€880 Merit Poker Cup Day 1b | 2026 Merit Poker Montenegro Championship

01-15-2026 23:22 UTC+2

Balic Falls to Mokhtari

Kai Cocklin

Level 14 : Blinds 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante

Just after play resumed, Jakov Balic had his short stack of around 25,000 in the middle and was at risk against Tommy Mokhtari.

Jakov Balic: 8♣5♣ All in
Tommy Mokhtari: K♦J♦

Balic was live, but needed a lot of help after the 9♠10♣K♠ flop gave Mokhtari a pair and a straight draw. A J♥ turn left Mokhtari drawing to a seven to scoop and a queen to chop, but it was no dice as the 8♦ fell on the river.

Player	Chips	Progress
Tommy Mokhtari	100,000 40,000	40,000
Jakov Balic	Busted

Tags: Jakov Balic Tommy Mokhtari

01-15-2026 23:17 UTC+2

Updated Chip Counts

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Kai Cocklin

Level 14 : Blinds 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Alisa Sibgatova	240,000 180,000	180,000
Pavel Nikiforov	220,000 115,000	115,000
Maor Zaharagi	180,000 40,000	40,000
Sergey Kudryavtsev	180,000 10,000	10,000
Christoforos Chrysochoidis	170,000
Alexander Sokolovsky	170,000 10,000	10,000
Ughur Giyasi	140,000 65,000	65,000
Nikolai Isaev	130,000 80,000	80,000
Mikhail Zavoloka	125,000 85,000	85,000
Mikhail Ostapenko	110,000 25,000	25,000
Olena Vashchenko	110,000 10,000	10,000
Tarik Ugural	100,000 20,000	20,000
Ali Moein	100,000 40,000	40,000
Yaniv Peretz	90,000 10,000	10,000
Viktoria Shalneva	90,000 35,000	35,000
Dmitriy Reznichenko	80,000 66,000	66,000
Miroslav Forman	80,000 50,000	50,000
Sebastian Szychulski	80,000
Ohad Gelerenter	70,000 40,000	40,000
Tommy Mokhtari	60,000 30,000	30,000
Igor Abelmasov	45,000
Uri Reichenstein	45,000 25,000	25,000
Ivan Bozhenko	40,000 20,000	20,000
Pablo Redrado	40,000 60,000	60,000
Jakov Balic	30,000

Read full

Level: 14

Blinds: 2,000/4,000

Ante: 4,000

01-15-2026 23:02 UTC+2

Break Time

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Kai Cocklin

Level 13 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante

Players are heading on a 15-minute break.

When they return, the race to the money will certainly liven up.

01-15-2026 22:56 UTC+2

Ostapenko Finds a Four to Survive Against Peretz

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Kai Cocklin

Level 13 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante

Mikhail Ostapenko opened the cutoff to 6,000 and then called off his stack of around 65,000 after Yaniv Peretz moved all in from the big blind.

Mikhail Ostapenko: A♣4♣ All in
Yaniv Peretz: A♥K♦

It looked to be the end of the road for Ostapenko, but the 9♥4♠2♠ flop seemed to have other ideas as he paired his four to take the lead. No kings were in sight on the 7♥5♣ runout, and Ostapenko doubled up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mikhail Ostapenko	135,000 35,000	35,000
Yaniv Peretz	100,000 20,000	20,000

Tags: Mikhail Ostapenko Yaniv Peretz

01-15-2026 22:46 UTC+2

Moein Back on Track

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Kai Cocklin

Level 13 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante

Ali Moein had a monster stack earlier on in the day, but over the course of the last few levels those towers were worn down. However, a knockout just help Moein to rebuild some of his stack.

A short stack shoved around 35,000, and Moein made the call and found himself in a flip.

Short Stack: 9♦9♣ All in
Ali Moein: A♥J♠

Moein needed to win the flip otherwise he would become one of the short stacks, and it wasn't looking good for him as the pocket nines were holding through the 7♥6♠4♠ flop.

A 10♣ turn left Moein with one more chance, but that was all he needed as the J♥ rolled off, giving him a pair of jacks and a stack of around 140,000.

Player	Chips	Progress
Ali Moein	140,000 50,000	50,000

Tags: Ali Moein

01-15-2026 22:35 UTC+2

Kudryavtsev Goes Into the Tank

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Kai Cocklin

Level 13 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante

Olena Vashchenko opened from under the gun to 6,500 and Sergey Kudryavtsev called in the cutoff. Uri Reichenstein called on the button, and Mikhail Zavoloka called out of the big blind.

On the 7♣A♣3♦ flop, it checked to Kudryavtsev, who bet 7,000. Only Zavoloka called to the 3♥ turn, where they both checked.

Zavoloka then led out for 6,000 on the 9♠ river, which sent Kudryavtsev into the tank. Eventually, the floor were called and just as the countdown was about to begin, Kudryavtsev folded.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mikhail Zavoloka	210,000 50,000	50,000
Sergey Kudryavtsev	170,000 40,000	40,000
Olena Vashchenko	100,000 30,000	30,000
Uri Reichenstein	70,000 80,000	80,000

Tags: Mikhail Zavoloka Olena Vashchenko Sergey Kudryavtsev Uri Reichenstein

01-15-2026 22:28 UTC+2

Recent Eliminations

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Kai Cocklin

Level 13 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Toni Ravnak	Busted
Shai Arbel	Busted
Timur Margolin	Busted

Jamie Nixon	Busted

Andrey Litvinov	Busted

Level: 13

Blinds: 1,500/3,000

Ante: 3,000

01-15-2026 22:15 UTC+2

Bozhenko Reads Ostapenko Like a Book

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Kai Cocklin

Level 12 : Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante

A pot of around 25,000 had brewed between Mikhail Ostapenko in the big blind and Ivan Bozhenko from under the gun.

The board read J♦6♣5♥Q♠ and after Ostapenko checked, Bozhenko bet 8,500. Ostapenko then raised to 25,000, which put Bozhenko in a tough spot.

"Do you have five-six?" asked Bozhenko. Ostapenko didn't give much of a response, but did make out that he would show Bozhenko his cards if he were to fold.

"I'm not sure I want to see," joked Bozhenko, who did eventually fold.

Ostapenko was true to his word and did flip over 6♠5♦ for two pair.

"I read you...like a book," said Bozhenko.