Carmen Zainescu Soars to the Top on Day 1b of $3,300 Main Event
A total of 197 players entered Day 1b of the $3,300 Main Event at the 2025 Merit Poker Carmen Series, battling for a spot in Day 2 at the Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino. After eight 60-minute levels, 93 players survived the day’s grind, securing their place in the next stage of the tournament.
Carmen Zainescu topped the chip counts with 748,000, making her the overall leader across the first two starting flights. A pivotal hand during the final level saw her check-shove over a river bet from Oleg Svintsov, forcing a fold and padding her already impressive stack.
Day 1b Top Ten Chip Counts
| Place | Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carmen Zainescu | Romania | 748,000 |
| 2 | Ori Elul | Israel | 610,000 |
| 3 | Spyridon Apartoglou | Greece | 553,500 |
| 4 | Ahmad Abdelhadi | United Kingdom | 447,000 |
| 5 | Samuel Ju | Germany | 430,500 |
| 6 | Maxime Chilaud | France | 426,000 |
| 7 | Adem Marjanovic | Austria | 425,500 |
| 8 | Hadi Khordbin | Iran | 422,500 |
| 9 | Nugzar Glonti | Georgia | 378,000 |
| 10 | Naji Tannoury | Lebanon | 373,000 |
Ori Elul finished the day with 610,000, securing the second-largest stack. The Israeli got off to a strong start, eliminating two players in the first level after flopping trips against two premium pocket pairs. He rode that early momentum to secure the second-biggest stack in the room. The 2023 Carmen Series Main Event Champion, Maxime Chilaud also secured a strong stack of 426,000, placing him sixth in today's chip counts.
Other notables who survived the day’s action include Soraya Estrada (364,000), Ludovic Geilich (308,000), Fahredin Mustafov (205,000), Andrey Pateychuk (118,000), and Dumitru Pora (89,500). Joining them in the Day 2 lineup are bracelet winners Simeon Spasov (139,000), Darius Neagoe (140,000), Antoine Vranken (82,500), Aneris Adomkevicius (56,000), and Nikolay Fal (19,500), all looking to add another deep run to their already accomplished resumes.
Tomorrow, Day 1c and Day 1d offer the final chances for players to join the action and secure a spot in Day 2. With 235 entries from Day 1a and 197 from today, the total field has grown to 432, with 208 players already through to the second day. All survivors from the four flights return on Friday, March 21, with late registration open until the end of Level 14 for any last-minute entries chasing the 2025 Merit Poker Carmen Series Main Event title.
Remaining Main Event Schedule
| Date | Day | Time | Blind Levels |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Stay tuned to PokerNews for ongoing coverage of the $1,500,000 guaranteed Carmen Series Main Event, with live updates, chip counts, and all the key hands as the tournament progresses.