$2,200 Warm Up
Day 1bc Started
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
Entries
646
Level
37
Blinds
400,000 / 800,000
Ante
800,000
Entries
251
Players Left
136
Players Left 1 / 646
Filter
(1)
After a record-breaking Day 1a, the 2025 Merit Poker Carmen Series is off to an electrifying start inside the Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino. The $2,200 Warm Up saw an unprecedented 221 entries in its opening flight, smashing the previous Day 1a record of 125 set in 2023. This surge in attendance reinforces the festival’s growing reputation as a must-play stop on the poker calendar.
Leading the charge after the first starting flight was Giorgiy Skhulukhiya, who bagged an impressive 627,000 chips to claim the overall chip lead. Right behind him sits Ludovic Geilich, who finished with 613,000, showcasing his signature aggressive style throughout the day. With Alexey Savenkov (524,000), Adem Marjanovic (502,000), and Iurii Grigorev (430,500) also securing top stacks, the competition is already heating up.
Day 1a Top Ten Chip Counts
| Place | Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Giorgiy Skhulukhiya | Georgia | 627,000 |
| 2 | Ludovic Geilich | Scotland | 613,000 |
| 3 | Alexey Savenkov | Russia | 524,000 |
| 4 | Adem Marjanovic | Austria | 502,000 |
| 5 | Humberto Galindo | Spain | 475,000 |
| 6 | Iurii Grigorev | Russia | 439,500 |
| 7 | Farbod Nazari | Iran | 436,000 |
| 8 | Aytekin Yayla | North Cyprus | 432,500 |
| 9 | Banksy | United Kingdom | 430,000 |
| 10 | Haghgou Seyedahmad | Iran | 412,500 |
Now, Day 1b takes center stage at 12:00 p.m., offering another opportunity for players to join the action and chase a deep run. Later in the evening, Day 1c kicks off at 9:00 p.m., featuring 25-minute levels, catering to those who prefer a faster-paced structure. Like all starting flights, both Day 1b and Day 1c will play through ten levels, giving players ample time to build their stacks before advancing to Day 2.
Remaining Warm Up Schedule
| Date | Day | Time | Blind Levels |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 14 | Day 1b | 12:00 p.m. | 40 minutes |
| 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 |
With the Warm Up’s record-setting pace, today’s flights are expected to draw another large field as more contenders look to secure their spot for Day 2. The road to the title is just getting started, and the battle at the tables is sure to intensify as the series continues.
Stay locked in with PokerNews for all the latest updates, chip counts, and key hands as the Warm Up continues to unfold.
Level: 1
Blinds: 200/500
Ante: 500
Level 1
: Blinds 200/500, 500 ante
After a slight delay, Day 1b of the $2,200 Warm Up is now underway.
Level 1
: Blinds 200/500, 500 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
100,000 | |
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
100,000 | |
|
100,000 | |
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
100,000 |
Level 1
: Blinds 200/500, 500 ante
Karl Sandoff opened from the cutoff to 1,200 and got a call from the small blind and Reza Rahbari in the big blind.
They went to a flop of 8♣3♥J♠ where the small blind checked and Rahbari bet 2,000. Only Sandoff called and the pair saw the 2♣ drop in the river, where again Rahbari bet with a sizing of 7,500. Sandoff called.
A 9♥ completed the board and without any hesitation, Rahbari fired out a third bet for 15,500. Sandoff had to think about it for a moment but after around 30 seconds, he made the call.
Sandoff then quickly flipped with two pair with J♦9♦, and Rahbari didn't show his cards before he mucked.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
128,000
28,000
|
28,000 |
|
74,000 |
Level 1
: Blinds 200/500, 500 ante
There was a raise from the hijack before Dmitry Gromov three-bet to 3,100 from the cutoff. Hulusi Bacak cold-called from the big blind, and the hijack also called.
The flop fell A♣J♠10♠, which checked to Gromov, who then fired out 5,100. Bacak check-raised to 15,100, the hijack folded, and Gromov called.
A K♣ landed on the turn and Bacak elected to slow down and checked, only for Gromov to throw out 10,000. Bacak took his time but eventually called.
When the 2♦ completed the board, Bacak quickly led out for 16,200, then Gromov just as quickly shoved for around 70,000. Bacak had around 55,000 remaining in his stack after his bet and needed a lot of time to think this one over. So much time in fact, that the clock was called and a 30-second countdown was initiated. With no action from Bacak when the clock his zero, his hand was declared dead and Gromov took the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
145,000 | |
|
||
|
55,000 | |
Level: 2
Blinds: 300/600
Ante: 600
Level 2
: Blinds 300/600, 600 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
||
|
100,000 | |
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
Level 2
: Blinds 300/600, 600 ante
There was an open from a player in early position and Peteris Enders called on the button before Mahdi Mehraba made a squeeze from the small blind to around 6,000. Both players called.
On the 3♥6♣K♦ flop, Mehraba continued with a bet of 7,500, which both early position and Enders called to see the 7♠ on the turn, where all three checked.
A 7♦ paired the board on the river and Mehraba reached for chips and threw 30,500 into the pot. After a long time in the tank, the early position player called, and Enders quickly folded.
Mehraba then revealed A♦A♠ for the rockets, which won him the pot as his opponent quickly mucked.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
160,000
160,000
|
160,000 |
|
|
70,000
30,000
|
30,000 |
