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

01-23-2024 13:05 UTC+2

Dray Spikes the River

Ryan Lashmar

Level 10 : Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante

Samuel Dray opened to 5,500 from middle position and Bogdan Munteanu three-bet to 13,000 from the hijack. Dray moved all in for 41,000 and Munteanu snap-called with a covering stack to put Dray at risk.

Samuel Dray: A♦Q♥
Bogdan Munteanu: K♣K♦

The board ran out Q♠6♦6♥7♥A♠. Dray got exactly what he needed with an ace on the river to secure a full double up and extend his tournament life.

Player	Chips	Progress
Bogdan Munteanu	292,000 33,500	33,500
Samuel Dray	88,000 -500	-500

Tags: Bogdan Munteanu Samuel Dray

01-23-2024 13:03 UTC+2

Habib Building Massive Stack After Taking Out Wei

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David Salituro

Level 10 : Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante

Guoliang Wei raised to 6,000 on the button before Michel Habib three-bet to 26,000 in the small blind. Wei then moved all in for around 100,000 and Habib snap-called.

Guoliang Wei: A♣5♦
Michel Habib: A♠J♦

Wei found himself dominated and got no help on the Q♠8♦8♣6♠3♠ board as he was sent to the rail. Habib, meanwhile, moved up past 900,000 with that pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Michel Habib	920,000 167,000	167,000
Guoliang Wei	Busted

Tags: Guoliang Wei Michel Habib

01-23-2024 12:54 UTC+2

Brown Bets Big on the River

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David Salituro

Level 10 : Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante

Heads-up on the turn with the board showing 8♥A♥2♣9♦ and around 70,000 in the pot, Michael Brown bet 17,000 from the big blind and Vitalii Pankov called in early position.

The river was the 4♣ and Brown fired out 125,000. Pankov spent a minute considering the decision before giving up his cards.

Player	Chips	Progress
Michael Brown	450,000 29,000	29,000
Vitalii Pankov	230,000 -86,500	-86,500

Tags: Vitalii Pankov Michael Brown

01-23-2024 12:46 UTC+2

Hrabec Spikes Two-Outer to Bust Hursoz

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David Salituro

Level 10 : Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante

Roman Hrabec had a raise of 50,000 in front of him from middle position before Tugce Hursoz stuck in her last 130,000 from the hijack. Hrabec called.

Tugce Hursoz: A♠K♥
Roman Hrabec: Q♦Q♠

It was a classic flip and Hursoz pulled ahead on the 6♠K♠9♦ flop with top pair. The turn 4♦ was safe for Hursoz, but the Q♣ fell on the river as Hrabec spiked a set to send her to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Roman Hrabec	380,000 170,500	170,500

Tugce Hursoz	Busted

Tags: Roman Hrabec Tugce Hursoz

01-23-2024 12:43 UTC+2

Melkisetian Comes From Behind to Bust Matta

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David Salituro

Level 10 : Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante

Damir Zhugralin raised to 5,500 in the cutoff before Ara Melkisetian three-bet to 15,500 on the button. Serge Matta then moved all in for 45,000 in the small blind and Zhugralin folded. Melkisetian, meanwhile, tanked for about 30 seconds before calling.

Serge Matta: A♣K♠
Ara Melkisetian: A♠7♦

Melkisetian was dominated until the flop brought 7♣5♣2♠, giving him top pair. The board ran out 3♠5♥ and Matta was sent to the exit.

"Saved me. Ace-jack," Zhugralin told Melkisetian after the hand.

Player	Chips	Progress
Damir Zhugralin	300,000 -9,000	-9,000
Ara Melkisetian	200,000 70,500	70,500
Serge Matta	Busted

Tags: Ara Melkisetian Damir Zhugralin Serge Matta

01-23-2024 12:40 UTC+2

Yilmaz Knocks Out Khadra

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 10 : Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante

In a preflop confrontation Hadi Khadra, who had recently been left short-stacked, found himself all in and at risk against Aykutalp Yilmaz.

Hadi Khadra: K♠Q♣
Aykutalp Yilmaz: A♥J♦

The board ran out 6♦10♠7♠Q♥A♠. Khadra had made top pair on the turn only for Yilmaz to spike an ace on the river to score the knockout. Khadra would reenter shortly afterwards.

Player	Chips	Progress
Aykutalp Yilmaz	137,500 12,000	12,000
Hadi Khadra	100,000

Tags: Aykutalp Yilmaz Hadi Khadra

01-23-2024 12:30 UTC+2

Rosenwasser Flops the Goods

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 10 : Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante

With two players seeing a board of 6♣9♣4♣ and about 15,000 in the middle, Jonathan Rosenwasser checked from the small blind and called a 7,500 bet from Shuang Luo in the cutoff.

Both players checked the 8♦ turn leading to the 10♥ river. Rosenwasser bet 18,000 and Luo quickly called.

Luo revealed 7♠6♠ for a small pair but Rosenwasser showed down K♣7♣ for a flopped flush to take the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Shuang Luo	117,000 -43,000	-43,000
Jonathan Rosenwasser	95,000 13,000	13,000

Tags: Jonathan Rosenwasser Shuang Luo

01-23-2024 12:29 UTC+2

Peluso Catches Pihela Making a Move

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David Salituro

Level 10 : Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante

With around 90,000 in the pot on a board of 5♠J♣8♦3♣, Igor Pihela moved all in for 56,000 from the hijack. Fabio Peluso tanked for a minute in the big blind before calling to put Pihela at risk.

Pihela showed A♠9♠ for ace-high, while Peluso had 10♠10♥. The 4♣ river failed to improve Pihela and he was sent to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Fabio Peluso	700,000 43,000	43,000

Igor Pihela	Busted

Tags: Fabio Peluso Igor Pihela

01-23-2024 12:23 UTC+2

Nikitin Snaps Off Tannoury

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David Salituro

Level 10 : Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante

Naji Tannoury raised to 5,500 in middle position before Anatoly Nikitin three-bet to 20,000 in the small blind. Tannoury called and they went heads-up to a flop of 7♣9♣2♠.

Nikitin continued for 15,000 and Tannoury called. The turn was the 10♣ and Nikitin checked over to Tannoury, who moved all in.

Nikitin snap-called for 187,500 and turned over 9♠9♥ for a set. Tannoury showed Q♣10♠ for a pair of tens and was left paying off most of his stack following the 3♥ river.

Player	Chips	Progress
Anatoly Nikitin	450,000 241,000	241,000
Naji Tannoury	35,000 -227,000	-227,000

Tags: Anatoly Nikitin Naji Tannoury

01-23-2024 12:19 UTC+2

Hot Start for Yurasov

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 10 : Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante

Dmitry Yurasov opened to 6,000 from under the gun and received calls from Safi Haidar in the hijack and Ihar Soika in the big blind.

The flop came K♠7♣2♠. Soika checked, Yurasov fired a 6,000 cointinuation bet, Haidar called and Soika folded.

Yurasov bet again for 17,000 on the 3♣ turn and was once again called by Haidar.

On the Q♠ river Yurasov bet 40,000. Haidar thought for about one minute before sticking in a call. Haidar had flopped top pair with K♣J♠ but Yurasov showed down Q♣Q♥ for a set on the river to take down a nice early pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Dmitry Yurasov	819,000 83,000	83,000

Safi Haidar	170,000 -74,000	-74,000
Ihar Soika	66,000 -12,500	-12,500

Tags: Dmitry Yurasov Ihar Soika Safi Haidar