2025 Merit Poker Carmen Series
Level: 35
Blinds: 200,000/400,000
Ante: 400,000
Mikhail Zavoloka just won a huge pot to take him up near the chip lead!
Zavoloka raised preflop from the cutoff and Akin Tuna called in the big blind to see a flop of 6♦5♣K♦, where Tuna check-called a bet of 500,000.
A 3♣ dropped on the turn and again Tuna check-called, this time for 2,000,000, and the K♠ came on the river. Tuna checked for a third time and Zavoloka then put out a big bet of 5,500,000. After thinking it over, Tuna called.
Zavoloka then revealed trips with K♣J♠, and Tuna tapped the table and mucked.
The action folded around to Mikhail Zavoloka in the small blind, who limped in. Maher Achour in the big blind then raised to 800,000, and Zavoloka called.
Both checked the 6♥3♣8♠ flop to the 7♥ turn, where Zavoloka fired 1,100,000. Achour called.
A J♠ hit the river and Zavoloka took some time before he bet 4,500,000, enough to put Achour all-in. After burning through five time banks, Achour called off his last 2,700,000.
Zavoloka then slowly revealed K♠8♥ for a pair of eights, and Achour stood up from the table before he revealed he made the call with 9♣3♦ for bottom pair.
Maher Achour made it 600,000 from under the gun and Han Han called out of the small blind. Mikhail Zavoloka also called in the big blind.
The three saw a flop of K♠8♥8♦ which checked around to the Q♦ turn. It checked to Achour who then bet 750,000. Han Han called, and Zavoloka folded.
A 4♥ hit the river and after Han Han checked, Achour bet 1,400,000. Han Han snap-called.
Achour then showed K♥J♠ for a pair of kings, but Han Han had two pair with K♣Q♣ to take the pot.
Chady Ojeil limped in from the small blind and Han Han checked his option from the big blind.
On the A♠9♦Q♣ flop, Ojeil check-called a bet of 450,000 from Han Han to see the 8♦ drop on the turn. Again, Ojeil went into check-call mode when Han Han bet 1,100,000.
A 3♣ dropped on the river and Ojeil checked, then after some time Han Han checked back.
Ojeil showed A♥3♥ for two pair, which was good for the pot.
Daniil Kiselev shoved for exactly 2,000,000 from under the gun and the action folded all around to Soraya Estrada in the big blind, who took one peek at her cards and snap-called.
Daniil Kiselev: J♥8♥
Soraya Estrada: A♣A♦
Kiselev had run into the bullets and his tournament was at risk of being shot down. The Russian player did pick up some outs on the 6♦J♠6♣ flop but couldn't improve further as the 5♥4♠ runout meant he was out in eighth.
Nenad Dukic is being persistent in his aggression and took down three consecutive pots before Mikhail Zavoloka put a stop to the streak.
Dukic raised to 600,000 from early position and Zavoloka defended his big blind to see a flop of 10♦5♦3♣. Zavoloka check-called a bet of 525,000 to see the 9♥ turn, where both checked.
A J♥ hit the river and Zavoloka led out for 2,100,000. Dukic used some extra time but eventually settled on a fold, and Zavoloka won some chips back.
Chady Ojeil opened to 700,000 from the cutoff and Han Han called on the button. Mikhail Zavoloka was in the small blind and after checking out the stacks to the players either side of him, he shoved around 12,000,000. Ojeil snap-called for his stack of 5,125,000, and Han Han folded.
Chady Ojeil: J♠J♥
Mikhail Zavoloka: A♥Q♣
The rest of the table were probably rooting for Zavoloka to win the flip as they would all earn a pay jump, but instead it was Ojeil who came out on top as his pocket jacks held up on the 9♥2♣3♦8♠10♦ runout.