Level: 12
Blinds: 1,500/3,000
Ante: 3,000
2025 Merit Poker Carmen Series
$5,300 High Roller
Day: 2
Event Info
Top
Chip Counts
Chip Counts
Level 11
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
On a flop of 3?A?2?, Safi Haidar bet 8,000 from the small blind and was met by a raise to 22,000 from Jenya Gavrilovich out of the big blind. Haidar thought for a few moments before making the call.
The turn came the K? and Haidar check-called a bet of 13,000 from Gavrilovich.
When the Q? landed on the river Haidar shoved for 53,000 and Gavrilovich quickly called.
Safi Haidar: 9?8? 
Jenya Gavrilovich: A?5?
Haidar had the winner with the rivered flush, earning him the double-up, while leaving Gavrilovich on fumes.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
160,000
64,500
|
64,500 |
|
10,000
55,000
|
55,000 |
Level 11
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Three players saw the flop of 5?7?K? come down. Andrey Pateychuk and Alisa Sibgatova checked from the blinds and Tarmo Tammel bet 3,500 from the cutoff. Pateychuk called from the small blind, but Sibgatova folded.
The 10? turn got checked through to see the J? land on the river. Pateychuk led out now for 7,000 and Tammel quickly let go of his hand.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
190,000
40,000
|
40,000 |
|
120,000 | |
|
||
|
50,000
93,000
|
93,000 |
Level 11
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
From late positions, Samuel Ju and Johnny Lodden just got all of their chips into the middle preflop, with Ju being the player at risk.
Samuel Ju: A?A?
Johnny Lodden: J?J?
Ju had the current nuts and was likely to earn the double-up at the expense of Lodden. There was no help for Lodden on the K?Q?2?2?8? runout and almost half of his stack was sent over to Ju.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
240,000
2,000
|
2,000 |
|
140,000
149,500
|
149,500 |
Level 11
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
With more than 220 entries already, the 2025 Merit Poker Carmen Series High Roller has already set a new record for the largest High Roller field in Merit Poker history. The previous benchmark was 187 entries from the 2023 Merit Poker Carmen Series, which awarded $204,700 to the champion.
With late registration still open for another two hours, the prize pool and top prize are set to climb even higher.
| Event | Entries | Top Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 Carmen Series | 187 | $204,700 |
| 2025 Western Series | 174 | $200,000 |
| 2024 Western Series | 153 | $177,500 |
| 2023 Western Series | 147 | $170,000 |
| 2024 Carmen Series | 145 | $174,500 |
| 2023 Gangster Series | 121 | $149,200 |
| 2024 Gatsby Series | 103 | $132,300 |
Level 11
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
620,000
25,500
|
25,500 |
|
||
|
540,000
20,000
|
20,000 |
|
||
|
|
480,000
108,000
|
108,000 |
|
450,000
64,000
|
64,000 |
|
440,000
136,500
|
136,500 |
|
440,000 | |
|
380,000
135,500
|
135,500 |
|
375,000
4,500
|
4,500 |
|
340,000
54,000
|
54,000 |
|
330,000
330,000
|
330,000 |
|
330,000
93,000
|
93,000 |
|
300,000
110,000
|
110,000 |
|
300,000
76,500
|
76,500 |
|
|
230,000
230,000
|
230,000 |
|
220,000
11,000
|
11,000 |
Level: 11
Blinds: 1,000/2,500
Ante: 2,500
Level 10
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
Players are now on a 15-minute break.
Level 10
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
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Level 10
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
Tamazi Skhirtladze raised the minimum to 4,000 from under the gun before Zhen Chen stuck his 35,000 into the middle from middle position. When it folded back to Skhirtladze, he called to put Chen at risk.
Zhen Chen: A?K?
Tamazi Skhirtladze: K?Q?
Chen had Skhirtladze dominated and looked poised to get the double. The clean runout of 7?A?9?4?2? gave Chen the winner with a pair of aces, and he stayed alive in the event.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
75,000
35,500
|
35,500 |
|
75,000
128,000
|
128,000 |
