Andrei Pateychuk Rises Above the Rest on Day 1c of the Merit Millions Event

Day 1c of the $10,400 Merit Millions Event at the 2025 Merit Poker Classic Millions saw 47 entries recorded at the prestigious Merit Royal Diamond Hotel Casino & Spa, adding another exciting chapter to the tournament. After another eight 40-minute levels of poker, only 29 players managed to bag up their chips and secure their spot in Day 2, continuing their pursuit of the $1,000,000 guaranteed first-place prize.

Russia's Andrey Pateychuk finished Day 1c at the top of the chip counts with a stack of 6,105,000, largely thanks to a massive double knockout hand right at the end of the day. Pateychuk flopped the wheel against Dakar1 and Razvan Sabau, who both held two pair. With a clean runout, Pateychuk surged to the top of the counts, becoming only the second player to surpass the six-million chip mark in the tournament.

Day 1c Top Ten Chip Counts

Rank	Player	Country	Chip Count	Big Blinds
1	Andrey Pateychuk	Russia	6,105,000	407
2	Boris Kolev	Bulgaria	3,650,000	243
3	Mustafa Ercan	Turkey	2,640,000	176
4	Mark Saad	Egypt	2,570,000	171
5	Elias Talvitie	Finland	2,155,000	144
6	Ian Bradley	United Kingdom	2,045,000	136
7	Dawid Smolka	Poland	1,800,000	120
8	Gurcan Gungoren	Turkey	1,705,000	114
9	Erik Smith	Denmark	1,705,000	114
10	Seyed Ghavam	Iran	1,680,000	112

The closest rival to Pateychuk is Bulgaria's Boris Kolev, who will carry 3,650,000 chips into tomorrow’s proceedings. Two-time bracelet winner Kolev quickly climbed the leaderboard thanks to a set of fives that bested Kadir Altinbasak’s two pair, sending Altinbasak to the rail. Rounding out the podium positions is Mustafa Ercan of Turkey, who accumulated a healthy stack of 2,640,000 throughout the day.

Other notables advancing to Day 2 include Mark Saad (2,570,000), who eliminated Nichan Khorchidian with a flush. Dawid Smolka (1,800,000), Dmitry Gromov (1,430,000), and Albert Daher (1,430,000) also secured their spots for Day 2, as did popular poker vlogger and DJ, Johan Guilbert (1,360,000), known by his nickname 'Yoh Viral'. The two ladies who entered Day 1c also made it through, with Aylar Lie finishing with a starting stack of 1,000,000 after a rollercoaster day, and Hala Karam (615,000) doubling up with Big Slick in one of the final hands of the night.

With three opening flights now complete, the total field stands at 144 entries, with 80 players already securing their spot for Day 2. The turbo flight, Day 1d, is currently underway, featuring fast-paced 30-minute levels for those seeking a final shot at building a big stack for Day 2.

Late registration remains open until the end of Level 12 on Day 2, giving players a final chance to join the action. Day 2 will begin tomorrow at 12:00 p.m. local time with blinds at 10,000/15,000 and a 15,000 big blind ante. This will be the first time all the survivors from the opening flights come together as they continue their quest for the $1,000,000 first-place prize.