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Aren Bezhanyan in Control as Warm Up Day 2 Begins; Hassan Nashar Among the Leaders
The 2025 Merit Poker Carmen Series moves into Day 2 of the $2,200 Warm Up today at 12:30 p.m. local time, as the 241 survivors from the 472 entries in the completed opening flights merge inside the stunning Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino.
Leading the pack is Russia's Aren Bezhanyan, who bagged 647,000 chips on Day 1b. Giorgiy Skhulukhiya follows closely behind in second with 627,000. Hassan Nashar sits comfortably in fifth position right now with a stack of 496,500. All three will be looking to build on their dominance as the $1,000,000 guaranteed prize pool inches closer to being shattered.
While Day 2 gets underway, the final turbo flight, Day 1d is still playing out. Late registration remains open until the end of Level 15, allowing last-minute entries and short stacks one final shot at building a stack before the field officially joins.
Current Top Ten Chip Counts
| Place | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aren Bezhanyan | Russia | 647,000 | 259 |
| 2 | Giorgiy Skhulukhiya | Georgia | 627,000 | 251 |
| 3 | Ludovic Geilich | Scotland | 613,000 | 246 |
| 4 | Erdal Gulseven | Turkey | 621,500 | 249 |
| 5 | Hassan Nashar | Gambia | 496,500 | 199 |
| 6 | Alexey Savenkov | Russia | 524,000 | 210 |
| 7 | Aleksey Cherkasov | Russia | 480,500 | 193 |
| 8 | Miltiadis Kyriakides | Cyprus | 461,500 | 185 |
| 9 | Mikhail Zavoloka | Russia | 444,000 | 178 |
| 10 | Ran Ilani | Israel | 420,000 | 168 |
Day 2 resumes at Level 11 with blinds at 1,000/2,500 and a big blind ante of 2,500. Levels will remain 40 minutes throughout, with the day's schedule set to be confirmed shortly after cards are in the air. Once late registration closes at the end of Level 15, the prize pool and payouts will be finalized and announced.
Remaining Warm Up Schedule
| Date | Day | Time | Blind Levels |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 15 | Day 1d (Turbo) | 10:00 a.m. | 15 minutes |
| March 15 | Day 2 | 12:30 p.m. | 40 minutes |
| March 16 | Day 3 | 12:00 p.m. | 40 minutes |
| March 17 | Day 4 | 12:00 p.m. | 40 minutes |
Players will be looking to navigate the field today and position themselves for a deep run toward the six-figure top prize. Stay tuned to PokerNews for live updates, chip counts, and key hands as we move one step closer to crowning a champion.