€1,650 Main Event | 2026 Merit Poker Montenegro Championship

01-25-2026 18:53 UTC+1

Esau on the Ropes

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Kai Cocklin

Level 35 : Blinds 200,000/400,000, 400,000 ante

Paul Esau limped in from the small blind and Timur Margolin checked the big blind.

Both players put in 600,000 on the 7♦8♣5♦ flop and Esau bet 1,200,000 on the 4♣ turn. Margolin called.

A 9♦ fell on the river and Esau bet 700,000, then snap-folded when Margolin shoved.

Player	Chips	Progress
Nikolay Fal	24,000,000 1,000,000	1,000,000

Timur Margolin	13,000,000 2,000,000	2,000,000

Paul Esau	4,100,000 900,000	900,000

Tags: Paul Esau Timur Margolin

Level: 35

Blinds: 200,000/400,000

Ante: 400,000

01-25-2026 18:47 UTC+1

Margolin Extracts Value From Esau

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Kai Cocklin

Level 34 : Blinds 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante

Timur Margolin raised the button to 600,000 and Paul Esau called out of the big blind.

The action was checked to the river on the 4♥8♠5♠10♥7♣ board, where Esau checked. Margolin then bet 1,600,000, and Esau called.

Margolin showed a straight with K♠6♥, beating the pair of Esau, who held 9♦8♥.

Player	Chips	Progress
Nikolay Fal	25,000,000 2,500,000	2,500,000

Timur Margolin	11,000,000

Paul Esau	5,000,000 3,500,000	3,500,000

Tags: Paul Esau Timur Margolin

01-25-2026 18:38 UTC+1

Margolin Tanks for Three Minutes After Esau Bets River

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Kai Cocklin

Level 34 : Blinds 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante

Paul Esau opened the button to 600,000 and Timur Margolin called in the small blind. Nikolay Fal also called from the big blind.

The trio saw a flop of 6♠2♣10♣ and all checked to the K♣ turn. When the action was on Esau, he bet 900,000, Margolin called, and Fal folded.

A J♠ on the river completed the backdoor flush draw and after Margolin checked, Esau bet 1,600,000. Margolin went into the tank for close to three minutes, but eventually laid it down,

Player	Chips	Progress
Timur Margolin	11,000,000 1,500,000	1,500,000

Paul Esau	8,500,000 2,000,000	2,000,000

Tags: Nikolay Fal Paul Esau Timur Margolin

01-25-2026 18:30 UTC+1

Jon Kyte Eliminated in 4th Place (€36,800)

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Kai Cocklin

Level 34 : Blinds 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante

Timur Margolin raised the button to 600,000 and Jon Kyte three-bet the small blind to 1,600,000. Nikolay Fal then moved all in from the big blind, which got Margolin to fold, and Kyte called off his last 750,000.

Jon Kyte: 4♥4♦ All in
Nikolay Fal: J♠J♥

It was bad news for Kyte, and it got even worse as the 2♣5♦J♣ flop left him needing running cards to survive. However, Kyte was drawing dead on the turn as the 9♠ left him with no way out.

A meaningless 3♥ filled out the board, and Kyte exited in fourth.

Player	Chips	Progress
Nikolay Fal	22,500,000 3,500,000	3,500,000

Timur Margolin	12,500,000 500,000	500,000

Paul Esau	6,500,000 600,000	600,000

Jon Kyte	Busted

Tags: Jon Kyte Nikolay Fal Timur Margolin

01-25-2026 18:15 UTC+1

Margolin Leaves Kyte With Nine Bigs

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Kai Cocklin

Level 34 : Blinds 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante

Timur Margolin raised to 800,000 from the small blind and Jon Kyte called out of the big blind.

After the 4♥4♠A♥ flop hit the table, Margolin continued for 500,000, which Kyte called.

A 2♣ turn saw Margolin keep the pressure on with a bet of 1,200,000, which Kyte called to the 3♦ river. Both decided to check it down, and Kyte mucked when Margolin showed A♦10♠ for a pair of aces.

Player	Chips	Progress
Timur Margolin	12,000,000 3,000,000	3,000,000

Jon Kyte	2,700,000 3,400,000	3,400,000

Tags: Jon Kyte Timur Margolin

01-25-2026 18:10 UTC+1

Esau Shoves on Fal

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Kai Cocklin

Level 34 : Blinds 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante

Nikolay Fal limped in from the small blind and then called a raise from Paul Esau, who made it 900,000 from the big blind.

The flop came 6♠8♥K♦ and Fal check-called a bet of 750,000 from Esau to the 10♦ turn. Fal checked, Esau shoved around 2,400,000, and Fal folded.

Player	Chips	Progress
Nikolay Fal	19,000,000 1,000,000	1,000,000

Paul Esau	7,100,000 600,000	600,000

Tags: Nikolay Fal Paul Esau

01-25-2026 18:03 UTC+1

Margolin Wins a Flip Against Kyte

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Kai Cocklin

Level 34 : Blinds 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante

Jon Kyte opened from under the gun to 600,000 and Timur Margolin shoved 4,325,000 from the big blind. Kyte took around a minute, but eventually made the call.

Timur Margolin: 8♥8♦ All in
Jon Kyte: A♦10♠

Margolin was ahead with his eights, and needed to hold otherwise he would be out in fourth. A flop of 7♥9♠3♥ kept his eights ahead, as did the Q♣ turn.

Only an ace or a ten would see Margolin eliminated, but he survived as the 2♦ river earned him a double-up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Timur Margolin	9,000,000 3,000,000	3,000,000

Jon Kyte	6,100,000 2,900,000	2,900,000

Tags: Jon Kyte Timur Margolin

01-25-2026 17:56 UTC+1

Fal Staying Aggressive

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Kai Cocklin

Level 34 : Blinds 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante

While there hasn't been a lot of flops since play resumed, Nikolay Fal has started to ramp up the pressure.

Fal took down several pots preflop with three-bets and open raises.

In the most recent hand, Fal opened to 600,000 under the gun and Paul Esau called on the button.

The flop came 4♣8♥9♦ and Fal's bet of 800,000 made Esau fold.

Player	Chips	Progress
Nikolay Fal	20,000,000 5,000,000	5,000,000

Jon Kyte	9,000,000 600,000	600,000

Paul Esau	6,500,000 3,300,000	3,300,000

Timur Margolin	6,000,000 1,000,000	1,000,000

Tags: Nikolay Fal Paul Esau

Level: 34

Blinds: 150,000/300,000

Ante: 300,000