The $5,300 High Roller at the 2025 Merit Western Series marches into Day 3 today, with play resuming at 4:00 p.m. local time inside the luxurious Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino. A total of 46 players remain from the 174-entry field that generated an impressive $800,400 prize pool, far surpassing the advertised $500,000 guarantee.
Leading the charge is France’s Gregoire Auzoux, who enters Day 3 with a whopping 892,000 chips, firmly positioned at the top of the leaderboard. However, several fearless contenders, including Turkey’s Mustafa Biz (820,000) and Romania’s Mircea Flutur (780,000), are ready to challenge his lead when play resumes today.
Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gregoire Auzoux | France | 892,000 | 89 |
| 2 | Mustafa Biz | Turkey | 820,000 | 82 |
| 3 | Mircea Flutur | Romania | 780,000 | 78 |
| 4 | Maher Achour | Tunisia | 731,000 | 73 |
| 5 | Yiannis Liperis | Cyprus | 724,000 | 72 |
| 6 | Ludovic Uzan | France | 673,000 | 67 |
| 7 | Suat Egilli | Turkey | 645,000 | 65 |
| 8 | Adrian State | Romania | 601,000 | 60 |
| 9 | Kirill Shcherbakov | Russia | 548,000 | 55 |
| 10 | Sergei Varnaev | Russia | 534,000 | 53 |
Romania’s Adrian State begins Day 3 in eigth place with a healthy stack of 601,000. With over 100 lifetime cashes recorded on TheHendonMob and a recent fourth-place finish in this event at the 2024 Merit Poker Gatsby Gala series in October, State has proven himself as a consistent performer on the felt. Currently ranked ninth on Romania’s all-time money list, a victory on Monday, January 20, would see him climb to seventh in the rankings. With his wealth of experience and strong track record, State is certainly one to keep an eye on as Day 3 unfolds.
The main goal for players returning today will be to survive the bubble and secure a spot in the money, where they will be guaranteed a min-cash of $9,000. Only then can they shift their focus to making it to the final table and competing for the coveted $200,000 top prize and the prestige of claiming a Merit High Roller title.
Payouts
Play begins at Level 17 (5,000/10,000 with a 10,000 big blind ante), and the tournament floor staff will announce the day’s structure shortly after the cards are in the air. With the money bubble looming and plenty of big stacks in play, Day 3 promises thrilling action as players battle for their spot in Monday’s final table.
Stay tuned to PokerNews for live updates throughout Day 3 as we bring you big hands, bust-outs, and leaderboard changes in this exciting High Roller event!