2024 Merit Poker Western Series

$3,300 Main Event
Day: 2
Event Info

2024 Merit Poker Western Series

Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
99
Prize
$342,500
Event Info
Buy-in
$3,300
Prize Pool
$1,854,720
Entries
672
Level Info
Level
36
Blinds
200,000 / 500,000
Ante
500,000
Players Info - Day 2
Entries
384
Players Left
130

Tammel Doubles in Five-Way Pot

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

Five players went to the flop of 4?3?9? with around 120,000 already in the middle. According to Tarmo Tammel, Recep Aydemir had raised from early position and received calls from Mustafa Ercan, Shuang Luo, and Gang Zhao before Tammel three-bet to 25,500 on the button. All four players called.

Zhao then bet the flop and Tammel moved all in for 62,500. Aydemir, Ercan, and Luo folded, but Zhao called.

Tarmo Tammel: K?K?
Gang Zhao: 8?8?

"i had eight-eight also," Aydemir told Zhao after the cards were turned over.

"No," Zhao replied, finding he was already drawing dead. The board ran out 7?A? and Tammel took the pot.

"Eights, tens, sixes," Aydemir said after the hand, pointing to Ercan and Luo and revealing that everyone had a pocket pair.

"I could have ace-king there. I think you have to call," Tammel told Zhao.

Player Chips Progress
Mustafa Ercan tr
Mustafa Ercan
540,000
-30,000
-30,000
Tarmo Tammel ee
Tarmo Tammel
250,000
180,000
180,000
Gang Zhao cn
Gang Zhao
200,000
-115,000
-115,000
Recep Aydemir tr
Recep Aydemir
80,000
-50,000
-50,000
Shuang Luo cn
Shuang Luo
50,000
-67,000
-67,000

Tags: Gang ZhaoMustafa ErcanRecep AydemirShuang LuoTarmo Tammel

Doebs Hits the Flop to Bust Gadzhiev

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

Roman Gadzhiev was all in for his last 120,000 from the cutoff and up against John Doebs on the button.

Roman Gadzhiev: A?K?
John Doebs: A?Q?

Gadzhiev had Doebs dominated and was poised for a double up until the flop brought 6?Q?9?, giving Doebs top pair and the lead. The board ran out 6?7? and Gadzhiev headed for the exit.

Player Chips Progress
John Doebs tr
John Doebs
550,000
281,000
281,000
Roman Gadzhiev ru
Roman Gadzhiev
Busted

Tags: John DoebsRoman Gadzhiev

Skhulukhiya Leaves Akbarpoor with Crumbs

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

Abdullah Akbarpoor opened to 8,000 from the cutoff and Giorgiy Skhulukhiya defended from the big blind.

The flop came K?J?5?. Skhulukhiya checked, Akbarpoor moved all in for 51,500 and Skhulukhiya, who was slightly covered, made the call.

Giorgiy Skhulukhiya: Q?10?
Abdullah Akbarpoor: A?10?

Akbarpoor was ahead with ace-high but still had to fade Skhulukhiya's flush and straight draws. The J? turn was a brick but the straight came in for Skhulukhiya on the 9? river and he scored a full double up while Akbarpoor was left with just three big blinds.

Akbarpoor would do an admirable job trying to mount a comeback and did double through Benjamin Hamnett but was ultimatealy eliminated shortly afterwards.

Player Chips Progress
Benjamin Hamnett us
Benjamin Hamnett
427,000
17,000
17,000
WPT 1X Winner
Giorgiy Skhulukhiya ge
Giorgiy Skhulukhiya
97,000
20,000
20,000
Abdullah Akbarpoor tr
Abdullah Akbarpoor
Busted

Tags: Giorgiy SkhulukhiyaBenjamin HamnettAbdullah Akbarpoor

Zhu Puts Kirichenko to the Test

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

Aleksandr Kirichenko opened to 6,500 from the hijack and Nan Zhu three-bet to 18,00 from the cutoff. Kirichenko made the call.

The flop came Q?6?5?. Kirichenko checked, Zhu bet 15,000 and Kirichenko check-raised to 43,000. Zhu very quickly moved all in, covering Kirichenko who had slightly over 100,000 to start the hand. Kirichenko opted to fold and Zhu took down a nice pot without showdown.

Player Chips Progress
Nan Zhu cn
Nan Zhu
433,000
59,000
59,000
Dzmitry Urbanovich pl
Dzmitry Urbanovich
408,000
261,500
261,500
EPT 1X Winner
Aleksandr Kirichenko ru
Aleksandr Kirichenko
66,500
-104,500
-104,500
Andrei Daniliuk ru
Andrei Daniliuk
36,000
-46,000
-46,000

Tags: Aleksandr KirichenkoNan Zhu

Lahav Inflicts a Cooler on Doe S

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

With around 60,000 in the pot on a board of Q?Q?10?2?, John Doe S bet 20,500 from the big blind and Tomer Lahav called in the small blind.

The river was the 9? and Lahav led out for 45,000. Doe called and Lahav turned over Q?J? for trip queens.

Doe flashed the Q? as he mucked and Lahav took the pot.

Player Chips Progress
Tomer Lahav il
Tomer Lahav
450,000
John Doe S
John Doe S
430,000
-250,000
-250,000
Day 1C Chip Leader

Tags: John Doe STomer Lahav

Kirichenko Cracks Cowboys to Bust Daniliuk

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

Aleksandr Kirichenko moved all in for 69,000 from middle position and Andrei Daniliuk called off with his stack of 58,500 from the big blind to put himself at risk.

Andrei Daniliuk: K?K?
Aleksandr Kirichenko: 9?9?

The 9?5?5? flop gave Kirichenko a full house, leaving Daniliuk drawing to just two outs. He could not catch a king on the 3? turn or 7? river and was sent to the rail while Kirichenko won back all the chips he had lost just a couple hands earlier.

Player Chips Progress
Aleksandr Kirichenko ru
Aleksandr Kirichenko
132,000
65,500
65,500
Andrei Daniliuk ru
Andrei Daniliuk
Busted

Tags: Aleksandr KirichenkoAndrei Daniliuk

Zhao Smacks the Flop to Double Off Kirichenko

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

Gang Zhao was all in for his last 93,000 before the flop and up against Aleksandr Kirichenko.

Gang Zhao: 10?9?
Aleksandr Kirichenko: A?10?

Kirichenko had Zhao dominated as the A? fell in the window, but it was followed by 9?9? and Zhao made trips while a collective "wow" arose from the table.

The board ran out Q?10? and Zhao improved to a full house to double up.

Player Chips Progress
Gang Zhao cn
Gang Zhao
220,000
20,000
20,000
Aleksandr Kirichenko ru
Aleksandr Kirichenko
50,000
-16,500
-16,500

Tags: Aleksandr KirichenkoGang Zhao

Smolka Flops Trips to Double

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

John Doebs' massive towers of chips in front of him were just slightly reduced after he tangled in a pot with Dawid Smolka.

Doebs bet 15,000 from the cutoff on a flop of 5?5?6? and Seref Dursun Anar called in the small blind. Smolka then raised to 36,000 in the big blind.

Doebs moved all in and Anar quickly folded. Smolka, then, snap-called for 90,000. "You have a five, huh," Doebs said as they turned over their cards.

Dawid Smolka: 5?3?
John Doebs: 7?6?

Smolka had indeed flopped trip fives as the board ran out 9?K? to earn him a double up.

"What a huge comeback. I had 80,000," Doebs later said as he still sat with around 650,000 following the hand.

Player Chips Progress
John Doebs tr
John Doebs
650,000
100,000
100,000
Seref Anar tr
Seref Anar
300,000
78,000
78,000
Dawid Smolka pl
Dawid Smolka
220,000
104,000
104,000

Tags: Dawid SmolkaJohn DoebsSeref Dursun Anar

Second Break

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

Level 12 has ended and players are now on the second 15-minute break of the day.

There are two more levels of late registration remaining as the field has moved past 600 total entries.

Level: 13

Blinds: 1,500/3,500

Ante: 3,500