Level: 8
Blinds: 1,000/1,500
Ante: 1,500
2025 Merit Poker Carmen Series
$2,200 Warm Up
Day: 1a
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1a
2025 Merit Poker Carmen Series
Buy-in
$2,200
Prize Pool
$1,188,640
Entries
646
Level
37
Blinds
400,000 / 800,000
Ante
800,000
Entries
221
Players Left
105
Level 7
: Blinds 1,000/1,500, 1,500 ante
On a board of 2♦K♠3♦6♠, there were around 30,000 chips in the middle when Michel Molenaar checked from the big blind and Yuan Xu followed suit from under the gun. George Tomescu was sitting in the hijack and made it 17,500, which both Molenaar and Xu called.
A 2♣ paired the board on the river and again the action was checked to Tomescu, who then reached for chips and fired out a chunky bet of 120,000. Molenaar looked at his cards and folded, then Xu asked for a count. With just over 150,000 remaining in his stack, Xu mulled it over for a short while before he flicked in the call.
Tomescu then revealed a full house with 3♠3♥, and Xu was quick to return his cards face down to the dealer.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
330,000
330,000
|
330,000 |
|
72,000
72,000
|
72,000 |
|
35,000
75,000
|
75,000 |
Level 7
: Blinds 1,000/1,500, 1,500 ante
Nerses Sargsian connected with a flush draw to send his stack north of the 200,000-chip mark.
On a flop of 5♠8♠5♣ with around 30,000 in the pot, a player had bet 17,500 and Sargsian min-raised to 35,000. His opponent then shoved, and Sargsian called off his stack of around 100,000.
Nerses Sargsian: A♠2♠ 
Opponent: Q♦Q♠
Sargsian got a little 'instant service' as the J♠ hit the turn, which left his opponent drawing slim. A 10♦ completed the runout, and Sarsgian's flush held on to earn himself a double-up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
230,000
95,000
|
95,000 |
Level 7
: Blinds 1,000/1,500, 1,500 ante
In the 881st episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway, Kyna England, and Mike Holtz discuss the controversy out of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Circuit stop in which the third-place finisher actually held the best hand against Maurice Hawkins, who went on to win the tournament for a record-tying 18th gold ring.
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Other stories covered include Fedor Holz saying WSOP bans are coming for online cheaters, GGPoker cancelling their $5M GTD tournament on Day 2, Jeremy Ausmus and others capturing Triton Poker titles, Daniel Negreanu taking down a PGT Mixed Game tournament, and the unfortunate passing of poker player Mark Toulouse during a tournament at Texas Card House Dallas.
Finally, check out our new segment "New Vlogs on the Block", find out who won our giveaway for a copy of The Las Vegas Book, and details on our next giveaway in conjunction with Tilted Compass.
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Level 7
: Blinds 1,000/1,500, 1,500 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
400,000
130,000
|
130,000 |
|
320,000
320,000
|
320,000 |
|
300,000
300,000
|
300,000 |
|
300,000
70,000
|
70,000 |
|
||
|
250,000
250,000
|
250,000 |
|
230,000
230,000
|
230,000 |
|
210,000
210,000
|
210,000 |
|
150,000
150,000
|
150,000 |
Level: 7
Blinds: 1,000/1,500
Ante: 1,500
Level 6
: Blinds 800/1,500, 1,500 ante
Players are heading on a second 20-minute break.
Level 6
: Blinds 800/1,500, 1,500 ante
With 12,000 chips in the pot on a 9♠4♦5♦4♣ board, Leonid Bozhkov checked from the big blind and Daniel Abrahamsson fired out 3,700 from middle position. Edgard Raffoul then raised to 11,500 in the cutoff, and Bozhkov called before Abrahamsson got out of the way.
A 6♠ dropped on the river and Bozhkov checked again, only for Raffoul to check back after thinking for some time.
Bozhkov then showed trips with K♥4♥, and Raffoul mucked his hand.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
200,000
30,000
|
30,000 |
|
120,000
120,000
|
120,000 |
|
110,000
5,000
|
5,000 |
Level 6
: Blinds 800/1,500, 1,500 ante
PokerNews has been bringing you live reporting from the biggest poker tournaments for almost 20 years, and it's time for our latest addition to the live update product with the launch of PokerNews emojis.
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Level 6
: Blinds 800/1,500, 1,500 ante
Yucel Eminoglu is not a happy bunny after missing out on a pot worth over 200,000 after an unfortunate runout.
There had been a raise to 3,500 from the hijack and Kadir Altinbasak called called from the cutoff before Eminoglu made it 27,000 from the small blind. The initial raiser quickly folded, then Altinbasak said call and put in 7,000.
"It's 27,000," remarked Eminoglu. "You can fold and leave the 7,000 in there if you like, I know you didn't want to call," he added. Despite that, Altinbasak did call.
The flop came 3♦3♥9♦ and Eminoglu fired out 16,000. Almost immediately, Altinbasak shoved for around 80,000, which prompted Eminoglu to ask for a count. After getting the information he needed, Eminoglu called.
Kadir Altinbasak: A♠10♦
Yucel Eminoglu: A♣K♠
Altinbasak was drawing slim, but managed to find a 9♣ on the turn to give both players two pair with an ace-kicker. The 2♥ on the river changed nothing, and the dup chopped up the pot.
"You play good," said Eminoglu. "You thought it was seven but called anyway," he added.
Despite not winning the pot, no damage was done to Eminoglu's stack and the two continued to discuss the hand as the next was being dealt.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
140,000
60,000
|
60,000 |
|
110,000
110,000
|
110,000 |
