$10,400 Merit Millions | 2025 Merit Millions

04-13-2025 22:06 UTC+2

Kolev Extracts Value from Chaoui

Tim Baker

Level 26 : Blinds 400,000/800,000, 800,000 ante

Boris Kolev min-raised from the cutoff and Mehdi Chaoui defended the big blind.

Chaoui checked after the dealer spread out the K♥5♥6♦ flop. Kolev bet 1,500,000 and Chaoui check-rasied to 4,400,000. Kolev didn't take long to make the call.

The 6♣ turn checked through for the 10♠ to drop on the river. Chaoui checked again, and Kolev put out a bet of 8,000,000. Chaoui stared Kolev down whilst thinking over his options. In the end, Chaoui made the call. Kolev showed K♠4♣ for top pair, and Chaoui could only muck.

Player	Chips	Progress
Boris Kolev	127,000,000 19,000,000	19,000,000

Mehdi Chaoui	25,000,000 15,000,000	15,000,000

Tags: Mehdi Chaoui Boris Kolev

04-13-2025 21:57 UTC+2

Kolev is Dominating

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Tim Baker

Level 26 : Blinds 400,000/800,000, 800,000 ante

Boris Kolev raised to 1,600,000 from the cutoff and Aleksandr Kirichenko three-bet to 4,800,000 from the button. Kolev called to see a flop.

Kolev check-called a bet of 2,800,000 from Kirichenko on the A♥J♣A♣ flop.

The turn came the 3♥ and Kolev check-called another bet from Kirichenko, this time for 12,000,000.

After Kolev checked the 9♥ river, Kirichenko burned through a time bank card before checking behind. Kolev showed A♠7♠ for trip aces and took down another pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Boris Kolev	108,000,000 17,000,000	17,000,000

Aleksandr Kirichenko	55,000,000 12,500,000	12,500,000

Tags: Boris Kolev Aleksandr Kirichenko

04-13-2025 21:46 UTC+2

Rafael Aslanli Eliminated in 5th Place ($100,000)

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Tim Baker

Level 26 : Blinds 400,000/800,000, 800,000 ante

Boris Kolev raised the cutoff to 1,600,000, and Rafael Aslanli three-bet to 4,500,000 from the button. After the blinds folded, Kolev four-bet to 9,500,000. Aslani five-bet jammed for 27,000,000 and Kolev beat him into the pot.

Rafael Aslanli: J♦J♣ All in
Boris Kolev: A♥A♠

Kolev had already won most of Aslanli's chips with quads and now was poised to win the rest of them with aces. The board ran out 6♣4♠K♥4♦4♣, and Kolev's aces won the pot, sending Aslanli to the rail in fifth.

Player	Chips	Progress
Boris Kolev	91,000,000 26,000,000	26,000,000

Rafael Aslanli	Busted

Tags: Rafael Aslanli Boris Kolev

04-13-2025 21:33 UTC+2

Chaoui Wins a Multi-Way Pot

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Tim Baker

Level 26 : Blinds 400,000/800,000, 800,000 ante

Rafael Aslanli made it 1.600,000 from the hijack with Mehdi Chaoui calling from the small blind, and Boris Kolev defending his big blind.

Everyone checked the 10♦8♣4♠ flop to see the Q♥ land on the turn. The action checked to Aslanli, and he bet 1,800,000. Chaoui called before Kolev check-raised to 7,500,000. Aslanli quickly folded, but Chaoui called to see a river.

When the Q♦ landed on the river, Chaoui took a few moments before he bet out for roughly 4,500,000. Kolev snap-folded, and Chaoui dragged in the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Boris Kolev	65,000,000 8,500,000	8,500,000

Mehdi Chaoui	40,000,000 7,000,000	7,000,000
Rafael Aslanli	32,000,000 1,000,000	1,000,000

Tags: Boris Kolev Mehdi Chaoui Rafael Aslanli

04-13-2025 21:19 UTC+2

Maksim Shornikau Eliminated in 6th Place ($75,000)

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Tim Baker

Level 26 : Blinds 400,000/800,000, 800,000 ante

Mehdi Chaoui raised to 1,600,000 from middle position and Maksim Shornikau shoved for 7,500,000 from the next seat. When it got back to Chaoui he thought about it for a while and then put in the call to put Shornikau at risk.

Maksim Shornikau: A♥Q♣ All in
Mehdi Chaoui: J♠10♠

Shornikau was the shortest stack at the table and needed to win this hand to stay alive. The 3♥3♦2♣ flop meant only a jack or ten would end Shornikau's run. The J♥ hit the turn to propel Chaoui into the lead, and when the 7♣ hit the river, Shornikau was sent to the cashier's desk to collect the sixth-place payout.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mehdi Chaoui	33,000,000 9,000,000	9,000,000
Maksim Shornikau	Busted

Tags: Maksim Shornikau Mehdi Chaoui

Level: 26

Blinds: 400,000/800,000

Ante: 800,000

04-13-2025 21:05 UTC+2

Updated Chip Counts

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Tim Baker

Level 25 : Blinds 300,000/600,000, 600,000 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Boris Kolev	73,500,000 1,500,000	1,500,000

Aleksandr Kirichenko	67,500,000

Rafael Aslanli	33,000,000 12,000,000	12,000,000
Mehdi Chaoui	24,000,000 4,000,000	4,000,000
Romans Lihacovs	10,000,000 4,000,000	4,000,000
Maksim Shornikau	7,500,000 200,000	200,000

04-13-2025 21:01 UTC+2

Break Time

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Tim Baker

Level 25 : Blinds 300,000/600,000, 600,000 ante

Players are now on a 15-minute break

04-13-2025 20:59 UTC+2

Andrey Pateychuk Eliminated in 7th Place ($55,000)

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Tim Baker

Level 25 : Blinds 300,000/600,000, 600,000 ante

On the last hand before the break, Andrey Pateychuk shoved all in from the small blind for 10,800,000 when it folded to him. Aleksandr Kirichenko looked at his cards in the big blind and snap-called.

Andrey Pateychuk: A♠8♣ All in
Aleksandr Kirichenko: 10♣10♥

Pateychuk had run into a premium hand and needed help from the dealer to stay in contention for the $1,000,000 top prize. However, the 10♠3♦5♦ flop gave Kirichenko top set and left Pateychuk needing running cards to survive. The rest of the board came J♠Q♦ and Pateychuk was out in seventh place.

Player	Chips	Progress
Aleksandr Kirichenko	67,500,000 23,500,000	23,500,000

Andrey Pateychuk	Busted

Tags: Andrey Pateychuk Andrey Pateychuk Eliminated

04-13-2025 20:41 UTC+2

Pateychuk Forces Shornikau to Fold

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Tim Baker

Level 25 : Blinds 300,000/600,000, 600,000 ante

Andrey Pateychuk made it 1,200,000 from the hijack and Maksim Shornikau defended his big blind.

On the 7♣5♠2♣ flop, Shornikau checked and then faced a bet of 2,000,000 by Pateychuk. After a few moments, Shornikau called.

Shornikau checked again on the 10♦ turn and this time Pateychuk bet 3,000,000. Shornikau had just over 7,000,000 remaining in his stack and after doing a bit of inventory, opted to fold his cards.

Player	Chips	Progress
Andrey Pateychuk	16,000,000 1,000,000	1,000,000

Maksim Shornikau	7,300,000 9,500,000	9,500,000

Tags: Andrey Pateychuk Maksim Shornikau