After the trophy ceremony and all the photos with friends, it’s time to ask the champ a few questions.
— The first time I came to Merit was in August 2022… or maybe 2021? It was a big series, I played the $5,300 Main Event. Then I was at the EPT in October. My first Merit Poker Classic was in November 2023, about a year and a half ago. Now I come here regularly.
— Why? Because everything here is top-notch—great service, great organization.
— Here’s my wife standing next to me. She sometimes travels with me for tournaments. But I’ll let her answer that herself.
“I have a great time here. While my husband grinds, I relax at the spa, enjoy the fresh air and beautiful weather—the sea, the beaches. I even took part in a women’s training session here.”
— So yeah, she’s chilling, and I’m working. I fired three bullets in the Main. In Day 1A and 1B, I made it to levels 8-9 before busting. On my third try, I jumped in straight on Day 2 with 40BB.
— My stack grew steadily, but then things didn’t go my way. I bagged 200K into Day 3, sitting 95th out of 105. But I spun it up and from there ran much more smoothly.
— At the final table, I was down to 10-12BB at times. No tough spots—either total garbage or premium hands. Ten times in a row, I’d get 7-2, then suddenly wake up with A-K. The game was straightforward.
— In 4-max, when stacks were even, I picked up aces—they got paid off.
Then I got it in with K-6 on the turn with a flush draw and river helps me.
— Came into heads-up with a solid lead, chipped up with small pots, and then the key hand—7-7. Locked it up with a full house.
— Yeah, this is my best cash. But the trophy means a lot too. Huge field, great buy-in, big money. This win is really special for me.