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

01-24-2024 16:45 UTC+2

Zhugralin Sends Urbanovich Into the Tank

David Salituro

Level 21 : 10,000/15,000, 15,000 ante

Damir Zhugralin bet 35,000 from the button on a flop of 3♥Q♦3♦ and Dzmitry Urbanovich raised to 85,000 in the big blind.

Zhugralin called and the Q♦ fell on the turn. Urbanovich then checked and Zhugralin bet 85,000. Urbanovich stuck around to see the K♠ river.

Zhugralin then pushed all in as Urbanovich, with around 500,000 remaining, tanked for several minutes into the break before folding.

Player	Chips	Progress
Damir Zhugralin	1,400,000 100,000	100,000
Dzmitry Urbanovich	500,000 -364,000	-364,000

Tags: Damir Zhugralin Dzmitry Urbanovich

01-24-2024 16:47 UTC+2

Break Time on the Bubble

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David Salituro

Level 21 : Blinds 10,000/15,000, 15,000 ante

The first three hands of hand-for-hand play saw no all ins as the remaining 81 players are headed off on break.

Level: 22

Blinds: 10,000/20,000

Ante: 20,000

01-24-2024 17:05 UTC+2

Yurasov Shoves on Sun

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David Salituro

Level 22 : Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante

Heads-up on a flop of 4♣7♥K♥, Yunsheng Sun bet 55,000 from the hijack before Dmitry Yurasov raised to 165,000 in the big blind.

Sun called and the 8♣ fell on the turn. Yurasov then announced he was all in, having Sun's remaining 530,000 covered, and Sun snap-folded.

Player	Chips	Progress
Dmitry Yurasov	1,300,000 374,000	374,000

Yunsheng Sun	530,000 51,000	51,000

Tags: Dmitry Yurasov Yunsheng Sun

01-24-2024 17:12 UTC+2

Davenport Applies Bubble Pressure

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 22 : Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante

With two players seeing a board of 5♠4♣3♦A♠ and roughly 140,000 in the middle, Michel Habib checked in the small blind. Matthew Davenport bet 85,000 from the hijack and took down a decent pot without showdown after getting a fold from Habib.

Player	Chips	Progress
Matthew Davenport	1,900,000 1,150,000	1,150,000
Michel Habib	885,000 -67,000	-67,000

Tags: Matthew Davenport Michel Habib

01-24-2024 17:25 UTC+2

Maher Achour Bubbles the Main Event

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David Salituro

Level 22 : Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante

It took until the ninth hand of hand-for-hand until there was an all in and a call. Maher Achour moved all in from the button for 380,000 and Gang Zhao tanked for a minute in the small blind before calling.

Maher Achour: 10♦10♥
Gang Zhao: A♣J♦

Achour remained in the lead on the 4♣5♥8♣ flop as he got up from his seat. The turn, though, was the J♥ and Achour threw his arms in the air in frustration as Zhao spiked a pair.

The river was the 7♥ and Zhao won the pot to eliminate Achour on the money bubble. The remaining 80 players are now all in the money.

Player	Chips	Progress
Gang Zhao	1,600,000 -220,000	-220,000
Maher Achour	Busted

01-24-2024 17:29 UTC+2

Karkan Now 1-1 in Lifetime Poker Tournaments

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David Salituro

Level 22 : Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante

Mohammadreza Karkan sneaked into the money in what he says is the first real live tournament he's every played, having earned his seat in a qualifier.

Having guaranteed his payday, he moved all in for 125,000 in early position, Ilia Korliakov reshoved in middle position, and the rest of the table folded.

Mohammadreza Karkan: 9♥6♣
Ilia Korliakov: Q♣Q♠

"How about nine-nine-nine," Karkan said. He caught one nine on the 9♦2♥4♥ flop as a collective "whoa" arose from the table, but he improved no further on the 10♠ turn and 3♣ river as he was sent to the payout desk.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ilia Korliakov	800,000 70,000	70,000
Mohammadreza Karkan	Busted

Tags: Ilia Korliakov Mohammadreza Karkan

01-24-2024 17:37 UTC+2

Christoforou Comes From Behind to Double

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David Salituro

Level 22 : Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante

Andreas Christoforou moved all in for 230,000 under the gun and Fabio Peluso called in middle position. Vedat Yilmaz tanked in the cutoff before folding, while the blinds also got out of the way.

Andreas Christoforou: Q♦J♥
Fabio Peluso: A♥J♣

Yilmaz looked away from the table after the two players exposed their hands. Peluso had Christoforou dominated heading to the K♦8♥9♥ flop, but Christoforou made a straight on the 10♠ turn. The river was the J♠ and he doubled up.

Aleksandar Tot, Daniel Henriques, Guoliang Wei, and Hassain Hashim weren't so lucky as they busted shortly after the bubble burst.

Player	Chips	Progress
Fabio Peluso	1,080,000 -120,000	-120,000

Andreas Christoforou	500,000 122,000	122,000
Aleksandar Tot	Busted
Daniel Henriques	Busted
Guoliang Wei	Busted

Hassanin Hashim	Busted

Tags: Aleksandar Tot Andreas Christoforou Daniel Henriques Fabio Peluso Guoliang Wei Vedat Yilmaz

01-24-2024 17:42 UTC+2

Hedley Fades Everything

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Ryan Lashmar

Level 22 : Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante

Andrew Hedley opened to 40,000 from middle position and received a call from Shuang Luo in the hijack.

The flop came J♠7♥5♥ and Hedley check-called a 45,000 bet from Luo.

Both players checked through the K♠ turn and 5♠ river. Hedley turned over 8♣8♠ for a pair of eights while Luo turned over A♥10♥ for just ace-high, despite having a flush draw, a straight draw and two live overcards by the turn.

Luo joked about having too many outs and Hedley agreed as he scooped the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Azamat Tulepbergenov	2,160,000 560,000	560,000
Shuang Luo	1,060,000 110,000	110,000
Andrew Hedley	715,000 185,000	185,000

Tags: Andrew Hedley Shuang Luo

01-24-2024 17:42 UTC+2

Hu Flipped to the Rail by Yaghmai

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David Salituro

Level 22 : Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante

Nariman Yaghmai raised to 40,000 in middle position, David Hu three-bet to 110,000 in the hijack, and Yaghmai moved all in. Hu called with nearly an identical stack.

David Hu: A♣K♠
Nariman Yaghmai: J♣J♠

The board ran out 8♣Q♥7♣4♣J♦ and Yaghmai finished with a set to earn the pot. The stacks were counted down and Yaghmai had 475,000 remaining, while Hu had 440,000 and was eliminated.

Player	Chips	Progress
Nariman Yaghmai	950,000 400,000	400,000
David Hu	Busted

Tags: David Hu Nariman Yaghmai