Level: 8
Blinds: 1,000/1,500
Ante: 1,500
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
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 7
: Blinds 1,000/1,500, 1,500 ante
Antoine Daou had his stack of around 50,000 in the middle preflop against Iliyas Mukhamedzhanov.
Antoine Daou: A♠A♣ 
Iliyas Mukhamedzhanov: A♥K♦
Daou had the best of it with pocket aces, and had no problem holding on as the 8♠Q♥Q♦8♦2♠ runout kept him ahead the whole way.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
375,000
25,000
|
25,000 |
|
100,000 |
Level 7
: Blinds 1,000/1,500, 1,500 ante
On a board of 6♣3♥2♠K♣, Ghassan Khalil check-called a bet of 17,500 from Vadzim Lipauka, who was on the button.
A 2♦ on the river paired the board and after Khalil checked, Lipauka shoved. Khalil had around 33,000 behind and after some thinking, he dropped in the call.
Lipauka sheepishly flipped J♦9♦ for a bluff, and Khalil rolled over A♥5♥ for just ace-high to take the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
140,000
140,000
|
140,000 |
|
100,000
80,000
|
80,000 |
Level 7
: Blinds 1,000/1,500, 1,500 ante
With around 25,000 in the pot on a Q♣6♥8♣10♠3♥ board, Banksy fired out 16,000 on the river and was met with a raise to 50,000 from Hasan Basol.
Banksy was getting a massage while he pondered the decision, and eventually tossed in a chip to make the call. Basol then showed J♣9♠ for a straight, which prompted Banksy to muck and get back to his massage.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
170,000 | |
|
70,000 |
Level 7
: Blinds 1,000/1,500, 1,500 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
540,000
165,000
|
165,000 |
|
500,000 | |
|
450,000
50,000
|
50,000 |
|
|
400,000
150,000
|
150,000 |
|
400,000
283,500
|
283,500 |
|
370,000
260,000
|
260,000 |
|
360,000
360,000
|
360,000 |
|
300,000
300,000
|
300,000 |
|
300,000
300,000
|
300,000 |
|
290,000
140,000
|
140,000 |
|
270,000
235,000
|
235,000 |
|
250,000
140,000
|
140,000 |
|
240,000
240,000
|
240,000 |
|
|
230,000
230,000
|
230,000 |
|
180,000
50,000
|
50,000 |
|
||
Level: 7
Blinds: 1,000/1,500
Ante: 1,500
Level 6
: Blinds 800/1,500, 1,500 ante
Players have been sent on another 20-minute break.
A reminder that a total of ten levels will be played across all day 1 flights in the IPO Master.
Level 6
: Blinds 800/1,500, 1,500 ante
With around 15,000 in the pot on a 4♠2♦A♣ flop, Florian Duta fired out 5,000 from middle position and Mehmet Dalkilic was the only caller in the cutoff.
When the J♥ landed on the turn, Duta fired again for 17,000, which was enough to win the pot as Dalkilic folded.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
310,000
10,000
|
10,000 |
|
85,000
45,000
|
45,000 |
Level 6
: Blinds 800/1,500, 1,500 ante
The action was picked up preflop with Ibrahim Senoussi having around 17,000 laid out in front of him from the small blind and Mehmet Dalkilic having made it 38,000 from middle position. Senoussi called.
On the Q♠8♦Q♥ flop, Senoussi opted to lead for 15,000 and was swiftly met with a raise to 40,000 by Dalkilic. After thinking for a short time, Senoussi folded.
"Show the bluff," said Senoussi.
"You show me, I show you," replied Dalkilic.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
320,000
320,000
|
320,000 |
|
310,000
70,000
|
70,000 |
Level 6
: Blinds 800/1,500, 1,500 ante
Back in April, the inaugural $10,400 Merit Millions Event saw Boris Kolev rising above a talented field of 212 entries to become the first-ever champion. Held inside the stunning Merit Royal Diamond Hotel Casino & Spa, the unique event ended with Kolev capturing the coveted title and the massive $1,000,000 guaranteed top prize.
Kolev, who began the final table third in chips, put on a clinical display to systematically dismantle his opponents on the way to victory. In doing so, he became the first player in Merit Poker history to walk away with a seven-figure payday. The Bulgarian pro made quick work of Mehdi Chaoui in a brief heads-up battle to seal the title and etch his name in the record books.
2025 Merit Million Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boris Kolev | Bulgaria | $1,000,000 |
| 2 | Mehdi Chaoui | Morocco | $300,000 |
| 3 | Romans Lihacovs | Latvia | $200,000 |
| 4 | Aleksandr Kirichenko | Russian Federation | $140,000 |
| 5 | Rafael Aslanli | Turkey | $100,000 |
| 6 | Maksim Shornikau | Belarus | $75,000 |
| 7 | Andrey Pateychuk | Russian Federation | $55,000 |
| 8 | Ali Al-Kubasi | Iraq | $45,000 |
| 9 | Alexandr Lakhov | Russia | $35,400 |
