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

Mar 22, 2025

Soraya Scores a Monster Double; Cvetkovic's Stack Tumbles

Kai Cocklin

Level 19 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

A huge hand just played out between Andrija Cvetkovic and Soraya Estrada which resulted in a big double-up for one of them.

Cvetkovic had opened to 20,000 from middle position and Estrada made it 60,000 on the button. When it got back to Cvetkovic, he four-bet to 160,000 before Estrada five-bet to 260,000! The action didn't stop there as Cvetkovic six-bet to around 650,000, and Estrada quickly called off her stack of around 620,000.

Soraya Estrada: A♦A♣ All in
Andrija Cvetkovic: A♥K♣

Estrada had a perfect opportunity to double-up and couldn't lose the hand after the flop of A♠2♦2♠ gave her a full house! Only running deuces would see Cvetkovic get any rebate from the hand, but no ducks appeared as the 6♥3♠ runout gave Estrada a huge pot!

Tags: Andrija Cvetkovic Soraya Estrada

Mar 22, 2025

Netaliev Doubles With Cowboys

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Tim Baker

Level 19 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

Oleg Netaliev raised to 20,000 from the cutoff and was three-bet to 52,000 by the player on the button. After the blinds folded, Netaliev four-bet shoved for roughly 225,000. The button player reluctantly called and the cards were flipped over.

Oleg Netaliev: K♣K♠ All in
Button Player: K♦Q♣

Netaliev had his opponent crushed and was likely to double up with his Cowboys. The board ran out A♣Q♦5♦A♠A♦ to give both players a full house, but it was Netaliev's superior full house that earned him the pot and the double up.

Tags: Oleg Netaliev

Mar 22, 2025

Gromov and Akyel Happy to Chop the Pot

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Tim Baker

Level 19 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

Ramazan Akyel raised under the gun to 22,000 with Dmitry Gromov three-betting to 52,000 from middle position. When it got back to Akyel, he called to see a flop.

Both players were happy to check the J♣9♠10♦ flop to see the 8♠ land on the turn. Akyel led out for 60,000 and Gromov called.

The 10♠ river caused another two checks and Akyel turned over Q♦Q♣ for a straight, which was good for half the pot because Gromov showed A♦Q♠ for the same straight.

Tags: Dmitry Gromov Ramazan Akyel

Mar 22, 2025

Adomkevicius Gets Called Down By Konopelko

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Kai Cocklin

Level 19 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

Aneris Adomkevicius raised to 22,000 from middle position and Andrei Konopelko was the only caller on the button.

On the 5♣7♦K♣ flop, Adomkevicius made a continuation-bet of 23,000, which Konopelko called to the 6♠ turn. Again Adomkevicius made a bet, this time for 38,000, which again Konopelko called.

When the 7♥ dropped on the river, Adomkevicius fired a third bullet into the pot of 55,000, and without much hesitation, Konopelko called.

"Bluff," said Adomkevicius as he showed Q♦8♦. Konopelko stayed silent then revealed he had flopped a king with K♦10♦ to scoop the pot.

Tags: Andrei Konopelko Aneris Adomkevicius

Mar 22, 2025

Selected Chip Counts

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Kai Cocklin

Level 19 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

Level: 19

Blinds: 5,000/10,000

Ante: 10,000

Mar 22, 2025

Break Time

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Kai Cocklin

Level 18 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante

Players are heading on a 15-minute break.

Mar 22, 2025

Plenty of Action Ahead at Merit Poker!

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Tim Baker

Level 18 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante

Don’t miss any of the exciting poker action at Merit this spring, as both the Merit Millions and Mediterranean Poker Party are on the way.

The special Merit Millions event will run from April 8-13, with a buy-in of $10,400 over four starting flights. The champion will earn $1,000,000, with the rest of the prize pool distributed between players at the final table.

The Mediterranean Poker Party (MPP) returns to Merit from May 3-13, bringing with it more than $10 million in guaranteed prize pools, including a monster-sized $5,300 buy-in, $5 million guaranteed MPP Main Event.

Featuring four flights, the MPP Main Event runs from May 8-12 and could see the champion reel in a million-dollar score. In 2024, some 1,260 entries resulted in a $6,048,000 prize pool, much more than the advertised $5 million guarantee.

Look out for satellites running on GGPoker and win your way to Merit this spring!

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Mar 22, 2025

Hallay Fires Every Street, Gets There Against Estrada

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Kai Cocklin

Level 18 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante

Soraya Estrada made it 16,000 from under the gun and Axel Hallay called.

Both saw the flop of 9♣7♠9♥ where Hallay checked, Estrada bet 13,000, Hallay raised to 35,000, and Estrada called.

The 6♦ on the turn drew another bet out of Hallay, this time for 27,000. Again Estrada called and the river came a 5♦, putting a four-liner on board. Hallay gathered chips and threw a bet of 110,000 into the pot, and after around 20 seconds, Estrada called.

Hallay then showed a straight with 8♦6♠, and Estrada mucked.

Tags: Axel Hallay Soraya Estrada

Mar 22, 2025

Geilich Sends Sabau Packing After Ambitious Bluff

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Tim Baker

Level 18 : Blinds 4,000/8,000, 8,000 ante

Arriving at the table, a massive pot was brewing between Ludovic Geilich and Razvan Sabau.

According to a player at the table table, Sabau had opened to 16,000 from early position and Geilich had three-bet from the big blind. Sabau then four-bet to roughly 200,000, and Geilich called.

Geilich checked the 6♦2♣10♠ flop, then called after Sabau continued with a bet.

The turn brought the 10♣ and Geilich checked again. Sabau moved all in for 550,000, sending Geilich deep into the tank. Eventually, Geilich slammed in a call.

Razvan Sabau: 9♥7♥ All in
Ludovic Geilich: Q♣Q♦

Geilich was well ahead with his pocket queens against Sabau’s audacious bluff, holding nine-high and a gutshot straight draw. The river brought the 2♠, which was no help to Sabau, who was eliminated. Geilich scooped the massive pot and surged to over two million chips.

Tags: Ludovic Geilich Razvan Sabau