Simone Andrian Mounts an Incredible Comeback to Win the Merit Poker Western Series $2,200 Warm Up

6 months ago

If you conscionable started astatine nan opening and simply accelerated guardant to nan end, you would deliberation Simone Andrian’s triumph coming successful nan Merit Poker Western Series $2,200 Warm Up was simply a coronation. He began nan time arsenic spot leader and ended arsenic nan champion. But nan reality was acold different, arsenic nan Italian pro, for illustration nan gunslingers successful celebrated Western movies, had to conflict and conflict for everything he earned.

It was only fitting that Andrian defeated Kuwait’s Abdullah Alajmi heads-up to triumph nan title. The 2 players dominated nan tournament, ending Days 2 and 3 first and 2nd connected nan leaderboard, past becoming nan past 2 standing. And it was Andrian who coiled up connected top, adding a prestigious Merit Poker title and $165,000 apical prize to a profession that’s already featured immoderate spectacular successes successful a short time.

$2,200 Warm Up Final Table Results

PlacePlayerCountryPrize

1	Simone Andrian	Italy	$165,000
2	Abdullah Alajmi	Kuwait	$121,500
3	Adrian State	Romania	$74,300
4	Andrei Daniliuk	Russia	$55,000
5	Fahredin Mustafov	Bulgaria	$41,300
6	Baurzhan Akimov	Kazakhstan	$33,100
7	George Panagides	Cyprus	$27,500
8	Andrea Dato	Italy	$22,000
9	Qusai Albakeer	Jordan	$16,500

Winner's Reaction

At nan commencement of November 2021, Andrian had conscionable 1 unrecorded recorded rate connected his resume. Since then, he’s won a WSOP bracelet, a WPT event, and a UKIPT title. He besides made a heavy tally successful nan WPT World Championship successful Las Vegas past month, finishing successful 29th spot successful that monolithic section for $129,000. His triumph coming moves him past $1,000,000 successful profession unrecorded earnings. He’s quickly establishing himself arsenic 1 of nan apical players successful his nation, a truth he attributes to his dedicated study of nan game.

“I’m moving constantly. Right now I’m playing little online, but I’m still studying and each that stuff. I emotion to study nan mentation of nan game,” he said pursuing his victory.

Andrian’s way to nan title was acold from smooth. While he started nan time arsenic spot leader, he was knocked down to conscionable six large blinds astatine 1 constituent during nan last array and had to claw his measurement backmost to nan top, winning respective each ins on nan way. Doing it that measurement made nan triumph consciousness moreover much special.

“It was specified a unusual run, particularly today. Yesterday was beautiful smooth. I was spot leader by far. But coming was decidedly a roller coaster. I was spot leader, past I sewage shorter. I deliberation I started nan last array successful 3rd aliases fourth. Then I was short, past middling stack. I went each nan stages: short, midstack, spot leader,” he said.

“For judge it’s a different feeling. It’s different erstwhile you’re spot leader and conscionable putting unit connected everyone. This is much emotional, for sure."

Day 4 Action

Day 4 began pinch 17 remaining players retired of a starting section of 446. Andrian and Alajmi were successful a acquainted spot, occupying nan apical 2 places connected nan leaderboard and controlling astir a 3rd of nan chips successful play betwixt them.

Andrian took an early deed erstwhile Andrei Daniliuk doubled up connected nan stream pinch ace-king against pouch jacks. Antoine Hasbani was nan first elimination of nan day, losing pinch king-queen against Qusai Albakeer’s ace-nine to decorativeness successful 17th place.

Andrian recovered from that early double up erstwhile he won a large cookware disconnected Baurzhan Akimov. Both players made travel kings, but Andrian rivered a afloat location arsenic Akimov managed to get distant connected nan stream and prevention his past 1,600,000. Andrian crossed 10,000,000 erstwhile he raised each successful connected nan stream pinch a brace of aces and sewage Daniliuk to fold a flopped group of queens.

After only 1 bustout done nan first 2 levels of nan day, nan gait of eliminations quickened sharply aft nan break. Nina Krasilnikova was eliminated successful 16th spot by George Panagides, while Adrian State took retired John Basta successful 15th pinch ace-queen against queen-jack. Ermanno Di Nicola fell successful 14th, soon aft he doubled up Akimov and was near pinch conscionable 200,000.

Azamat Tulepbergenov sewage his past 425,000 successful nan mediate pinch queens, but Andrea Dato spiked an ace connected nan flop to nonstop him to nan obstruction successful 13th. Dato besides eliminated a short-stacked Yuefan Gu successful 12th. On nan bubble of nan last table, Sari Haddad was each successful for 975,000 pinch a dominating king against State, but State flopped travel eights to bust Haddad successful 11th. At virtually nan aforesaid clip connected nan outer table, Alajmi made a flush to ace nan queens of Guoliang Wei and destruct nan WSOP bracelet victor successful 10th.

Alajmi held a monolithic spot lead astatine nan commencement of nan last array pinch 12,775,000, much than double State successful 2nd place. Andrian began successful 4th place, portion of a group crowded successful nan mediate of nan battalion that included Fahredin Mustafov, Dato, and Daniliuk.

Albakeer was eliminated connected nan 2nd manus of nan last array erstwhile he shoved for 2,525,000 pinch ace-queen but Daniliuk called pinch ace-king. Panagides and Andrian past played a coin flip for much than 6,500,000. Panagides spiked an ace connected nan move to hit Andrian’s pouch nines and time off nan erstwhile spot leader pinch conscionable 10 large blinds.

Andrian’s luck turned astir a fewer hands later erstwhile he raised to 1,300,000 pinch conscionable 300,000 behind. Dato called and Andrian sewage his past chips successful connected nan flop pinch a brace of jacks. Dato, though, had a brace of kings but Andrian spiked 2 brace connected nan move to double up and time off Dato arsenic an utmost short stack. Dato was eliminated successful eighth spot nan adjacent manus by Akimov.

For astir of nan last table, it seemed for illustration Alajmi couldn’t miss arsenic he continued to accumulate chips and propulsion distant from nan pack. Panagides recovered that retired erstwhile Alajmi turned 2 brace to hit his brace of aces and bust nan autochthonal Cypriot successful seventh place.

Andrian doubled up again erstwhile he won a classical coin flip pinch ace-king against Akimov’s queens. Akimov past sewage his past 2,150,000 successful nan mediate pinch ace-queen and dominated State’s ace-jack, but State spiked a jack connected nan flop to destruct Akimov successful sixth place. State besides eliminated Mustafov successful 5th aft turning a consecutive pinch ace-queen arsenic he seemed primed to situation Alajmi’s spot lead.

Whatever advancement Andrian had made climbing backmost into contention was quickly undone erstwhile he called Daniliuk’s shove for 3,075,000 pinch ace-ten. Daniliuk had queen-jack but paired his queen connected nan move to triumph nan cookware and double up. Left pinch conscionable six large blinds, Andrian shoved for 875,000 a fewer hands later pinch jack-five. Daniliuk called pinch king-eight and Andrian managed to brace his jack to triumph nan cookware and statesman his comeback.

Andrian past bluff-shoved pinch conscionable ace-high and sewage State to fold a brace pinch consecutive and flush draws arsenic Andrian climbed backmost up complete 7,000,000. He past eliminated Daniliuk successful 4th spot erstwhile he paired his 3 connected nan flop to get backmost complete 10,000,000. Andrian narrowed nan spread pinch Alajmi further erstwhile Alajmi turned a straight, but Andrian rivered a flush pinch pouch queens to triumph a monolithic pot. He past took nan spot lead for nan first clip astatine nan last array erstwhile he stake 1,200,000 pinch 2 brace and Alajmi called pinch pouch eights.

State had fallen to nan short stack erstwhile he committed astir of his chips pinch king-deuce. Andrian moved each successful pinch ace-king and State called disconnected nan remainder of his stack arsenic he vanished successful 3rd place. Alajmi took a flimsy spot lead complete Andrian into heads-up play, holding 23,025,000 to 21,600,000.

The 2 players remained virtually tied and exchanged nan lead galore times until nan manus that proved to beryllium nan pivotal constituent of nan tournament. Andrian three-bet to 5,000,000 and Alajmi called. Andrian past moved each successful for 16,500,000 connected an eight-high flop and Alajmi tanked for respective minutes earlier calling pinch a brace of eights. Andrian, though, had 2 kings and doubled up to return a commanding spot lead, 1 manus already astir nan trophy. Alajmi was near pinch conscionable 725,000 and was eliminated nan adjacent manus pinch ace-deuce against ace-jack. Andrian paired his jack connected nan flop and Alajmi was near drafting dormant by nan turn.

All nan dealers dressed up arsenic cowboys, nan horses successful nan mediate of nan room, and nan decor of nan Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino evoked an image of nan aged Wild West that is kept live done movies and television. It is 1 that survives now only successful communicative form. And coming astatine nan last table, cipher told a amended communicative than Andrian.

That concludes PokerNews sum of nan Merit Poker Western Series Warm Up. Stay tuned for much sum of nan High Roller and Main Event that kicks disconnected tomorrow.

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