$3,300 Main Event
Day 1a Completed
2025 Merit Poker Carmen Series
$3,300 Main Event
Day: 1a
Top
Chip Counts
Chip Counts
3
569,000
Level 8
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
The $3,300 Main Event at the 2025 Merit Poker Carmen Series is off to a historic start as Day 1a closed with 235 entries, officially setting a new record for the largest opening flight in the event’s history. The previous mark of 232 entries from 2023 has been surpassed, signaling a strong turnout and setting the stage for what could be the biggest Main Event yet.
After eight sixty-minute levels of play, 113 players advanced to Day 2, each one taking their first step toward the prestigious title. Leading the way is Konstantin Voronin, who bagged an impressive 601,000 chips, putting him in pole position heading into Day 2. Voronin separated himself from the pack with a dominant performance, accumulating chips throughout the night and finishing as the clear frontrunner.
Top Ten Chip Counts
| Place | Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Konstantin Voronin | Russia | 601,000 |
| 2 | Hassan Nashar | Guinea-Bissau | 585,000 |
| 3 | Amir Mohammadi | Iran | 569,000 |
| 4 | Andrii Novak | Ukraine | 527,500 |
| 5 | Qiang Xu | China | 510,000 |
| 6 | Boris Kolev | Bulgaria | 508,000 |
| 7 | Mario Menicanin | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 504,500 |
| 8 | Alexandru Papazian | Romania | 459,500 |
| 9 | Benjamin Hamnett | United States | 451,500 |
| 10 | Kuljinder Sidhu | India | 416,000 |
The Merit Poker Classic series continue to showcase its global appeal, as the top ten chip counts from Day 1a feature players from ten different countries. From Russia to the United States, China to Guinea-Bissau, and India to Romania, this truly international lineup highlights Merit’s reputation as a premier poker destination that attracts talent from all corners of the globe. With players from diverse backgrounds and playing styles, the battle for the title is set to be an exciting clash of strategies and experience on one of poker’s biggest stages.
Among the top ten is Hassan Nashar, a player known for his entertaining and fearless style. It took him a few attempts to build momentum, but once he found his stride, he bagged an impressive 585,000, securing the second-biggest stack of the day. Andrii Novak, a force to be reckoned with in the online poker world, sits comfortably in fourth place with 527,500, while Boris Kolev, one of Bulgaria’s most accomplished players, also locked up a strong position with 508,000.
Main Event Schedule
| Date | Day | Time | Blind Levels |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 19 | Day 1b | 12:00 p.m. | 60 minutes |
| March 20 | Day 1c | 12:00 p.m. | 40 minutes |
| March 20 | Day 1d | 7:00 p.m. | 25 minutes |
| March 21 | Day 2 | 12:00 p.m. | 60 minutes |
| March 22 | Day 3 | 12:00 p.m. | 60 minutes |
| March 23 | Day 4 | 12:00 p.m. | 60 minutes |
| March 24 | Day 5 | 1:00 p.m. | 60 minutes |
The Main Event continues over the next six days, with Day 1b playing out tomorrow under the same structure as Day 1a, featuring 60-minute levels. Survivors from both flights, and from 1c & 1d, will return for Day 2 on Friday, March 21, where late registration will remain open until the end of Level 14.
Stay tuned to PokerNews for continued coverage of the Carmen Series Main Event, including live updates, chip counts, and all the key hands as the action unfolds.
Level 8
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
601,000 | |
|
||
|
585,000
5,000
|
5,000 |
|
|
569,000
419,000
|
419,000 |
|
527,000
127,000
|
127,000 |
|
510,000
300,000
|
300,000 |
|
||
|
508,000 | |
|
||
|
504,000
36,500
|
36,500 |
|
459,000
309,000
|
309,000 |
|
|
||
|
451,000
451,000
|
451,000 |
|
||
|
416,000
416,000
|
416,000 |
|
398,000
398,000
|
398,000 |
|
391,000
21,000
|
21,000 |
|
389,000
389,000
|
389,000 |
|
388,000
388,000
|
388,000 |
|
373,000
373,000
|
373,000 |
|
368,000
368,000
|
368,000 |
|
364,000
364,000
|
364,000 |
|
336,000
156,000
|
156,000 |
|
334,000
4,000
|
4,000 |
|
333,000
333,000
|
333,000 |
|
331,000
331,000
|
331,000 |
|
313,000
313,000
|
313,000 |
|
301,000
301,000
|
301,000 |
|
284,000
284,000
|
284,000 |
|
282,000
282,000
|
282,000 |
Level 8
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
With nothing major to report in the final three hands, the surviving players are now bagging up their chips.
Stay tuned for the full chip counts of the survivors and a recap of the day's action.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
601,000
51,000
|
51,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
580,000
130,000
|
130,000 |
|
|
540,500
500
|
500 |
|
|
508,000
168,000
|
168,000 |
|
|
||
Level 8
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
The clock has been stopped and the players are working their way through the final three hands.
Level 8
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
Hassan Nashar made it 5,000 to go from the cutoff and Rui Querido Martins three-bet to around 25,000 from the button. Nashar called.
They went to a flop of 9♥5♠6♦ where both checked to the Q♦ turn. Nashar checked, Martins bet 26,000, and Nashar snap-called.
When the 6♥ dropped on the river, Nashar checked again and Martins, after a while, knuckled back and said "You win,".
"I have nothing," said Nashar. "Me too," replied Martins.
Nashar then showed 7♦5♦ for a pair of fives, and Martins conceded the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
450,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
|
370,000
20,000
|
20,000 |
Level 8
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
Grigorii Rodin just got paid with a set to push himself up the counts as the end of the day gets closer.
There were already around 125,000 chips in the pot on a full board of 6♣9♦A♥3♦J♥ when Rodin fired 80,000 on the river from the small blind. The player in the big blind went into the tank for some time before he eventually decided to call.
Rodin then showed a set with 9♣9♠, and the big blind mucked his hand.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
350,000
160,000
|
160,000 |
Level 8
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
There were already around 15,000 in the pot on a board of 6♠Q♦A♠6♥ when Danielle Noja checked from the big blind and called a 12,500-chip bet from Lyudmil Ivanov in the hijack.
A 4♦ dropped on the river and both checked it down, with Noja showed A♦6♦ to scoop the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
210,000
15,000
|
15,000 |
|
140,000
40,000
|
40,000 |
Level 8
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
550,000
250,000
|
250,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
540,000
20,000
|
20,000 |
|
|
400,000
160,000
|
160,000 |
|
|
350,000
70,000
|
70,000 |
|
|
350,000
50,000
|
50,000 |
|
|
340,000
150,000
|
150,000 |
|
|
||
Level 8
: Blinds 1,000/2,000, 2,000 ante
The last level of the day is underway. When this level ends, the survivors will bag up their chips ready for Day 2 on Friday, March 21st.
