$3,300 Main Event Día 1b | 2025 Merit Poker Western Series

2025-01-21 10:03 UTC+2

Fresh Faces and Big Stacks Await in Day 1b of the Main Event

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Kai C

The $3,300 Main Event at the 2025 Merit Poker Western Series continues today as Day 1b welcomes a fresh wave of hopefuls to the felt at the stunning Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino. After an action-packed Day 1a, where Edward Quinn emerged as the chip leader with an impressive stack of 685,000, players in today’s flight will be eager to build stacks of their own and secure a spot in Day 2.

The tournament’s $1,500,000 guarantee is already well on its way to being smashed, with 182 entries recorded in the opening flight. With three more starting flights — including today’s nine 60-minute levels — the Main Event is shaping up to be another unforgettable chapter in the Western Series saga.

Current Top Ten Chip Counts

Place	Player	Country	Chip Count
1	Edward Quinn	Jersey	685,000
2	Antoine Vranken	Netherlands	557,000
3	Kamil Sokol	Poland	540,000
4	Stojan Vazic	Serbia	522,500
5	Boris Kolev	Bulgaria	493,500
6	Tommy Kemter	Netherlands	478,000
7	Menikos Panagiotou	Cyprus	476,500
8	Aliaksei Boika	Belarus	403,500
9	Wael Sarkis	Lebanon	401,000
10	Nicolae Paunescu	Romania	395,500

Today's flight will feature 60-minute levels, but for those seeking a faster-paced structure to build a stack, tomorrow's Day 1c will have 40-minute levels, while Day 1d will offer 25-minute levels. All Day 1 flights will play nine levels.

Remaining Schedule

Date	Day	Time	Blind Levels
January 21	Day 1b	12:00 p.m.	60 minutes
January 22	Day 1c	12:00 p.m.	40 minutes
January 22	Day 1d	7:00 p.m.	25 minutes
January 23	Day 2	12:00 p.m.	60 minutes
January 24	Day 3	12:00 p.m.	60 minutes
January 25	Day 4	12:00 p.m.	60 minutes
January 26	Day 5	1:00 p.m.	60 minutes

Players start with 100,000 chips, and late registration remains open until the end of Level 14 on Day 2, allowing plenty of opportunities for reentries. The question is: Who will rise to the occasion and challenge Quinn at the top of the leaderboard?

Stay tuned as PokerNews brings you all the live updates from the second starting flight of the 2025 Merit Poker Western Series Main Event.

Tags/etiquetas: Aliaksei Boika Antoine Vranken Boris Kolev Edward Quinn Kamil Sokol Menikos Panagiotou Nicolae Paunescu Tommy Kemter Wael Sarkis

2025-01-21 12:35 UTC+2

High Roller Champion Varnaev Off to a Good Start

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Kai C

Nivel 1 : Blinds 200/500, 500 ante

On a full board of 4♥2♦9♥5♠Q♥, there were around 45,000 chips in the pot when Sergei Varnaev fired out a small bet of 6,000 from early position.

Haghgou Seyedahmad was on the button and wasted no time to move all in for around 55,000. Varnaev didn't need to think for too long before he flicked in the call.

Seyedahmad was sheepish to flip over K♣8♣ for a total bluff, and Varnaev had the winner after rivering a pair of queens holding A♣Q♠.

Varnaev took down the $5,300 High Roller yesterday for a cool $200,000, and is off to a great start in the Main Event here on Day 1b.

Jugador	Fichas	Progreso
Sergei Varnaev	180,000 80,000	80,000
Haghgou Seyedahmad	Eliminado

Tags/etiquetas: Haghgou Seyedahmad Sergei Varnaev

2025-01-21 13:27 UTC+2

Seyedahmad Continues to Bleed

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Kai C

Nivel 2 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

On a board of 7♠3♠Q♦3♦, there were around 20,000 chips in the pot when Walid Bou Habib checked from the big blind and Haghgou Seyedahmad checked from under the gun. Motokatsu Uhara was in the cutoff and fired 12,000, which only Seyedahmad called.

Both saw the J♣ drop on the river and after Seyedahmad checked, Uhara tossed out a single white chip, worth 25,000. Seyedahmad counted out his stack and after realizing he had around 40,000 behind, he called.

Uhara then showed trip threes with 5♥3♥, and Seyedahmad mucked.

Jugador	Fichas	Progreso
Motokatsu Uhara	140,000
Walid Bou Habib	90,000
Haghgou Seyedahmad	17,000 58,000	58,000

Tags/etiquetas: Haghgou Seyedahmad Motokatsu Uhara Walid Bou Habib

2025-01-21 13:40 UTC+2

Skarparis Sends Obeid to the Rail

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Kai C

Nivel 2 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Georgios Skarparis hasn't been in his seat for too long, but the Warm Up Champion has already almost doubled up his stack and eliminated a player.

Skarparis raised from early position to 1,300 and Joseph Houayek called from the small blind. Ghassan Obeid then squeezed from the big blind to 5,600, which only Skarparis called.

On the A♥Q♠4♦ flop, Obeid fired out a continuation-bet of 4,000, which Skarparis quickly called.

A 5♥ dropped on the turn and Obeid continued his aggression with a bet of 12,000, then Skarparis shoved. Obeid had around 60,000 behind and after just a few seconds, he put them all into the middle.

Ghassan Obeid: A♦J♦ All in
Georgios Skarparis: A♠5♠

Obeid's top pair was no good, and it behooved him to connect with the river to stay alive. However, the 6♠ wasn't what he needed, and he was eliminated as Skarparis jumped up to around 190,000.

Jugador	Fichas	Progreso
Georgios Skarparis	190,000 190,000	190,000

Joseph Houayek	90,000 90,000	90,000
Ghassan Obeid	Eliminado

Tags/etiquetas: Georgios Skarparis Ghassan Obeid Joseph Houayek

2025-01-21 14:03 UTC+2

Danilov Cracks Cowboys

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Kai C

Nivel 2 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

A preflop-raising war had ensued between three players, which resulted in Anton Danilov shoving for 90,000 from the big blind, the cutoff calling, and the small blind folding after having invested 28,000.

Anton Danilov: K♠Q♠ All in
Cutoff: K♥K♣

The small had showed he folded A♠Q♣, which wasn't great news for Danilov, and neither was the 7♠7♥5♥ flop. However, Danilov picked up some hope on the 8♠ turn as he improved to a flush draw. A spade is what Danilov needed, and a spade is what he got as the 2♠ completed his flush, much to the dismay of his opponent.

Jugador	Fichas	Progreso
Anton Danilov	210,000 210,000	210,000

Tags/etiquetas: Anton Danilov

2025-01-21 15:00 UTC+2

Zheng Doubles Through Stoika

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Kai C

Nivel 3 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

Roman Stoika had a chunky reraise of 10,400 in front of him from the small blind, which both Fares Sahyoun in middle position and Xiaosheng Zheng in the hijack called.

The trio saw a flop of 9♦4♣6♦ where Stoika bet 11,000, Sahyoun folded, and Zheng called.

When the 2♥ landed on the turn, Stoika eyed up Zheng's stack and saw he had around 80,000 remaining, then he bet 115,000. Zheng had a decision for the rest of his stack and after thinking for some time, he made the call.

Xiaosheng Zheng: 10♠10♥ All in
Roman Stoika: A♥9♣

Stoika had top pair, but it was no good against the overpair of Zheng. Only an ace or a nine on the river would see the Chinese player eliminated, but instead the 4♦ rolled off, which earned Zheng a double-up.

Jugador	Fichas	Progreso
Xiaosheng Zheng	210,000 110,000	110,000
Fares Sahyoun	105,000
Roman Stoika	60,000 65,000	65,000

Tags/etiquetas: Fares Sahyoun Roman Stoika Xiaosheng Zheng

2025-01-21 16:03 UTC+2

Runcan Bricks Huge Combo Draw, Langar Doubles

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Kai C

Nivel 4 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

On a flop of 5♦10♣J♣ with 6,000 in the middle, Paul Runcan checked from the small blind and Milad Langar bet 1,500 from the cutoff. Runcan then made it 10,000, and Langar called.

When the 7♥ landed on the turn, Runcan checked and Langar fired 15,500. Runcan then shoved for around 145,000, and Langar quickly called for his stack of around 140,000.

Milad Langar: 10♦10♠ All in
Paul Runcan: 6♣4♣

Runcan had a huge combo draw and needed to find a four, eight, or a club on the river to scoop the big pot. Unfortunately for Runcan, the river bricked out, and Langar was shipped the chunky pot.

Jugador	Fichas	Progreso
Milad Langar	305,000
Paul Runcan	5,000 120,000	120,000

Tags/etiquetas: Milad Langar Paul Runcan

2025-01-21 16:14 UTC+2

Uhara Hits the Jackpot and Stacks Habib

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Kai C

Nivel 4 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

There were already 85,000 chips in the pot on a 2♥4♥7♥ flop when Motokatsu Uhara in the big blind, Walid Bou Habib in the hijack, and the player in the cutoff all checked,

A 5♦ dropped on the turn and Uhara checked again, then Habib fired 46,000. The cutoff folded, and Uhara shoved. Habib had around 60,000 behind and made the call.

Walid Bou Habib: A♥J♦ All in
Motokatsu Uhara: 7♠7♦

Uhara was well ahead with his set and needed to fade a heart on the river in order to eliminate Habib. It was the A♦ that fell on the river, and despite that card improving Habib, it wasn't enough, and he was sent to the rail.

Jugador	Fichas	Progreso
Motokatsu Uhara	350,000 200,000	200,000
Walid Bou Habib	Eliminado

Tags/etiquetas: Motokatsu Uhara Walid Bou Habib

2025-01-21 17:58 UTC+2

Halil Snap-Calls Chen's Bluff

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Kai C

Nivel 6 : Blinds 800/1,500, 1,500 ante

On a flop of 4♣J♣8♦, there were already around 50,000 chips in the pot when Zhen Chen checked from the small blind, as did a player in middle position. Hassan Halil was on the button and made it 8,000, which both of his opponents called.

All three checked the 4♦ turn to the 9♥ river, where the action checked to Halil, who fired out 25,000. Chen thought for a while before he made a huge raise to 200,000, which got the player in middle position to fold. However, Halil snap-called for his stack of around 60,000.

Chen showed 10♥10♠, but Halil was never folding his 9♠9♣ as he rivered a set.

Jugador	Fichas	Progreso
Hassan Halil	220,000 115,000	115,000
Zhen Chen	150,000 150,000	150,000

Tags/etiquetas: Hassan Halil Zhen Chen

2025-01-21 18:32 UTC+2

Death By Quads For Tulepbergenov

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Kai C

Nivel 6 : Blinds 800/1,500, 1,500 ante

Azamat Tulepbergenov had high hopes for a double-up when he five-bet shoved from the small blind for around 80,000, and got a call from Razvan Sabau on the button.

Azamat Tulepbergenov: A♥A♠ All in
Razvan Sabau : K♠K♣

Unfortunately for Tulepbergenov, the flop of K♥K♦5♥ all but sealed his fate as Sabau flopped quads! No running aces appeared on the 10♠J♥ runout, and Tulepbergenov was sent to the rail.

What a brutal way to go.

Jugador	Fichas	Progreso
Razvan Sabau	170,000 170,000	170,000
Azamat Tulepbergenov	Eliminado

Tags/etiquetas: Azamat Tulepbergenov Razvan Sabau

Current Top Ten Chip Counts

Remaining Schedule

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