$3,300 Main Event Day 3 | 2025 Merit Poker Carmen Series

03-22-2025 19:36 UTC+2

Isaia Sends Novak to the Cashier's Desk

Tim Baker

Level 23 : Blinds 15,000/25,000, 25,000 ante

Andrii Novak mid-raised to 50,000 under the gun before Alessio Isaia three-bet to 150,000 from middle position. When it got back to Novak, he four-bet jammed for roughly 500,000, and Isaia called.

Andrii Novak: 9♠9♣ All in
Alessio Isaia: J♠J♦

Novak needed to find a nine or you would be out of the tournament. The flop came down 7♠10♠3♠ to give both players a flush draw, and the 8♠ turn meant Novak had one out headed to the river. A blank 2♣ hit the river and Novak was headed to the cashier's desk.

Player	Chips	Progress
Alessio Isaia	2,200,000 400,000	400,000

Andrii Novak	Busted

Tags: Alessio Isaia Andrii Novak

03-22-2025 19:35 UTC+2

Gungoren's Jacks Hold Up Against Achour's Big Slick

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Kai Cocklin

Level 23 : Blinds 15,000/25,000, 25,000 ante

There was an open before Maher Achour three-bet to 130,000. Gurcan Gungoren then four-bet shoved for a little under 700,000 from the blinds, and once the action got to Achour, he called.

Gurcan Gungoren: J♠J♥ All in
Maher Achour: A♣K♠

Gungoren held the lead with his pocket jacks and stayed out in front after the 9♦7♦8♠ flop. A 6♦ on the turn gave Achour four outs to a chop, but the 4♥ river was a brick and Gungoren doubled up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Gurcan Gungoren	1,500,000 1,088,000	1,088,000
Maher Achour	1,100,000 200,000	200,000

Tags: Gurcan Gungoren Maher Achour

03-22-2025 19:25 UTC+2

Michalak Wins a Crucial Flip

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Tim Baker

Level 23 : Blinds 15,000/25,000, 25,000 ante

Jakub Michalak got his last 160,000 or so into the middle preflop, with Osman Aksu being the player trying to send him home.

Jakub Michalak: A♣10♦ All in
Osman Aksu: 8♣8♦

Aksu only had roughly 50,000 more than Michalak, so this race was crucial for both players. The board came 7♦A♠4♦5♣2♠ to give Michalak the winner with a pair of aces on the flop. Michalak doubled up, and Aksu was left with just a few big blinds.

Player	Chips	Progress
Jakub Michalak	330,000 48,000	48,000
Osman Aksu	50,000 428,000	428,000

Tags: Jakub Michalak Osman Aksu

03-22-2025 19:21 UTC+2

More Eliminations

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Kai Cocklin

Level 23 : Blinds 15,000/25,000, 25,000 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Vlad Darie	Busted

Alexey Savenkov	Busted
Andrey Litvinov	Busted
Henrik Brockmann	Busted
Alexander Sazhinov	Busted
Maksim Shornikau	Busted
Andrija Cvetkovic	Busted
Anthony Khouzami	Busted

Aleksandr Kirichenko	Busted
Meir Batyrkhanov	Busted
Stefan Bittger	Busted
Lyudmil Ivanov	Busted

03-22-2025 19:16 UTC+2

Khorchidian Shoves on Spataru

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Kai Cocklin

Level 23 : Blinds 15,000/25,000, 25,000 ante

Nichan Khorchidian made it 50,000 from middle position and Andrei Spataru three-bet to 220,000 from the small blind. When it got back to Khorchidian, he took his time before he dropped in the call.

They saw a flop of Q♣3♣9♦ and Spataru made a continuation-bet of 125,000. Khorchidian was again taking his time and after he mulled it over, he shoved for a little under 700,000. Spataru rechecked his cards then tossed them into the muck, and Khorchidian added to his stack.

Player	Chips	Progress
Kirill Shcherbakov	1,500,000 50,000	50,000
Darius Neagoe	1,500,000

Nichan Khorchidian	1,300,000 875,000	875,000
Andrei Spataru	950,000 50,000	50,000

Tags: Andrei Spataru Nichan Khorchidian

03-22-2025 19:13 UTC+2

Sazhinov Hits the Rail

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Tim Baker

Level 23 : Blinds 15,000/25,000, 25,000 ante

Timur Mukhamedaminov raised the cutoff to 50,000 and Alexander Sazhinov defended his big blind with just 40,000 behind.

Sazhinov checked the 6♦10♦K♣ flop, and Mukhamedaminov bet enough to put him all in. Sazhinov quickly called.

Alexander Sazhinov: A♠6♣ All in
Timur Mukhamedaminov: K♠J♠

Sazhinov had bottom pair but was behind to the top pair of Mukhamedaminov. The 2♣ turn and 9♦ river didn't help Sazhinov, and he was out of the tournament.

Player	Chips	Progress
Timur Mukhamedaminov	1,800,000 800,000	800,000
Alexander Sazhinov	Busted

Tags: Alexander Sazhinov Timur Mukhamedaminov

03-22-2025 19:07 UTC+2

Smolka Turns an Ace to End Cvetkovic's Run

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Kai Cocklin

Level 23 : Blinds 15,000/25,000, 25,000 ante

There was an open from middle position to 50,000 and Andrija Cvetkovic three-bet from the cutoff to 130,000 before Dawid Smolka four-bet the button to 260,000 .The hijack folded and Cvetkovic shoved for around 600,000. After a few seconds, Smolka called.

Andrija Cvetkovic: K♦K♥ All in
Dawid Smolka: A♦Q♠

Cvetkovic was miles ahead with his Cowboys and remained in the lead after the 4♣6♠2♠ flop. However, the A♥ turn put Cvetkovic one card away from elimination as Smolka paired his ace to take the lead.

Smolka improved further when the Q♥ landed on the river, giving him two pair and send Cvetkovic to the rail in the penultimate level of Day 3.

Player	Chips	Progress
Dawid Smolka	2,400,000 700,000	700,000
Andrija Cvetkovic	Busted

Tags: Andrija Cvetkovic Dawid Smolka

03-22-2025 19:00 UTC+2

Big Stacks After the Break

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Tim Baker

Level 23 : Blinds 15,000/25,000, 25,000 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Ludovic Geilich	3,000,000 600,000	600,000

Soraya Estrada	2,950,000 1,150,000	1,150,000
Alessio Isaia	2,600,000 800,000	800,000

Bassel Alanaz	2,250,000 1,771,000	1,771,000
Ghassan Bitar	2,000,000 300,000	300,000
Grzegorz Kozieja	1,970,000 1,408,000	1,408,000
Walid Bou Habib	1,800,000 400,000	400,000
[Removed:553]	1,700,000 300,000	300,000
Nenad Dukic	1,700,000 150,000	150,000

Dawid Smolka	1,700,000 500,000	500,000
Spyridon Apartoglou	1,700,000 1,127,000	1,127,000
Akin Tuna	1,600,000 800,000	800,000
Paul Amsellem	1,600,000 400,000	400,000
Darius Neagoe	1,500,000 100,000	100,000

Kirill Shcherbakov	1,450,000

Level: 23

Blinds: 15,000/25,000

Ante: 25,000

03-22-2025 18:45 UTC+2

Final Break

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Tim Baker

Level 22 : Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante

The remaining players are now on their last break of the day. The plan is to play two more levels after this break before the survivors bag up their chips for the night.