$3,300 Main Event
Day 1cd Completed
2025 Merit Poker Carmen Series
$3,300 Main Event
Day: 1cd
Event Info
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1cd
2025 Merit Poker Carmen Series
Buy-in
$3,300
Prize Pool
$2,431,560
Entries
881
Level
38
Blinds
400,000 / 800,000
Ante
800,000
Entries
179
Players Left
94
Level 8
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
Day 1c of the $3,300 Main Event at the 2025 Merit Poker Carmen Series is in the books, and it was another record-breaking day inside the Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino. With 145 entries, this flight officially set the all-time Carmen Series record for Day 1c, surpassing the 135 entries from 2023. After eight levels of play, 75 players found a bag, securing their spot in Day 2, as the tournament continues to build toward what could be the biggest Main Event in Carmen's history.
Anthony Khouzami leads the way, finishing with an impressive 616,000 chips, putting him in strong contention heading into the next stage of the tournament. Hot on his heels is Maxim Toldin, who closed with 573,500, while Lukas Pazma (450,500) and Carlos Aoun (444,500) also locked up top stacks. With several notable names still in the mix, the competition is only getting tougher as the stakes continue to rise.
Day 1c Top Ten Chip Counts
| Place | Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anthony Khouzami | Lebanon | 616,000 |
| 2 | Maxim Toldin | Russia | 573,500 |
| 3 | Lukas Pazma | Slovakia | 450,500 |
| 4 | Carlos Aoun | Lebanon | 444,500 |
| 5 | Tomer Lahav | Israel | 434,500 |
| 6 | Andrei Spataru | Romania | 349,000 |
| 7 | Dawid Smolka | Poland | 344,000 |
| 8 | Angelos Michael | Cyprus | 330,000 |
| 9 | Arunas Sapitavicius | Lithuania | 309,500 |
| 10 | Osman Aksu | Turkey | 299,000 |
With three flights now complete, the total field stands at 577 entries, with one final turbo flight—Day 1d—left to go. This last-chance flight features 25-minute levels, offering a fast-paced shot at survival. Late registration remains open until Level 14 on Day 2, meaning the final number is still climbing, and the prize pool continues to grow. The road to poker glory is narrowing, and with just one more opportunity to qualify, the pressure is on for those still looking to join the action.
Day 2 kicks off tomorrow at 12:00 p.m. local time, where all remaining players will come together to continue their quest for the title. The action is set to intensify as deep stacks, rising blinds, and the approaching money bubble set the stage for an unforgettable battle.
Remaining Main Event Schedule
| Date | Day | Time | Blind Levels |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 20 | Day 1d | 7:00 p.m. | 25 minutes |
| March 21 | Day 2 | 12:00 p.m. | 60 minutes |
| March 22 | Day 3 | 12:00 p.m. | 60 minutes |
| March 23 | Day 4 | 12:00 p.m. | 60 minutes |
| March 24 | Day 5 | 1:00 p.m. | 60 minutes |
Stay tuned to PokerNews for live updates, chip counts, and all the key hands as the action unfolds. With the stakes rising and the pressure mounting, you won’t want to miss a moment of the drama!
Level 8
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
362,000
362,000
|
362,000 |
|
||
|
351,500
351,500
|
351,500 |
|
266,500
266,500
|
266,500 |
|
264,500
264,500
|
264,500 |
|
234,000
234,000
|
234,000 |
|
202,500
202,500
|
202,500 |
|
200,000
200,000
|
200,000 |
|
178,000
178,000
|
178,000 |
|
171,000
171,000
|
171,000 |
|
169,000
169,000
|
169,000 |
|
160,500
160,500
|
160,500 |
|
158,500
158,500
|
158,500 |
|
|
151,500
151,500
|
151,500 |
|
122,000
122,000
|
122,000 |
|
|
103,500
103,500
|
103,500 |
|
|
91,000
91,000
|
91,000 |
|
74,000
74,000
|
74,000 |
|
71,500
71,500
|
71,500 |
|
|
70,000
70,000
|
70,000 |
Level 8
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
616,000 | |
|
||
|
|
573,500 | |
|
450,500 | |
|
||
|
444,500 | |
|
434,500 | |
|
349,000
349,000
|
349,000 |
|
344,000
144,000
|
144,000 |
|
330,000
30,000
|
30,000 |
|
309,500
309,500
|
309,500 |
|
299,000
299,000
|
299,000 |
|
282,500
282,500
|
282,500 |
|
281,500
61,500
|
61,500 |
|
276,500
36,500
|
36,500 |
|
266,000
266,000
|
266,000 |
|
265,000
105,000
|
105,000 |
|
264,000
264,000
|
264,000 |
|
262,500
262,500
|
262,500 |
|
258,000
258,000
|
258,000 |
|
257,500
177,500
|
177,500 |
|
250,000
250,000
|
250,000 |
|
248,000
248,000
|
248,000 |
|
|
232,000
232,000
|
232,000 |
|
229,000
229,000
|
229,000 |
|
229,000
39,000
|
39,000 |
|
227,000
227,000
|
227,000 |
Level 8
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
It seems as if Anthony Khouzami is the Day 1c chip leader with 616,000 in his stack.
Stay tuned for the counts and a recap of the day's action.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
616,000
16,000
|
16,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
573,500
198,500
|
198,500 |
|
|
450,500
49,500
|
49,500 |
|
|
||
|
|
444,500 | |
|
|
434,500
14,500
|
14,500 |
|
68,500
51,500
|
51,500 |
Level 8
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
The players are working their way through their last three hands of the night.
Once they are done, play will stop and the survivors will bag up their chips.
Level 8
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
Angelos Michael just won a chunky pot right at the end of the night to give him a stack of around 300,000.
There were already around 15,000 chips in the pot on a 7♥9♦9♠ flop when Michael checked from the blinds and a player in the cutoff bet 10,000. Michael then made it 26,000, and the cutoff called.
A 2♥ dropped on the turn and Michael fired 30,000, which was again called by the cutoff to the 8♦ river. Michael then put together a bet of 99,500 and slid it across the line, sending the cutoff into the tank. After around a minute, he called.
Michael then showed a rivered straight with J♣10♥, and the cutoff mucked.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
300,000 |
Level 8
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
Anthony Khouzami seems to be the current chip leader with around 600,000, but there are a few players not far behind.
Also, Hassan Nashar, who bagged 585,000 on Day 1a, has come to play Day 1c in the closing moments in the hopes of pulling through an ever bigger stack than what he already has! Can he do it? He has around 200,000 right now!
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
600,000
290,000
|
290,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
500,000
230,000
|
230,000 |
|
|
||
Level 8
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
In the 883rd episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway, Kyna England, and Mike Holtz discuss Mike's recent 10-minute video (see below) calling out his recent experience in a big tournament at Resorts World, one that involved bad dealers and an alleged poker cheating ring in Las Vegas. The video blew up with Patrick Leonard and others speaking up. Find out where things stand with an update straight from Mike.
Chad also goes one-on-one for an exclusive interview with Phil Gordon, who gave his first poker interview in 12 years! The former "Poker Boom" star who won the 2004 WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star and hosted Celebrity Poker Showdown, reflects on winning his WPT title, shares what he's been up to the past decade, and remembers his good friend, the late Perry Friedman.
The crew also discuss embattled Supreme Court attorney Tom Goldstein partying in Greece with Kevin Hart and big-name poker pros, Dan "Jungleman" Cates' BBC rap video, and winners from the 2025 Wynn Millions including Harrison Gimbel and Jesse Lonis. Oh, and a special shoutout to Jacki Burkhart on winning her first trophy in a heads-up event in Oregon.
Finally, you can check out the latest installment of "New Vlogs on the Block" featuring Maurice Hawkins coaching (it's not even April Fools yet) and find out who won our backpack & hoodie giveaway in conjunction with Tilted Compass.
Level 8
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
Level 8 has started, which is the last level of Day 1c.
After these 40 minutes are up, the survivors will bag their chips ready for tomorrow's Day 2.
