$3,300 Main Event
Day 3 Completed
2024 Merit Poker Western Series
$3,300 Main Event
Day: 3
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 3
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
129
Players Left
24
Di Nicola, Boellis and Ketzer Lead the Final 24 in 2024 Merit Poker Western Series $3,300 Main Event
Level 27
: Blinds 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante
The penultimate day has concluded in the 2024 Merit Poker Western Series $3,300 Main Event here at the Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino in North Cyprus. Only 24 players remain from a field of 672 entrants after 27 levels of play across the first three days.
Italy's Ermanno Di Nicola bagged the overall chip lead, finishing the night with an impressive 5,770,000 chips worth 72 big blinds going into the final day. Di Nicola is most closely followed by fellow Italian Giuliano Boellis and Brazilian crusher Felipe Ketzer, both of whom bagged exactly 5,495,000 to end the night.
Western Series $3,300 Main Event Day 3 Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ermanno Di Nicola | Italy | 5,770,000 | 72 |
| 2 | Giuliano Boellis | Italy | 5,495,000 | 69 |
| 3 | Felipe Ketzer | Brazil | 5,495,000 | 69 |
| 4 | Damir Zhugralin | Kazakhstan | 5,060,000 | 63 |
| 5 | Mohamed Mokrani | France | 4,910,000 | 61 |
| 6 | Nichan Khorchidian | Lebanon | 4,665,000 | 58 |
| 7 | Andreas Christoforou | Cyprus | 3,700,000 | 46 |
| 8 | Wael Sarkis | Lebanon | 3,505,000 | 44 |
| 9 | Aleksandr Kirichenko | Russia | 3,220,000 | 40 |
| 10 | Samy Barka | France | 2,885,000 | 36 |
The day began with 129 players returning from Day 2, somewhat close to the money given that 80 spots were paid. France's Mohamed Mokrani got off to a good start after fading a flush draw from Nan Zhu to score a full double up in the first level of the day. Mokrani would ride that momentum all the way to the end of the night where he would finish fifth in chips with 4,910,000.
Maher Achour would become the unfortunate soul to burst the money bubble after losing a flip against Gang Zhou. From that point on all remaining players were guaranteed at least a min-cash worth $4,640.
Felipe Ketzer was active from start to finish today and was consistently making the right decisions throughout the day. He would send the Western Series $5,300 High Roller champion Maksim Shornikau to the rail early on today and never slowed down from there. Midway through the day he would make a great call against Mokrani with just ace-high and suddenly was among the biggest stacks in the room. Later in the evening he would knock out Ali Zebarjad with pocket-kings in another big pot, ultimately finishing the night with the third-largest stack.
Some other notable players to find a bag and advance to the final day include Aleksandr Kirichenko (3,220,000), Day 1a chip leader Samy Barka (2,855,000) and Day 1d chip leader Vedat Yilmaz (1,630,000). Others who were not as fortunate to advance to the final day include Fabio Peluso, Dmitry Yurasov, Andrew Hedley, Andrea Dato, Qiang Xu, Dmitry Gromov, Dzmitry Urbanovich, Shuang Luo, Dean Hutchison, Guoliang Wei and Roman Hrabec who was eliminated in the final hand of the evening.
Be sure to stay tuned to PokerNews as we bring you all the action for the final day of the event, set to start tomorrow January 25 at 12:00 p.m. local time with blinds starting at 40,000/80,000 with an 80,000 big blind ante.
Level 27
: Blinds 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
5,770,000
270,000
|
270,000 |
|
||
|
5,495,000
1,845,000
|
1,845,000 |
|
||
|
5,495,000
1,095,000
|
1,095,000 |
|
5,060,000
160,000
|
160,000 |
|
4,910,000
-1,090,000
|
-1,090,000 |
|
4,665,000
440,000
|
440,000 |
|
3,700,000
-200,000
|
-200,000 |
|
3,505,000
-1,450,000
|
-1,450,000 |
|
3,220,000
1,770,000
|
1,770,000 |
|
2,855,000
455,000
|
455,000 |
|
||
|
2,850,000
-750,000
|
-750,000 |
|
2,760,000
660,000
|
660,000 |
|
2,200,000
1,120,000
|
1,120,000 |
|
1,946,000
446,000
|
446,000 |
|
1,885,000
-15,000
|
-15,000 |
|
1,690,000
355,000
|
355,000 |
|
1,680,000
80,000
|
80,000 |
|
1,630,000
230,000
|
230,000 |
|
||
|
1,465,000
-435,000
|
-435,000 |
|
1,390,000
-410,000
|
-410,000 |
|
995,000
-505,000
|
-505,000 |
|
785,000
-40,000
|
-40,000 |
|
740,000
200,000
|
200,000 |
|
700,000
-1,010,000
|
-1,010,000 |
Level 27
: Blinds 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante
Day 3 has ended with 24 players remaining.
Stay tuned for full chip counts and a recap of the day's action.
Level 27
: Blinds 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante
As the action was wrapping up at the outer tables, there was one last significant pot to be played at the feature table.
Roman Hrabec was eliminated in the final hand of the night, bowing out in 25th place for $12,050.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
Busted | |
|
||
Level 27
: Blinds 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante
Antoine Hasbani raised to 120,000 in the cutoff and received calls from small blind Azamat Tulepbergenov and Vedat Yildaz in the big blind.
The flop was 8♥Q♥A♦ and Hasbani continued for 80,000. Only Tulepbergenov called to see the 10♦ turn.
Hasbani then bet 225,000 and Tulepbergenov used a time bank before calling. Both players checked the 2♥ river.
Tulepbergenov showed Q♣J♣ for a pair of queens, but Hasbani had J♥9♦ for a straight to win the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
3,600,000
1,700,000
|
1,700,000 |
|
|
1,600,000
-600,000
|
-600,000 |
|
|
1,400,000
-195,000
|
-195,000 |
|
|
||
Level 27
: Blinds 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante
Nariman Yaghmai bet 75,000 from the button on a flop of 9♥K♥7♣ and Giuliano Boellis raised to 230,000 in the big blind.
Yaghmai called and both players checked the 3♣ turn. The river was the K♦ and Boellis checked to Yaghmai who bet 325,000.
Boellis called and Yaghmai showed J♦10♠ for a missed straight. Boellis turned over 8♠7♦ for two pair to win the pot.
The next hand, Boellis bet 100,000 from the small blind on a flop of A♥6♠A♣ and Wael Sarkis called in the big blind.
The turn was the 8♣ and Sarkis bet 365,000. Boellis called and checked the J♦ river. Sarkis checked back and Boellis showed A♠J♠ for a full house.
"Change this card," Sarkis told the dealer about the jack on the river. "See how good the turn was for me," Sarkis added as he flashed the 7♣.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
4,500,000
850,000
|
850,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
3,800,000
-1,155,000
|
-1,155,000 |
|
|
700,000
-1,010,000
|
-1,010,000 |
Level 27
: Blinds 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante
The tournament staff have announced that four more hands will be played before play concludes tonight.
Level 27
: Blinds 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante
Wael Sarkis opened to 125,000 from the hijack and Ara Melkisetian moved all in for 1,080,000 from the button. Mustafa Ercan then reshoved with a covering stack, forcing out Sarkis to leave Melkisetian at risk.
Ara Melkisetian: K♠Q♣
Mustafa Ercan: A♠K♦
Ercan was in great shape to score the knockout until the Q♦8♠3♣ flop gave Melkisetian top pair, leaving Ercan drawing to three outs. Ercan couldn't catch a king on the 2♣ turn or 7♦ river and Melkisetian dragged in a nice pot at his expense.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
4,955,000
1,155,000
|
1,155,000 |
|
|
1,335,000
-1,015,000
|
-1,015,000 |
|
|
1,080,000
-220,000
|
-220,000 |
Level 27
: Blinds 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante
Damir Zhugralin opened to 60,000 from early position and Mustafa Ercan three-bet to 130,000 from middle position. Nariman Yaghmai then moved all in for 685,000, forcing a fold from Zhugralin while Ercan made the call to put Yaghmai at risk.
Nariman Yaghmai: A♥K♣
Mustafa Ercan: A♣8♣
Yaghmai was ahead with a bigger ace and remained so on the 5♣K♥5♠K♠5♦ runout to score a full double up through Ercan.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
4,900,000
-250,000
|
-250,000 |
|
|
2,350,000
-950,000
|
-950,000 |
|
|
1,710,000
760,000
|
760,000 |