$3,300 Main Event Day 2 | 2024 Merit Poker Western Series

01-23-2024 13:35 UTC+2

Eychenne Shoves on Skrbic

David Salituro

Level 11 : Blinds 1,500/2,500, 2,500 ante

In a three-way pot, action checked to Milos Skrbic who bet 5,000 from the button on a flop of Q♣6♣Q♦. The big blind called, as did Thomas Eychenne under the gun.

The turn was the 5♦ and Skrbic bet 20,000. Only Eychenne called this time as the 2♠ fell on the river.

Skrbic then bet 60,000 and Eychenne responded by moving all in for 267,000. Skrbic tanked for nearly five minutes until he folded.

"Show the bluff," a tablemate pleaded with Eychenne, but he didn't oblige and returned his cards face down.

Player	Chips	Progress
Thomas Eychenne	360,000 25,500	25,500
Milos Skrbic	250,000 -25,500	-25,500

Tags: Thomas Eychenne Milos Skrbic

01-23-2024 13:43 UTC+2

Guven Cracks He's Kings

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David Salituro

Level 11 : Blinds 1,500/2,500, 2,500 ante

Heads-up on a flop of 7♥3♠6♣, Junjie He bet 15,000 from the big blind and Ege Guven called under the gun.

The turn was the 5♠ and He moved all in for around 30,000 more. Guven snap-called and He immediately turned away from the table in frustration.

"Aces," he asked Guven as he turned over K♣K♠. Guven didn't have aces, but he did show 9♥8♥ for a turned straight. The river was the 7♣ and He was sent to the rail.

This table also includes the likes of Mustafa Ercan, Tarmo Tammel, and Recep Aydemir.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mustafa Ercan	570,000 -26,500	-26,500
Ege Guven	250,000 154,500	154,500
Marian-Cristian Cocea	200,000 -27,500	-27,500
Amir Sonsino	135,000 -3,000	-3,000
Recep Aydemir	130,000 -53,000	-53,000
Halil Akbas	130,000 36,000	36,000
Tarmo Tammel	70,000 -13,500	-13,500
Junjie He	Busted

Tags: Ege Guven Junjie He

01-23-2024 13:50 UTC+2

Lykov Scores a Double Knockout

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 11 : Blinds 1,500/2,500, 2,500 ante

In a preflop confrontation, Vladimir Troyanovskiy was all in from the hijack and up against Maxim Lykov in the cutoff and Sorin Marin in the big blind. All three players had similar stacks of just under 100,000 with Lykov slightly covering both opponents.

Vladimir Troyanovskiy: A♥K♠
Sorin Marin: A♣A♦
Maxim Lykov: J♠J♦

Marin was in great shape to triple up and remained ahead on the 8♦7♦5♣ turn. The 10♣ turn was also clean but the 9♣ river gave Lykov a jack-high straight to score nearly a full triple up while sending both Marin and Troyanovskiy to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Maxim Lykov	296,500 151,500	151,500

Vladimir Troyanovskiy	Busted
Sorin Marin	Busted

Tags: Maxim Lykov Sorin Marin Vladimir Troyanovskiy

01-23-2024 13:59 UTC+2

Vranken Outflops Henriques at the Bad Beat Table

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David Salituro

Level 11 : Blinds 1,500/2,500, 2,500 ante

A player under the gun raised to 5,000 before Daniel Henriques three-bet to 15,000 in early position. Antoine Vranken then moved all in for 80,000 in the cutoff, the under-the-gun player folded, but Henriques snap-called.

Antoine Vranken: 8♥8♣
Daniel Henriques: Q♥Q♦

Vranken was crushed by Henriques' queens heading to the flop, which came 8♦J♠6♠ and gave him a set. The board ran out A♦3♠ and Vranken doubled up.

"This is a table of bad beats," a tablemate said as Vranken took back his chips.

Player	Chips	Progress
Daniel Henriques	440,000 -193,000	-193,000
Antoine Vranken	170,000 72,500	72,500

Tags: Antoine Vranken Daniel Henriques

01-23-2024 14:05 UTC+2

Eychenne Takes Multiway Pot

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 11 : Blinds 1,500/2,500, 2,500 ante

Andrea Dato opened to 5,000 from the cutoff and received calls from Thomas Eychenne in the small blind and Ceyhan Tezcan in the big blind.

The flop came Q♦9♥7♠ and action checked around to Dato who fired a 7,000 continuation bet. Both Eychenne and Tezcan made the call.

All three players checked the 10♦ turn leading to the K♣ river. Eychenne bet 11,000 and both Tezcan and Dato opted to fold.

Player	Chips	Progress
Thomas Eychenne	282,000 -78,000	-78,000
Andrea Dato	249,500 -65,000	-65,000

Ceyhan Tezcan	42,000 -35,000	-35,000

Tags: Andrea Dato Ceyhan Tezcan Thomas Eychenne

01-23-2024 14:07 UTC+2

Dray Rips Off His Glasses, Snaps Off Hedley

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David Salituro

Level 11 : Blinds 1,500/2,500, 2,500 ante

Heads-up on a board of 3♦J♣K♠8♣, Andrew Hedley bet 20,000 from the cutoff and Samuel Dray called on the button.

The river was the 6♦ and Hedley moved all in. Dray took off his sunglasses as he stuck in his last 60,000.

Hedley showed A♣A♦, but Dray had K♥J♥ for two pair to win the pot and double up.

"I didn't like when the glasses came off. And it wasn't like sad glasses," Hedley said.

"Always bad news," a tablemate added.

Player	Chips	Progress
Andrew Hedley	280,000 -122,000	-122,000
Samuel Dray	180,000 92,000	92,000

Tags: Andrew Hedley Samuel Dray

01-23-2024 14:16 UTC+2

Updated Chip Counts

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David Salituro

Level 11 : Blinds 1,500/2,500, 2,500 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Michel Habib	880,000 -40,000	-40,000
Fabio Peluso	800,000 100,000	100,000

Roman Hrabec	730,000 350,000	350,000

Razvan Sabau	650,000 167,000	167,000
Maroun Jazzar	520,000 63,000	63,000
Siarhei Chudapal	450,000 44,500	44,500
Benjamin Hamnett	410,000 -17,000	-17,000

Matthew Davenport	410,000 72,000	72,000
Bartlomiej Swieboda	360,000 17,500	17,500
Fahredin Mustafov	350,000
Michael Brown	300,000 -150,000	-150,000
Viliyan Petleshkov	290,000 -90,000	-90,000
Andrea Dato	240,000 -9,500	-9,500

Bakhos Joumaa	230,000 17,000	17,000
Qiang Xu	220,000 -3,500	-3,500

Naji Tannoury	210,000 175,000	175,000
Dmitry Gromov	160,000 -33,500	-33,500

Justus Held	130,000
Simone Andrian	100,000 100,000	100,000

Peng Yang	80,000 -59,000	-59,000
Andrey Pateychuk	50,000 -138,500	-138,500

01-23-2024 14:23 UTC+2

Martinovic Claims to Fold an Ace

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David Salituro

Level 12 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante

Vedat Yilmaz raised to 5,500 in the hijack before Dragoljub Martinovic three-bet to 23,500 in the small blind. Yilmaz called and they saw a flop of 8♥K♣4♠.

Martinovic continued for 16,500 and Yilmaz called. Both players checked the 3♣ turn.

Martinovic also checked the A♣ river and Yilmaz bet 46,000. Martinovic then tanked for nearly five minutes until he surrendered his hand.

"Queen, queen no good," Yilmaz said.

"How about an ace," Martinovic replied.

"You had an ace? You win," Yilmaz added.

Player	Chips	Progress
Vedat Yilmaz	420,000 58,000	58,000

Dragoljub Martinovic	210,000 30,500	30,500

Tags: Dragoljub Martinovic Vedat Yilmaz

Level: 12

Blinds: 1,500/3,000

Ante: 3,000

01-23-2024 14:25 UTC+2

Soika Slows Down Yurasov

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 12 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante

Moritz Dietrich opened to 6,000 from middle position and received calls from Hadi Khadra in the hijack and Ihar Soika on the button. Dmitry Yurasov then three-bet to 27,000 from the small blind, forcing Dietrich and Khadra out of the pot while Soika made the call.

The flop came A♣3♣A♦ and Yurasov fired a 15,000 continuation bet that was called by Soika.

Yurasov slowed down with a check on the 9♥ turn and Soika bet 40,000 which was enough to force a fold from Yurasov.