Niveau: 2
Blinds: 300/600
Ante: 600
2025 Merit Poker Carmen Series
$3,300 Main Event
Jours 1a
Event Info
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Chip Count
Chip Count
Niveau 1
: Blinds 200/500, 500 ante
Grigorii Rodin just raked in an early pot at the expense of Lyudmil Ivanov.
The pot already had 14,000 in it going to the flop of J?K?2? when Rodin fired out 5,000 from the small blind, and Ivanov called.
A K? paired the board on the turn and Rodin fired again, this time for 15,000. Ivanov didn't want to continue and quickly folded, allowing Rodin to boost his stack early on.
| Joueur | Jetons | Progression |
|---|---|---|
|
115,000
15,000
|
15,000 |
|
80,000 |
Niveau 1
: Blinds 200/500, 500 ante
Sergei Varnaev, who won the High Roller at the Western Series just a few months ago, just got caught bluffing in a hand against online superstar Andrii Novak.
The pot already had around 25,000 in it on the full board of 2?J?4?4?J? when Varnaev bet 23,800 from under the gun. Novak was in the cutoff and after thinking it over for a while, he tossed in a chip to make the call.
Varnaev then knuckled the table as if to say 'nice hand', then revealed A?Q? for ace-high. Novak then flipped 6?6? for a pair of sixes to scoop the pot.
| Joueur | Jetons | Progression |
|---|---|---|
|
140,000 | |
|
60,000
40,000
|
40,000 |
Niveau 1
: Blinds 200/500, 500 ante
Michel Molenaar has become a familiar face on the poker scene in Northern Cyprus, steadily building a reputation as a consistent performer. With numerous cashes to his name, he has made deep runs in some of the biggest events held here.
His two most impressive scores include a third-place finish in the $25,000 No Limit Hold'em (Event #35) at EPT Cyprus, earning $174,100, and a fourth-place result in the $10,400 MPP High Roller (Event #12) at the EAPT Grand Final/Mediterranean Poker Party, adding $122,000 to his growing résumé.
Molenaar just played a hand where he opened the hijack to 1,200 and got a call from Cristinel Dumitru in the cutoff, the button, and Azamat Rakaev in the big blind.
All four checked the 8?10?A? flop to the 7? turn, where Molenaar bet 1,000. Dumitru and the button called and the 6? landed on the river. After Molenaar checked, Dumitru fired 8,000, which was enough to win the pot as both his opponents folded.
| Joueur | Jetons | Progression |
|---|---|---|
|
105,000 | |
|
99,000 | |
|
98,000 |
Niveau 1
: Blinds 200/500, 500 ante
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Niveau 1
: Blinds 200/500, 500 ante
| Joueur | Jetons | Progression |
|---|---|---|
|
100,000 | |
|
100,000 | |
|
100,000 | |
|
100,000 | |
|
100,000 | |
|
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|
|
100,000 | |
|
100,000 | |
|
|
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|
100,000 | |
|
|
100,000 | |
|
100,000 | |
|
100,000 | |
Niveau 1
: Blinds 200/500, 500 ante
After a slight delay to Day 1a, cards are now in the air!
Niveau: 1
Blinds: 200/500
Ante: 500
The 2025 Merit Poker Carmen Series has been electric since the first cards hit the felt, but now the stakes get even higher as the festival’s crown jewel—the $3,300 Main Event—kicks off today inside the Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino. With poker dreams on the line and massive prizes up for grabs, the best in the game have arrived, ready to battle through eight levels of deep-stacked action in Day 1a. The anticipation is building, the tables are set, and in just a short time, the race for poker glory will begin.
Last year’s Carmen Series Main Event saw 664 entries, building a $1,832,640 prize pool, with Elie Farah rising above the competition to claim $338,500 and the prestigious title. With record-breaking fields already filling the tables this series, expectations are through the roof—will this Main Event go even bigger? Can Farah defend his crown, or will a new champion emerge to seize the spotlight? The cards are in the air, and the race for poker immortality starts now.
2024 Carmen Series Main Event Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elie Farah | Lebanon | $338,500 |
| 2 | Felipe Ketzer | Brazil | $249,200 |
| 3 | Dinesh Alt | Switzerland | $153,000 |
| 4 | Bart Lybaert | Belgium | $113,100 |
| 5 | Dmitry Gromov | Russian Federation | $84,700 |
| 6 | Tahsin Cankurtaranli | Turkey | $68,400 |
| 7 | Andrey Litvinov | Russian Federation | $56,600 |
| 8 | Maher Achour | Tunisia | $45,100 |
| 9 | Danut Chisu | Romania | $33,900 |
With four starting flights, deep structures, and a massive prize pool on the horizon, the Main Event is shaping up to be another unforgettable battle on the felt. The road to the final table begins today, and only the strongest will survive the gauntlet ahead. Each flight offers a different path to Day 2, catering to a variety of playing styles and strategies.
Day 1a kicks things off with eight 60-minute levels of deep-stacked play, followed by Day 1b tomorrow with the same structure. Day 1c on March 20 brings a faster pace with 40-minute levels, while Day 1d later that evening offers a turbo format with 25-minute blinds, giving players one last shot to build a stack before the field unites for the next stage of the battle.
Main Event Schedule
| Date | Day | Time | Blind Levels |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 18 | Day 1a | 12:00 p.m. | 60 minutes |
| 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 |
With big fields already turning out for this series, the 2025 Merit Poker Carmen Series Main Event has all the makings of another massive showdown. Will this year’s edition break records and surpass last year’s 664 entries? Can Elie Farah defend his title, or will a new champion rise to claim poker glory?
Stay tuned to PokerNews for live updates, chip counts, and key hands from the Main Event. With a stacked field and a huge prize pool on the horizon, you won’t want to miss a moment of the action!
$3,300 Main Event
Jour 1a a débuté