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

01-24-2024 12:24 UTC+2

Amsellem Among Early Bustouts

David Salituro

Level 18 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante

Paul Amsellem got his stack of around 100,000 in the middle from the button and was up against Fady Kamar in the cutoff.

Paul Amsellem: K♥Q♦
Fady Kamar: A♦J♥

Amsellem took the lead on the 10♦6♣Q♥ flop with a pair of queens, while the 7♠ turn left him a card away from a double up. The river, though, was the A♥ and Kamar spiked an ace to win the pot and send Amsellem to the rail.

Junjie He and Jonathan Rosenwasser were also eliminated within the first few minutes of the day.

Player	Chips	Progress
Fady Kamar	800,000 87,000	87,000
Paul Amsellem	Busted
Junjie He	Busted
Jonathan Rosenwasser	Busted

Tags: Fady Kamar Jonathan Rosenwasser Junjie He Paul Amsellem

01-24-2024 13:00 UTC+2

Ercan Wins a Race to Bust Zhaparov

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David Salituro

Level 18 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante

Mustafa Ercan raised to 17,000 in early position and was called by Vedat Yilmaz and Yiannakis Papapetrou. Dauren Zhaparov then moved all in for 150,000 in the big blind and Ercan called, while the other two opponents got out of the way.

Dauren Zhaparov: A♠J♥
Mustafa Ercan: 7♣7♦

Zhaparov needed to win the race to stay alive in the tournament but found no help on the 3♥10♠2♥3♣8♦ board as he was sent to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mustafa Ercan	1,550,000 485,000	485,000
Vedat Yilmaz	450,000 150,000	150,000

Yiannakis Papapetrou	110,000 -275,000	-275,000
Dauren Zhaparov	Busted

Tags: Dauren Zhaparov Mustafa Ercan Vedat Yilmaz Yiannakis Papapetrou

01-24-2024 13:34 UTC+2

Messika Runs Into Cappiello's Queens

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David Salituro

Level 19 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

Ilia Korliakov raised to 25,000 in early position before Victor Messika three-bet to 65,000 in the hijack. Candido Cappiello then four-bet to 130,000 in the big blind, Korliakov folded, while Messika called.

The flop came 4♦4♠8♥ and Cappiello continued for 55,000. Messika instantly raised to 110,000 and Cappiello moved all in. Messika called for his last 260,000.

Victor Messika: 9♣9♠
Candido Cappiello: Q♦Q♠

Messika snapped a photo of his cards before turning them over, finding out he was crushed by the queens of Cappiello. The board ran out 8♦10♥ and he was eliminated while Cappiello climbed up to 1,000,000.

Sergey Bortsov was also eliminated at the same time on another table.

Player	Chips	Progress
Candido Cappiello	1,000,000 288,000	288,000
Ilia Korliakov	730,000 -241,000	-241,000
Feng Qu	470,000 -110,000	-110,000
Daniel Henriques	350,000 -39,000	-39,000
Maksim Shornikau	300,000 135,000	135,000
Georges Hanna	300,000 -110,000	-110,000
Guoliang Wei	230,000 -21,000	-21,000

Felipe Ketzer	205,000 -46,000	-46,000
Victor Messika	Busted
Sergey Bortsov	Busted

Tags: Candido Cappiello Ilia Korliakov Sergey Bortsov Victor Messika

01-24-2024 13:35 UTC+2

Jazzar Flushes Out Dziubdziela

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 19 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

In a preflop confrontation Marcin Dziubdziela was all in from the small blind for roughly 155,000 and up against Maroun Jazzar in the hijack who held a covering stack.

Marcin Dziubdziela: A♦K♥
Maroun Jazzar: K♦Q♠

Both players connected with the A♠3♠2♠ flop with Dziubdziela making top pair but still needing to fade a spade to avoid elimination. Jazzar's flush draw came in on the 4♠ turn and after the 10♦ river Dziubdziela made his exit from the tournament area while Jazzar took down a healthy pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Maroun Jazzar	580,000 -54,000	-54,000
Marcin Dziubdziela	Busted

Tags: Marcin Dziubdziela Maroun Jazzar

01-24-2024 13:46 UTC+2

Tot Gets Paid by Peluso

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David Salituro

Level 19 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

With around 200,000 in the middle on a flop of 6♥Q♠Q♣, Aleksandr Tot bet 20,000 from the big blind and Fabio Peluso called in the cutoff.

The turn was the 9♦ and Tot led out for another 120,000. Peluso called again and the J♠ fell on the river.

Tot sat motionless for nearly a minute before putting out a bet of 50,000. Peluso quickly called, then mucked when Tot showed K♥K♠.

At the same time at an adjacent table, Volodymyr Drokin was all in with a short stack against Ara Melkisetian.

Volodymyr Drokin: A♥Q♣
Ara Melkisetian: J♦J♥

The board ran out 8♣4♦5♦5♥6♣ and Melkisetian took the pot to send Drokin to the rail. Maroun Jazzar soon joined him as he was eliminated by Azamat Tulepbergenov at another table.

Player	Chips	Progress
Azamat Tulepbergenov	1,150,000 570,000	570,000
Fabio Peluso	940,000 -400,000	-400,000

Aleksandar Tot	900,000 323,000	323,000
Ara Melkisetian	900,000 12,000	12,000
Jad Warde	540,000 168,000	168,000
Robert Heidorn	200,000 8,000	8,000
Maroun Jazzar	Busted
Volodymyr Drokin	Busted

Tags: Aleksandr Tot Ara Melkisetian Azamat Tulepbergenov Fabio Peluso Maroun Jazzar Volodymyr Drokin

01-24-2024 13:52 UTC+2

Skiprkin Falls to Dato

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 19 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

In a preflop confrontation Maksim Skripkin found himself all in for roughly 275,000 and was up against Andrea Dato who covered Skripkin very slightly.

Maksim Skripkin: 9x9x
Andrea Dato: K♥K♠

Dato's pocket-kings held up on the Q♥A♣J♥10♣4♠ runout to secure a full double up while Skripkin was sent to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Andrea Dato	575,000 307,000	307,000

Maksim Skripkin	Busted

Tags: Andrea Dato Maksim Skripkin

01-24-2024 14:01 UTC+2

Litvinov Loses a Classic Flip; Di Nicola Folds Trips

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David Salituro

Level 19 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

Andrey Litvinov was all in for 230,000 from the hijack and up against Mohamed Mokrani in the big blind.

Andrey Litvinov: A♠K♣
Mohamed Mokrani: Q♦Q♣

Mokrani spiked top set on the 9♠Q♥8♣ flop, while the A♣ on the turn arrived too late for Litvinov as he headed for the exit following the 10♥ river.

At the same time at another table, Ermanno Di Nicola and Vedat Yilmaz were heads-up on the river with the board showing 5♥10♥K♣10♣6♠ when Di Nicola bet 190,000.

Yilmaz then raised to 400,000 and Di Nicola quickly turned over the 10♠ and tossed it into the muck. The table implored Yilmaz to show and he turned over the 5♥.

"Five-five," a tablemate said, and sure enough Yilmaz also showed the 5♣ for a full house while taking the big pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mohamed Mokrani	1,150,000 230,000	230,000
Vedat Yilmaz	900,000 155,000	155,000

Matthew Davenport	750,000 139,000	139,000
Victor Fryda	640,000 430,000	430,000
Ermanno Di Nicola	520,000 -705,000	-705,000

Traian Stanciu	450,000 -110,000	-110,000
Mohammadreza Karkan	430,000 -170,000	-170,000
Vedat Mutlu	420,000 -260,000	-260,000
Hassanin Hashim	350,000 33,000	33,000
Andrey Litvinov	Busted

Tags: Andrey Litvinov Ermanno Di Nicola Mohamed Mokrani Vedat Yilmaz

01-24-2024 14:40 UTC+2

Ketzer Flips Shornikau to the Rail

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David Salituro

Level 20 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

Maksim Shornikau got his last 220,000 in the middle from under the gun as Felipe Ketzer had him at risk from the button.

Maksim Shornikau: 8♠8♦
Felipe Ketzer: A♦K♠

Shornikau was flipping for his tournament life but fell behind on the K♣5♣10♦ flop as Ketzer hit top pair. The board ran out 6♥K♥ and Ketzer finished with trips to send the High Roller champion to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Felipe Ketzer	800,000 595,000	595,000
Maksim Shornikau	Busted

Tags: Felipe Ketzer Maksim Shornikau

01-24-2024 15:10 UTC+2

Tulepbergenov Snaps Off Karam

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David Salituro

Level 20 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

According to tablemate Shuang Luo, Azamat Tulepbergenov had three-bet from the cutoff and Hala Karam called in middle position. Both players then checked the 9♣3♣5♠ flop.

The turn was the 2♠ and Karam moved all in for around 200,000. Tulepbergenov snap-called and Karam let out a loud sigh as she showed 8♥8♦. Tulepbergenov turned over A♥4♣ for the turned straight.

The river was the 4♠ and Tulepbergenov sent Karam to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Azamat Tulepbergenov	1,600,000 450,000	450,000
David Hu	1,100,000 150,000	150,000
Mehmet Demirkol	700,000 583,000	583,000
Shuang Luo	560,000 86,000	86,000
Nariman Yaghmai	550,000 78,000	78,000
Andrew Hedley	530,000 119,000	119,000
Sakis Adrianapoulos	460,000 164,000	164,000
Anatoly Nikitin	320,000 -184,000	-184,000
Hala Karam	Busted

Tags: Azamat Tulepbergenov Hala Karam

01-24-2024 15:33 UTC+2

El Khazen Cracks Aces For a Double Knockout

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David Salituro

Level 20 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

Youssef El Khazen limped in under the gun before Simone Andrian raised to 48,000 in the hijack. Yassin Mahmoud had just 2,000 remaining and tossed it in from the cutoff, while Roman Hrabec three-bet to 165,000 in the small blind.

El Khazen then shoved for 470,000 and Andrian also pushed in his last 380,000. "Ah," Hrabec cried out as he quickly got out of the way.

Yassin Mahmoud: 9♦7♥
Simone Andrian: A♠A♦
Youssef El Khazen: J♣J♥

Andrian woke up with aces and was a big favorite to take the big pot as the flop came 6♣8♦4♣. The turn, though, was the J♠ and El Khazen made a set to take the lead.

The river was the Q♠ and Andrian, who won the Warm Up event earlier in the festival, joined Mahmoud on the rail. Hrabec later admitted he folded two queens.

"You folded queens," El Khazen asked.

"Of course. I knew he had aces," Hrabec replied.