$5,300 High Roller Day 1 | 2025 Merit Poker Dolce Vita Series

07-31-2025 22:29 UTC+3

Sabe on the Right Side of a Classic Cooler

Tim Baker

Level 3 : Blinds 300/700, 700 ante

Arriving at the table to see Xuming Qi and Joseph Sabe had their cards on their backs preflop with around 180,000 in the middle. Qi had slightly fewer chips than Sabe, so he was the one at risk.

Xuming Qi: K♣K♥ All in
Joseph Sabe: A♥A♣

It was poker's classic cooler of aces versus kings, and Qi looked poised to be headed to the exit. The J♠Q♣8♦Q♥4♥ runout didn't provide the paint card Qi needed to crack Sabe's bullets, which meant he was out of the tournament.

Upon seeing he won, Sabe picked up his black aces, kissed them, and asked the dealer if he could keep them. The dealer smiled and replied with a firm "no".

Player	Chips	Progress
Joseph Sabe	200,000 92,000	92,000
Xuming Qi	Busted

Tags: Joseph Sabe Xuming Qi

07-31-2025 22:22 UTC+3

Burtin Takes from Ilani

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Tim Baker

Level 3 : Blinds 300/700, 700 ante

Ran Ilani raised under the gun to 1,600 with Kirill Burtin calling on the button, and OIad Geiger defending his big blind. Before the flop was dealt, Ilani was honest with his two opponents and mentioned that he had seen either a trey or a four folded from one of the other players at the table.

The flop of J♦6♠3♠ was checked to Burtin, and he placed out a bet of 2,500. Geiger called before Ilani check-raised to 9,000. Only Burtin stuck around with a call.

The K♠ rolled off on the turn and Ilani opted to check. Burtin bet 6,500, which was enough to get a quick fold from Ilani.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ohad Geiger	145,000 35,000	35,000

Kirill Burtin	140,000 30,000	30,000
Ran Ilani	90,000 20,000	20,000

Tags: Ran Ilani Kirill Burtin

07-31-2025 22:14 UTC+3

Hashim Cracks Grummit's Aces

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Tim Baker

Level 3 : Blinds 300/700, 700 ante

With around 50,000 in the pot, four players saw the flop come down 5♥6♦3♠. Paul Grummitt was first to act from the small blind and tossed out a bet of 15,000. Joseph Sabe folded in middle position, Hassanin Hashim called from the hijack, and Andres Vasquez Fajardo folded out of the cutoff.

Heads-up now to the Q♦ turn, where Grummitt bet just 5,000. Hashim raised to 32,000, which Gibbons called.

Grummitt knuckled the action over to Hashim on the 7♠ river, and Hashim jammed for 30,300. Grummitt called and was shown Q♠Q♥ by Hashim for a turned set of queens. As the pot was sent to Hashim, Grummitt revealed A♣A♥ and remarked that his aces had been cracked five times since being here.

Player	Chips	Progress
Hassanin Hashim	202,000 202,000	202,000
Joseph Sabe	108,000 2,000	2,000
Andres Vasquez Fajardo	102,000 102,000	102,000
Paul Grummitt	44,000 44,000	44,000

Tags: Andres Vasquez Fajardo Hassanin Hashim Joseph Sabe Paul Grummitt

Level: 3

Blinds: 300/700

Ante: 700

07-31-2025 21:56 UTC+3

Antoun's Set Sends Nacer to the Rail

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Tim Baker

Level 2 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Andrey Pateychuk made it 1,500 to go from middle position with Samir Nacer calling from the hijack, and Jose Roman calling from the small blind. Abdou Antoun bumped up the action to 6,000 from the big blind, which Pateychuk called. Antoun opted to back-raise to 26,000, which was only called by Antoun.

With just over 60,000 in the pot, the two players saw the dealer fan out a flop of 3♠9♥A♠. Both players checked, and the 10♠ appeared on the turn. Antoun led out for 16,000, and Nacer flicked in the call.

Antoun slowed down and checked the 5♥ river, and after some tanking, Nacer jammed for roughly 45,000. Antoun snap-called and was shown A♣K♠ by Nacer for top pair top kicker. Antoun had that beat with 10♦10♥ for a turned set to win the pot, and send Nacer to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Abdou Antoun	250,000 250,000	250,000
Andrey Pateychuk	182,000 37,000	37,000

Jose Roman	61,000 61,000	61,000
Samir Nacer	Busted

Tags: Abdou Antoun Andrey Pateychuk Samir Nacer

07-31-2025 21:36 UTC+3

Petakovic Overbets the River

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Tim Baker

Level 2 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Milos Petakovic raised to 1,300 under the gun with Pobedilov calling from the next seat. Sukhrat Massimov squeezed it up to 6,000 from middle position, which only Petakovic called.

Petakovic check-called a bet of 4,000 from Massimov on the A♥3♥2♥ flop.

Two checks followed the J♣ turn to see the 5♦ appear on the river. Petakovic led out for an overbet of 32,000, prompting Massimov to go deep into thought. In the end, Massimov decided to fold and surrendered the pot to Petakovic.

Player	Chips	Progress
Sukhrat Massimov	160,000 160,000	160,000
Milos Petakovic	120,000 120,000	120,000
Pobedilov	92,000

Tags: Pobedilov Milos Petakovic Sukhrat Massimov

07-31-2025 21:32 UTC+3

Achour Busts; Immediately Reenters

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Tim Baker

Level 2 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

With Maher Achour all-in preflop for his last 11,000 from the big blind, the dealer spread out a flop of 4♥J♠9♥. Mikhail Katykhin put out a bet from under the gun, and Haydar Issa folded from middle position.

Maher Achour: K♥Q♦ All in
Mikhail Katykhin: A♠Q♥

Achour was already out of his chair after seeing he needed to find a king or ten to survive. The rest of the board came 2♥A♣, meaning Katykhin won the pot.

Achour immediately bolted to the cashier's desk to reenter and is now sitting with a fresh starting stack of 100,000.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mikhail Katykhin	200,000 200,000	200,000
Haydar Issa	170,000 170,000	170,000
Maher Achour	Busted

Tags: Maher Achour Mikhail Katykhin

Level: 2

Blinds: 300/600

Ante: 600

07-31-2025 21:18 UTC+3

New Arrivals

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Tim Baker

Level 1 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Dominik Panka	100,000 100,000	100,000

Iurii Okolovich	100,000 100,000	100,000
Senol Ardic	100,000 10,000	10,000
Tommy G	100,000 100,000	100,000
Damir Gabdullin	100,000 100,000	100,000
Leonid Orman	100,000 100,000	100,000
Dmitry Kataev	100,000 100,000	100,000
Amir Hassan	100,000 100,000	100,000
Dakar1	100,000
Maxime Chilaud	100,000 100,000	100,000

07-31-2025 21:13 UTC+3

Pateychuk Shows a Card

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Tim Baker

Level 1 : Blinds 200/400, 400 ante

With roughly 60,000 in the pot on a completed board of 8♣J♦4♥8♦7♥, Lukas Pazma was first to act from the big blind and fired out a bet of 20,000. Andrey Pateychuk, who was seated on the button, decided to go for the most aggressive option available to him as he jammed for around 78,000.

Pazma went deep into the tank and was visibly distressed by the spot he was in. After over two minutes of thinking, another player at the table called the clock on Pazma.

Ultimately, Pazma tapped the table and tossed his cards into the muck. Pateychuk allowed Pazma to pick one of his cards to show. Pazma pointed at one, and Pateychuk flipped up the K♥.

Player	Chips	Progress
Andrey Pateychuk	145,000 145,000	145,000

Lukas Pazma	80,000 30,000	30,000

Tags: Andrey Pateychuk Lukas Pazma