The $5,300 High Roller at the 2025 Merit Poker Carmen Series has reached its final stage, with 39 players returning for Day 3, inside the stunning Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino. The record-breaking 270-entry field has been whittled down, and now the remaining contenders have their sights set on the $260,000 first-place prize.
Leading the charge is Dawid Smolka with 2,700,000 chips, giving him a commanding stack as he looks to secure the biggest victory of his career. Right behind him is Simas Karaliunas (2,170,000), followed by Dmitry Kataev (1,840,000), both in prime position to challenge for the title.
Top Ten Chip Counts
| Place | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|
| 1 | Dawid Smolka | Poland | 2,700,000 | 135 |
| 2 | Simas Karaliunas | Lithuania | 2,170,000 | 109 |
| 3 | Dmitry Kataev | Russia | 1,840,000 | 92 |
| 4 | Kyosuke Nagami | Japan | 1,540,000 | 77 |
| 5 | Iurii Grigorev | Russia | 1,220,000 | 61 |
| 6 | Ibrahim Ghasan | Lebanon | 1,055,000 | 53 |
| 7 | Charbel Salloum | Lebanon | 940,000 | 47 |
| 8 | Peteris Enders | Latvia | 925,000 | 46 |
| 9 | Martynas Vitkauskas | Lithuania | 880,000 | 44 |
| 10 | Natan Chauskin | Belarus | 860,000 | 43 |
Among those still in contention is Samuel Ju, who has already made his mark at this series by taking down a bounty tournament just a few days ago. The high-stakes professional arrived in Cyprus fresh off competing at the Triton Poker stop in Jeju, South Korea, where he battled against some of the world’s best. With that level of experience, it’s unlikely that the pressure of playing deep in another event will faze the ever-stoic Ju, as he looks to add another title to his growing resume.
The first hurdle for players today will be maneuvering their way onto the final table, where every pay jump becomes increasingly valuable. With the remaining players having locked up $7,600 from the $1,244,000 prize pool, the pressure will be on to make a deep run and battle for a six-figure payday.
Payouts
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| Place | Prize |
|---|
| 1 | $260,000 |
| 2 | $182,700 |
| 3 | $131,900 |
| 4 | $91,400 |
| 5 | $67,040 |
| 6 | $53,700 |
| 7 | $44,700 |
| 8 | $35,735 |
| 9 | $26,800 |
| 10-12 | $19,650 |
| 13-15 | $16,170 |
| 16-18 | $13,935 |
| 19-21 | $12,320 |
| 22-24 | $11,080 |
| 25-26 | $9,840 |
| 27-35 | $8,720 |
| 36-39 | $7,600 |
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Cards will be in the air at 1:00 p.m. local time with five minutes remaining in Level 20 (10,000/20,000, 20,000 big blind ante). Blinds will increase every 40 minutes, and play will continue until a champion is crowned.
Stay tuned to PokerNews as we bring you all the key hands, eliminations, and chip count updates from the thrilling conclusion of this record-breaking High Roller!
Tags:
Charbel SalloumDawid SmolkaDmitry KataevIbrahim GhasanIurii GrigorevKyosuke NagamiMartynas VitkauskasNatan ChauskinPeteris EndersSamuel JuSimas Karaliunas
