| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
250,000 | |
|
240,000
40,000
|
40,000 |
|
230,000 | |
|
230,000 | |
|
230,000
20,000
|
20,000 |
Level: 5
Blinds: 600/1,200
Ante: 1,200
Players are on a 15-minute break.
The action was picked up on a board of 5?2?6? with 20,000 in the pot where Dean Hutchinson had fired 7,000, and Boris Smuskevicius called.
A J? on the turn saw Hutchinson check-call a bet of 11,000 from Smuskevicius to see the A? drop on the river. Hutchinson checked again then Smuskevicius shoved for around 43,000. After some time, Hutchinson decided to fold, and Smuskevicius took it down.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
65,000
15,000
|
15,000 |
Iurii Grigorev just busted the $5,300 High Roller in 21st, but instantly hopped into the Main Event and had already doubled his stack before he was caught in a hand.
The full board was out and showing 7?Q?6?A?2? with 20,000 in the pot and a player in early position had fired out 8,000. Grigorev thought for a while and decided to call, and was shown J?J? by his opponent. Grigorev then flipped A?5? for a pair of aces to scoop the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
220,000 |
Back in January, the $3,300 Main Event of the 2025 Merit Poker Western Series saw Umberto Ruggeri crowned the champion after overcoming a record-breaking field of 791 inside the stunning Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino.
The Italian player battled through countless emotional highs and challenging moments to claim the coveted trophy after cutting an undisclosed deal with Mihai Niste and Muhtar Taysi when three players remained.
Ruggeri expressed his joy after the victory, stating, "I’m very enthusiastic, and I think I played very well in key spots." The final table was not without its difficulties, as Ruggeri acknowledged, "It was very hard. A single moment can change everything, but in the end, it all went very well."
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Umberto Ruggeri | Italy | $377,500 |
| 2 | Mihai Niste | Romania | $251,000 |
| 3 | Muhtar Taysi | Turkey | $180,300 |
| 4 | Mario Colavita | Italy | $130,200 |
| 5 | Xiaosheng Zheng | China | $94,600 |
| 6 | Alexander Sokolovsky | Serbia | $75,900 |
| 7 | Ryan Mandara | United Kingdom | $63,200 |
| 8 | Renars Skanis | Latvia | $50,500 |
| 9 | Edward Quinn | Jersey | $37,950 |
Day 1a is ticking along nicely with 193 entries on the clock and 156 players still in their seats.
Hassan Nashar has joined the field recently. Humberto Lopes Galindo just exited after his turned set holding 4?4? fell to his opponent's 9?9? on a board of 7?8?J?4?10?.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
200,000
60,000
|
60,000 |
|
150,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
100,000 | |
|
Busted |
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It's been a slow start for both Dean Hutchinson and Humberto Lopes Galindo, who have both dropped down the pecking order from their initial starting stack of 100,000.
The two just played a pot together on a board of A?8?Q? with 12,000 in the middle where Hutchinson check-called a bet on the flop to see the 10? on the turn. Again, Hutchinson went into check-call mode when Galindo bet 8,800.
A 10? filled out the board on the river and after Hutchinson checked, Galindo bet 26,100, leaving himself just 100 behind. Hutchinson thought for a while but thought better of it and folded, allowing Galindo to rake in the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
65,000
35,000
|
35,000 |
|
|
50,000
50,000
|
50,000 |
Level: 4
Blinds: 500/1,000
Ante: 1,000
