$2,200 IPO Master Day 3 | 2025 Merit Poker Dolce Vita Series

07-31-2025 11:57 UTC+2

Bozhkov Lets One Go

Kai Cocklin

Level 21 : Blinds 10,000/15,000, 15,000 ante

Afshin Afsharorumieh opened the button and got a call from Leonid Bozhkov in the big blind to the K♠10♣2♣ flop, where Bozhkov check-called a bet of 25,000.

A K♣ paired the board on the turn and brought in the flush draw, and after Bozhkov checked, Afsharorumieh bet 55,000. That was enough to get the job done as Bozhkov folded.

Player	Chips	Progress
Afshin Afsharorumieh	1,150,000
Maxime Chilaud	975,000 230,000	230,000
Leonid Bozhkov	325,000 265,000	265,000

Tags: Afshin Afsharorumieh Leonid Bozhkov

Level: 22

Blinds: 10,000/20,000

Ante: 20,000

07-31-2025 12:06 UTC+2

Nashar Goes Rabbit Hunting

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Kai Cocklin

Level 22 : Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante

Hassan Nashar made it 45,000 to go from the cutoff and Razvan Sabau three-bet the big blind to 180,000. Nashar called.

A flop of J♣2♦A♠ hit the felt and Sabau's continuation-bet was called by Nashar to the 7♣ turn. Sabau shoved for 180,000, and Nashar had a decision.

"Floor," shouted Nashar. "Give me my rabbit," in reference to the rabbit-hunting cards that Merit Poker provide, which allow a player to see the runout if they fold their hand.

"Better save your chips," said Sabau.

The floor obliged and gave Nashar his rabbit card, which he initially didn't take, and he used it after he folded to see the 9♣ river.

Player	Chips	Progress
Razvan Sabau	900,000 425,000	425,000
Hassan Nashar	450,000 690,000	690,000

Tags: Hassan Nashar Razvan Sabau

07-31-2025 12:14 UTC+2

Player	Chips	Progress
Mustafa Biz	Busted
Sevket Muduroglu	Busted
Anthony Khouzami	Busted

Bezhanyan Surges to a Huge Stack

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Kai Cocklin

Level 22 : Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante

Konstantin Voronin opened from middle position to 40,000 and Aren Bezhanyan called in the cutoff before Emad Zarghami three-bet from the small blind to 190,000. Voronin folded, and Bezhanyan came along.

The flop came 10♣K♥2♦ and Zarghami fired out 130,000, which Bezhanyan called to the 2♥ turn, Again Zarghami bet, this time for 150,000, and Bezhanyan called once again.

An A♣ filled out the board on the river and Zarghami thought for a while before he slid in 355,000, leaving himself around 100,000 behind. Bezhanyan snap-called.

Zarghami revealed two pair with A♦10♥ and seemed confident that he had won the hand, but Bezhanyan slowly revealed Q♦J♦ for Broadway to take the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Aren Bezhanyan	2,500,000 1,000,000	1,000,000
Konstantin Voronin	300,000 75,000	75,000

Emad Zarghami	100,000 690,000	690,000

Tags: Aren Bezhanyan Emad Zarghami Konstantin Voronin

07-31-2025 12:34 UTC+2

Ketzer and El-Wely Double on the Bubble

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Kai Cocklin

Level 22 : Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante

During hand-for-hand play, there were no less than five all-in-and-calls.

Felipe Ketzer managed to double up in a hand against Joseph Sabe, where the chips went in preflop to leave Ketzer at risk for his 365,000.

Felipe Ketzer: A♦K♦ All in
Joseph Sabe: K♣J♦

Sabe paired his jack on the 6♦J♣3♦ flop, but had to fade a lot of outs as Ketzer had a flush draw. The 9♥ was a brick, but the 10♦ river kept Ketzer alive.

On another table, Mohamed El-Wely was all-in for 430,000 against Razvan Sabau.

Mohamed El-Wely: A♠K♥ All in
Razvan Sabau: 3♦3♥

El-Wely flopped a straight draw on Q♠10♥9♣ and connected with it on the J♦ turn, which left Sabau drawing dead. A meaningless 4♥ filled out the board, and El-Wely doubled up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mohamed El-Wely	900,000 225,000	225,000
Felipe Ketzer	750,000 220,000	220,000
Joseph Sabe	275,000 350,000	350,000
Razvan Sabau	100,000 800,000	800,000

Tags: Felipe Ketzer Joseph Sabe Mohamed El-Wely Razvan Sabau

07-31-2025 12:38 UTC+2

Slimen, Lazar, and Zarghami Chop a Min-Cash

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Kai Cocklin

Level 22 : Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante

Three of the players that hit the rail were Ahmed Slimen, Tudor Lazar, and Emad Zarghami, with the latter getting his last 100,000 in preflop against Aren Bezhanyan, who he just lost most of his chips to.

Emad Zarghami: A♣9♣ All in
Aren Bezhanyan: K♥7♥

Zarghami was ahead on the 10x10x2x3x board, but the 7x on the river paired Bezhanyan's seven, which ended Zarghami's run.

All three of the players that were eliminated will split a min-cash of $1,250.

Player	Chips	Progress
Aren Bezhanyan	2,600,000 100,000	100,000
Ahmed Slimen	Busted
Emad Zarghami	Busted
Tudor Lazar	Busted

Tags: Ahmed Slimen Aren Bezhanyan Emad Zarghami Tudor Lazar

07-31-2025 12:47 UTC+2

Selected Chip Counts

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Kai Cocklin

Level 22 : Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Georgios Tsouloftas	1,300,000 455,000	455,000
Damir Zhugralin	1,300,000 1,020,000	1,020,000
Dawid Smolka	1,100,000 245,000	245,000
Yilu Yuan	900,000 175,000	175,000
Gerard Carbo Santamaria	850,000 530,000	530,000
Ran Ilani	750,000 390,000	390,000
Boris Smuskevicius	700,000 75,000	75,000
Mihai Niste	675,000 80,000	80,000
Danielle Noja	650,000 195,000	195,000
Kirill Burtin	500,000 125,000	125,000
Hassan Nashar	500,000 50,000	50,000

Ali Rachedi	450,000 120,000	120,000
Xiaosheng Zheng	210,000 475,000	475,000

07-31-2025 12:55 UTC+2

Leantzis and Massimov Both Pick Up Monsters

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Kai Cocklin

Level 22 : Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante

Christos Leantzis and Sukhrat Massimov both found themselves with very good hands and got the chips in preflop, but one of them was slightly better.

Christos Leantzis: A♠A♣ All in
Sukhrat Massimov: A♥K♥

Leantzis was the at-risk player, but his aces held strong on the 7♥7♠8♣K♦4♥ runout, which secured him a double-up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Christos Leantzis	600,000 275,000	275,000
Sukhrat Massimov	200,000 260,000	260,000

Tags: Sukhrat Massimov Christos Leantzis

07-31-2025 13:09 UTC+2

Bezhanyan and Yuan Play a Huge Pot

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Kai Cocklin

Level 22 : Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante

Cedric Schwaederle recalled the action until the river in a huge pot between Aren Bezhanyan and Yilu Yuan.

There was an open from late position, which Bezhanyan called on the button before Yuan three-bet squeezed from the big blind. Only Bezhanyan called.

They went to a flop of 8♦Q♥7♠, where Yuan continued and Bezhanyan called.

Both checked the J♣ turn to the 2♠ river, where Yuan bet 250,000. Bezhanyan then shoved, which put Yuan to the test for his remaining 355,000. After thinking it over, Yuan eventually tossed in a chip.

Bezhanyan then revealed J♠9♠ for a pair of jacks, but Yuan held A♥J♥ for the same pair of jacks but with a better kicker.