$5,300 High Roller Day 3 | 2025 Merit Poker Western Series

01-20-2025 00:31 UTC+3

Ladies Help Varnaev to Double

Tim Baker

Level 25 : Blinds 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante

Ludovic Uzan raised to 120,000 under the gun with Ludovic Uzan calling on the button before Sergei Varnaev squeezed all in for 850,000. Ivanov folded, but Uzan snap-called.

Sergei Varnaev: Q♦Q♠ All in
Ludovic Uzan: 10♥10♦

Varnaev was way ahead with his two Ladies and looked likely to double-up. The runout of K♦7♥7♦J♦3♥ was exactly what Varnaev needed, as his queens won him the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Sergei Varnaev	1,900,000 800,000	800,000
Lyudmil Ivanov	1,300,000 1,000,000	1,000,000

Ludovic Uzan	1,100,000 1,000,000	1,000,000

Tags: Ludovic Uzan Sergei Varnaev

01-20-2025 00:28 UTC+3

Demirkol Rivers the Winner to Keep the Dream Alive

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Tim Baker

Level 25 : Blinds 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante

Dmitry Gromov shoved from the small blind and Mehmet Demirkol called for his last 450,000 out of the big blind.

Mehmet Demirkol: A♥8♦ All in
Dmitry Gromov: Q♦9♦

Demirkol was slightly ahead with ace-high. The board came K♥2♥2♠Q♥6♥ which gave Gromov a pair of queens on the turn, but the heart on the river saved Demirkol as he improved to a flush, earning him the much-needed double-up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mehmet Demirkol	1,000,000 250,000	250,000
Dmitry Gromov	400,000 1,400,000	1,400,000

Tags: Dmitry Gromov Mehmet Demirkol

01-20-2025 00:28 UTC+3

Karam Spikes the River to Triple Up

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Tim Baker

Level 25 : Blinds 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante

Sachin Joshi raised to button to 120,000 and Ludovic Uzan called from the small blind before Hala Karam shoved from the big blind for 200,000. Joshi called and then Uzan jammed with a stack that covered Joshi. Joshi folded and the cards were revealed with Karam having a chance to triple up.

Hala Karam: 6♠5♦ All in
Ludovic Uzan: A♠Q♥

Karam was behind but she did have live cards to work with. The flop of A♦7♠8♥ gave both players something. Uzan hit top pair, while Karam had a straight draw. The 6♣ on the turn gave Karam a few more outs, and when the 9♠ came on the river to give her the straight, she jumped up in the air in celebration of staying in the tournament.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ludovic Uzan	2,100,000 200,000	200,000
Sachin Joshi	1,700,000 300,000	300,000
Hala Karam	660,000 110,000	110,000

Tags: Hala Karam Ludovic Uzan Sachin Joshi

01-20-2025 00:13 UTC+3

Joshi Wins Round 2 vs Varnaev

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Tim Baker

Level 25 : Blinds 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante

Sachin Joshi got his final 990,000 into the middle preflop and it was Sergei Varnaev who called, with the hopes of making it second time lucky when trying to bust him.

Sachin Joshi: A♠K♥ All in
Sergei Varnaev: K♦Q♠

Joshi had Varnaev dominated this time and was in a prime spot to double through him and have a healthy stack. The runout of 6♥6♣8♦2♥5♣ didn't improve either player, so it was Joshi's Big Slick that earned him a double-up to two million chips.

Player	Chips	Progress
Sachin Joshi	2,000,000 1,000,000	1,000,000
Sergei Varnaev	1,100,000 400,000	400,000

Tags: Sachin Joshi Sergei Varnaev

01-20-2025 00:09 UTC+3

Joshi Doubles Through Varnaev

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Tim Baker

Level 25 : Blinds 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante

Sergei Varnaev raised the button to 120,000, and Sachin Joshi shoved for 465,00 out of the big blind. Varnaev thought it over before making the call.

Sachin Joshi: A♦4♥ All in
Sergei Varnaev: K♦9♣

Joshi was the shortest stack in the tournament and had found a good spot to double-up. The runout of A♥8♥5♦Q♥6♣ offered no sweat for Joshi as he flopped top pair and had Varnaev drawing dead by the turn. Joshi doubled up and still eleven players remained.

Player	Chips	Progress
Sergei Varnaev	1,500,000 1,100,000	1,100,000
Sachin Joshi	1,000,000 575,000	575,000

Tags: Sachin Joshi Sergei Varnaev

01-19-2025 23:54 UTC+3

Aliaksandr Hirs Eliminated in 12th Place ($14,000)

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Tim Baker

Level 25 : Blinds 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante

Lyudmil Ivanov raised to 120,000 from the hijack and Aliaksandr Hirs defended his big blind.

The two players checked the 10♠4♣7♠ flop to see the A♦ hit the turn. Hirs checked again and Ivanov bet 135,000. Hirs called.

Hirs checked again when the 3♦ fell on the river and Ivanov bet enough to put him all in. The bet was for Hirs' remaining 390,000 and after burning through a few of his time bank cards, Hirs called.

Aliaksandr Hirs; K♦10♥ All in
Lyudmil Ivanov: A♣Q♠

Hirs had a pair of tens but was second best to the turned pair of aces for Ivanov. The pot was pushed over to Ivanov and Hirs was eliminated.

Player	Chips	Progress
Lyudmil Ivanov	2,300,000 550,000	550,000

Aliaksandr Hirs	Busted

Tags: Aliaksandr Hirs Lyudmil Ivanov

Level: 25

Blinds: 30,000/60,000

Ante: 60,000

01-19-2025 23:36 UTC+3

Updated Chip Counts From Table #1

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Tim Baker

Level 24 : Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Sergei Varnaev	2,600,000 250,000	250,000
Ludovic Uzan	1,900,000 700,000	700,000
Lyudmil Ivanov	1,750,000 625,000	625,000

Aliaksandr Hirs	575,000 405,000	405,000
Hala Karam	550,000 50,000	50,000
Sachin Joshi	425,000 265,000	265,000

01-19-2025 23:33 UTC+3

Jontulovic Stays Alive With a Double Up

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Tim Baker

Level 24 : Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante

Maher Achour raised to 105,000 under the gun and Bogdan Jontulovic shoved for 515,000 from the small blind. Achour thought it over for a few moments before making the call.

Bogdan Jontulovic: K♥Q♦ All in
Maher Achour: K♣J♦

Jontulovic was in a prime position to double-up. The flop of Q♥4♠3♦ put him firmly in the lead with top pair. The 10♥ turn gave Achour a straight draw, but the 10♦ didn't help Achour and Jontulovic doubled up with a pair of queens.

Player	Chips	Progress
Maher Achour	2,500,000 1,400,000	1,400,000
Bogdan Jontulovic	1,100,000 450,000	450,000

Tags: Bogdan Jontulovic Maher Achour

01-19-2025 23:20 UTC+3

Chilaud Puts Jontulovic to the Test

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Tim Baker

Level 24 : Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante

Heads-up to a turn of a board that read 6♥K♠K♣6♠. Bogdan Jontulovic checked from the small blind and Maxime Chilaud bet 170,000 from the big blind. Jontulovic called.

The river came the 3♣ and Jontulovic checked to Chilaud again. Chilaud shoved for Jontulovic's remaining 650,000, and after going through two of his time extension cards, Jontulovic folded his cards.

Player	Chips	Progress
Maxime Chilaud	1,700,000 300,000	300,000
Bogdan Jontulovic	650,000 550,000	550,000

Tags: Bogdan Jontulovic Maxime Chilaud