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

07-31-2025 18:38 UTC+2

Zhugralin Doubles With Aces

Kai Cocklin

Level 27 : Blinds 40,000/80,000, 80,000 ante

Damir Zhugralin opened the hijack and then called off his stack of around 700,000 after Kadir Altinbasak ripped it from the big blind.

Damir Zhugralin: A♥A♣ All in
Kadir Altinbasak: A♦Q♠

Zhugralin was in great shape to double up, and did just that as the 2♠8♦10♥5♦9♦ runout kept his bullets ahead.

Player	Chips	Progress
Kadir Altinbasak	3,500,000 700,000	700,000
Damir Zhugralin	1,500,000 700,000	700,000

Tags: Damir Zhugralin Kadir Altinbasak

07-31-2025 18:30 UTC+2

Crespi and Agoudjil Play a Long Hand

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Kai Cocklin

Level 27 : Blinds 40,000/80,000, 80,000 ante

Danielle Noja recalled the action in a hand that had taken 12 minutes to complete.

Joan Crespi opened the hijack and Adem Agoudjil three-bet out of the small blind, which Crespi called.

Agoudjil fired the 10♣2♠J♥ flop and Crespi called to the 9♠ turn, where both checked.

A 2♥ on the river saw Agoudjil fire out 1,500,000, and after some time in the tank, Crespi folded.

Player	Chips	Progress
Adem Agoudjil	7,200,000 1,400,000	1,400,000
Joan Crespi	5,600,000 800,000	800,000

Tags: Adem Agoudjil Danielle Noja Joan Crespi

07-31-2025 18:25 UTC+2

Santamaria Flops Two Pair and Scoops a Huge Pot

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Kai Cocklin

Level 27 : Blinds 40,000/80,000, 80,000 ante

Antoine Hasbani had his stack of around 300,000 in from the hijack and was called by Afshin Afsharorumieh in the small blind & Gerard Carbo Santamaria in the big blind.

The flop came 9♥8♣K♠ where Afsharorumieh check-called a bet of 300,000 from Santamaria to the 5♦ turn, where he again went into check-call mode when Santamaria bet 475,000.

A 3♣ filled out the board and Afsharorumieh checked for a third time, then Santamaria fired out 775,000. Afsharorumieh didn't need to think for too long before he called.

Santamaria then flipped over two pair with 9♠8♠, Hasbani mucked his J♦10♦, and Afsharorumieh showed A♥9♦ for a pair of nines before he mucked.

Player	Chips	Progress
Gerard Carbo Santamaria	4,600,000
Afshin Afsharorumieh	950,000
Antoine Hasbani	Busted

Tags: Afshin Afsharorumieh Antoine Hasbani Gerard Carbo Santamaria

07-31-2025 18:13 UTC+2

Selected Chip Counts

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Kai Cocklin

Level 27 : Blinds 40,000/80,000, 80,000 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Joan Crespi	6,400,000 700,000	700,000
Xiaosheng Zheng	6,300,000 1,300,000	1,300,000
Adem Agoudjil	5,800,000 300,000	300,000
Kadir Altinbasak	4,200,000 3,050,000	3,050,000
Bahattin Eser	4,100,000 3,000,000	3,000,000
Mahmut Sanli	3,900,000 1,650,000	1,650,000

Alexey Savenkov	3,300,000 1,200,000	1,200,000
Dragos-Florin Anton	3,100,000 300,000	300,000

Level: 27

Blinds: 40,000/80,000

Ante: 80,000

07-31-2025 17:52 UTC+2

Break Time

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Kai Cocklin

Level 26 : Blinds 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante

Players are heading on their final 20-minute break of the night.

07-31-2025 17:51 UTC+2

Player	Chips	Progress
Dmitry Vitkind	Busted
Ali Moein	Busted
Ivan Banovic	Busted
Jingxuan Zhu	Busted
Jalal Jafari	Busted

Tlimisov Sends Minicuci Out Via the River

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Kai Cocklin

Level 26 : Blinds 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante

Renato Minicuci had his stack of 1,000,000 in from the cutoff and was put at risk by Adil Tlimisov in the small blind, who had just a few chips more.

Renato Minicuci: 4♠4♥ All in
Adil Tlimisov: A♠Q♣

It was a fair fight, and one that saw Minicuci keep his lead through the 8♠K♦6♣ flop. A 2♦ on the turn left him one card away from a crucial double-up, but the A♥ on the river ended his ran as Tlimisov paired his ace.

Player	Chips	Progress
Adil Tlimisov	2,200,000 1,505,000	1,505,000
Renato Minicuci	Busted

Tags: Adil Tlimisov Renato Minicuci

07-31-2025 17:41 UTC+2

Flashback: 2024 Merit Poker Dolce Vita Series Winners

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Kai Cocklin

Level 26 : Blinds 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante

With the return of the Merit Poker Dolce Vita Series, here is a look back at the champions from last summer at Merit Crystal Cove Hotel & Casino.

2024 Merit Poker Dolce Vita Series

Event	Entries	Winner	Prize
$1,100 IPO Master	937	Danesh Zargaran	$146,600
$3,300 OPE Classic Cup	193	Walid Bou Habib	$132,000
$2,200 La Notte Degli Assi	1,133	Dashinka	$355,000

Look Back at the 2024 Series Here

07-31-2025 17:37 UTC+2

Selected Chip Counts

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Kai Cocklin

Level 26 : Blinds 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Joan Crespi	7,100,000 1,000,000	1,000,000
Mohamed El-Wely	4,300,000 1,900,000	1,900,000
Afshin Afsharorumieh	3,700,000 1,000,000	1,000,000
Dragos-Florin Anton	2,800,000 500,000	500,000
Alexey Savenkov	2,100,000 200,000	200,000
Gerard Carbo Santamaria	1,900,000 700,000	700,000
Cedric Schwaederle	1,000,000 600,000	600,000
Dmitry Vitkind	950,000 400,000	400,000
Danielle Noja	600,000 600,000	600,000