Level 4
: Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante
Players are now on their second 15-minute break of the day.
2025 Merit Poker Carmen Series
$3,300 Main Event
Day: 1b
Event Info
Top
Chip Counts
Chip Counts
Level 4
: Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante
Back in January, the $3,300 Main Event of the 2025 Merit Poker Western Series saw Umberto Ruggeri crowned the champion after overcoming a record-breaking field of 791 inside the stunning Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino.
The Italian player battled through countless emotional highs and challenging moments to claim the coveted trophy after cutting an undisclosed deal with Mihai Niste and Muhtar Taysi when three players remained.
Ruggeri expressed his joy after the victory, stating, "I’m very enthusiastic, and I think I played very well in key spots." The final table was not without its difficulties, as Ruggeri acknowledged, "It was very hard. A single moment can change everything, but in the end, it all went very well."
2025 Merit Poker Western Series Main Event Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Umberto Ruggeri | Italy | $377,500 |
| 2 | Mihai Niste | Romania | $251,000 |
| 3 | Muhtar Taysi | Turkey | $180,300 |
| 4 | Mario Colavita | Italy | $130,200 |
| 5 | Xiaosheng Zheng | China | $94,600 |
| 6 | Alexander Sokolovsky | Serbia | $75,900 |
| 7 | Ryan Mandara | United Kingdom | $63,200 |
| 8 | Renars Skanis | Latvia | $50,500 |
| 9 | Edward Quinn | Jersey | $37,950 |
Level 4
: Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante
With 25,000 in the pot already on a flop of J?6?10?, Alessio Isaia bet 10,000 from the blinds and Daniel Abrahamsson called from middle position.
Isaia slid 40,000 into the middle when the 7? landed on the turn. Abrahamsson jammed to put Isaia all in for his remaining 70,000, and Isaia quickly called.
Alessio Isaia: Q?Q? 
Daniel Abrahamsson: A?J?
Isaia was ahead with his overpair against the top pair of Abrahamsson. A clean 8? fell on the river for Isaia, and he earned the big double-up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
245,000
155,000
|
155,000 |
|
||
|
85,000
195,000
|
195,000 |
Level 4
: Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante
The action was picked up with roughly 65,000 in the middle on a flop of 3?4?8?. Darius Neagoe checked from the small blind and Andrei Stoenescu bet roughly 7,000 from middle position. Neagoe check-raised to 22,000, which Stoenescu called.
Neagoe put out a bet of 18,000 when the board-pairing 8? landed on the turn. Stoenescu took a few moments before he shoved for Neagoe's remaining 63,000. Neagoe, with a perplexed look on his face, pondered for quite some time before making the call.
Darius Neagoe: Q?Q?
Andrei Stoenescu: A?10?
Neagoe made the right call with his pocket queens, as Stoenescu was making a move with ace-high. The 3? river meant Neagoe doubled up through his countrymate.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
190,000
190,000
|
190,000 |
|
||
|
80,000
120,000
|
120,000 |
Level 4
: Blinds 500/1,000, 1,000 ante
Mark Helou raised to 2,000 under the gun and got no more than four callers. Five players saw the flop come down K?5?3? and Helou put out a continuation-bet of 4,000. Merijn van Rooij called from the next seat, and Catalin Moraru called on the button.
The turn came the 5? and Helou instantly shoved for roughly 22,000. Van Rooij and Moraru folded and Helou won the pot.
Van Rooij opted to use his 'rabbit card' to see the river. It would have been the 6?, which by the look on Van Rooij's face, wouldn't have improved his hand.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
95,000
5,000
|
5,000 |
|
90,000
90,000
|
90,000 |
|
60,000 |
Level: 4
Blinds: 500/1,000
Ante: 1,000
Level 3
: Blinds 400/800, 800 ante
Themistoklis Themistokleous opend the action with a raise to 1,700 from middle position. Ludovic Geilich three-bet to 5,500 from the cutoff before Nikolay Fal four-bet to 15,100 out of the small blind. Themistokleous folded, but Geilich called to see a flop.
The dealer fanned out a connected flop of 9?8?7? causing Fal to check the action over to Geilich, who put out a bet of 6,800. Fal stuck around with a call.
The J? hit the turn and Fal knuckled the table over to Geilich again. Geilich slid a bet of 18,700 into the middle, and after a few moments, Fal folded his hand, surrendering the pot to Geilich.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
153,000
153,000
|
153,000 |
|
120,000
60,000
|
60,000 |
|
85,000
25,000
|
25,000 |
|
|
||
Level 3
: Blinds 400/800, 800 ante
Nikolay Fal raised from early position to 1,800 before Themistoklis Themistokleous three-bet to 5,500 from the cutoff. Karl Sandoff four-bet the big blind to 14,000, which got a fold from Fal but a call from Themistokleous.
Both players checked the J?Q?9? flop to see the 2? fall on the turn. Sandoff led out with a delayed continuation-bet of 25,000. Themistokleous made the call.
Sandoff slowed down and checked the K? river, causing Themistokleous to bet 50,000. The bet was for the remainder of Sandoff's stack, and after a bit of tanking, Sandoff tossed his cards into the muck.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
180,000
180,000
|
180,000 |
|
|
110,000
110,000
|
110,000 |
|
|
||
|
50,000
50,000
|
50,000 |
Level 3
: Blinds 400/800, 800 ante
Alessio Isaia raised to 1,800 under the gun with the button payer calling. Jan Petersen squeezed to 12,100 out of the big blind, which only Isaia called.
When the flop came down 8?7?3? Petersen shoved for 34,000 and Isaia snap-called.
Jan Petersen: A?9?
Alessio Isaia: J?J?
Petersen was on the brink of elimination as he needed to find an ace to win. The 6? turn offered Petersen a straight draw, which he managed to spike on the 5? river, keeping him in Day 1b of the Main Event.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
97,000
97,000
|
97,000 |
|
|
90,000
90,000
|
90,000 |
|
|
||
Level 3
: Blinds 400/800, 800 ante
Safi Haidor started the hand with a raise to 1,600 from the cutoff. Only Antonios Poziadis called out of the big blind.
Poziadis checked the K?5?A? flop, and Haidor continued with a bet of 1,000. Poziadis stuck around with a call.
The J? turn saw another check from Poziadis and another bet by Haidor, this time for 2,500. Poziadis check-raised to 9,000, and Haidor three-bet to 27,500. Poziadis four-bet shoved and Haidor quickly called.
Antonios Poziadis: Q?10?
Safi Haidor: Q?10?
It was slightly anticlimactic as both players had turned the nuts with the same hand. An irrelevant 6? fell om the river and the pot was split.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
110,000 | |
|
105,000 |
