$5,300 High Roller | 2025 Merit Poker Carmen Series

03-18-2025 15:57 UTC+2

Clement Michaud Eliminated in 18th Place ($13,935)

Tim Baker

Level 24 : Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante

Clement Michaud committed his last 175,000 into the middle from the cutoff, and only Oleg Svintsov made the call out of the small blind.

Clement Michaud: A♣3♦ All in
Oleg Svintsov: 10♣9♠

Michaud was slightly ahead with ace-high. The 2♠6♣8♣ flop provided Svintsov with a straight draw. The 8♦ turn meant Michaud was one card away from doubling up. However, the brutal, 10♠ landed on the river to give Svintsov the winner with a pair of tens, sending Michaud out of the tournament.

Player	Chips	Progress
Oleg Svintsov	1,300,000 400,000	400,000
Clement Michaud	Busted

Tags: Clement Michaud Oleg Svintsov

03-18-2025 15:52 UTC+2

Nagami Leaves Michaud Short

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Kai Cocklin

Level 24 : Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante

There was an open to 100,000 from the hijack and Clement Michaud three-bet to 600,000 from the cutoff. Kyosuke Nagami was on the button and put in his last 460,000, which got the hijack to fold.

Kyosuke Nagami: A♥Q♥ All in
Clement Michaud: K♥Q♠

Nagami's hand held up on the 5♣2♥2♠2♣9♣ runout, which earned him a double-up and left Michaud very short.

Player	Chips	Progress
Kyosuke Nagami	1,100,000 550,000	550,000
Clement Michaud	175,000 325,000	325,000

Tags: Clement Michaud Kyosuke Nagami

03-18-2025 15:49 UTC+2

Natan Chauskin Eliminated in 19th Place ($12,320)

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Tim Baker

Level 24 : Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante

Natan Chauskin raised the button to 100,000 before Maxime Chilaud three-bet to 275,000 out of the small blind, Chauskin four-bet jammed for roughly 1,100,000, and Chilaud snap-called.

Natan Chauskin: K♠Q♠ All in
Maxime Chilaud: J♣J♠

Chauskin was up against Chauskin's big pair but did have two overcards he could hit to double-up. The runout came 10♥7♣8♥4♦6♠, which provided no Broadway cards, meaning Chauskin was out in nineteenth place.

Player	Chips	Progress
Maxime Chilaud	2,850,000 1,100,000	1,100,000
Natan Chauskin	Busted

Tags: Maxime Chilaud Natan Chauskin

03-18-2025 15:44 UTC+2

Tobias Peters Eliminated in 20th Place ($12,320)

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Kai Cocklin

Level 24 : Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante

Maxime Chilaud opened to 100,000 from under the gun and Tobias Peters shoved for 375,000 from the small blind. Chilaud called.

Tobias Peters: 8♠8♦ All in
Maxime Chilaud: 6♠6♣

Peters was way ahead, but fell way behind when the flop came 4♣Q♥6♦, improving Chilaud to a set. An eight is what Peters needed, but he couldn't find it as the 9♦9♠ runout meant he was out in 20th.

Player	Chips	Progress
Maxime Chilaud	1,750,000 250,000	250,000
Tobias Peters	Busted

Tags: Maxime Chilaud Tobias Peters

Level: 24

Blinds: 25,000/50,000

Ante: 50,000

03-18-2025 15:39 UTC+2

Chilaud Picks Off Smolka's Bluff

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Tim Baker

Level 23 : Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante

Dawid Smolka opened from the hijack to 80,000 and Maxime Chilaud defended his big blind.

Chilaud check-called a bet of 75,000 from Smolka on the Q♣9♦8♥ flop.

The turn came the 7♦ and Chilaud check-called another bet from Smolka, this time for 225,000.

Chilaud checked for the last time when the 7♣ landed on the river, and Smolka put him to the test for his last 375,000. Chilaud burned through one of his time extensions before making the call.

Smolka showed a bluff with A♠3♦, and Chilaud turned over top pair with Q♦10♥. The pot was pushed to Chilaud as Smolka dropped to below two million chips.

Player	Chips	Progress
Dawid Smolka	1,900,000 450,000	450,000

Maxime Chilaud	1,500,000 750,000	750,000

Tags: Dawid Smolka Maxime Chilaud

03-18-2025 15:29 UTC+2

Lagan Flops the Jackpot

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Tim Baker

Level 23 : Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante

Paul Lagan just got his 1,080,000 into the middle preflop with Kyosuke Nagami being the player trying to bust him.

Paul Lagan: 7♦7♠ All in
Kyosuke Nagami: A♠A♣

Lagan had run into the two aces of Nagami, and would need a miracle to stay alive. He got his miracle on the 9♣7♥9♦ flop, as he hit the jackpot with a boat. The 2♣ turn didn't change anything, and when the 3♦ landed on the river, Lagan doubled up to over two million chips, while Nagami was left with around ten big blinds.

Player	Chips	Progress
Paul Lagan	2,200,000 1,850,000	1,850,000

Kyosuke Nagami	550,000 750,000	750,000

Tags: Kyosuke Nagami Paul Lagan

03-18-2025 15:24 UTC+2

Life Outside Poker: Embattled Poker Pro Brad Booth Vows to Make Amends

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Tim Baker

Level 23 : Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante

Life Outside Poker is a podcast for PokerNews hosted by Connor Richards that seeks to pull back the curtain on poker players and allow viewers and listeners to get to know them on a personal level.

In the 25th episode, Connor speaks with embattled poker pro Brad Booth about learning poker from his grandfather, climbing up stakes in Canada, living at the Bellagio and playing in Bobby's Room, bluffing Phil Ivey and getting cheated on Ultimate Bet.

Booth, who the poker community hasn't heard from for several years, opened up about his absence and going missing in 2020, as well as his gambling addiction and various poker debts to players like Doug Polk that he says he plans to make right.

"I got caught up in all of it and all I can try and do is make right now," he told PokerNews of his poker debts.

The Life Outside Poker podcast is available on major streaming platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud and iHeartRadio. You can also watch the interview with Brad Booth by heading to the PokerNews YouTube channel.

Learn More About Life Outside Poker!

03-18-2025 15:13 UTC+2

Iurii Grigorev Eliminated in 21st Place ($12,320)

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Tim Baker

Level 23 : Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante

When it folded to Iurii Grigorev on the button, he shoved for 255,000 with just the blinds to get through. Dawid Smolka got a count from the dealer and then made the call.

Iurii Grigorev: 7♣7♥ All in
Dawid Smolka: A♠4♦

Grigorev was the shortest stack left in the tournament so this was his chance to begin a comeback. However, the runout of 10♠K♣A♦10♣6♥ gave Smolka the best hand with a pair of aces, sending Grigorev to the cashier's desk.

Player	Chips	Progress
Dawid Smolka	2,350,000 250,000	250,000

Iurii Grigorev	Busted

Tags: Dawid Smolka Iurii Grigorev

03-18-2025 15:06 UTC+2

Soraya Estrada Eliminated in 22nd Place ($11,080)

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Tim Baker

Level 23 : Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante

Soraya Estrada shoved for roughly 400,000 from the cutoff and Kyosuke Nagami called out of the big blind.

Soraya Estrada: 6♠6♥ All in
Kyosuke Nagami: A♠Q♠

It was a race that was important for both players. The 4♦4♣8♦ flop kept Estrada ahead with her pair. However, the A♦ turn propelled Nagami into the lead with a pair of aces. The J♠ river didn't change anything and Estrda was out of the event.

Player	Chips	Progress
Kyosuke Nagami	1,300,000 200,000	200,000
Soraya Estrada	Busted

Tags: Kyosuke Nagami