$5,300 High Roller | 2024 Merit Poker Western Series

Livello: 20

Bui: 10,000/20,000

Ante: 20,000

2024-01-20 16:36 UTC+3

Held Wins Battle of Chip Leaders

Livello 19 : 8,000/16,000, 16,000 ante

With two players seeing a board of 5♦6♠9♦7♣ and roughly 270,000 already in the middle, Justus Held bet 85,000 from the big blind and was called by Aleksandr Kirichenko from under the gun.

Held fired again for 160,000 on the J♥ river. Kirichenko, looking slightly exasperated with the situation, flicked in the call.

Held turned over 7♥5♥ for two pair to take the chip lead from Kirichenko.

Elsewhere in the tournament area, Giorgiy Skhulukhiya was recently eliminated.

Giocatore	Chip	Avanzamento
Justus Held	1,835,000
Aleksandr Kirichenko	1,095,000

Giorgiy Skhulukhiya	Eliminato

Tags: Aleksandr Kirichenko Justus Held

2024-01-20 16:26 UTC+3

Held Rivers the Goods

Livello 19 : 8,000/16,000, 16,000 ante

With two players seeing a board of 9♠3♣2♦5♣ and roughly 120,000 already in the middle, John Doe checked from middle position and Justus Held checked from the hijack.

On the 10♦ river Doe bet 92,000 and was called by Held.

Doe tabled A♣9♣ for second pair but Held turned over A♠10♥ for top pair to take the pot.

Giocatore	Chip	Avanzamento
Justus Held	1,455,000 65,000	65,000
John Doe	770,000 -137,000	-137,000

Tags: John Doe Justus Held

2024-01-20 16:11 UTC+3

Nikitin Flips Sibgatova to the Rail

Livello 19 : 8,000/16,000, 16,000 ante

Anatoly Nikitin opened to 32,000 from under the gun and Alisa Sibgatova three-bet to 105,000 from the cutoff, leaving roughly 160,000 behind. Nikitin moved all in with a covering stack and Sibgatova snap-called.

Alisa Sibgatova: Q♠Q♦
Anatoly Nikitin: A♠K♥

It was a classic preflop race that Nikitin got the better of on the A♦6♥3♦ flop. He remained ahead on the 10♥ turn and K♦ river to send Sibgatova to the rail in the first hand of the day and score nearly a full double up.

Giocatore	Chip	Avanzamento
Anatoly Nikitin	665,000 300,000	300,000
Alisa Sibgatova	Eliminato

2024-01-20 16:08 UTC+3

Shuffle Up and Deal

Livello 19 : 8,000/16,000, 16,000 ante

Cards are in the air for the final day of the $5,300 High Roller

Livello: 19

Bui: 8,000/16,000

Ante: 16,000

2024-01-20 14:01 UTC+3

Second Chance for Kirichenko in Final Day of Merit Poker Western Series $5,300 High Roller

The 2023 Merit Poker Western Series $5,300 High Roller has been reduced from a field of 153 entrants to just 30 remaining players here at the Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino. All 30 will have their sights set on taking home the title and lion's share of the $703,800 prize pool.

Russia's Aleksandr Kirichenko holds the overall chip lead after Day 2, bagging 1,480,000 chips worth 93 big blinds. Kirichenko made the final table of the last Merit Poker $5,300 high roller event at the Gangster Series this past October, making it all the way to heads up play against Giorgiy Skhulukhiya before falling in second place. Today Kirichenko has a chance to avenge that runner up finish with another shot at a high roller title here in Cyprus. Kirichenko is most closely followed by Germany's Justus Held (1,390,000) and Maksim Shornikau of Belarus (1,320,000).

Merit Poker Western Series $5,300 High Roller Top Ten Chip Counts

Rank	Player	Country	Chip Count	Big Blinds
1	Aleksandr Kirichenko	Russian Federation	1,480,000	93
2	Justus Held	Germany	1,390,000	87
3	Maksim Shornikau	Belarus	1,320,000	83
4	Xixiang Luo	China	1,250,000	78
5	John Doe	N/A	907,000	57
6	Shuang Luo	China	821,000	51
7	Joseph Sabe	Lebanon	728,000	46
8	Aleksandar Tot	Montenegro	684,000	43
9	Guoliang Wei	China	591,000	37
10	Frederic Popot	France	426,000	27

Others to make it to the final day include Day 1 chip leader John Doe (907,000), bracelet winner Guoliang Wei (591,000), Skhulukhiya (345,000), Skirbic (334,000), ACR team pro Monika Zukowicz (236,000) and Andrey Pateychuk (204,000).

Players will begin at 2:00 p.m. local time just ten spots shy of the money bubble, with blinds at 8,000/16,000 and a 16,000 big blind ante. The top 20 players will all be guaranteed at least a min-cash of $7,800 but all will be seeking the top prize of $177,500.The event is scheduled to play down to a winner today and will be streamed on the Merit Poker YouTube channel. PokerNews will be posting on a 60-minute delay to avoid spoiling the results of the stream.

As always, stay tuned to PokerNews as we bring you all the action from the final day of this event as well as the $3,300 Main Event which is set to begin today.

Tags: Aleksandar Tot Aleksandr Kirichenko Andrey Pateychuk Frederic Popot Giorgiy Skhulukhiya Guoliang Wei Joseph Sabe Justus Held Maksim Shornikau Monika Zukowicz Shuang Luo Xixiang Luo

2024-01-20 13:59 UTC+3

Day 3 Seat Draw

Table	Seat	Player	Country	Chip Count	Big Blinds
1	1	Paul Amsellem	France	420,000	26
1	2	Aleksandar Tot	Montenegro	684,000	43
1	3	Nazar Buhaiov	Ukraine	370,000	23
1	4	John Doe	N/A	907,000	57
1	5	Xixiang Luo	China	1,250,000	78
1	6	Justus Held	Germany	1,390,000	87
1	7	Aleksandr Kirichenko	Russian Federation	1,480,000	93
1	8	Andrey Pateychuk	Russian Federation	204,000	13

2	1	Tarmo Tammel	Estonia	147,000	9
2	2	Maksim Shornikau	Belarus	1,320,000	83
2	3	Frederic Popot	France	426,000	27
2	4	Danut Chisu	Romania	330,000	21
2	5	Ceyhan Tezcan	Turkey	253,000	16
2	6	Joseph Sabe	Lebanon	728,000	46
2	7	Bogdan Munteanu	Romania	300,000	19
2	8	Maroun Jazzar	Lebanon	214,000	13

3	1	Milos Skrbic	Serbia	334,000	21
3	2	Giorgiy Skhulukhiya	Georgia	345,000	22
3	3	Anatoly Nikitin	Russian Federation	365,000	23
3	4	Mikhail Semin	Russian Federation	251,000	16
3	5	Alisa Sibgatova	Russian Federation	260,000	16
3	6	Maher Achour	Tunisia	297,000	19
3	7	Shuang Luo	China	821,000	51

4	1	Vedat Mutlu	Turkey	355,000	22
4	2	Fahredin Mustafov	Bulgaria	218,000	14
4	3	Maciej Komorowski	Poland	369,000	23
4	4	Roman Gadzhiev	Russian Federation	371,000	23
4	5	Monika Zukowicz	Poland	236,000	15
4	6	Marius Kudzmanas	Lithuania	323,000	20
4	7	Guoliang Wei	China	591,000	37

$5,300 High Roller

Giorno 3 iniziato