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

01-20-2024 19:12 UTC+2

Tashliyev Bets His Aces All Three Streets

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David Salituro

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

Heads-up on a flop of 4♥7♦Q♥, Ildar Tashliyev bet 15,000 from the cutoff and Alisa Sibgatova called in early position.

The turn was the J♥ and Tashliyev continued for 11,000. Sibgatova again called and the 10♠ fell on the river.

Tashliyev then bet 26,000 and Sibgatova called once more as Tashliyev turned over A♥A♠. Sibgatova flashed him a smile as she mucked her hand.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ildar Tashliyev	200,000 200,000	200,000
Alisa Sibgatova	85,000 -125,000	-125,000

Tags: Alisa Sibgatova Ildar Tashliyev

01-20-2024 19:20 UTC+2

Korliakov Scoops a Massive Three-Way All In

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David Salituro

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

Stanislav Tishkevich was making his exit from the tournament and stopped to relate the massive pot that sent him and Sakis Adrianapoulos to the rail.

According to Tishkevich, he three-bet to 15,000 in early position and Adrianapoulos called in middle position. Ilia Korliakov then moved all in from the cutoff for around 150,000 and both Tishkevich and Adrianapoulos called with smaller stacks, creating a pot worth nearly 450,000.

Stanislav Tishkevich: K♣K♠
Sakis Adrianapoulos: Q♠Q♥
Ilia Korliakov: A♠A♥

Tishkevich and Adrianapoulos had both run into Korliakov's aces as the board ran out 4♦J♥8♥9♦7♥, sending the pile of chips over to Korliakov and moving the Russian up amongst the chip leaders.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ilia Korliakov	430,000 430,000	430,000
Stanislav Tishkevich	Busted
Sakis Adrianapoulos	Busted

Tags: Ilia Korliakov Sakis Adrianapoulos Stanislav Tishkevich

01-20-2024 19:32 UTC+2

Joumaa Survives on the River

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David Salituro

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

Bakhos Joumaa was all in for 20,500 from middle position and up against Aurelijus Sipavicius under the gun.

Bakhos Joumaa: A♦K♥
Aurelijus Sipavicius: K♣Q♦

The Q♥7♠7♦ flop gave Sipavicius two pair and Joumaa tapped the felt in acknowledgement. Joumaa tapped the table again following the J♥ turn as he was one card away from elimination, but he caught the A♠ on the river.

Joumaa then raised his arm in the air in celebration as Sipavicius flashed him a thumbs up before handing over the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Aurelijus Sipavicius	220,000 170,000	170,000
Bakhos Joumaa	45,000 -35,000	-35,000

Tags: Aurelijus Sipavicius Bakhos Joumaa

01-20-2024 19:37 UTC+2

Joumaa Doubles Off Sipavicius Again

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David Salituro

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

Soon after his fortuitous double up, Bakhos Joumaa tangled in another pot against Aurelijus Sipavicius where Sipavicius bet 5,000 from the big blind on a flop of 4♣K♥5♥.

Joumaa then moved all in for around 50,000 and Sipavicius tanked for a moment before calling.

Bakhos Joumaa: A♦4♠
Aurelijus Sipavicius: 8♥4♥

Both players had a pair of fours and Joumaa stood up from his seat as he needed to dodge Sipavicius' flush draw. The 10♣ turn was safe, as was the 2♦ river and Joumaa began a little dance as he doubled up yet again.

"Thank you, man. You're my favorite," he told Sipavicius as he sat back down.

Player	Chips	Progress
Aurelijus Sipavicius	170,000 -50,000	-50,000
Bakhos Joumaa	110,000 65,000	65,000

Tags: Aurelijus Sipavicius Bakhos Joumaa

01-20-2024 19:46 UTC+2

Peluso Shoves on Haloon

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David Salituro

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

Four players saw a flop of J♦6♥4♣ as action checked to Carmel Haloon on the button who bet 7,000. Fabio Peluso called in the small blind, while Candido Cappiello and Aylar Lie folded.

The turn was the K♦ and Haloon continued for 13,000. Peluso lifted up his sunglasses and took a good look at Haloon's stack before he put in a raise to 40,000.

Haloon called and the 3♣ fell on the river. Peluso then moved all in and Haloon, with around 60,000 remaining, snap-folded.

Player	Chips	Progress
Candido Cappiello	280,000 60,000	60,000
Fabio Peluso	210,000 30,000	30,000

Aylar Lie	180,000 10,000	10,000
Carmel Haloon	60,000

Tags: Aylar Lie Candido Cappiello Fabio Peluso Carmel Haloon

Level: 8

Blinds: 1,000/2,000

Ante: 2,000

01-20-2024 20:00 UTC+2

Tulepbergenov Regrets His Bet

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David Salituro

Level 8 : Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante

Samy Barka bet 5,000 from the cutoff on a flop of 10♠4♠K♦ and Azamat Tulepbergenov raised to 23,000 on the button. Marius Kudzmanas called in the hijack, as did Barka.

The turn was the K♣ and Tulepbergenov bet 35,000. Kudzmanas quickly folded, while Barka tanked for a moment before also joining the muck.

"I should've checked," Tulepbergenov said as he turned over K♥10♥ for a full house. Despite losing that pot, Barka has built up a stack of around 500,000 and is in contention for the chip lead.

Player	Chips	Progress
Samy Barka	500,000

Marius Kudzmanas	290,000 50,000	50,000

Azamat Tulepbergenov	210,000 70,000	70,000

Tags: Samy Barka Marius Kudzmanas Azamat Tulepbergenov

01-20-2024 20:07 UTC+2

Sipavicius Finally Gets the Better of Joumaa

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David Salituro

Level 8 : Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante

Aurelijus Sipavicius and Bakhos Joumaa were just involved in another all-in pot as they headed to the river on a board of 7♥4♠6♦9♦J♥ and around 60,000 in the pot.

Joumaa moved all in for 75,000 in the small blind and Sipavicius tanked for several minutes before calling. Joumaa immediately tapped the felt and showed 10♣9♠ for a pair of nines. Sipavicius turned over K♥K♠ and finally sent his table nemesis to the rail after two prior failed attempts.

"Very nice play," a tablemate told him after the hand.

Player	Chips	Progress
Aurelijus Sipavicius	270,000 100,000	100,000
Bakhos Joumaa	Busted

Tags: Aurelijus Sipavicius Bakhos Joumaa

01-20-2024 20:14 UTC+2

Everyone Has a Pair as Cankurtaranli Wins a Three-Way All In

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David Salituro

Level 8 : Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante

Maxim Lykov had a raise of 14,000 in front of him from the cutoff before Roger Abed moved all in for 38,000 on the button. Tahsin Cankurtaranli reshoved for 77,500 under the gun and Lykov tanked for several minutes before calling with the covering stack.

Roger Abed: J♥J♦
Tahsin Cankurtaranli: K♥K♦
Maxim Lykov: Q♣Q♠

The board ran out 10♥A♣10♦9♦10♣ and Cankurtaranli's kings improved to a full house, sending Abed to the rail and earning him a double up off Lykov.

Player	Chips	Progress
Tahsin Cankurtaranli	200,000 200,000	200,000
Maxim Lykov	75,000 -55,000	-55,000

Roger Abed	Busted

Tags: Maxim Lykov Roger Abed Tahsin Cankurtaranli

01-20-2024 20:24 UTC+2

Hedley Shoves as Clock Called on Bonnant

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David Salituro

Level 8 : Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante

Andrew Hedley and Clement Bonnant built a pot of around 35,000 heading to the river on a board of J♠3♥4♥2♣5♣. Bonnant then bet 25,000 from early position.

Hedley, in the big blind, responded by moving all in. Bonnant had around 55,000 remaining and tanked for several minutes until another player at the table called the clock.

He allowed the countdown to nearly reach zero before tossing his cards into the muck. "Six," Nina Krasilnikova asked Hedley, who remained silent and returned his cards face down while taking in the pot to climb above 300,000.

Player	Chips	Progress
Andrew Hedley	320,000 225,000	225,000
Clement Bonnant	55,000 -105,000	-105,000

Tags: Andrew Hedley Clement Bonnant