$3,300 Main Event
Day 1a Completed
2024 Merit Poker Western Series
$3,300 Main Event
Day: 1a
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1a
2024 Merit Poker Western Series
Buy-in
$3,300
Prize Pool
$1,854,720
Entries
672
Level
36
Blinds
200,000 / 500,000
Ante
500,000
Entries
188
Players Left
71
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Jianwei Lin uses a small tiger as his card protector. On one of the last hands on Day 1a of the Merit Poker Western Series $3,300 Main Event, that tiger woke up.
Lin doubled up off Roman Hrabec with a pair of threes against ace-king for his last 266,000 in one of the largest pots of the day. Lin propelled himself among the chip leaders with that double up as he bagged up 619,000 to end the night.
Samy Barka finished as chip leader over the remaining 71 players with 783,000. He’s followed by Michel Habib (758,000) and Dmitry Yurasov (736,000), who won the Merit Poker Gangster Series Main Event last month and put himself in position for a run at back-to-back titles here at the Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino in North Cyprus.
Day 1a Top 10 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Samy Barka | France | 783,000 | 313 |
| 2 | Michel Habib | Lebanon | 753,000 | 301 |
| 3 | Dmitry Yurasov | Russia | 736,000 | 294 |
| 4 | Jianwei Lin | Australia | 619,000 | 248 |
| 5 | Basem Abudavas | Jordan | 600,000 | 240 |
| 6 | Mustafa Ercan | Turkey | 596,500 | 239 |
| 7 | Xiang Lian | China | 496,000 | 198 |
| 8 | Candido Cappiello | Italy | 476,500 | 191 |
| 9 | Benjamin Hamnett | United States | 427,000 | 171 |
| 10 | Ilia Korliakov | Russia | 421,000 | 168 |
Other top stacks include Mustafa Ercan (596,500) and Xiang Lian, who sent out Maxim Lykov with two aces on his way to finishing with 496,000. Candido Cappiello (476,500) and Benjamin Hamnett (427,000) also enjoyed a prosperous day on the felt. Andrew Hedley (402,000), who exchanged his commentator gig for a shot at the title, 2023 WSOP finalist Dean Hutchison (380,000), Ryan Plant (315,000), and Maxime Chilaud (291,000) also survived the day. Hrabec ended up with 209,000 after taking that huge hit against Lin.
Those unfortunate enough to head for the exit over the course of nine hour-long levels on Day 1a included Warm Up runner-up Abdullah Alajmi, Andrea Dato, Nina Krasilnikova, Peng Yang, Toni Kaukua, and Alisa Sibgatova. The good news is that they have three more starting flights to try again, with unlimited reentries allowed up to the end of Level 14 on Day 2.
A total of 188 players entered Day 1a. Another group of hopefuls get their shot when Day 1b begins at noon local time tomorrow. Day 1c is on January 22 and features 40-minute levels, while a turbo Day 1d flight starts at 7 p.m. on the 22nd with 25-minute levels. All surviving players from the four opening flights combine for Day 2 on January 23.
PokerNews will be back following all the action tomorrow for the second flight of what has already proven to be an action-packed Main Event here in North Cyprus.
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
783,000
283,000
|
283,000 |
|
||
|
753,000
123,000
|
123,000 |
|
736,000
276,000
|
276,000 |
|
||
|
619,000
-11,000
|
-11,000 |
|
600,000
450,000
|
450,000 |
|
596,500
-13,500
|
-13,500 |
|
496,000
-74,000
|
-74,000 |
|
476,500
196,500
|
196,500 |
|
427,000
117,000
|
117,000 |
|
||
|
421,000
71,000
|
71,000 |
|
402,000
82,000
|
82,000 |
|
380,000
30,000
|
30,000 |
|
366,500
366,500
|
366,500 |
|
353,500
153,500
|
153,500 |
|
347,000
217,000
|
217,000 |
|
342,500
-37,500
|
-37,500 |
|
338,000
18,000
|
18,000 |
|
330,500
230,500
|
230,500 |
|
|
315,500
315,500
|
315,500 |
|
315,000
315,000
|
315,000 |
|
315,000
-55,000
|
-55,000 |
|
291,000
61,000
|
61,000 |
|
278,000
278,000
|
278,000 |
|
276,500
-3,500
|
-3,500 |
|
275,000
275,000
|
275,000 |
|
||
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Play has ended for the night with 71 players remaining out of 188 total entries.
Stay tuned for chip counts and a recap of the day's action.
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Tournament officials announced that players will see three more hands tonight before bagging up for Day 2.
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
A massive pile of chips was being pushed toward Jianwei Lin after he earned a double up through Roman Hrabec.
With around 50,000 in the middle, Hrabec was in the small blind had put Lin all in after the flop and Lin called in middle position for his last 266,000 with 3♠3♥. Hrabec had A♠K♣ on a board of 6♠10♣4♣2♥ and needed help on the river.
The dealer turned over the 10♥ and Lin's pocket threes survived to earn him a double up that put him among the chip leaders near the end of the night.
"If I lose, I go again tomorrow," Lin said as he stacked up his new-found riches.
"Woke up the tiger," a tablemate said.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
630,000
360,000
|
360,000 |
|
180,000 | |
|
|
||
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Heads-up on a flop of 4♣9♠3♥, Frederico Senno bet 25,000 from middle position before Hala Karam raised to 75,000 in the hijack. Senno then moved all in and Karam called for 125,000.
Hala Karam: 3♦3♠
Frederico Senno: A♣K♣
"No," Karam cried out when the 7♣ fell on the turn as Senno picked up the nut flush draw. She stood up from her seat to await the river, which came the J♦ and earned her a late-night double up with her set.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
260,000 | |
|
260,000
-60,000
|
-60,000 |
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
With around 70,000 in the middle on a board of K♦10♦6♥9♦, Jianwei Lin bet 55,000 from the button before Matthew Davenport moved all in for 155,000 in the hijack.
Lin tanked for several minutes before giving up his hand as Davenport took the big pot.
A few hands later at this table, Mateusz Wozniak raised to 5,500 in early position, Giorgiy Skhulukhiya called in the hijack, and Lin three-bet to 18,000 in the cutoff.
Both opponents called and the flop came J♥Q♥5♥. Lin continued for 20,000 and only Wozniak called. Both players checked the 6♠ turn.
The river was the 5♦ and Lin bet 95,000 this time. Wozniak gave it some thought before folding as Lin dragged in the chips.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
320,000
120,000
|
120,000 |
|
|
270,000
95,000
|
95,000 |
|
270,000
-50,000
|
-50,000 |
|
80,000 |
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Dmitry Yurasov bet 4,000 from early position on a flop of Q♥Q♠4♣ and Mustafa Ercan, who began the hand in contention for the chip lead, called in the big blind.
Both players checked the 6♣ turn and Ercan led out for 13,000 on the 6♦ river. Yurasov called and Ercan turned over K♠5♥ for just king-high.
Yurasov showed A♦10♠ and won the pot with ace-high.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
610,000
-10,000
|
-10,000 |
|
|
460,000
10,000
|
10,000 |
|
|
||
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Heads-up on a flop of 10♣9♠4♠, Benjamin Hamnett bet 13,000 from the button before Peng Yang raised to 46,500 in early position.
Hamnett called and the 7♠ fell on the turn. Yang then moved all in and Hamnett snap-called for his last 108,000. Yang could only show 6♥4♥ for a pair of fours, while Hamnett turned over 10♠10♥ for top set.
The river was the A♦ and Hamnett doubled up, leaving Yang on an extreme short stack near the end of the night.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
310,000
135,000
|
135,000 |
|
|
||
|
25,000
-195,000
|
-195,000 |