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

03-22-2025 14:45 UTC+3

Zurr Gets Punished for Making the Right Call

Tim Baker

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

Carlos Aoun raised to 17,000 from the cutoff with Shai Zurr calling from the small blind before Mantas Bagocius squeezed all in from the big blind for roughly 190,000. Aoun folded, but Zurr made the call to put Bagocius at risk.

Mantas Bagocius: Q♠10♠ All in
Shai Zurr: A♣Q♦

Zurr had made the right call and found himself in a great spot to bust Bagocius, and add a huge amount of chips to his stack. However, the flop came down K♥10♥6♥ to put Bagocius in the lead with a pair of tens. The rest of the board ran out Q♣8♦ and Bagocius doubled up thanks to a lot of help from the dealer.

Player	Chips	Progress
Carlos Aoun	730,000 80,000	80,000
Mantas Bagocius	400,000 47,000	47,000
Shai Zurr	130,000 119,000	119,000

Tags: Carlos Aoun Mantas Bagocius Shai Zurr

03-22-2025 14:42 UTC+3

Tuna Shows No Fear in Deep Waters

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Kai Cocklin

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

Akin Tuna wasn’t about to get reeled in.

The action began when Tuna opened the pot to 16,000 from middle position and Fredrico Senno came along on the button. Sami Ayyoub flicked in a call from the small blind, and Leonid Orman completed the action from the big.

The flop came 8♣6♠6♦—a slippery one—and after it was checked around, Tuna tossed out a continuation-bet of 22,000. Senno swam away, but Ayyoub bumped it up to 55,000. Orman got out of the net, while Tuna decided to stick around in deeper waters.

The 7♣ on the turn didn’t slow Ayyoub down, as he fired another shot—this time for 56,000. But Tuna still wasn’t floundering, making the call once again.

The river 2♥ brought one final bet into the current: Ayyoub pushed a third barrel into the pot of 83,000. Tuna didn’t snap it off, but after a brief tank, he made the call and proudly tabled 9♠8♥ for eights and sixes. Ayyoub mucked his hand with a nod, simply saying, “Nice call.”

Tuna proved once again he’s no small fry—he’s here to go the distance.

Player	Chips	Progress
Akin Tuna	1,270,000 370,000	370,000
Sami Ayyoub	550,000 225,000	225,000
Leonid Orman	500,000 50,000	50,000
Fredrico Senno	370,000 136,000	136,000

Tags: Akin Tuna Fredrico Senno Leonid Orman Sami Ayyoub

03-22-2025 14:29 UTC+3

Kvashin Takes From Kolev

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Tim Baker

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

Konstantin Kvashin opened to 16,000 from early position, and Boris Kolev three-bet to approximately 50,000 from the next seat. Action folded back to Kvashin, who four-bet to 175,000. Kolev took a moment before eventually making the call.

The dealer fanned out a flop of Q♠3♠6♥, and both players checked.

On the 4♦ turn, Kvashin fired a delayed continuation-bet of 181,000. Kolev again took some time but ultimately folded, sending the pot Kvashin's way.

Player	Chips	Progress
Konstantin Kvashin	800,000 379,000	379,000
Boris Kolev	700,000 271,000	271,000

Tags: Boris Kolev Konstantin Kvashin

03-22-2025 14:27 UTC+3

Kopyl and Pateychuk Representing Russia

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Kai Cocklin

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

Dmitrii Kopyl just shoved the turn on a board of 9♣K♥K♣7♦ with around 160,000 in the middle from the cutoff. His opponent on the button had around 140,000 remaining and opted to fold, allowing Kopyl's stack to grow to around 500,000.

Andrey Pateychuk is seated at the same table and has around 900,000 in his stack. Pateychuk sits 10th on Russia's all-time money list with over $6,000,000 in live tournament earnings, including a Main Event victory at a Merit Poker series in 2018!

Player	Chips	Progress
Andrey Pateychuk	900,000 48,000	48,000

Dmitrii Kopyl	500,000 120,000	120,000

Tags: Andrey Pateychuk Dmitrii Kopyl

03-22-2025 14:19 UTC+3

Chen's Second Bet Does the Trick

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Kai Cocklin

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

Clement Michaud made it 16,000 to to go from middle position and Zhen Chen defended his big blind.

Both watched the 4♥9♦2♥ flop hit the felt and Chen led out for 18,000. Michaud called.

A second bet came in from Chen on the 9♥ turn, this time for 26,000. In a flash, Michaud released his cards, and Chen added some valuable chips to his stack.

Player	Chips	Progress
Akin Tuna	900,000 200,000	200,000
Zhen Chen	250,000 29,000	29,000
Clement Michaud	100,000 143,000	143,000

Tags: Clement Michaud Zhen Chen

03-22-2025 14:18 UTC+3

Zainescu Hits the Rail

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Tim Baker

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

Timur Mukhamedaminov raised to 16,000 from early position, and Carmen Zainescu called on the button.

Mukhamedaminov fired a continuation-bet of 21,000 on the 9♦7♦5♣ flop, and Zainescu called.

When the 5♥ fell on the turn, Mukhamedaminov asked for a count of Zainescu’s remaining chips. Seeing she had roughly 90,000 behind, Mukhamedaminov bet 46,000. Zainescu responded by moving all in, and Mukhamedaminov snap-called.

Carmen Zainescu: A♣Q♠ All in
Timur Mukhamedaminov: Q♦10♦

Zainescu was ahead with ace-high, needing to fade Mukhamedaminov's flush draw to survive. However, the 3♦ landed on the river to complete Mukhamedaminov's flush, sending the start-of-Day 2 chip leader to an early exit.

Player	Chips	Progress
Timur Mukhamedaminov	800,000 6,000	6,000
Carmen Zainescu	Busted

Tags: Carmen Zainescu Timur Mukhamedaminov

03-22-2025 14:12 UTC+3

Hajj Flipped Out

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Kai Cocklin

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

Alain Hajj had his last 65,000 in the middle from the cutoff and was put at risk by Andrija Cvetkovic, who had opened from early position.

Alain Hajj: K♦Q♦ All in
Andrija Cvetkovic: 9♦9♠

Hajj took the lead on the 5♠Q♠A♠ flop but Cvetkovic had plenty of outs after picking up a flush draw. The 8♠ dropped on the turn which ended the hand as Cvetkovic made his flush, ending Hajj's tournament.

A meaningless K♣ dropped on the river for an extra bit of salt in the wound for Hajj, and Cvetkovic's stack grew to around 1,300,000.