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€1,650 Main Event
Day 1b Completed
2026 Merit Poker Montenegro Championship
€1,650 Main Event
Day: 1b
Event Info
2026 Merit Poker Montenegro Championship
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1b
Buy-in
€1,650
Prize Pool
€571,320
Total Entries
414
Level
37
Blinds
400,000 / 800,000
Ante
800,000
Entries
87
Players Left
33
Players Left 1 / 414
Filter
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Day 1b of the €1,650 Main Event at the Merit Poker Montenegro Championship wrapped up inside the Merit Royal Splendid Casino in Budva, adding another 87 entries to the field. By the end of nine 60-minute levels, 33 players remained, taking the overall field to 236 entries heading into the remaining flights.
Russia’s Nikolai Isaev finished the day with the biggest stack, bagging 613,500 after a strong late surge. Isaev pulled clear during the final levels and ended the night ahead of Amir Hassan (579,000), while Zael Zela (449,500), Paul Esau (421,000), and Safi Haidar (421,000) also secured healthy stacks for Day 2.
Day 1b Top Ten Chip counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nikolai Isaev | Russia | 613,500 | 245 |
| 2 | Amir Hassan | Tunisia | 579,000 | 232 |
| 3 | Zael Zela | Albania | 449,500 | 180 |
| 4 | Paul Esau | Germany | 421,000 | 168 |
| 5 | Safi Haidar | Lebanon | 421,000 | 168 |
| 6 | Sergey Kudryavtsev | Russia | 404,000 | 162 |
| 7 | Martin Brinkmann | United Kingdom | 387,500 | 155 |
| 8 | Christoforos Chrysochoidis | Greece | 357,500 | 143 |
| 9 | Boris Kazbekov | Russia | 352,500 | 141 |
| 10 | Mikhail Ostapenko | Russia | 340,500 | 136 |
Isaev’s run to the top was capped by one of the key hands of the flight. Late in the day, he called down a sizeable river bet from Chakib M’hiri, only to reveal a rivered set after M’hiri bluffed into it with a missed draw. The pot pushed Isaev into the chip lead and set the tone for a dominant finish to the session.
There was plenty of action elsewhere in the closing stages. Christoforos Chrysochoidis was involved in multiple big pots, first making a sharp river call against Jean-Baptiste Pano, then winning a three-way all-in to send Pano to the rail and leave Yaniv Peretz clinging to a short stack. Peretz would eventually exit late in the day after losing a flip to Ohad Gelerenter, whose pocket nines held to score the knockout.
Zela also featured prominently after flopping top set and calling off a shove from Shahab Sahranavard, fading a flush draw to double up. Martin Brinkmann found value with pocket aces against Peretz earlier in the day, while Pablo Redrado scooped one of the biggest pots of the afternoon by turning a straight in a three-way confrontation that eliminated both Benjamin Nicault and Haidar in a single hand.
Among the other players to find bags were Sergey Kudryavtsev (404,000), Brinkmann (387,500), Boris Kazbekov (352,500), Mikhail Ostapenko (340,500), and Zhengpeng Liu (307,500), with several shorter stacks also advancing after navigating the final levels.
Remaining Main Event Schedule
| Date | Day | Time | Blind Levels |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 21 | Day 1c | 12 p.m. | 40 minutes |
| Jan 21 | Day 1d | 7 p.m. | 25 minutes |
| Jan 22 | Day 2 | 12 p.m. | 60 minutes |
| Jan 23 | Day 3 | 12 p.m. | 60 minutes |
| Jan 24 | Day 4 | 12 p.m. | 60 minutes |
| Jan 25 | Day 5 | 1 p.m. | 60 minutes |
With Day 1b complete, attention now turns to the remaining opening flights as players continue to chase a spot in the combined field on Day 2.
PokerNews will remain on the floor throughout, bringing you chip counts, key hands, and updates as the €1,650 Main Event continues in Budva.
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
613,500
38,500
|
38,500 |
|
||
|
579,000
39,000
|
39,000 |
|
449,500
149,500
|
149,500 |
|
421,000
19,000
|
19,000 |
|
||
|
421,000
61,000
|
61,000 |
|
404,000
229,000
|
229,000 |
|
387,500
57,500
|
57,500 |
|
357,500
27,500
|
27,500 |
|
|
352,500
352,500
|
352,500 |
|
340,500
210,500
|
210,500 |
|
324,000
24,000
|
24,000 |
|
307,500
7,500
|
7,500 |
|
|
281,000
41,000
|
41,000 |
|
|
267,000
13,000
|
13,000 |
|
264,500
264,500
|
264,500 |
|
247,500
47,500
|
47,500 |
|
247,000
7,000
|
7,000 |
|
236,500
236,500
|
236,500 |
|
217,500
102,500
|
102,500 |
|
211,000
11,000
|
11,000 |
|
181,500
51,500
|
51,500 |
|
177,000
77,000
|
77,000 |
|
164,500
155,500
|
155,500 |
|
159,500
20,500
|
20,500 |
|
158,500
158,500
|
158,500 |
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
The floor have stopped the clock and announced that three more hands will be played until the survivors can bag up their chips.
Stay tuned for a recap of the day's action and the chip counts.
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Ivan Bozhenko just recalled a hand that he played with his table neighbor Paul Esau.
Bozhenko opened the cutoff and then called a three-bet from Esau, who made it 16,000 to go on the button.
The flop came K♦Q♣3♥ and Bozhenko check-called a bet of 12,000 to the 10♥ turn, where again he check-called after Esau bet 33,000.
A scary J♦ on the river put four to a straight out there, and both players decided to check.
Bozhenko flipped over a set with Q♠Q♥, but that was no good as Esau tabled K♣9♥ for a straight.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
440,000
40,000
|
40,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
130,000
20,000
|
20,000 |
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Vitali Velesiuk opened the cutoff and picked up a call from the small blind and Paul Grummitt in the big blind.
On the 8♦9♥9♦ flop, it checked to Velesiuk, who bet 5,000. Both the small blind and Grummitt called to the 6♦ turn, where everybody checked.
When the 4♠ fell on the river, the small blind checked and Grummitt bet 6,000. That was enough to earn him the pot as Velesiuk and the small blind folded.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
280,000
150,000
|
150,000 |
|
|
115,000
25,000
|
25,000 |
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
540,000
50,000
|
50,000 |
|
|
400,000
40,000
|
40,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
360,000
20,000
|
20,000 |
|
|
330,000
80,000
|
80,000 |
|
|
300,000
40,000
|
40,000 |
|
|
300,000
40,000
|
40,000 |
|
|
200,000
10,000
|
10,000 |
|
190,000
50,000
|
50,000 |
|
|
175,000
5,000
|
5,000 |
|
|
150,000
20,000
|
20,000 |
|
110,000
10,000
|
10,000 |
|
80,000
80,000
|
80,000 |
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Both Chakib M'hiri and Nikolai Isaev saw a flop of 6♣4♥7♥ with around 30,000 in the middle. Chakib M'hiri checked from under the gun and Isaev bet 12,500 from the cutoff. M'hiri called.
An A♠ hit the turn and M'hiri check-called a bet of 30,000 from Isaev to the flush-completing J♥ river. After a brief pause, M'hiri bet 75,000, which gave Isaev a decision.
After thinking for around thirty seconds, Isaev flicked in a call, and M'hiri sheepishly flipped 9♣8♥ for a busted straight draw. Isaev revealed a rivered set with J♠J♣ to scoop the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
575,000
245,000
|
245,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
100,000
210,000
|
210,000 |
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
There was a raise from Christoforos Chrysochoidis from the hijack and Ohad Gelerenter called in the cutoff. Yaniv Peretz was in the small blind and committed most of his stack of around 50,000, leaving a few chips behind.
Chrysochoidis took some time before he folded, Gelerenter shoved, and Peretz called off his last few chips.
Yaniv Peretz: A♦J♠ 
Ohad Gelerenter: 9♥9♣
It was a flip, and one that went to the way of the pair as Gelerenter's nines held through the 8♠10♠6♣6♦5♥ runout to send Peretz to the rail in the last level of the day.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
250,000
20,000
|
20,000 |
|
|
180,000 | |
|
|
140,000
75,000
|
75,000 |
|
130,000
40,000
|
40,000 |
|
|
Busted |
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Level 9 has just kicked off, which is the last level of the night.
After the next 60 minutes have elapsed, the survivors will bag up their chips for the night.
