Maxime Chilaud Chases Second Merit High Roller Title; Lyudmil Ivanov in Pole Position
The $5,300 High Roller at the 2025 Merit Poker Western Series is nearing its dramatic conclusion, with the final nine players ready to compete for the title and a $200,000 top prize from the impressive $800,400 prize pool. After three days of high-stakes poker at the Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino, everything is in place for an unforgettable finale.
Leading the charge is Bulgaria’s Lyudmil Ivanov, the only player to cross the three-million mark with 3,100,000 chips. Ivanov, with multiple final table appearances at Merit events, including a sixth-place finish in the 2022 High Roller, is poised to chase his first victory on this prestigious stage.
Final Table Seat Draw
| Seat | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mehmet Demirkol | Turkey | 1,120,000 | 14 |
| 2 | Bogdan Jontulovic | Serbia | 2,770,000 | 35 |
| 3 | Sergei Varnaev | Russia | 2,320,000 | 29 |
| 4 | Sachin Joshi | United Kingdom | 675,000 | 8 |
| 5 | Xin Tang | China | 1,290,000 | 16 |
| 6 | Ludovic Uzan | France | 1,490,000 | 19 |
| 7 | Maher Achour | Tunisia | 1,665,000 | 21 |
| 8 | Lyudmil Ivanov | Bulgaria | 3,100,000 | 39 |
| 9 | Maxime Chilaud | France | 2,955,000 | 37 |
Close behind is France’s Maxime Chilaud, who brings 2,955,000 chips into today’s finale. Chilaud is no stranger to success at Merit events, boasting five final table appearances since 2022, including three victories. Among his standout achievements are triumphs in the 2023 Merit Poker Carmen Series Main Event, where he took home the top prize of $376,800, and victory in the Merit Vintage Series High Roller. With his impressive resume, Chilaud will be looking to cement his status further by adding another coveted Merit High Roller title to his collection.
Serbia’s Bogdan Jontulovic, fresh off a runner-up finish at the 2024 Gatsby Gala High Roller, sits third with 2,770,000 chips, the majority of which came from an astounding hero call yesterday for his tournament life with just ace-high. Jontulovic will be aiming to go one step further this time and get his hands on the trophy.
Russia’s Sergei Varnaev enters with 2,320,000 chips after a fantastic Day 3 performance that included eliminating Gaspare Sposato in a cooler, aces vs kings. Joining him at the top half of the leaderboard is Tunisia’s Maher Achour, who ended the day with 1,665,000 chips after bursting the bubble and maintaining consistent aggression.
Further down the leaderboard, France’s Ludovic Uzan (1,490,000) and China’s Xin Tang (1,290,000) will look to climb the rankings early, while Turkey’s Mehmet Demirkol (1,120,000) and the United Kingdom’s Sachin Joshi (675,000) round out the final table as the short stacks. Joshi faces an uphill battle but has proven his resilience having been all-in and at risk twice during the last two levels of play yesterday. At the same time, Demirkol will aim to find timely spots to apply maximum ICM pressure and attempt to extend his chip lead.
Cards will be in the air from 1 p.m. local time, and 16 minutes are remaining on level 26, where blinds are 40,000/80,000 with an 80,000 big blind ante. The average stack is roughly 1,900,000 chips, which equates to 24 big blinds. Each player has already secured a payout of $18,000, but with the whopping $200,000 top prize on the line, every hand has the potential to be a turning point as they battle for the High Roller title.
Remaining Payouts
| Place | Prize |
|---|---|
| 1 | $200,000 |
| 2 | $134,000 |
| 3 | $89,900 |
| 4 | $65,000 |
| 5 | $50,000 |
| 6 | $39,000 |
| 7 | $30,000 |
| 8 | $23,000 |
| 9 | $18,000 |
Stay tuned to PokerNews as the final nine compete for glory and the right to be crowned the 2025 Merit Poker Western Series High Roller champion!