$3,300 Main Event Day 4 | 2025 Merit Poker Carmen Series

03-23-2025 14:31 UTC+2

Toldin Stacks Blebea

Kai Cocklin

Level 27 : Blinds 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante

Iulian Blebea raised from under the gun to 120,000 and when the action got to Maxim Toldin in the big blind, he shoved for around 2,000,000. Blebea had around 1,000,000 total to start the hand and quickly called to put himself at risk.

Iulian Blebea: 9♠9♥ All in
Maxim Toldin: 10♦10♥

Blebea was in dire need of some help from the board but didn't find anything to work with on the 3♦8♣8♠ flop. A 3♠ on the turn also offered no assistance, and Blebea made his way to the payout desk when the 2♥ dropped on the river.

Player	Chips	Progress
Maxim Toldin	3,000,000 2,300,000	2,300,000
Iulian Blebea	Busted

Tags: Maxim Toldin Iulian Blebea

03-23-2025 14:25 UTC+2

Some Updated Chip Counts

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Tim Baker

Level 27 : Blinds 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Nichan Khorchidian	6,100,000 500,000	500,000
Akin Tuna	3,600,000 100,000	100,000
Dawid Smolka	3,550,000 550,000	550,000
Ludovic Geilich	3,500,000 200,000	200,000

Maher Achour	3,260,000 760,000	760,000
Hilmi Tekin	3,200,000 1,520,000	1,520,000
Chady Ojeil	3,125,000 1,515,000	1,515,000
Konstantin Voronin	3,000,000 835,000	835,000

Vladislav Ivanov	2,900,000 1,820,000	1,820,000
Paul Amsellem	2,800,000 540,000	540,000
Soraya Estrada	2,300,000 200,000	200,000
Grzegorz Kozieja	2,200,000 500,000	500,000
Andrey Pateychuk	2,200,000 400,000	400,000

Gregoire Auzoux	2,000,000 1,035,000	1,035,000

Level: 27

Blinds: 30,000/60,000

Ante: 60,000

03-23-2025 14:14 UTC+2

Stanciu's Kings Secure a Double

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Kai Cocklin

Level 26 : Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante

Well into the break, Traian Stanciu and Han Han were playing a pot that resulted in a double-up.

Stanciu had opened from middle position to 100,000 and Han three-bet the hijack to 280,000. When it got back to Stanciu, he shoved for 780,000, and Han snap-called.

Traian Stanciu: K♥K♣ All in
Han Han: Q♦Q♠

Stanciu was well ahead with his Cowboys and they remained in the lead throughout the 3♥3♣8♠7♣6♣ board.

Player	Chips	Progress
Traian Stanciu	1,700,000 1,050,000	1,050,000
Han Han	1,400,000 300,000	300,000

Tags: Han Han Traian Stanciu

03-23-2025 14:04 UTC+2

First Break

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Tim Baker

Level 26 : Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante

The remaining players are now on a 20-minute break.

03-23-2025 14:00 UTC+2

Kopyl Gets Paid By Geilich

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Kai Cocklin

Level 26 : Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante

Ludovic Geilich opened the button to 115,000 and Dmitrii Kopyl called from the big blind.

Both saw the flop of 7♥6♣A♣ where Kopyl check-called a bet of 85,000 from Geilich to the 7♣ turn. Instead of checking in flow, Kopyl decided to lead for 125,000, and Geilich called.

A J♣ put a fourth club on board and this time, Kopyl checked. Geilich then bet 185,000 before Kopyl check-raised to 810,000! Geilich was thinking it over and decided his hand was good enough to call, but was shown bad news as Kopyl flipped a full house with A♦7♠ to win the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ludovic Geilich	3,300,000 1,100,000	1,100,000

Dmitrii Kopyl	2,500,000 1,245,000	1,245,000

Tags: Dmitrii Kopyl Ludovic Geilich

03-23-2025 13:59 UTC+2

Sidhu's Sailboats Secure Him a Double Up

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Tim Baker

Level 26 : Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante

Kuljinder Sidhu got his last 535,000 in preflop from middle position, and Traian Stanciu was the player to put him at risk from the big blind

Kuljinder Sidhu: 4♥4♣ All in
Traian Stanciu: A♦K♦

Sidhu stood up from his chair, knowing it was essentially a coin flip for his tournament life. The board ran out 10♦2♥J♥9♥8♦, and Sidhu’s pair of Sailboats held to earn him a double-up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Kuljinder Sidhu	1,150,000 470,000	470,000
Traian Stanciu	650,000 400,000	400,000

Tags: Kuljinder Sidhu Traian Stanciu

03-23-2025 13:50 UTC+2

Recent Bustouts

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Kai Cocklin

Level 26 : Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Sergey Tikhonov	Busted
Axel Hallay	Busted

Kutay Taskin	Busted
Aleksey Cherkasov	Busted
Tarmo Tammel	Busted
Tomer Lahav	Busted
Jakub Michalak	Busted

03-23-2025 13:43 UTC+2

Khorchidian Takes the Aggressive Approach

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Tim Baker

Level 26 : Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante

With around 800,000 in the middle on a flop of Q♦9♣9♦, Nichan Khorchidian led out for 200,000 from the small blind, and Spyridon Apartoglou called from middle position.

The 8♦ landed on the turn, and Khorchidian checked. Apartoglou bet 420,000, and Khorchidian went deep into the tank, glancing back at his cards several times before check-shoving for Apartoglou’s remaining 1,050,000.

Apartoglou snap-folded, and Khorchidian flashed the A♥ as he raked in the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Nichan Khorchidian	5,600,000 500,000	500,000
Spyridon Apartoglou	1,050,000 450,000	450,000

Tags: Nichan Khorchidian Spyridon Apartoglou

03-23-2025 13:36 UTC+2

Dukic Puts Alanaz in the Blender

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Kai Cocklin

Level 26 : Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante

The action was picked up in a big pot between Nenad Dukic and Bassel Alanaz on a board of 9♣7♦Q♥3♦Q♣ and Carlos Aoun recalled the hand to PokerNews.

Alanaz had opened the cutoff then called a three-bet from Dukic on the button. Alanaz check-called the flop and a big bet on the turn, and was facing a shove of Dukic for around 850,000 on the river. The had around 2,000,000 in it before Dukic shoved and Alanaz was deep in the tank while he pondered how to proceed.

In fact, so much time had passed that Alanaz decided to call the clock on himself to force him to make a decision. The 30-second countdown was initiated and Alanaz didn't act, so his hand was dead and the pot was pushed to Dukic.

Player	Chips	Progress
Nenad Dukic	2,900,000 700,000	700,000

Bassel Alanaz	2,300,000 240,000	240,000

Tags: Bassel Alanaz Carlos Aoun Nenad Dukic