$10,400 GG Million$ ($5M GTD) Day 1a | 2025 Onyx Super High Roller Series

08-09-2025 19:32 UTC+3

Lonis Involved in a Three-Way All-in

Tim Baker

Level 10 : Blinds 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante

The hijack raised to 8,000 before Jesse Lonis three-bet to 25,000 from the cutoff. Rene Majed cold four-bet to 65,000 out of the small blind, and the hijack shoved for 87,000. Lonis moved in over the top for 145,000, and Majed made the call to put both players at risk.

Hijack: J♠J♦ All in
Jesse Lonis: A♣K♣ All in
Rene Majed: A♥Q♠

Majed needed to find a queen to bust both players, but the 4♥2♥7♦8♠3♦ runout was safe for the hijack, and he tripled up. Lonis stayed in the event, as he won the side pot with ace-king high.

Player	Chips	Progress
Rene Majed	250,000 30,000	30,000
Jesse Lonis	130,000 30,000	30,000

Tags: Jesse Lonis Rene Majed

08-09-2025 19:20 UTC+3

Romanello Doubles Through Oganyan

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Tim Baker

Level 10 : Blinds 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante

Aram Oganyan made it 8,000 to go from middle position and Roberto Romanello jammed for 84,5000 from the blinds. Oganyan thought about it for a while before making the call to put Romanello at risk.

Roberto Romanello: A♥K♥ All in
Aram Oganyan: A♦10♠

Romanello had Oganyan crushed and looked poised to double up. The runout of J♦6♣5♠9♥6♠ was clean for Romanello, and he stayed alive in the event.

Player	Chips	Progress
Roberto Romanello	170,000 170,000	170,000

Aram Oganyan	130,000 130,000	130,000

Tags: Aram Oganyan Roberto Romanello

08-09-2025 19:10 UTC+3

Flashback: Boris Kolev Dominates 2025 Merit Millions Final Table

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Tim Baker

Level 10 : 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante

Back in April, the inaugural $10,400 Merit Millions Event saw Boris Kolev rising above a talented field of 212 entries to become the first-ever 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 Million 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	Russia	$35,400

Read the Full Recap Here

08-09-2025 19:06 UTC+3

Big Stacks After Break

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Tim Baker

Level 10 : Blinds 2,000/4,000, 4,000 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Fahredin Mustafov	700,000 100,000	100,000

Dori Yacoub	480,000 140,000	140,000
Roman Stoika	450,000 235,000	235,000
Warwick Mirzikinian	430,000 430,000	430,000
Stefan Kiwisch	430,000 430,000	430,000
Tamazi Skhirtladze	420,000 290,000	290,000
Artur Martirosian	415,000 40,000	40,000

Oleg Svintsov	410,000 285,000	285,000
Jovan Kenjic	410,000 110,000	110,000
Gregoire Auzoux	400,000 230,000	230,000
Maksim Paniak	390,000 279,000	279,000
Viacheslav Balaev	360,000 210,000	210,000
Philip Joyce	340,000 210,000	210,000
Jamil Wakil	335,000 335,000	335,000

Tommy Vedes	330,000

Robert Burlacu	290,000 190,000	190,000
Michael Allen	280,000 230,000	230,000

Imad Derwiche	280,000 65,000	65,000
Rene Majed	280,000 10,000	10,000
Boris Kolev	200,000 70,000	70,000

Level: 10

Blinds: 2,000/4,000

Ante: 4,000

08-09-2025 18:50 UTC+3

Break Time

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Tim Baker

Level 9 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante

The players are now on a 15-minute break. At the conclusion of this break, late registration will close for Day 1a.

08-09-2025 18:45 UTC+3

Miao Falls to Strobel's Cowboys

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Tim Baker

Level 9 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante

Zhicheng Miao jammed for his last 35,000 from the button and Adrian Strobel immediately called out of the big blind.

Zhicheng Miao: A♠10♠ All in
Adrian Strobel: K♦K♠

Strobel's Cowboys were ahead right now, but Miao had one overcard and spades working for him. Unfortunately for Miao, the runout of 2♦Q♠10♥J♥7♣ didn't improve him enough to beat Strobel's hand, and he headed to the rail.

Player	Chips	Progress
Adrian Strobel	120,000 20,000	20,000
Zhicheng Miao	Busted

Tags: Adrian Strobel Zhicheng Miao

08-09-2025 18:37 UTC+3

Martirosian Rivers an Unlikely Boat

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Tim Baker

Level 9 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante

With a compelted board of 10♣10♦4♦Q♥6♥ showing, Xiaosheng Zheng checked out of the big blind, and faced a bet of 50,000 by Artur Martirosian in the cutoff.

Zheng didn't take long to make the call but then was forced to muck after Martirosian revealed 6♦6♠ for a rivered boat.

Player	Chips	Progress
Artur Martirosian	375,000 145,000	145,000

Xiaosheng Zheng	45,000 50,000	50,000

Tags: Artur Martirosian Xiaosheng Zheng

08-09-2025 18:30 UTC+3

Nashar Flops the Nuts, Busts Gortikov

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Tim Baker

Level 9 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante

With the flop showing 6♦5♣9♦, Aleksei Gortikov got his stack of around 50,000 into the middle, with Hassan Nashar being the player trying to bust him.

Aleksei Gortikov: J♦J♠ All in
Hassan Nashar: 8♥7♣

Gortikov's overpair was far behind the flopped nut straight of Nashar. Gortikov was drawing after the 2♠ turn, as the Q♣ river solidified his exit from the tournament.

Player	Chips	Progress
Hassan Nashar	500,000 20,000	20,000
Aleksei Gortikov	Busted

Tags: Aleksei Gortikov Hassan Nashar

08-09-2025 18:19 UTC+3

Zoufri Gets Some Luck to Beat Dukic

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Tim Baker

Level 9 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante

Abdelhakim Zoufri min-raised from middle position and Nenad Dukic three-bet to 20,000 from the big blind. Zoufri four-bet shoved for 88,000, which got instantly called by Dukic.

Abdelhakim Zoufri: A♥J♥ All in
Nenad Dukic: A♣K♥

Zoufri was in rough shape against Dukic's Big Slick, although the 5♥10♥5♠ flop gave him a flush draw. The J♣ turn propelled him to the lead with a pair of jacks. A 7♠ river was clean for Zoufri, and he doubled up through Dukic.

Player	Chips	Progress
Abdelhakim Zoufri	170,000 170,000	170,000
Nenad Dukic	88,000 42,000	42,000

Tags: Abdelhakim Zoufri Nenad Dukic