$5,300 High Roller Day 2 | 2025 Merit Poker Carmen Series

03-18-2025 02:44 UTC+2

Estrada Chips Up

Tim Baker

Level 19 : Blinds 8,000/16,000, 16,000 ante

Axel Hallay raised the cutoff to 35,000 with Soraya Estrada calling on the button, and Paul Lagan calling out of the small blind.

The action checked all the way to river on a board of Q♦4♥K♠A♥. After it checked to Estrada, she fired out a bet of 65,000. Lagan quickly folded, but Hallay thought for around a minute before tossing his cards into the muck.

Player	Chips	Progress
Paul Lagan	800,000 50,000	50,000

Axel Hallay	450,000 300,000	300,000
Soraya Estrada	400,000 320,500	320,500

Tags: Axel Hallay Paul Lagan Soraya Estrada

03-18-2025 02:28 UTC+2

Ketzer Takes From Karaliunas

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Tim Baker

Level 19 : Blinds 8,000/16,000, 16,000 ante

Simas Karaliunas opened from middle positon to 32,000, and Felipe Ketzer defended his big blind.

On the Q♥J♠2♣ flop, Keltzer check-called a bet of 22,000 from Karaliunas.

Both players checked the A♠ turn for the 3♦ to land on the river. Ketzer led out for 135,000 and Karaliunas tossed his cards into the muck.

Player	Chips	Progress
Simas Karaliunas	1,100,000 410,000	410,000
Felipe Ketzer	830,000 65,000	65,000

Tags: Felipe Ketzer Simas Karaliunas

03-18-2025 02:13 UTC+2

Horrible River Sends Zakharov Home

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Tim Baker

Level 19 : Blinds 8,000/16,000, 16,000 ante

When it folded to Kyosuke Nagami in the small blind, he shoved to put Dmitriy Zakharov all in from the big blind. Dmitriy Zakharov called for his last 130,000 and the cards were revealed.

Dmitriy Zakharov: K♠4♠ All in
Kyosuke Nagami: J♥10♣

Zakharov had made the right call and was ahead with king-high. The Q♦9♦A♠ flop gave Nagami a lot more outs to send Zakharov packing. The 9♣ turn didn't change anything, but the 10♦ river improved Nagami to a pair of tens, sending Zakharov home.

Player	Chips	Progress
Kyosuke Nagami	700,000 20,000	20,000
Dmitriy Zakharov	Busted

Tags: Dmitriy Zakharov Kyosuke Nagami

03-18-2025 02:08 UTC+2

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

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Tim Baker

Level 19 : Blinds 8,000/16,000, 16,000 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 02:00 UTC+2

Updated Chip Stacks

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Tim Baker

Level 19 : Blinds 8,000/16,000, 16,000 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Dawid Smolka	2,000,000 300,000	300,000

Merijn van Rooij	1,000,000 610,000	610,000
Angelos Michael	970,000 970,000	970,000
Peteris Enders	950,000 872,500	872,500
Cedric Schwaederle	950,000 840,500	840,500
Martynas Vitkauskas	920,000 920,000	920,000
Paul Lagan	850,000 30,000	30,000

Mario Colavita	840,000 540,000	540,000
Dmitry Kataev	800,000 100,000	100,000
Iurii Grigorev	800,000 531,500	531,500
Dinesh Alt	780,000 180,000	180,000
Kassem Hammoud	770,000 679,000	679,000
Felipe Ketzer	765,000 365,000	365,000
Kirill Shcherbakov	740,000 740,000	740,000
Tobias Peters	720,000 30,000	30,000

Kyosuke Nagami	720,000 420,000	420,000
Simas Karaliunas	690,000 210,000	210,000
Henrik Brockmann	670,000 290,000	290,000
Johnny Lodden	600,000 125,000	125,000
Andrey Pateychuk	470,000 70,000	70,000

Level: 19

Blinds: 8,000/16,000

Ante: 16,000

03-18-2025 01:48 UTC+2

Break Time

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Tim Baker

Level 18 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

Players are now on a 15-minute break.

03-18-2025 01:45 UTC+2

Smolka's Two Pair Ends Bezhanyan High Roller

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Tim Baker

Level 18 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

The action was picked up on the turn of a board that showed 10♠7♣J♠2♣. Dawid Smolka checked from the big blind and Aren Bezhanyan bet 88,000 from the hijack. Smolka called.

Somlka checked when the 4♦ appeared on the river and Bezhanyan put out a big bet of 178,000, leaving himself about 290,000 behind. Smolka thought it over before he check-shoved for the rest of Bezhanyan's chips. Bezhanyan was visibly distressed by the situation he got himself into. Eventually, he made the call.

Aren Bezhanyan: Q♥Q♠ All in
Dawid Smolka: J♣4♣

Smolka had the winner with a rivered two pair, jacks and fours. Bezhanyan couldn't beat that with his overpair, so he was sent to rail. Smolka, on the other hand, moved up to 1,700,000 in chips.

Player	Chips	Progress
Dawid Smolka	1,700,000 1,200,000	1,200,000

Aren Bezhanyan	Busted

Tags: Aren Bezhanyan Dawid Smolka

03-18-2025 01:30 UTC+2

Lagan's Limp Wins Him a Nice Pot

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Tim Baker

Level 18 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

Paul Lagan limped in from early position. The player in small blind called and Kirill Burtin checked in the big blind.

Three-ways to a flop of 7♠A♥5♦ where the action checked to Lagan. Lagan bet 20,000, and only Burtin called.

The two players checked through the 6♣ turn to see the 8♦ drop on the river. Burtin checked, and Lagan fired 70,000 into the middle. Burtin made the call and then mucked his cards after Lagan flipped over 9♠9♣ for a rivered straight.

Player	Chips	Progress
Paul Lagan	820,000 290,000	290,000

Kirill Burtin	330,000 185,000	185,000

Tags: Kirill Burtin Paul Lagan

03-18-2025 01:19 UTC+2

Lodden Fires Every Street Against Kolev

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Tim Baker

Level 18 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

Yuliyan Kolev raised to 24,000 from middle position and Johnny Lodden three-bet to 75,000 from the hiajck. When it got back to Kolev he called to see a flop.

On the K♠10♥2♠ flop, Kolev check-called a bet of 60,000 by Lodden.

The turn came the 5♦ and Kolev check-called another bet from Lodden, this time for 125,000.

Kolev checked for the last time when the 8♥ appeared on the river and over just a few moments, Lodden shoved for 182,000. Kolev went deep into the tank, thinking for around three minutes. Eventually, he opted to fold.

After a lot of coaxing from Kolev, Lodden allowed Kolev to turn over one of his cards. Kolev picked the K♦ and celebrated in making the correct laydown.

Player	Chips	Progress
Johnny Lodden	725,000 205,000	205,000
Yuliyan Kolev	600,000 600,000	600,000

Tags: Johnny Lodden Yuliyan Kolev