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$2,200 Warm Up
Day 1bc Completed
2025 Merit Poker Carmen Series
$2,200 Warm Up
Day: 1bc
Event Info
2025 Merit Poker Carmen Series
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1bc
Buy-in
$2,200
Prize Pool
$1,188,640
Total Entries
646
Level
37
Blinds
400,000 / 800,000
Ante
800,000
Entries
251
Players Left
136
Players Left 1 / 646
Filter
Level 10
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
The 2025 Merit Poker Carmen Series continues to build momentum, as Day 1b of the $2,200 Warm Up drew another 222 entries inside the Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino. With yesterday’s record-breaking Day 1a already setting the stage for a massive turnout, today’s flight kept the energy high and pushed the total field to 443 entries with more flights still to come.
After ten levels of action, 118 players bagged their stacks and secured their spot in Day 2. Leading the way was Aren Bezhanyan, who finished with a commanding 647,000 chips, surpassing Giorgiy Skhulukhiya’s 627,000 from Day 1a to claim the overall chip lead. Bezhanyan navigated a deep and competitive field, consistently applying pressure and stacking up chips throughout the day to finish on top.
Day 1b Top Ten Chip Counts
| Place | Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aren Bezhanyan | Russia | 647,000 |
| 2 | Erdal Gulseven | Turkey | 621,500 |
| 3 | Hassan Nashar | Senegal | 496,500 |
| 4 | Aleksey Cherkasov | Russia | 480,500 |
| 5 | Miltiadis Kyriakides | Cyprus | 461,500 |
| 6 | Mikhail Zavoloka | Russia | 444,000 |
| 7 | Ran Ilani | Israel | 420,000 |
| 8 | Emrah Daban | Turkey | 419,000 |
| 9 | Oleh Frantsevych | Ukraine | 418,000 |
| 10 | Nenad Dukic | Serbia | 360,000 |
Among those making the top ten were Mikhail Zavoloka (444,000) and Ran Ilani (420,000), both of whom stood out with strong performances. Zavoloka played a steady, disciplined game, gradually accumulating chips and avoiding major setbacks to secure his spot among the leaders. Meanwhile, Ilani took a more aggressive approach, frequently applying pressure and winning key pots to build his stack.
Other notable names in the top ten included Hassan Nashar (496,500), Aleksey Cherkasov (480,500), and Miltiadis Kyriakides (461,500), all of whom positioned themselves well heading into Day 2. With the field continuing to grow and the competition heating up, the chase for one of the biggest Warm Up titles in Merit Poker history is well underway.
Remaining Warm Up Schedule
| Date | Day | Time | Blind Levels |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 14 | Day 1c | 9:00 p.m. | 25 minutes |
| March 15 | Day 1d | 10:00 a.m. | 15 minutes |
| March 15 | Day 2 | 12:30 p.m. | 40 minutes |
| March 16 | Day 3 | 12:00 p.m. | 40 minutes |
| March 17 | Day 4 | 12:00 p.m. | 40 minutes |
Day 1c kicked off at 9:00 p.m., giving players another shot to build a stack, while the final starting flight, Day 1d, runs tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. with a turbo structure. Survivors from all four flights will then return for Day 2 on March 15 at 12:30 p.m., where the field will combine for the first time. Those who make it through will battle for a spot in Day 3 on March 16 at 12:00 p.m., before the tournament reaches its climax on March 17 at 12:00 p.m., when a champion will be crowned.
With 443 entries already in the books and two flights still to come, the $2,200 Warm Up is closing in on some of the biggest fields in Merit Poker history. The target to beat is 809 from the 2023 Retro Series, while the 2022 Vintage Series saw 624 entries, and last year’s Carmen Series Warm Up hit 611. With strong turnouts so far and registration still open, this year’s event has the momentum to challenge those numbers and potentially make history.
| Year | Event | Entries | 1st Place Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Retro Series Warm Up | 809 | $264,400 |
| 2023 | Carmen Series Warm Up | 611 | $206,800 |
| 2022 | Vintage Series Warm Up | 624 | $200,000 |
Stay tuned to PokerNews for live updates, chip counts, and key hands as the Warm Up unfolds. With a record-setting field and big prizes on the line, you won’t want to miss a moment of the action!
Level 10
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
Level 10
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
Level 10
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
After ten levels of play, Day 1b has come to an end.
Aren Bezhanyan looks to be in the driver's seat with 647,000 chips, but stay tuned for the chip counts and a recap of the day's action.
Level 10
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
The floor have announced that three more hand will be played before the survivors bag up for the night.
Level 10
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
Late in the day, Elie Farah's stack took a hit as he tangled with Vladas Tamasauskas.
Farah opened the cutoff and got called from the small blind and Tamasauskas in the big blind. The trio went to a flop of 7♣4♠8♦ where it checked around to the 10♥ turn. The small blind checked, Tamasauskas bet 11,500, Farah called, and the small blind folded.
A Q♦ completed the runout and after Tamasauskas eyed up his opponent's stack, he threw four white chips, worth 25,000 each, into the middle. Farah only had around 60,000 remaining and quickly folded, which left Tamasauskas the pot.
Level 10
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
Level 10
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
An unfortunate cooler for Andrey Pateychuk did some damage to his stack in the closing blind level of the day.
There had been a raise from the cutoff to 5,000 and Francisco Perez Moreno called in the small blind with a short stack. Pateychuk then made it 25,000 from the big blind, the cutoff folded, and Moreno shoved for just under 40,000. Pateychuk called.
Francisco Perez Moreno: A♦A♠ 
Andrey Pateychuk: A♥K♥
Moreno was in great shape to double up, but was made to sweat a lot as the 4♥K♠9♥ flop gave Pateychuk a plethora of outs. However, neither did 8♦ turn nor 8♣ river changed anything, and Moreno scooped in the chips.
Level 10
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
The last level of the day is now underway, which means in around 40 minutes time the surviving players will be bagging up their chips ready for tomorrow's Day 2.
