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

01-20-2024 17:50 UTC+2

Krasilnikova Finds the Ladies to Double

David Salituro

Level 6 : Blinds 700/1,500, 1,500 ante

Maxime Chilaud bet 4,000 from early position on a flop of 5♦8♣4♦ before Eduard Norel raised to 13,000 in middle position.

Chilaud called and the 5♣ fell on the turn. Norel then bet 18,000 and Chilaud quickly folded.

The next hand at this table, Norel raised to 3,500 and Arif Yildirim called. Nina Krasilnikova then moved all in for 53,000 in the cutoff and Yildirim called, while Norel got out of the way.

Nina Krasilnikova: Q♦Q♥
Arif Yildirim: K♦J♣

Yildirim picked up a flush draw heading to the river on a board of A♦9♣3♦2♦, but Krasilnikova dodged the J♠ as she doubled up with her pocket queens.

"Good Nina. I win" she yelled out, pointing at her queens as she took the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Nina Krasilnikova	110,000 50,000	50,000
Eduard Norel	100,000 45,000	45,000
Maxime Chilaud	55,000
Arif Yildirim	50,000 -80,000	-80,000

Tags: Arif Yildirim Eduard Norel Maxime Chilaud Nina Krasilnikova

01-20-2024 18:03 UTC+2

Queen is Good For Lian

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David Salituro

Level 6 : Blinds 700/1,500, 1,500 ante

Around 45,000 was in the middle as Roman Hrabec, Xiang Lian, and Qiang Xu saw a flop of A♦Q♠6♣. Hrabec then led out for 11,000 from the small blind.

Lian called in early position, but Xu put in a raise to 36,500 in the cutoff. Hrabec folded, while Lian tanked for a minute before calling.

The 10♣ turn was checked through and the A♥ fell on the river. Lian checked again and Xu checked back as Lian showed Q♥J♥ for two pair. Xu mucked and Lian took the pot, adding to his chip-lead contending stack.

Player	Chips	Progress
Xiang Lian	380,000 260,000	260,000
Roman Hrabec	110,000

Qiang Xu	55,000 55,000	55,000

Tags: Qiang Xu Roman Hrabec Xiang Lian

01-20-2024 18:09 UTC+2

Tishkevich Hangs On in Three-Way All In

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David Salituro

Level 6 : Blinds 700/1,500, 1,500 ante

Four players went to the 7♥5♣2♥ flop where Rawand Chaychi bet 8,000 from the hijack. Naji Tannoury called in the small blind, while Stanislav Tishkevich moved all in for 55,000 in the big blind.

Chaychi reshoved for his last 60,000 and Tannoury called, having both players covered.

Stanislav Tishkevich: Q♦7♦
Rawand Chaychi: A♣J♦
Naji Tannoury: 6♥5♥

Tishkevich was ahead with his pair of sevens, while Tannouri had a pair and flush draw. The 2♠ turn kept Tishkevich in the lead, while he secured a triple up following the 3♦ river. Tannoury took the side pot to send Chaychi to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Stanislav Tishkevich	170,000 70,000	70,000
Naji Tannoury	100,000 100,000	100,000
Rawand Chaychi	Busted

Tags: Naji Tannouri Rawand Chaychi Stanislav Tishkevich

01-20-2024 18:16 UTC+2

Wozniak Picks Up Aces to Take Out Zhao

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David Salituro

Level 6 : Blinds 700/1,500, 1,500 ante

Andreas Tomazou raised to 3,500 in early position before Gang Zhao moved all in for his last 9,400 in middle position. Mateusz Wozniak reraised to 20,000 on the button and Tomazou called.

The flop came J♥5♦4♦ and Wozniak bet 14,000, forcing Tomazou out of the pot.

Gang Zhao: A♠7♦
Mateusz Wozniak: A♥A♦

Zhao needed a miracle against Wozniak's aces but none arrived on the J♠ turn or 8♥ river as he headed for the exit.

Warm Up runner-up Abdullah Alajmi has also been eliminated, while Andrea Dato busted his second bullet of the day.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mateusz Wozniak	320,000 320,000	320,000
Andreas Tomazou	50,000 50,000	50,000
Gang Zhao	Busted
Abdullah Alajmi	Busted
Andrea Dato	Busted

Tags: Andreas Tomazou Gang Zhao Mateusz Wozniak

01-20-2024 18:29 UTC+2

Davenport Runs Into Ace Twice in the Same Hand

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David Salituro

Level 6 : Blinds 700/1,500, 1,500 ante

Matthew Davenport was all in for around 90,000 on the button, Yury Bochkarev stuck in his last 45,000 in the small blind, while Vasil Giliazetdinov had both players covered and at risk.

Yury Bochkarev: A♠A♥
Matthew Davenport: K♥K♣
Vasil Giliazetdinov: A♦A♠

Bochkarev and Giliazetdinov had both woken up with aces to leave Davenport needed to hit a king. The board ran out 10♦2♥4♣8♠5♠ and Bochkarev and Giliazetdinov split the side pot, while Giliazetdinov sent Davenport to the rail in the main pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Vasil Giliazetdinov	180,000 50,000	50,000
Yury Bochkarev	60,000 -40,000	-40,000
Matthew Davenport	Busted

Tags: Matthew Davenport Vasil Giliazetdinov Yury Bochkarev

01-20-2024 18:36 UTC+2

Updated Chip Counts

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David Salituro

Level 6 : Blinds 700/1,500, 1,500 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Ryan Plant	410,000 80,000	80,000
Bartlomiej Swieboda	300,000 200,000	200,000
Marius Kudzmanas	240,000

Dean Hutchison	230,000 110,000	110,000
Peng Yang	225,000 5,000	5,000
Recep Aydemir	220,000 55,000	55,000
Candido Cappiello	220,000 120,000	120,000
Halil Akbas	200,000 80,000	80,000
Fabio Peluso	180,000 50,000	50,000

Sinead Priestley	180,000 40,000	40,000
Aylar Lie	170,000 90,000	90,000
Clement Bonnant	160,000 -10,000	-10,000
Iulian Andrei Bleau	150,000
Azamat Tulepbergenov	140,000 -10,000	-10,000
Maxim Lykov	130,000 -20,000	-20,000

Akin Guven	130,000
Marcin Dziubdziela	80,000
Sorin Marin	60,000 -25,000	-25,000

01-20-2024 18:36 UTC+2

Break Time

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David Salituro

Level 6 : Blinds 700/1,500, 1,500 ante

Players are headed off on another 15-minute break.

Level: 7

Blinds: 1,000/1,500

Ante: 1,500

01-20-2024 19:00 UTC+2

Habib Building Big Stack After Taking Out Doe

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David Salituro

Level 7 : Blinds 1,000/1,500, 1,500 ante

Heads-up on a flop of K♠2♣10♥, John Doe F put in his last 40,000 from the cutoff and Michel Habib snap-called in the hijack.

John Doe F: K♣9♣
Michel Habib: 2♥2♠

Doe turned over top pair, but Habib showed him the bad news when he flipped over a set of deuces. The board ran out J♥3♥ and Habib scored the knockout to climb up to 400,000.

Player	Chips	Progress
Michel Habib	400,000
John Doe F	Busted

Tags: John Doe F Michel Habib

01-20-2024 19:01 UTC+2

Chilaud Rivers the Nuts on Aydemir

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David Salituro

Level 7 : Blinds 1,000/1,500, 1,500 ante

Recep Aydemir bet 15,000 from middle position on a board of 2♦3♠6♠9♥ and Maxime Chilaud called under the gun.

The river was the 2♠ and Chilaud checked to Aydemir who moved all in. Chilaud couldn't call fast enough, sticking in his last 77,500 and turning over A♠K♠ for the nut flush.

"No," Aydemir groaned as he handed over the double up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Maxime Chilaud	220,000 165,000	165,000
Recep Aydemir	160,000 -60,000	-60,000

Tags: Maxime Chilaud Recep Aydemir