What better way to welcome in 2025 than by heading to warmer climes and playing poker for big money? The Merit Poker Western Series gives you the opportunity to do both because the festival, held in Northern Cyprus, boasts over $4.5 million in combined guaranteed prize pools, including a $1,500,000 guaranteed Main Event.
The Merit Crystal Cove Hotel & Casino in Kyrenia, North Cyprus, is where hundreds of poker players will descend between January 14-26 for the 2025 Merit Poker Western Series. The PokerNews live reporting team will join those players and bring you all the live updates you can handle from the $2,200 Warm Up, the $3,300 Main Event, and the $5,300 High Roller.
The first event of the Western Series starts at noon local time on January 14. That is when the $2,200 buy-in, $1,000,000 guaranteed Warm Up shuffles up and deals. The Warm Up features four flights, including a turbo-structured Day 1D.
Last year’s $2,200 Warm Up saw 446 players compete for an $820,640 prize pool. Italy’s Simone Andrian came out on top, scooping $165,000 in the process. First place could be worth even more money this time around because Merit Poker has boosted the guarantee from $800,000 to $1,000,000.
The first day of the $5,300 High Roller starts on January 17, and it crowns its champion on January 20. Whoever that champion is, they will receive the lion’s share of the $500,000 guaranteed prize pool. Maksim Shornikau of Belarus banked $177,500 last year when this event had $300,000 guaranteed, so expect even larger payouts in 2025.
Reigning Western Series Main Event champion Mohamed Mokrani
The $3,300 Main Event, the final event that PokerNews is live reporting from, guarantees $1,500,000. It runs from January 20-26. Although this is the same guarantee size as the 2024 edition, some 672 players bought in and created a $1,854,720 prize pool. Frenchman Mohamed Mokrani emerged victoriously in 2024, scooping $342,500!
2025 Merit Poker Western Series Full Schedule
Date
Time
Event
Guarantee
Tue 14 Jan
11:00 a.m.
$360 Satellite to Warm Up Day 1A
3x seats
12:00 p.m.
$2,200 NLHE Warm Up Day 1A
$1,000,000
6:00 p.m.
$660 NLHE Hyper Turbo Deep Stack
$25,000
9:00 p.m.
$505 Satellite to Warm Up Day 1B
10x seats
Wed 15 Jan
11:00 a.m.
$360 Satellite to Warm Up Day 1B
3x seats
12:00 p.m.
$2,200 NLHE Warm Up Day 1B
$1,000,000
5:00 p.m.
$505 Satellite to Warm Up Day 1C
5x seats
8:00 p.,.
$880 NLHE Turbo Bounty
$40,000
9:00 p.m.
$2,200 NLHE Warm Up Day 1C
$1,000,000
Thu 16 Jan
10:00 a.m.
$2,200 NLHE Warm Up Day 1D Turbo
$1,000,000
12:30 p.m.
$2,200 NLHE Warm Up Day 2
$1,000,000
6:00 p.m.
$1,210 Satellite to High Roller
5x seats
9:00 p.m.
$1,100 NLHE Turbo Deep Stack
$50,000
Fri 17 Jan
12:00 p.m.
Warm Up Day 3
$1,000,000
12:30 p.m.
$1,650 NLHE Luxon Pay Mystery Bounty Day 1A
$150,000
5:00 p.m.
$1,210 Satellite to High Roller Day 1
5x seats
7:00 p.m.
$660 NL Texas Split 7-Max
$20,000
8:00 p.m.
$5,300 NLHE High Roller Day 1
$500,000
9:00 p.m.
$755 Satellite to Main Event Day 1A
10x seats
Sat 18 Jan
12:00 p.m.
$1,650 NLHE Luxon Pay Mystery Bounty Day 1B
$150,000
12:00 p.m.
Warm Up Final Day
$1,000,000
4:00 p.m.
$1,210 Satellite to High Roller Day 2
4x seats
6:00 p.m.
$1,100 PLO
8:00 p.m.
$5,300 NLHE High Roller Day 2
$500,000
9:00 p.m.
$755 Satellite to Main Event Day 1A
10x seats
Sun 19 Jan
12:00 p.m.
Luxon Pay Mystery Bounty Final Day
$150,000
12:30 p.m.
$1,650 NLHE KO Bounty
$100,000
4:00 p.m.
NLHE High Roller Day 3
$500,000
5:00 p.m.
$1,100 NLHE Seniors 50+
$30,000
8:00 p.m.
$755 Satellite to Main Event Day 1A
10x seats
10:00 p.m.
$880 NLHE Hyper Turbo Bounty Freezeout
$30,000
Mon 20 Jan
11:00 a.m.
$375 Satellite to Main Event Day 1A
3x seats
12:00 p.m.
$3,300 NLHE Main Event Day 1A
$1,500,000
1:00 p.m.
NLHE High Roller Final Day
$500,000
6:00 p.m.
$1,100 NLHE Single Re-Entry
$30,000
7:00 p.m.
$220 NLHE Women’s Championship
$10,000
10:00 p.m.
$755 Satellite to Main Event Day 1B
10x seats
Tue 21 Jan
11:00 a.m.
$755 Satellite to Main Event Day 1B
3x seats
12:00 p.m.
$3,300 NLHE Main Event Day 1B
$1,500,000
6:00 p.m.
$755 Satellite Main Event Day 1C
10x seats
10:00 p.m.
$1,100 NLHE Mix-Max 9-Handed Day 1
$100,000
Wed 22 Jan
11:00 a.m.
$375 Satellite to Main Event Day 1C
3x seats
12:00 p.m.
$3,300 NLHE Main Event Day 1C
$1,500,000
2:00 p.m.
$1,650 PLO Big O KO
$100,000
5:00 p.m.
$630 Satellite to Main Event Day 1D
5x seats
7:00 p.m.
$3,300 NLHE Main Event Day 1D Turbo
$1,500,000
10:00 p.m.
$1,100 NLHE Mix-Max 7-Handed Day 2
$100,000
Thu 23 Jan
12:00 p.m.
$3,300 NLHE Main Event Day 2
$1,500,000
6:00 p.m.
$1,185 Satellite to MILLIONS Day 1A
9:00 p.m.
$1,100 PLO Double Board Bomb Pot
$50,000
10:00 p.m.
NLHE Mix-Max 6-Handed Final Day
$100,000
Fri 24 Jan
12:00 p.m.
Main Event Day 3
$1,500,000
12:30 p.m.
$2,750 NLHE Mystery Bounty Day 1A
$500,000
4:00 p.m.
$630 Satellite to Mystery Bounty Day 1B
5x seats
7:00 p.m.
$2,750 NLHE Mystery Bounty Day 1B
$500,000
9:00 p.,.
$880 NLHE Bounty KO
$40,000
Sat 25 Jan
11:00 a.m.
$2,750 NLHE Mystery Bounty Day 1C Turbo
$500,000
12:00 p.m.
Main Event Day 4
$1,500,000
12:30 p.m.
$1,100 NLHE Honor Poker Cup 7-Handed Day 1
$70,000
6:00 p.m.
$630 Satellite to OPE Classic Day 1
5x seats
7:00 p.m.
Mystery Bounty Final Day
$500,000
9:00 p.m.
$880 NLHE Turbo Deep Stack
9:00 p.m.
$3,300 NLHE OPE Classic Day 1
$100,000
Sun 26 Jan
12:00 p.m.
$1,100 NLHE Honor Poker Cup 7-Handed Final Day
$70,000
1:00 p.m.
Main Event Final Day
$1,500,000
2:00 p.m.
$770 NLHE Single Re-Entry
$30,000
2:00 p.m.
$3,300 NLE OPE Classic Final Day
$100,000
6:00 p.m.
$660 NLHE Deep Stack KO 6-Handed
$25,000
The 2025 Merit Poker Western Series has much more to offer than the $2,200 Warm Up, $3,300 Main Event, and the $5,300 High Roller. Each day, between January 14-26, several tournaments and satellites run, including the $1,650 Luxon Pay Mystery Bounty ($150,000 guaranteed), a $1,100 Mix-Max event ($100,000), a $1,100 PLO Double Board Bomb Pot ($50,000), and a $3,300 OPE Classic ($100,000).
Throw into the mix a plethora of satellites, a $1,100 Seniors, $220 Women’s Championship, and scores of other exciting events, and you have all the ingredients for an epic couple of weeks in North Cyprus. Here’s to seeing you there.
Matthew Pitt hails from Leeds, West Yorkshire, in the United Kingdom, and has worked in the poker industry since 2008, and worked for PokerNews since 2010. In September 2010, he became the editor of PokerNews. Matthew stepped away from live reporting duties in 2015, and now concentrates on his role of Senior Editor for the PokerNews.
