$3,300 Main Event
Day 2 Completed
2023 Merit Poker Western Series
$3,300 Main Event
Day: 2
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 2
2023 Merit Poker Western Series
Buy-in
$3,300
Prize Pool
$2,089,320
Entries
757
Level
38
Blinds
500,000 / 1,000,000
Ante
1,000,000
Entries
307
Players Left
114
Level 19
: Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
Day 2 of the Merit Poker Western Series Main Event was one that was full of chip-slinging action. It began with 307 players and several more would take advantage of late registration for the first few levels of the day to officially make 757 entries and create a prize pool of $2,089,320.
At the end of 10 levels of play, 114 players would remain.
Ara Melkisetian (2,365,000) dramatically took the chip lead in one of the last few hands of the night when he found the right time for aces against kings to take for a pot of over 2 million and surge him to the top of the counts.
It was Lebanese domination at the top of the counts as Walid Bou Habib (2,100,000) who held a more steady top stack in the final few levels, and Makram Bou Habib (1,635,000) were two of the largest stacks in addition to the chip leader.
Benjamin Hammann (1,775,000) of France bagged one of the largest stacks after he had a strong chip up in the final level and Aleksandr Chernikov (1,635,000) were two of the other larger stacks.
Day 2 Top 10 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ara Melkisetian | Lebanon | 2,365,000 | 158 |
| 2 | Walid Bou Habib | Lebanon | 2,100,000 | 140 |
| 3 | Benjamin Hammann | France | 1,775,000 | 118 |
| 4 | Makram Bou Habib | Lebanon | 1,635,000 | 109 |
| 5 | Aleksandr Chernikov | Russia | 1,605,000 | 107 |
| 6 | Maciej Komorowski | Poland | 1,460,000 | 97 |
| 7 | Orthodoxos Orthodoxou | Cyprus | 1,310,000 | 87 |
| 8 | Ceyhan Tezcan | Turkey | 1,230,000 | 82 |
| 9 | Vitaly Pankov | Russia | 1,205,000 | 80 |
| 10 | Eduard Barsegian | Russia | 1,200,000 | 80 |
Kyrgyz player Kubanychbek Abakirov surged early in the day as he held as much as almost 400 big blinds at one point in the first few levels of Day 2 before he would plateau and eventually drop down a bit before finishing with 865,000.
Start of day chip leader Chakib M’Hiri had an up-and-down day that started well but had a rocky patch where he would drop down as low as 200,000 before building back up to 825,000 to end the night.
Israeli players Gabi Livshitz (600,000), Uri Reichenstein (600,000) and Timur Margolin (495,000) were all able to advance and are among the survivors to Day 3.
Day 3 will get underway at 12 p.m. local time. It will be a vital day of action as the money bubble will hit with 89 players remaining as the stakes get more serious. Players will return in Level 20 with blinds at 10,000/15,000/15,000.
Be sure to keep it with the PokerNews team for wire to wire coverage of Tuesday's Day 3.
Level 19
: Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
2,365,000
255,000
|
255,000 |
|
||
|
2,100,000
700,000
|
700,000 |
|
1,775,000
375,000
|
375,000 |
|
1,635,000
235,000
|
235,000 |
|
1,605,000
985,000
|
985,000 |
|
||
|
1,460,000
1,271,000
|
1,271,000 |
|
1,310,000
-90,000
|
-90,000 |
|
||
|
1,230,000
235,000
|
235,000 |
|
1,205,000
-55,000
|
-55,000 |
|
1,200,000
240,000
|
240,000 |
|
1,135,000
665,000
|
665,000 |
|
1,135,000
-65,000
|
-65,000 |
|
1,020,000
10,000
|
10,000 |
|
1,005,000
55,000
|
55,000 |
|
1,000,000
-200,000
|
-200,000 |
|
|
985,000
985,000
|
985,000 |
|
|
960,000
10,000
|
10,000 |
|
935,000
810,000
|
810,000 |
|
935,000
295,000
|
295,000 |
|
||
|
925,000
165,000
|
165,000 |
|
915,000 | |
|
|
900,000
900,000
|
900,000 |
|
885,000
-315,000
|
-315,000 |
|
|
||
|
865,000
5,000
|
5,000 |
|
855,000
437,000
|
437,000 |
Level 19
: Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
There was a massive preflop clash between two of the bigger stacks in the room late In Day 2.
Ara Melkisetian: 
Tom Kaukua: 
The flop came 
, the turn was the 
to change the outs for Kaukua and the river came the 
to secure the huge double for Melkisetian and send him to the top of the counts with the over 2,000,000 chip pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
2,110,000
1,890,000
|
1,890,000 |
|
|
||
|
410,000
177,000
|
177,000 |
Level 19
: Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
Tournament officials have announced that players will see four more hands before bagging up their chips for the night.
Level 19
: Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,400,000
450,000
|
450,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
1,400,000
-200,000
|
-200,000 |
|
|
1,260,000
973,500
|
973,500 |
|
|
1,200,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
950,000
295,000
|
295,000 |
|
|
950,000
610,000
|
610,000 |
|
|
860,000
-480,000
|
-480,000 |
|
800,000
606,000
|
606,000 |
|
|
760,000
583,000
|
583,000 |
Level 19
: Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
Jacek Pustula got his last 171,000 in the middle from the big blind and was up against Denis Matafonov.
Jacek Pustula: 
Denis Matafonov:
Matafonov found no help on the 
board and Pustula doubled up.
At the same time on another table, Furkan Beg was all in for around 270,000 against Halil Baybars.
Furkan Beg: 
Halil Baybars: 
Beg, like Matafonov, was looking to connect with his ace-king but couldn't find anything on the 
board. He slammed his hand on the table before heading to the exit near the end of the night.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
720,000
586,000
|
586,000 |
|
|
400,000 | |
|
350,000
-25,000
|
-25,000 |
|
Busted |
Level 19
: Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
The board read 
. Maxime Chilaud bet 105,000 from the hijack and Anthony Potis called in the big blind.
The river came the 
. Both players checked it. Potis tabled the 
but that was no good as Chilaud had the 
set of fives.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
915,000
30,000
|
30,000 |
|
|
875,000
-240,000
|
-240,000 |
Level 19
: Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
Walid Bou Habib three-bet to 131,000 from the button before Kaspars Butans moved all in for around 250,000 more. Bou Habib snap-called.
Kaspars Butans:
Walid Bou Habib:
The 
flop didn't help Butans, while Bou Habib improved to a set on the 
turn. Left needing to complete his Broadway straight to stay alive, Butans instead saw the fall on the river as he hit the rail while Bou Habib climbed near the top of the counts.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,400,000
1,090,000
|
1,090,000 |
|
Busted |
Level 19
: Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante
Arie Kliper and Bartlomiej Swieboda had already built up a pot of around 180,000 heading to the river with the board showing 
.
Kliper checked to Swieboda, who fired out 125,000 on the button. Kliper, in early position, put in a raise to 315,000 as Swieboda went into the tank.
Swieboda eventually folded after around two minutes as Kliper dragged in the big pot while Gabi Livshitz ran over from another table to give him a back massage.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
1,200,000
150,000
|
150,000 |
|
350,000
-100,000
|
-100,000 |