$2,200 IPO Master Day 1bc | 2025 Merit Poker Dolce Vita Series

07-29-2025 08:50 UTC+2

Players Look to Catch Hassan Nashar as IPO Master Day 1b Begins at Noon

Kai Cocklin

The 2025 Merit Poker Dolce Vita Series is in full swing at the Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino, where players from around the world have gathered to chase big prizes in one of the most picturesque poker settings on the planet. With sun, sea, and high-stakes action on the menu, the series continues to deliver the perfect blend of competition and relaxation on the shores of North Cyprus.

After a strong turnout on Day 1a, where 228 entries were recorded, well ahead of last year’s opening flight of 169, the momentum shows no signs of slowing. Players are responding to the upgraded format and the $1,000,000 guaranteed prize pool, with each flight drawing a deep and diverse field of players.

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

The man to catch so far is Hassan Nashar, who bagged an event-leading 699,500 at the end of Day 1a, followed closely by Afshin Afsharorumieh and Michael Iakovlev. With three flights still to come and late registration open until Level 15 on Day 2, the field is expected to grow rapidly as the tournament heads toward its deeper stages.

Day 1b offers the same structure as 1a, ten levels of 40 minutes, a 100,000 starting stack (110,000 for early registrants), and one more shot for players to secure a bag before the pace picks up later tonight in the turbo-style Day 1c. It’s another opportunity to build toward Day 2 and get one step closer to the first major title of the series.

IPO Master Schedule

Date	Day	Time	Blind Levels
July 29	Day 1b	12 p.m.	40 minutes
July 29	Day 1c	9 p.m.	25 minutes
July 30	Day 1d	10 a.m.	13 minutes
July 30	Day 2	12:30 p.m.	40 minutes
July 31	Day 3	12 p.m.	60 minutes
August 1	Day 4	12 p.m.	60 minutes

Stay locked in with PokerNews for live updates, chip counts, and exclusive coverage from the felt throughout the 2025 Merit Poker Dolce Vita Series.

Tags: Afshin Afsharorumieh Felipe Ketzer Gerard Carbo Santamaria Hassan Nashar Imad Saab Maxime Chilaud Michael Iakovlev Samuel Dray Soraya Estrada Uladzimir Zhyharau

07-29-2025 12:27 UTC+2

Nashar Back in Familiar Territory at the IPO Master

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Kai Cocklin

Level 3 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

Some players just seem to feel at home at Merit, and Hassan Nashar might be one of them. Last year, he topped the Day 1b chip counts in the $1,100 IPO Master. This year? He’s already back in the spotlight, leading the way after Day 1a of the newly-upgraded $2,200 edition.

A lot has changed since then. The buy-in has doubled, the guarantee has jumped to a cool $1,000,000, and the overall pace of entries is unfolding differently. Day 1b brought in 404 entries last year. This year, just 121 so far, but that’s only part of the picture.

The IPO Master is no longer just a value-packed opener, it's positioning itself as a serious flagship event in its own right. It’s attracting players who know how to adjust, survive, and thrive no matter what version of the tournament they’re facing.

With three starting flights still to go, there’s a long way to go before we see the full picture. But for now, Nashar’s familiar spot at the top feels like the perfect way to open the next chapter of this ever-evolving event.

Tags: Hassan Nashar

07-29-2025 14:09 UTC+2

Spataru On the Right Side of a Cooler

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Kai Cocklin

Level 5 : Blinds 600/1,200, 1,200 ante

With around 30,000 in the middle on a 4♣3♠9♠ flop, Andrei Spataru fired out 13,500 and Kianoosh Matin shoved. Spataru had around 65,000 behind and immediately called, leaving him at risk.

Andrei Spataru: A♠A♦ All in
Kianoosh Matin: Q♥Q♣

Spataru found himself on the right side of the cooler, and didn't need to fade any outs after the A♥ turn improved him to an unbeatable set. A meaningless 3♦ filled out the board and the stacks were counted down. Matin was up on his feet and ready to go, but realized he had 1,500 remaining in his stack.

"Chip and a chair," said Spataru.

Player	Chips	Progress
Andrei Spataru	160,000 160,000	160,000
Kianoosh Matin	1,500 1,500	1,500

Tags: Andrei Spataru Kianoosh Matin

07-29-2025 15:22 UTC+2

Ruijs Gets the Better of Gromov

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Kai Cocklin

Level 6 : Blinds 800/1,500, 1,500 ante

Joris Ruijs made it 3,500 to go from the cutoff and Dmitry Gromov three-bet the big blind to 10,000. Ruijs called.

They saw a flop of 6♥6♦7♣, where Gromov continued for 15,000 and Ruijs caleld to see the 10♠ drop on the turn. Gromov checked it over and then called a bet of 22,000 from Ruijs.

An A♠ landed on the river and after Gromov checked again, Ruijs shoved. Gromov had around 80,000 behind, and didn't want to play for it all as he mucked his cards.

Shortly after, Gromov busted and was seen at the cash desk reentering, and has a fresh stack of 100,000 to play with.

Player	Chips	Progress
Joris Ruijs	330,000 20,000	20,000
Dmitry Gromov	100,000 20,000	20,000

Tags: Dmitry Gromov Joris Ruijs

07-29-2025 16:00 UTC+2

Flush For Fal

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Kai Cocklin

Level 7 : Blinds 1,000/1,500, 1,500 ante

The pot had ballooned to around 30,000 on a 2♣3♦A♦8♠ board when Adem Agoudjil checked from the big blind and Nikolay Fal also tapped the table from under the gun. Konstantin Voronin was on the button and fired out 7,500, which both of his opponents called.

A 10♦ fell on the river and after Agoudjil checked, Fal bet 18,500. Voronin took some time before he folded, and Agoudjil quickly called.

Fal then flipped over a flush with Q♦9♦, and Agoudjil mucked his hand.

Player	Chips	Progress
Nikolay Fal	260,000 220,000	220,000

Adem Agoudjil	160,000
Konstantin Voronin	120,000

Tags: Adem Agoudjil Konstantin Voronin Nikolay Fal

07-29-2025 16:29 UTC+2

Because One Chip Lead Isn't Enough

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Kai Cocklin

Level 8 : Blinds 1,000/1,500, 1,500 ante

Some players bag once and rest. Hassan Nashar is not one of those players.

After topping the Day 1a counts with 699,500, Nashar is back in the field for Day 1b of the IPO Master. He’s not chasing a payout or trying to survive, he just felt like playing again. And with around 450,000 in front of him already, it’s going pretty well.

Last year, Nashar finished Day 1b as the chip leader. This year, he’s already done that on Day 1a and might just be trying to outdo himself. If he ends the night with an even bigger stack, don’t be surprised. This is a man who clearly enjoys having options.

Tags: Hassan Nashar

07-29-2025 16:39 UTC+2

Ihlamur Stacks Skrbic's Set

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Kai Cocklin

Level 8 : Blinds 1,000/1,500, 1,500 ante

With around 80,000 in the middle on a 3♥4♥5♠ flop, five players were still involved when Milos Skrbic fired out 35,000 from middle position. Osman Ihlamur called on the button, and the other three players got out of the way.

A 7♦ landed on the turn and Skrbic checked it over to Ihlamur, who fired 85,000. Skrbic did some inventory of his stack and with a little less than 200,000, he called.

"I have to call," responded Ihlamur before he dropped the chips in.

Milos Skrbic: 3♦3♠ All in
Osman Ihlamur: 7♠7♣

Both players had a set, but it was Ihlamur whose was higher. Skrbic had one out to win the pot, and four to chop, but the A♣ river meant he was eliminated as Ihlamur's stack climbed about half a million.

Player	Chips	Progress
Osman Ihlamur	520,000
Milos Skrbic	Busted

Tags: Milos Skrbic Osman Ihlamur

07-29-2025 17:50 UTC+2

El Patron Returns

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Kai Cocklin

Level 9 : Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante

For anyone scrolling the Day 1b chip counts and wondering why Hassan Nashar isn’t listed, don’t worry, he’s still here. After leading the way on Day 1a with 699,500, Nashar jumped back in today for another run. To avoid overwriting his qualified stack, he's been given a temporary alias.

Until the end of play, he’ll be appearing in the counts as El Patron. Same chips, same presence, just a new name for the day. He currently has around 600,000 to work with and is closing in on the number he bagged yesterday. At this rate, he just might top the leaderboard two days in a row.

While the wait starts to see if he can again top the field, here's a peek at his player card.

Player	Chips	Progress
El Patron	600,000 600,000	600,000

Tags: Hassan Nashar

07-29-2025 19:56 UTC+2

Roman Kolotiuk Crushes Day 1b While Hassan Nashar Fires Again

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Kai Cocklin

Level 10 : Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante

Day 1b of the $2,200 IPO Master has come to a close, and another 258 entries were added to the growing field at the 2025 Merit Poker Dolce Vita Series. After ten levels of play, 124 players made it through to Day 2, bringing the combined total to 483 entries with 223 players still in contention inside the Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino.

Topping the Day 1b leaderboard was Roman Kolotiuk, who bagged an impressive 875,500 to put himself among the overall frontrunners heading into Day 2. He was followed by Kirill Burtin (534,000), Osman Ihlamur (513,500), and Maciej Toma (497,000), all of whom built strong stacks throughout the flight.

Day 1b Top Ten Chip Counts

Rank	Player	Country	Chip Count	Big Blinds
1	Roman Kolotiuk	Russian Federation	875,500	350
2	Kirill Burtin	Russian Federation	534,000	214
3	Osman Ihlamur	Turkey	513,500	205
4	Petar Manic	Serbia	505,500	202
5	Joris Ruijs	Netherlands	501,500	201
6	Maciej Toma	Poland	497,000	199
7	Mark Saad	Egypt	454,000	182
8	Timur Margolin	Israel	453,000	181
9	Danielle Noja	Australia	452,500	181
10	Guoliang Wei	China	449,000	180

Other notables advancing from the second starting flight include Danielle Noja (452,500), Aleksei Savenkov (444,000), and Ivan Banovic (443,000).

Also in the mix again was Hassan Nashar, who topped the Day 1a counts with 699,500 but decided to jump into Day 1b for another spin. Playing under the name “El Patron” to avoid overwriting his already-qualified stack, Nashar built up over 600,000 during the day before being eliminated late in the final level. Only his Day 1a stack will carry forward, but for Nashar, it was all about the fun...and the flex.

With two more Day 1 flights still to come, the $1,000,000 guaranteed prize pool continues to inch upward. Day 1c gets underway later tonight at 9:00 p.m. local time, followed by the final turbo flight, Day 1d, on July 30 at 10:00 a.m.

Stay locked in to PokerNews for full chip counts, seat draws, and continued coverage from the floor as the IPO Master rolls on.

Tags: Aleksei Savenkov Danielle Noja Hassan Alie Nashar Ivan Banovic Kirill Burtin Maciej Toma Osman Ihlamur Roman Kolotiuk