The stage is set for Day 2 of the 2025 Merit Poker Western Series $3,300 Main Event, where the surviving players from all four starting flights will combine for the first time. After an exciting three days of action at the Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino, where the field size is attempting to break last year’s record of 672. Just 251 players advanced to battle it out for their share of the $1,500,000 guaranteed prize pool.
Leading the pack for Day 2 is Ehsan Amiri from Australia, who bagged an incredible 902,500 chips on a record-breaking Day 1b, and is far ahead of his closest rival. Second in chips is Dmitry Gromov, with 706,500 chips and Edward Quinn, who has 685,000 to play with rounds out the podium positions in third.
Top Ten Chip Counts
| Place | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ehsan Amiri | Australia | 902,500 | 301 |
| 2 | Dmitry Gromov | Russia | 706,500 | 236 |
| 3 | Edward Quinn | Jersey | 685,000 | 228 |
| 4 | Bogdan Munteanu | Romania | 663,500 | 221 |
| 5 | Philip Joyce | United Kingdom | 660,000 | 220 |
| 6 | Ali Fkih | Tunisia | 595,000 | 198 |
| 7 | Joseph Houayek | Lebanon | 579,000 | 193 |
| 8 | Stanislau Charvinski | Belarus | 573,500 | 191 |
| 9 | Antoine Vranken | Netherlands | 557,000 | 186 |
| 10 | Kamil Sokol | Poland | 540,000 | 180 |
Some other notable players who will take their seats at the tables for Day 2 include Day 1c chip leader Bogdan Munteanu (663,500), bracelet winners Antoine Vranken (557,000), Boris Kolev (493,500), Menikos Panagiotou (476,500), Timur Margolin (362,000), Fabio Peluso (328,500) and Darius Neagoe (264,400).
Cards get in the air at noon local time. Blinds start at 1,500/3,000 with a big blind ante of 3,000 and will be 60-minutes in duration from now until the end of the tournament. Late registration remains open until the end of Level 14, offering players a final chance to join the action before the prize pool and payouts are finalized. The schedule for the day will announced shortly after play starts, but the main goal for everyone will be to navigate their way through to Day 3 tomorrow, January 24.
Remaining Schedule
| Date | Day | Time | Blind Levels |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 23 | Day 2 | 12:00 p.m. | 60 minutes |
| January 24 | Day 3 | 12:00 p.m. | 60 minutes |
| January 25 | Day 4 | 12:00 p.m. | 60 minutes |
| January 26 | Day 5 | 1:00 p.m. | 60 minutes |
Stay tuned as PokerNews brings you all the updates and action from this exciting Main Event!