Day 2 Dawns with Luke Marsh in Command in the $2,200 Warm Up
The 2025 Merit Poker Western Series rides into Day 2 of the $2,200 Warm Up today at 12:30 p.m., with the survivors from all four starting flights finally merging for the first time inside the Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino.
Leading the charge is Luke Marsh, who stormed through Day 1b to bag an impressive 971,500 chips — around quadruple the average stack. Marsh will be looking to maintain his position at the top of the counts as the tournament heats up and the $1,000,000 guarantee gets closer to being smashed.
While Day 2 is set to kick off, there’s still action on the horizon with Day 1d — a fast-paced turbo flight — currently underway. Late registration remains open until the end of Level 15, so there’s still time for new players to throw their hats into the ring and for short stacks to take one last shot at glory.
Current Top Ten Chip Counts
| Place | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luke Marsh | United Kingdom | 971,500 | 389 |
| 2 | Ashraf Akeh | Canada | 718,500 | 287 |
| 3 | Azamat Tulepbergenov | Kazakhstan | 637,000 | 255 |
| 4 | Edward Quinn | United Kingdom | 575,000 | 230 |
| 5 | Adlan Vikayev | Kazakhstan | 472,000 | 189 |
| 6 | Soraya Estrada | Spain | 440,000 | 176 |
| 7 | Danut Chisu | Romania | 430,000 | 172 |
| 8 | Arian Kashani | Iran | 421,500 | 169 |
| 9 | Dmitry Gromov | Russia | 420,500 | 168 |
| 10 | Tulica Iani | Romania | 414,500 | 166 |
Players starting Day 2 will face 40-minute blind levels, and with a field now surpassing 300 entries, today promises to deliver high-stakes drama as the race for the $1,000,000 guaranteed prize pool continues. By the end of the day, the field will thin considerably, leaving only the strongest and savviest contenders to fight on for a shot at the title.
Remaining Schedule
| Date | Day | Time | Blind Levels |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 16 | Day 1d | 10:00 am | 15 minutes |
| January 16 | Day 2 | 12:30 pm | 40 minutes |
| January 17 | Day 3 | 12:00 pm | 40 minutes |
| January 18 | Day 4 | 12:00 pm | 40 minutes |
Stay tuned to PokerNews for all the live updates as Day 2 gets underway, and the Warm Up showdown rolls toward an exciting finish!