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

01-20-2026 16:57 UTC+2

Zavoloka Gets Sticky With a Six

Kai Cocklin

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

Mikhail Zavoloka opened under the gun to 2,000 and Christoforos Chrysochoidis called on the button. Jean-Baptiste Pano also called from the big blind.

On the flop of K♥Q♠K♠, it checked to Chrysochoidis, who bet 2,500. Pano folded, but Zavoloka called to the 6♦ turn. Another check came from Zavoloka, and another bet from Chrysochoidis, this time for 5,200. Zavoloka called.

A 2♥ completed the board and both players decided to check, then Zavoloka showed A♥6♥ for a pair of sixes. Chrysochoidis couldn't beat that as his cards went into the muck, earning Zavoloka the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Jean-Baptiste Pano	100,000 60,000	60,000
Christoforos Chrysochoidis	40,000 90,000	90,000
Mikhail Zavoloka	40,000 15,000	15,000

Tags: Jean-Baptiste Pano Mikhail Zavoloka Christoforos Chrysochoidis

01-20-2026 16:48 UTC+2

Selected Chip Counts

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Kai Cocklin

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

Player	Chips	Progress
Chakib M'hiri	240,000
Pavel Nikiforov	160,000 30,000	30,000
Nikolai Isaev	140,000 5,000	5,000

Miroslav Forman	120,000 20,000	20,000
Benjamin Nicault	115,000 115,000	115,000
Alisa Sibgatova	70,000 20,000	20,000
Paul Grummitt	50,000 50,000	50,000
Mikhail Zavoloka	25,000 13,000	13,000

01-20-2026 16:42 UTC+2

"John Doe K" Gets One Through

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Kai Cocklin

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

"John Doe K" is building up his stack and has around 180,000 after just taking down a pot.

The board read Q♣2♦6♠ and with around 20,000 in the middle, "John Doe K" bet 11,000 from the small blind. Both Raed Maouad and Zael Zela laid their hands down.

Player	Chips	Progress
John Doe K	180,000 110,000	110,000
Paul Esau	140,000 70,000	70,000

Zael Zela	130,000 130,000	130,000
Raed Mouawad	40,000 40,000	40,000

Tags: Gazmend Zela John Doe K Raed Maouad

01-20-2026 16:33 UTC+2

Flashback: Boris Kolev Dominates 2025 Merit Millions Final Table

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Kai Cocklin

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

The inaugural $10,400 Merit Millions event at the 2025 Merit Poker Classic Millions wrapped up last April, with Boris Kolev rising above a talented field of 212 entries to become the first-ever Merit Millions 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 Millions 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	Russian Federation	$35,400

Read the Full Recap Here

01-20-2026 16:21 UTC+2

Become a Bigger Part of the Action With MyStack by PokerNews

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Kai Cocklin

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

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Level: 4

Blinds: 500/1,000

Ante: 1,000

01-20-2026 16:13 UTC+2

Bystrenin Rebuilding

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Kai Cocklin

Level 3 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

After bluffing off a stack earlier, Oleg Bystrenin is getting back on track.

In a pot he just played with Alexander Sokolovsky, the board read K♣J♠6♥K♥ and there was around 15,000 in the middle.

Bystrenin was in the small blind and bet a chunky 20,000, and that was enough to get big blind Sokolovsky to lay it down.

Player	Chips	Progress
Oleg Bystrenin	130,000 5,000	5,000
Alexander Sokolovsky	120,000

01-20-2026 16:03 UTC+2

Redrado Turns the Nuts to Stack Nicault & Haidar

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Kai Cocklin

Level 3 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

A huge pot just went the way of Pablo Redrado.

The action was picked up on the flop of 3♥8♣9♣ with around 5,000 in the middle. After a series of bets and raises, Benjamin Nicault had 13,500 in front of him from the big blind and Safi Haidar had called from the hijack. Redrado then made it 39,000 in the cutoff, Nicault called, and Haidar shoved 55,300.

Redrado quickly called, and Nicault also called.

A 5♠ on the turn saw Nicault move all in for around 40,000, and Redrado snapped it off.

Safi Haidar: A♣5♣ All in
Benjamin Nicault: 9♥8♥ All in
Pablo Redrado: 7♣6♣

Madness. Haidar needed a club that wasn't the ten to complete his nut flush draw, and Nicault needed an eight or a nine, otherwise Redrado's turned straight would scoop the lot.

All eyes were on the river when the dealer put out the 4♠, keeping Redrado's straight in the lead and eliminating both Nicault and Haidar.

Player	Chips	Progress
Pablo Redrado	300,000 170,000	170,000
Benjamin Nicault	Busted
Safi Haidar	Busted

Tags: Benjamin Nicault Pablo Redrado Safi Haidar

01-20-2026 15:49 UTC+2

Isaev Figures Out Pano

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Kai Cocklin

Level 3 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

Nikolai Isaev just made a big call, and reaped the rewards.

Pavel Nikiforov started the action with a raise to 2,000 in the hijack and Isaev three-bet the cutoff to 6,500. Jean-Baptiste Pano cold-called on the button, and Nikiforov also called.

The flop came 8♠4♥10♣ and when the action checked to Pano, he bet 7,500. Nikiforov quickly released, but Isaev stuck around.

A J♠ on the turn saw Isaev check-call again for 13,000 to see the 5♥ river, where again he checked. Pano had a peek at his opponent's stack and upon seeing there was a little shy of 50,000 in it, he shoved.

Isaev then went into the tank for a while as he tried to figure out his next move, and ultimately he settled on a call.

Pano then rolled over A♣Q♥ for just ace-high, but Isaev had the winner with a pair of jacks holding A♥J♥.

"Wow," said Pano.

Player	Chips	Progress
Nikolai Isaev	145,000 70,000	70,000

Pavel Nikiforov	130,000
Jean-Baptiste Pano	40,000 40,000	40,000

Tags: Jean-Baptiste Pano Nikolai Isaev Pavel Nikiforov

01-20-2026 15:34 UTC+2

Bozhenko Building

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Kai Cocklin

Level 3 : Blinds 400/800, 800 ante

Ivan Bozhenko just took down another pot, adding to his stack.

The board read A♣A♥2♣Q♠ and with around 20,000 in the middle, Bozhenko checked the hijack over to Miroslav Forman in the cutoff. Forman then bet out 6,100 before Bozhenko raised to 15,100.

It didn't take long for Forman to fold, which allowed Bozhenko to rake in the pot.

Nikolai Isaev is on the same table with around 75,000 in front of him.