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$2,200 IPO Master
Day 1a Completed
2025 Merit Poker Dolce Vita Series
$2,200 IPO Master
Day: 1a
Event Info
2025 Merit Poker Dolce Vita Series
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1a
Buy-in
$2,200
Prize Pool
$1,343,200
Total Entries
730
Level
38
Blinds
500,000 / 1,000,000
Ante
1,000,000
Entries
228
Players Left
99
Players Left 1 / 730
Filter
Level 10
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
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.
Level 10
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
Level 10
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
Day 1a has come to an end and it appears that Hassan Nashar has bagged the chip lead with 699,000.
Stay tuned for a full chip count and a recap of the day's action.
Level 10
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
Yilu Yuan will feel slightly disappointed he didn't earn himself some extra chips right at the death.
On a board of 8♥7♥6♣J♥4♣, Yuan bet 42,000 into a pot of around 50,000, and got a call from his opponent.
Yuan tabled the nuts with A♥6♥ to win the pot, and was shown K♥9♥ by his opponent for the second nuts.
Level 10
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
The clock has been paused with 14 minutes remaining, and the floor have announced that three more hands will be played before the survivors bag up for the evening.
Level 10
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
Soraya Estrada and Felipe Ketzer both are climbing the ranks over the last levels of the night and are hovering around the half-million mark.
Level 10
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
Zaid Al-Khashab opened from middle position to 5,000 and Andrey Pateychuk three-bet the cutoff to 13,000. When the action got back to Al-Khashab, he called.
On the 6♦K♥4♥ flop, both players checked to the 5♦ turn, where Al-Khashab bet 14,000. Pateychuk called and the river brought the 4♣. After thinking, Al-Khashab decided to check, and then folded when Pateychuk bet 27,000.
Level 10
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
After a series of raises preflop, Robert Burlacu had his stack of around 160,000 in the middle from the hijack and Iliyas Mukhamedzhanov had called from the small blind.
Robert Burlacu: 9♠9♦ 
Iliyas Mukhamedzhanov: A♣J♦
Burlacu's nines kept their lead through the 8♠5♥4♦ flop, but Mukhamedzhanov paired his ace on the A♦ turn. A J♣ on the river improved Mukhamedzhanov to two pair, which sent Burlacu to the rail as the end of the day is in sight.
Level: 10
Blinds: 1,000/2,000
Ante: 2,000
