$3,300 Main Event
Dia 1b Terminado
2024 Merit Poker Western Series
$3,300 Main Event
Dias: 1b
Event Info
Resultados Finais
Event Info
Informações do Nível
Informações do Jogador - Dia 1b
2024 Merit Poker Western Series
Buy-in
$3,300
Premiação
$1,854,720
Entries
672
Nível
36
Blinds
200,000 / 500,000
Ante
500,000
Entries
174
Jogadores Restantes
77
Viva Italia!: Fabio Peluso Rises to the Top on Day 1b of the Merit Poker Western Series Main Event
Nível 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Earlier in the Merit Poker Western Series festival, Fabio Peluso stood on the rail cheering on Simone Andrian on his way to winning the Warm Up event. On Day 1b of the $3,300 Main Event, Peluso made a statement that he intends to follow in his countryman’s footsteps.
Peluso ended the night as chip leader over 77 surviving players with 657,000. His biggest win over the day was when he eliminated Ali El-Siblani with a set of threes against a pair of aces.
Daniel Henriques waited until nearly the very end of the day before challenging Peluso for the top spot on the leaderboard. On one of the last hands, Henriques earned a massive double up when he snapped off Yingrui Ge with two pair on his way to bagging up 633,000.
Wael Sarkis (533,500), Maher Achour (506,500), Razvan Sabau (483,000), and Maroun Jazzar (457,000) also finished Day 1b as top stacks. Michael Brown earned the first knockout of the day when he busted Baris Topuz with aces over kings and rode that momentum to a stack of 421,000. Nikolay Fal (402,500), Andrea Dato (314,500), Milos Skrbic (275,500), and Shuang Luo (160,000) also survived the day.
Day 1b Top 10 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fabio Peluso | Italy | 657,000 | 263 |
| 2 | Daniel Henriques | Portugal | 633,000 | 253 |
| 3 | Audere | n/a | 534,500 | 214 |
| 4 | Wael Sarkis | Lebanon | 533,500 | 213 |
| 5 | Maher Achour | Tunisia | 506,500 | 203 |
| 6 | Razvan Sabau | Romania | 483,000 | 193 |
| 7 | Maroun Jazzar | Lebanon | 457,000 | 183 |
| 8 | Mikhail Semin | Russia | 431,500 | 173 |
| 9 | Michael Brown | United Kingdom | 421,000 | 168 |
| 10 | Nikolay Fal | Russia | 402,500 | 161 |
Notables who failed to survive the day included Andrian, Ermanno Di Nicola, Nina Krasilnikova, and Guoliang Wei. They'll have to try again on another flight if they hope to win the title.
A total of 174 entries crowded the poker room at the Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino over the course of nine hour-long levels. That brought the field through the first two opening flights up to 362, with 148 already booking their ticket for Day 2. There are still two more starting flights to go, Day 1c tomorrow at noon local time with 40-minute levels and a turbo Day 1d flight at 7 p.m. with 25-minute levels. Everyone left then combines for Day 2 on January 23 at noon.
The field is already well on its way to smashing the $1,500,000 guaranteed prize pool. Late registration remains open until the end of Level 14 on Day 2, so there is still plenty of opportunity for new players and those seeking a second chance to hop in.
PokerNews will be back tomorrow providing live coverage of Day 1c and continue until a champion is crowned later this week in North Cyprus.
End-of-Day Chip Counts (Completo)
Nível 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
| Jogador | Fichas | Progresso |
|---|---|---|
|
657,000
137,000
|
137,000 |
|
||
|
633,000
33,000
|
33,000 |
|
534,500
534,500
|
534,500 |
|
533,500
23,500
|
23,500 |
|
506,500
96,500
|
96,500 |
|
483,000
103,000
|
103,000 |
|
457,000
147,000
|
147,000 |
|
431,500
431,500
|
431,500 |
|
421,000
71,000
|
71,000 |
|
402,500
2,500
|
2,500 |
|
380,000
230,000
|
230,000 |
|
374,000
74,000
|
74,000 |
|
330,000
70,000
|
70,000 |
|
|
329,500
49,500
|
49,500 |
|
325,500
230,500
|
230,500 |
|
322,000
322,000
|
322,000 |
|
316,000
-34,000
|
-34,000 |
|
314,500
104,500
|
104,500 |
|
||
|
298,500
298,500
|
298,500 |
|
275,500
-74,500
|
-74,500 |
|
275,000
-55,000
|
-55,000 |
|
|
262,000
82,000
|
82,000 |
|
258,500
188,500
|
188,500 |
|
247,000
137,000
|
137,000 |
|
247,000
47,000
|
47,000 |
Play Concludes
Nível 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Day 1b has ended with approximately 80 players remaining out of 174 total entries.
Stay tuned for chip counts and a recap of the day's action.
Three More Hands
Nível 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Tournament officials have announced three more hands to be played tonight before players bag up their chips.
Henriques Snaps Off Ge
Nível 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Daniel Henriques three-bet to 15,000 in the cutoff before Yingrui Ge four-bet to 33,000 in middle position. Henriques called and they saw a flop of K♥6♣2♣.
Ge continued for 23,000 and Henriques called. The turn was the 10♠ and Ge slowed down and checked.
Henriques then bet 55,000 and Ge tanked for a minute before moving all in. Henriques snap-called for 242,500 and Ge turned away from the table in disgust as he turned over 5♠5♣. Henriques had K♠6♠ for two pair and earned the massive double up once the 3♣ completed the board.
| Jogador | Fichas | Progresso |
|---|---|---|
|
|
600,000
420,000
|
420,000 |
|
20,000
-410,000
|
-410,000 |
Qu Puts in a Four-Bet
Nível 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Feng Qu raised to 5,500 in the hijack before Maher Achour three-bet to 24,500 in the big blind. Qu then four-bet to 58,500 and Achour called.
Both players checked the A♠6♠8♦ flop and Achour also checked the 2♣ turn. Qu then bet 32,000.
Achour tanked for several minutes before giving up his hand. "Did you have queens," Qu asked. Achour nodded as Qu dragged in the late-night pot.
| Jogador | Fichas | Progresso |
|---|---|---|
|
|
410,000
50,000
|
50,000 |
|
|
350,000
260,000
|
260,000 |
Skrbic Bets Out Eid
Nível 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Heads-up on a flop of K♣10♠3♠, Michel Eid bet in middle positon before Milos Skrbic raised to 25,000 from the big blind.
Eid called and the A♣ fell on the turn. Skrbic then bet another 30,000 and Eid again called. The river was the 6♣.
Skrbic fired out another 77,000 and Eid tanked for a minute before mucking.
| Jogador | Fichas | Progresso |
|---|---|---|
|
|
350,000
80,000
|
80,000 |
|
|
200,000
70,000
|
70,000 |
Sabau Spikes the Turn on Saeid
Nível 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Razvan Sabau bet 6,500 from middle position on a flop of A♠2♥3♠ before Amir Saeid raised to 21,000 in the small blind. Sabau called.
The turn was the 10♦ and Saeid moved all in for around 60,000. Sabau snap-called and turned over A♣10♥ for a turned two pair. Saeid could only show A♥3♥ for a smaller two pair as the 7♠ river sealed his elimination.
| Jogador | Fichas | Progresso |
|---|---|---|
|
|
380,000
180,000
|
180,000 |
|
|
Eliminado |
Luo Checks Back Kings
Nível 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Nan Zhu raised to 5,500 in middle position before Tugce Hursoz three-bet to 16,000 in the cutoff. Xixiang Luo four-bet to 41,000 on the button and only Hursoz called.
The flop came 5♠9♣7♣ and Luo continued for 38,000. Hursoz called and both players checked the Q♥ turn.
Hursoz also checked the 9♠ river. Luo took off his blue headphones and shook his head before picking up one of his chips and slamming it on the table to check behind.
Hursoz turned over two tens, but Luo had K♠K♣ to win the pot.
| Jogador | Fichas | Progresso |
|---|---|---|
|
320,000
320,000
|
320,000 |
|
|
300,000
-55,000
|
-55,000 |
|
160,000
-160,000
|
-160,000 |