$3,300 La Notte Degli Assi Day 1cd | 2025 Merit Poker Dolce Vita Series

08-04-2025 15:40 UTC+3

Raffoul's Big Slick Gets Outflopped

Tim Baker

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

With around 30,000 in the middle on the 8♣5♦9♣ flop, there had been a check from an early position player before Edgard Raffoul put out a bet of around 15,000. The early position player check-jammed for Raffoul's remaining 45,000 or so, causing Raffoul to go into the tank. After a few moments, Raffoul called while getting out of his chair.

Edgard Raffoul: A♣K♠ All in
Early Position Player: A♠5♠

Raffoul's Big Slick had been outflopped, as his opponent held a pair of fives. The 4♦ turn and Q♦ river changed nothing, and Raffoul was out.

Player	Chips	Progress
Edgard Raffoul	Busted

Tags: Edgard Raffoul

08-04-2025 15:30 UTC+3

Tan Shoves over Her Opponents Big Bet

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Tim Baker

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

Xiaohui Tan made it 2,500 from middle position with Murat Ozyurt calling from the hijack, and the big blind also coming along with a call.

Once it checked to Tan on the 7♠8♦A♣ flop, she bet 3,000. Ozyut folded, but the big blind player called.

Two checks followed the 10♣ turn to see the 2♣ appear on the river. The big blind player fired out a big blind bet of 30,000, and Tan responded by jamming all in for 61,000. Tan's opponent frustratingly launched his cards into the muck, and Tan dragged in the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Xiaohui Tan	110,000 25,000	25,000
Murat Ozyurt	85,000

Tags: Murat Ozyurt Xiaohui Tan

08-04-2025 15:19 UTC+3

Brunnmayr Busts to Sharky's Trip Aces

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Tim Baker

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

Sharky made it 2,500 from early position with Mustafa Ercan calling from the next seat, and two other players calling from late position. Daniel Brunnmayr squeezed it up to 18,000 out of the big blind, and only Sharky came along with a call.

Brunnmayr laid out a small bet of 4,500 upon seeing the A♣A♠8♣ flop. Sharky raised to 18,000, and Brunnmayr responded by three-bet jamming for about 45,000. Sharky made the call.

Daniel Brunnmayr: J♦J♠ All in
Sharky: A♥6♥

Brunnmayr's pocket jacks were in rough shape versus the flopped trip aces of Sharky. The rest of the board ran out 4♠9♠, and Brunnmayr was out of the Main Event

Player	Chips	Progress
Sharky	420,000 100,000	100,000
Mustafa Ercan	90,000 5,000	5,000
Daniel Brunnmayr	Busted

Tags: Daniel Brunnmayr Mustafa Ercan Sharky

Level: 5

Blinds: 600/1,200

Ante: 1,200

08-04-2025 15:05 UTC+3

State Can't Beat Two Tens

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Tim Baker

Level 4 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

Adrian State opened from the hijack with the player in the small blind calling, and Andres Vasquez defending his big blind.

After two checks, State put out a continuation-bet of 2,500 on the 7♥5♠7♣ flop. The small blind called, but Vasquez folded.

State's opponent checked the J♠ turn, and he fired a second barrel of 5,000. The small blind player quickly called.

The 8♠ river checked through and the small blind player showed 10♦10♣. State nodded his head to indicate the pocket tens were good, and returned his cards to the dealer.

Player	Chips	Progress
Andres Vasquez	110,000 110,000	110,000
Adrian State	70,000 30,000	30,000

Tags: Adrian State Andres Vasquez

08-04-2025 14:52 UTC+3

Cetincakmak Wishes He had Nines Again

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Tim Baker

Level 4 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

Omer Cetincakmak raised to 2,300 from middle position, and Hulya Seckin called from the small blind. Thomas Praschk squeezed it up to 13,100 from the big blind, which Cetincakmak and Seckin called.

Three ways to the 3♣9♣4♦ flop where Seckin started with a check. Praschk bet 13,000, and Cetincakmak called. Seckin check-raised to 55,000, which caused Prashchk to tank-fold.

As it was heads-up, Seckin asked Cetincakmak "No nines this time?" referring to a previous hand they played where Cetincakmak flopped a set of nines on a similar board. Cetincakmak just smiled and then decided to return his cards to the dealer.

Player	Chips	Progress
Hulya Seckin	178,000 73,000	73,000
Thomas Praschk	100,000
Omer Cetincakmak	88,000 57,000	57,000

Tags: Hulya Seckin Omer Cetincakmak Thomas Praschk

08-04-2025 14:42 UTC+3

Flashback: Boris Kolev Dominates 2025 Merit Millions Final Table

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Tim Baker

Level 4 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 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

Read the Full Recap Here

08-04-2025 14:34 UTC+3

Some Chip Counts After Break

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Tim Baker

Level 4 : Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Sharky	320,000 120,000	120,000
Melanie Sindelar	258,000 258,000	258,000
Gerard Carbo Santamaria	235,000 235,000	235,000
Fahad Banaeeshihvan	230,000 230,000	230,000
Mehmet Deniz	225,000 5,000	5,000
George Panagides	190,000 90,000	90,000
Amir Saeid	180,000 180,000	180,000
Orhan Ates	160,000 160,000	160,000
Tom Meiners	145,000 145,000	145,000
Alfred Nader	130,000 130,000	130,000
Suhan Guler	130,000 130,000	130,000
Murat Ozyurt	85,000 85,000	85,000

Level: 4

Blinds: 500/1,000

Ante: 1,000

08-04-2025 14:15 UTC+3

Break Time

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Tim Baker

Level 3 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

Players are now on a 15-minute break.