$2,200 Warm Up
Jour 1a a débuté
2024 Merit Poker Western Series
$2,200 Warm Up
Jours 1a
Event Info
Résultats
Event Info
Info Niveau
Info Joueurs - Jour 1a
2024 Merit Poker Western Series
Buy-in
$2,200
Prize Pool
$830,640
Entrants
446
Niveau
33
Blinds
200,000 / 400,000
Ante
400,000
Entrants
115
Joueurs Survivants
47
Merit Poker Western Series Begins With $2,200 Warm Up at Noon
The wild west conjures up images of cowboys and gunfighters, of Billy the Kid, Butch Cassidy, and Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday at the O.K. Corral. And today, more than a century after those figures stalked the frontier, they will be brought back to life when the $2,200 Warm Up kicks off the 2024 Merit Poker Western Series.
This event is the first of a 12-day festival at the Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino in North Cyprus. Day 1a begins at noon local time and is the first of four starting flights. Players receive a starting stack of 100,000 and will play eight 60-minute levels on both Day 1a and Day 1b. There is also a Day 1c flight featuring 25-minute levels at 9:30 p.m. on January 16, and a turbo Day 1c flight with 15-minute levels at 10 a.m. on January 17. The surviving players from the four starting flights then combine on Day 2 at 12:30 p.m. on the 17th.
The Warm Up features a $800,000 guaranteed prize pool with unlimited reentries allowed. Late registration remains open through the end of Level 12 on Day 2.
Last year’s event attracted 523 total entries. The enigmatic John Doe, a player who wished to remain anonymous and concealed his identity with a mask, sunglasses, and a hoodie at the final table, walked away with the title and $181,200 top prize. He defeated Merit Poker regular Recep Aydemir heads-up, while Paul Browne, David Hu, Helmut Phung, and Ryan Mandara also made runs to the final table.
2023 Merit Poker Western Series Warm-Up Results
| Place | Player | Country | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Doe | n/a | $181,200 |
| 2 | Recep Aydemir | Turkey | $133,400 |
| 3 | Paul Browne | United Kingdom | $81,700 |
| 4 | David Hu | Netherlands | $60,450 |
| 5 | Helmut Phung | Germany | $45,350 |
| 6 | Ryan Mandara | United Kingdom | $36,400 |
| 7 | Eli Saad | Lebanon | $30,300 |
| 8 | Michele Guerrini | Italy | $24,150 |
The journey to replicating that feat and hoisting a trophy here in North Cyprus begins today, and PokerNews will be following all the action and providing live updates throughout the entire festival.
Niveau: 1
Blinds: 300/600
Ante: 600
Shuffle Up and Deal
Niveau 1
: Blinds 300/600, 600 ante
Play is now underway with 31 players currently registered.
Early Entries
Niveau 1
: Blinds 300/600, 600 ante
| Joueur | Jetons | Progression |
|---|---|---|
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
||
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
||
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
Plant Hits the River on Sadek
Niveau 1
: Blinds 300/600, 600 ante
Ryan Plant raised to 1,500 under the gun and was called by the small blind before Esper Sadek three-bet to 6,500 in the big blind. Only Plant called.
The flop came K♥2♠4♥ and Sadek bet 3,300. Plant called and the 6♥ fell on the turn. Sadek then bet 8,000 and Plant again called.
The J♠ fell on the river and Sadek led out for 10,000. Plant then raised to 25,000 and Sadek snap-called, only for Plant to show him J♥J♦ for a rivered set to take down an early massive pot.
| Joueur | Jetons | Progression |
|---|---|---|
|
|
145,000
45,000
|
45,000 |
|
55,000 |
Kaukua Doubles Off Di Nicola
Niveau 1
: Blinds 300/600, 600 ante
A player on the button raised to 1,500 and Ermanno Di Nicola called in the small blind. Toni Kaukua then three-bet to 7,300 in the big blind and only Di Nicola called.
The flop was 2♦Q♦3♦ and Kaukua continued for 4,000. Di Nicola called and the A♠ fell on the turn.
Kaukua then bet 16,000 and Di Nicola called to see the K♥ river. Di Nicola checked and Kaukua announced he was all in for 83,000.
Di Nicola asked for a count and tanked for several minutes before flicking in a chip to signify a call. Kaukua showed J♠10♠ for a rivered straight and Di Nicola went to muck his cards before being forced to show A♥3♥ as he handed over most of his stack in the first level of the day.
| Joueur | Jetons | Progression |
|---|---|---|
|
220,000
220,000
|
220,000 |
|
|
1,000
-99,000
|
-99,000 |
|
|
||
Gabarre Flops a Boat on Daban
Niveau 1
: Blinds 300/600, 600 ante
Stephane Gabarre raised to 1,500 in the hijack and was called by an opponent in the cutoff before Emrah Daban, on the button, three-bet to 3,000.
Both players called and they went three-handed to the 2♦2♥A♣ flop. Gabarre checked and the cutoff bet 3,200. Daban called, but Gabarre put in a raise to 7,000, forcing out the cutoff. Daban, though, stuck around and called.
Both players checked the K♠ turn before Gabarre led out for 7,000 on the 6♦ river. Daban then raised to 16,200 and Gabarre quickly called.
Daban flashed Ax6x for two pair, but Gabarre had A♥2♠ for a full house as he took down the pot.
| Joueur | Jetons | Progression |
|---|---|---|
|
140,000
140,000
|
140,000 |
|
55,000
55,000
|
55,000 |
Di Nicola Runs Into Akmert's Kings
Niveau 1
: Blinds 300/600, 600 ante
Ermanno Di Nicola, let on an extreme short stack after doubling up Toni Kaukua earlier this level, stuck in his last 2,000 from the button and was up against Erdem Akmert in the cutoff.
Ermanno Di Nicola: A♥9♦
Erdem Akmert: K♦K♣
Di Nicola was looking for an ace but found no help on the 2♠9♠7♥7♣J♠ board as Akmert's kings sent the recent WSOP bracelet winner to the rail as the first bustout of the tournament.
| Joueur | Jetons | Progression |
|---|---|---|
|
90,000
90,000
|
90,000 |
|
|
Eliminé | |
|
|
||
Sabau Takes Two From Sancak
Niveau 1
: Blinds 300/600, 600 ante
Around 25,000 was in the middle as Razvan Sabau and Mustafa Sancak went to the turn on a board of 6♦6♣2♦9♥. Sabau then bet 18,000 from the big blind and Sancak called on the button.
The river was the 4♠ and Sabau moved all in for around 68,000. Sancak tanked for around a minute before folding.
The next hand, Sancak raised to 1,600, Sabau three-bet to 5,800 in the small blind, and Sancak called. The flop came A♦10♣5♦ and Sabau continued for 6,000.
Sancak called and both players checked the Q♦ turn. The river was the 8♥ and Sabau fired out 40,000. Sancak called and Sabau showed him K♦4♦ for the nut flush as he took down another big pot.
| Joueur | Jetons | Progression |
|---|---|---|
|
200,000
200,000
|
200,000 |
|
65,000
65,000
|
65,000 |