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

01-15-2026 16:39 UTC+2

Sokolovsky's Kings Get Chopped

Kai Cocklin

Level 5 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

It was mentioned earlier that Alexander Sokolovsky isn't having the best of days, and that was proved evident in the last hand.

After getting his stack back to almost starting stack, Sokolovsky was all in and well ahead against Tarik Ugural.

Alexander Sokolovsky: K♥K♦ All in
Tarik Ugural: A♣J♥

If Sokolovsky's kings could hold, he would have a stack close to 60,000. but that didn't happen as the 7♥4♣3♠6♠5♥ runout put a straight on board, which meant the pair chopped up the pot.

At least there wasn't an ace on the board. Silver lining?

Player	Chips	Progress
Tarik Ugural	85,000 35,000	35,000
Alexander Sokolovsky	27,000 14,000	14,000

Tags: Alexander Sokolovsky Tarik Ugural

01-15-2026 16:36 UTC+2

Add PokerNews to Your Mobile Home Screen

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Kai Cocklin

Level 5 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

The PokerNews desktop and mobile browser websites are as feature-rich as ever, so our tech gurus have decided to call time on the PokerNews mobile app.

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01-15-2026 16:28 UTC+2

Reichenstein Bets Out Petrytsia

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Kai Cocklin

Level 5 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Uri Reichenstein opened to 1,300 from middle position and Illia Petrytsia called out of the big blind.

On the A♠9♠Q♣ flop, Petrytsia checked it over to Reichenstein, who bet 1,200. Petrytsia was going nowhere just yet and flicked in the call to see the K♥ turn, which he checked.

Reichenstein then went big with a bet of 7,000, which was enough to earn him the pot as Petrytsia folded.

Player	Chips	Progress
Illia Petrytsia	47,000 3,000	3,000
Uri Reichenstein	42,000 2,000	2,000

01-15-2026 16:19 UTC+2

A Round of Counts

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Kai Cocklin

Level 5 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Ali Moein	120,000 40,000	40,000
Pablo Redrado	85,000 15,000	15,000
Paul Grummitt	80,000 50,000	50,000
Dmytro Tulin	55,000 20,000	20,000
Sebastian Szychulski	55,000 55,000	55,000
Illia Petrytsia	50,000 500	500
Jamie Nixon	50,000 10,000	10,000

Uri Reichenstein	40,000
Genrik Alekian	37,000 37,000	37,000
Yaniv Peretz	30,000 5,000	5,000
Mikhail Zavoloka	25,000
Ersen Erdal	12,000 8,000	8,000

01-15-2026 16:09 UTC+2

Sokolovsky Battling It Out

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Kai Cocklin

Level 5 : Blinds 300/600, 600 ante

Alexander Sokolovsky didn't have the best of days yesterday with Day 1a, and he Day 1b is going to well either. Though, he did just take down a pot to help his situation.

On a board of 9♠2♦K♣K♦7♦, Dmytro Yushevych had bet 900 on the river into a pot of around 5,000, only for Sokolovsky to raise to 5,500. After some deliberation, Yushevych did decide to let it go.

Sokolovsky has a Merit Poker Main Event final table under his belt, when he finished sixth in the 2025 Western Series Main Event for a cool $75,900.

Player	Chips	Progress
Dmytro Yushevych	20,000
Alexander Sokolovsky	13,000 22,000	22,000

Tags: Alexander Sokolovsky Dmytro Yushevych

Level: 5

Blinds: 300/600

Ante: 600

01-15-2026 15:57 UTC+2

Day 1b Snaps

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Kai Cocklin

01-15-2026 15:54 UTC+2

Illia Petrytsia

49,500

Table 7Seat 5

01-15-2026 15:50 UTC+2

Golubev has Kicker Issues

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Kai Cocklin

Level 4 : Blinds 200/500, 500 ante

Miroslav Radonjic opened to 1,100 from the hijack and Andrey Golubev was the only called from the small blind.

They saw a flop of Q♠A♥5♥, where Golubev check-called a bet of 1,100 from Radonjic to the 10♣ turn, where both checked.

When the 6♦ hit the river, Golubev went with a sizing of 1,500, which was quickly called by Radonjic. Golubev then revealed a pair of queens with Q♦7♠, but he was out-kicked as Radonjic revealed K♠Q♣.

Player	Chips	Progress
Andrey Golubev	27,000 1,000	1,000
Miroslav Radonjic	25,000 25,000	25,000

Tags: Andrey Golubev Miroslav Radonjic

01-15-2026 15:42 UTC+2

Sibgatova's Stack on the Rise

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Kai Cocklin

Level 4 : Blinds 200/500, 500 ante

Alisa Sibgatova is moving along nicely through Day 1b and has around 85,000 after just taking down another pot.

With around 12,000 in the middle on a board of 5♥7♥4♠2♠, Sibgatova bet 5,500 and was looked up by the button.

A 2♣ fell on the river and Sibgatova kept the aggression up with a shove, putting her opponent to the test. Around thirty seconds later, the button folded, which meant Sibgatova was awarded the pot, pushing her stack to around 85,000.

Player	Chips	Progress
Alisa Sibgatova	85,000 20,000	20,000

Tags: Alisa Sibgatova