3♥4♥6♦ flop, which kept Aydemir's tens in the lead. The board ran out J♣3♣ and Aydemir survived to double up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Recep Aydemir	165,000 65,000	65,000

Tags: Recep Aydemir

01-20-2024 16:07 UTC+2

Updated Chip Counts

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David Salituro

Level 4 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Ryan Plant	330,000 50,000	50,000
Frederico Senno	290,000
Naji Azar	230,000
Alisa Sibgatova	230,000 130,000	130,000
Ara Melkisetian	160,000
Can Miral	160,000
Iulian Andrei Bleau	150,000 -60,000	-60,000
David Hu	130,000 30,000	30,000
Dawid Smolka	110,000
Fausto Tantillo	95,000 -20,000	-20,000
Giorgiy Skhulukihiya	90,000
Koray Korkmaz	80,000 -15,000	-15,000
Benjamin Hamnett	80,000 -20,000	-20,000

Aylar Lie	80,000 -20,000	-20,000
Maxime Chilaud	55,000 -45,000	-45,000
Eduard Norel	55,000 -60,000	-60,000
Toni Kaukua	15,000 -20,000	-20,000

01-20-2024 16:18 UTC+2

Dato Loses With Aces Again

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David Salituro

Level 4 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

Andrea Dato bet 5,000 on a flop of 7♦10♥5♥ from early position and Vedat Mutlu called under the gun.

The turn was the 8♣ and Mutlu led out for 10,000. Dato then raised to 30,000, Mutlu moved all in for 52,000, and Dato snap-called.

Dato showed A♣A♠, but Mutlu turned over J♠9♠ for the turned straight. The river was the 5♣ and Dato handed over the double up, losing his second all-in pot of the day holding two aces.