Hassan Nashar Bags Big on Opening Day of $2,200 IPO Master
The 2025 Merit Poker Dolce Vita Series got off to a flying start as Day 1a of the $2,200 IPO Master drew 228 entries, comfortably surpassing the 169 recorded in last year’s opening flight. With a $1,000,000 guaranteed prize pool and three more starting flights still to come, the momentum is already building toward another massive turnout in North Cyprus.
Leading the 99 survivors at the end of ten levels was Hassan Nashar, who bagged an impressive 699,500 in chips. Among the other big stacks and notables to find a bag were Afshin Afsharorumieh (670,000), Michael Iakovlev (540,000), and Imad Saab (527,000), all of whom finished with above-average stacks and plenty of room to maneuver on Day 2.
End of Day 1a Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hassan Nashar | Guinea-Bissau | 699,500 | 280 |
| 2 | Afshin Afsharorumieh | Iran | 670,000 | 268 |
| 3 | Michael Iakovlev | Russia | 540,000 | 216 |
| 4 | Imad Saab | Lebanon | 527,000 | 211 |
| 5 | Samuel Dray | France | 521,000 | 208 |
| 6 | Gerard Carbo Santamaria | Spain | 506,000 | 202 |
| 7 | Uladzimir Zhyharau | Belarus | 505,000 | 202 |
| 8 | Maxime Chilaud | France | 480,000 | 192 |
| 9 | Soraya Estrada | Spain | 476,500 | 191 |
| 10 | Felipe Ketzer | Brazil | 470,000 | 188 |
Gerard Carbo Santamaria (506,000), Maxime Chilaud (480,000), Soraya Estrada (476,000), and Felipe Ketzer (470,000) also ended the day well ahead of the pack. Former EPT champion Andrey Pateychuk advanced with 268,000 and will be one to watch as the field continues to grow.
All survivors from Day 1a will return on July 30 for Day 2, where they’ll be joined by players from the remaining three flights. Day 1b kicks off tomorrow at 12:00 p.m. local time.
Stay locked in to PokerNews for exclusive updates, chip counts, and stories from the floor as the Dolce Vita Series continues.