2025 Merit Poker Dolce Vita Series
In the 910th episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway, Kyna England, and Mike Holtz discuss the wild hand involving Corey Eyring and Randy "3Coin" Sadler from The Lodge Live Stream in which the former was put to ultimate test on the river for his entire net worth!
They then talk about Ian O'Hara making good and whether or not that should be celebrated, German streamer Jenzoou's extreme reaction to winning a $63k mystery bounty, and Michael "The Grinder" Mizrachi battling Martin Kabrhel on Venetian Poker Live. Plus, the return of the National Heads-Up Poker Championship and tournament wins by Sasha Sabbaghian in the $600 The Hendon Mob Mid-Major Championship, King at the latest Celebrity Poker Tour, and Mike Estes in the 2026 MSPT Iowa Poker State Championship, a tournament in which Chad took third place for $69k.
The crew also reveals the winner in our Pokerriculum giveaway, and then announces a new giveaway for a Silver Pass to the upcoming PokerStars NAPT in Las Vegas. You'll also get a sneak peek at the latest Life Outside Poker Podcast featuring Abby Merk and see highlights from the 17th Annual Ante 4 Autism charity event.
Finally, Chad and Kyna announce a brand new project - The MSPT Podcast Presented by PokerNews. That's right, the dynamic duo will be cohosting a brand new show that'll debut next week right here on PokerNews.
A huge three-way all-in pot played out between Hassan Nashar, Oleg Svintsov, and Florian Guimond.
Hassan Nashar: K♦Q♦
Oleg Svintsov: A♣J♣
Florian Guimond: Q♥Q♣
Nashar took the lead on the 4♥K♣2♥ flop, but Svintsov snatched it back when the A♦ landed on the turn. No drama arrived on the 2♦ river, and Svintsov won a huge pot, which left Nashar with dust.
Level: 5
Blinds: 600/1,200
Ante: 1,200
Players are heading on a 15-minute break.
Big bucks and a seat in an upcoming $100,000 buy-in Triton Poker tournament are up for grabs in the inaugural Onyx Super High Roller Series Cyprus presented by the Onyx Club.
The series at Merit Royal Diamond runs from August 9-21 and features a mix of Pot-Limit Omaha and No-Limit Hold'em high-stakes tournaments, along with some juicy cash game action. PokerNews will be on-site, live reporting the six biggest events of the series, starting with the $10,400 GG Million$ from August 9-12.
There are 12 high-stakes tournaments, with buy-ins ranging from $10,400 to $102,000, all taking place inside a luxurious resort along the Mediterranean Sea.
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 |
Denis Vladimirov was facing a difficult decision for all of his stack on the turn, and didn't know what to do.
The board read 4♠3♣5♦8♠ and Vladimirov's opponent bet a pot-sized 55,000 on the turn from the button, which was more than what Vladimirov had remaining.
After exchanging words, Vladimirov said, "Ok, I think you have a better hand, but I cannot fold,", and called.
Denis Vladimirov: A♠A♦
Button: 4♥4♣
Vladimirov needed an ace or a deuce to double up, but couldn't find it as the 6♠ rolled off, leaving him on the sidelines, at least for now .
The opening flight of the $3,300 La Notte Degli Assi Main Event has officially crossed 200 entries, setting a strong early pace toward the $2,000,000 guarantee. With three more Day 1 flights still to come, including a turbo closer on Sunday night, the field looks poised to challenge or even surpass last year's 1,133-entry total, even with it's higher buy-in.
The tournament room at the Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino continues to fill with a steady stream of players taking their first shot at one of Merit Poker's most prestigious titles.
Gerard Carbo Santamaria, who came 2nd in the IPO Master earlier this series, was seen walking away from his table.
The chips had found their way into the middle and a board of 5♦9♦J♥10♠Q♠ was showing, which meant Santamaria had a set with his 10♦10♣. However, that was no good as Tudor Lazar held K♦K♣ to win the pot with a straight.