3-Bet: Boris Kolev, Steve Buell & Bee Yang Win Live Titles

The live poker circuit continues to crank up the intensity, and this past week delivered three blockbuster storylines that sent shockwaves through the felt. From a million-dollar victory in Northern Cyprus to long-awaited wins in Illinois and Minnesota, here’s your latest 3-Bet rundown.

All eyes were on the Merit Poker Classic Millions in North Cyprus, where the $10,400 Merit Millions Event played out one of the most high-stakes final tables of the year. Bulgaria’s Boris Kolev (cover image – left), already a two-time WSOP bracelet winner, added another marquee title to his resume by clinching the coveted trophy and a massive $1,000,000 payday. With a staggering $700,000 difference between first and second place, the heads-up pressure was intense—but Kolev came into the duel with an almost insurmountable 8:1 chip lead over Morocco’s Mehdi Chaoui. The Moroccan battled admirably, but the gap was too much to bridge. He walked away with a life-changing $300,000—his largest career cash to date.

Back in the U.S., it was a long time coming for Steve Buell (cover image – right top). After years of deep runs and close calls, the Wisconsin native finally broke through to claim his maiden WSOP Circuit Main Event title. The $1,700 Main Event at Grand Victoria Casino in Elgin, Illinois, drew a loud rail for the local favorite, and Buell didn’t disappoint. He closed out the win in emphatic fashion to pocket $175,684 and add a third WSOPC ring to his name. Matthew Lubawski took home a well-earned $117,241 for his runner-up finish.

Further north in Minnesota, Bee Yang (cover image – right bottom) made his mark in front of a home crowd at Running Aces Casino & Racetrack. Playing the $1,110 MSPT Minnesota Poker State Championship, Yang powered through a formidable 1,004-entry field to claim the title and a personal-best payout of $140,288. It was a breakthrough moment—his first-ever live tournament win. With three players left, the final table reached a deal, with Yang holding the chip lead and locking in the top payout. Jay Chaudhary banked $120,000 in second place, while Carl Carodenuto picked up $110,000 for third.

Boris Kolev Clinches Career-High $1,000,000 Payday in 2025 Merit Poker Classic Millions $10,400 Merit Millions Event

In one of the most high-stakes finales of the 2025 live tournament calendar so far, Bulgaria’s Boris Kolev captured the $10,400 Merit Millions Event title at the 2025 Merit Poker Classic Millions, walking away with a massive $1,000,000 top prize. With the event guaranteeing a seven-figure payout to the winner and $300,000 set aside for the runner-up, the heads-up duel offered a staggering $700,000 pay jump—the kind of pressure few poker players ever face.

Dear poker fans, yesterday marked the end of a unique — even extraordinary — tournament at Merit Poker.

There were 212 entries in this event, but as we’ve said before (and you already know) — there can only be one winner. And the winner took home exactly $1,000,000.

That prize… pic.twitter.com/FFAg1YBJJz

— Merit Poker (@meritpokerlive) April 14, 2025

Kolev, a two-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner, entered the final showdown with a commanding chip advantage—nearly 8:1 over Morocco’s Mehdi Chaoui. With such a sizable lead, Kolev remained in control, and while Chaoui gave it a shot, the gap proved too wide to close. The Moroccan settled for the runner-up payout of $300,000—still the biggest live score of his career.

This win pushed Kolev’s total live tournament earnings close to $5.5 Million, with the $1 Million prize easily surpassing his previous personal best. His earlier top score came from his 2021 WSOP victory in Event #88: $5,000 8-Handed No-Limit Hold’em, which earned him $511,184. The Merit Millions title now stands as his largest and most prestigious victory yet.

The $10,400 buy-in event ran from April 9 to 13 at the Merit Royal Diamond Hotel Casino & Spa in Cyprus, drawing an elite field and creating a prize pool of $1.95 Million. The payouts were reserved for just nine places, and Oleg Semionov was the unfortunate bubble boy—eliminated in dramatic fashion when his flopped straight lost to Aleksandr Kirichenko’s rivered flush.

Once the final table was set, all eyes were on Russia’s Andrey Pateychuk, one of the most decorated players in the field. The former WPT and EPT champion, with over $5.3 Million in prior earnings, brought a wealth of experience to the table. However, his run came to a halt in seventh place. Holding Ace-eight, Pateychuk moved in only to run into Kirichenko’s pocket tens, ending his deep run in the event.

From five-handed play onwards, it was all Kolev. He single-handedly eliminated the final four players en route to building an overwhelming chip stack. By the time heads-up play began, the outcome felt inevitable—but the final hand still delivered a dose of drama.

Kolev moved all-in from the button holding , and Chaoui called with , hoping for a double-up to stay alive. The board came , giving both players unimproved high cards. Kolev’s queen kicker played, earning him the pot and the title.

In the final hand, Kolev shoved from the button with and Mehdi Chaoui called with . The board ran out and Kolev’s queen kicker player to earn him the pot and the title.

Final Table Results (USD)

1. Boris Kolev – $1,000,000
2. Mehdi Chaoui – $300,000
3. Romans Lihacovs – $200,000
4. Aleksandr Kirichenko – $140,000
5. Rafael Aslanli – $100,000
6. Maksim Shornikau – $75,000
7. Andrey Pateychuk – $55,000
8. Ali Al-Kubasi – $45,000
9. Alexandr Lakhov – $35,400

Steve Buell Banks First WSOPC Main Event Title With Rail in Roar, Clinches Career-Best $175,684

After years of near-misses and deep runs, Steve Buell finally pulled off what had long eluded him—his first-ever World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOPC) Main Event title. With a loud and loyal rail behind him at Grand Victoria Casino in Elgin, Illinois, the Wisconsin native took down the $1,700 Main Event, walking away with $175,684 and his third WSOPC ring.

The final day saw just six players return from a starting field of 637, each already guaranteed a payout of $29,674. But the big story was the top prize—one that Buell had been chasing for over a decade.

“Variance is finally with me.”

🏆Steve Buell ships the @WSOP Circuit @GVC_Elgin Main Event for $175K and his 3rd Circuit ring. After a career-best year in 2024, the Wisconsin crusher is keeping the momentum rolling into 2025.

Event Recap: https://t.co/BOKGoMxK5d pic.twitter.com/QuR4iZbM7Q

— Poker Org (@pokerorg) April 15, 2025

It all came down to a pivotal river card. Buell was all-in with top pair and top kicker, trailing Matthew Lubawski’s overpair. A blank on the river would’ve extended the battle well past the four-hour mark. Instead, an eight landed to give Buell a full house and end the tournament on the spot. Just like that, Buell had his hands on his first Main Event ring and the largest live tournament payday of his career. Lubawski collected $117,241 in second place.

“I’ve had some close calls before,” Buell reflected after the win. “My deepest was third in Council Bluffs—Josh Reichard got me there.” He also recalled a 12th-place finish in this very same event last year. “This one means more. I had my first six-figure score this summer in the $10K Super Turbo Bounty, but this just hits different.”

There was more than luck behind Buell’s breakthrough. “I’d played with the entire field a decent amount the previous day, and I checked everyone’s stats on Hendon Mob,” he shared. “I had the most experience at that table. Having the second-biggest stack going in helped, too. And when the chip leader busted early, I picked up those chips and felt pretty confident from there.”

Buell’s tournament resume stretches back to 2009, with results that span buy-ins and formats of all kinds. Over 15 years of consistent grinding, he has climbed to ninth on Wisconsin’s all-time money list.

“Variance has finally started going my way,” Buell said, looking back at his run. “I’ve been so close in a lot of these events—Circuit mains, MSPTs, other big fields. I kept running deep and finishing seventh, fourth… so it feels amazing to actually close one. Especially one this big.”

Since 2022, Buell has been racking up more cashes with each passing year. His 2024 already featured a career-high $350,305 in earnings, and with this latest result, he’s on track for another personal-best year—and the summer grind hasn’t even started.

While Buell’s strategic prep and deep experience played a role, he didn’t do it alone. “On top of the cards going my way, I’ve got a great circle of friends in poker to talk hands with. Shoutout to the Lumberjacks,” he grinned.

His rail was impossible to miss during the final table, erupting in cheers as they surrounded him after the final hand. It was his crew that dubbed him ‘The Suamico Steamroller,’ a nod to his hometown—and the way he bulldozed through the finale.

With a seat to the 2025 WSOPC already locked up from his previous deep run in Council Bluffs, Buell doesn’t plan on taking his foot off the gas. “May 15th? I’ll be there,” he confirmed with a smile.

And with that, Buell and his friends headed back to Wisconsin to celebrate—a well-earned moment after years of knocking on the door. This time, he kicked it wide open.

Final Table Results (USD)

1. Steve Buell – $175,864
2. Matthew Lubawski – $117,241
3. Derek Hanauer – $80,803
4. Jason Flock – $56,753
5. Ian Greendale – $40,637
6. Steve Wangler – $29,674

Bee Yang Scores Breakthrough Win in the 2025 MSPT Minnesota Poker State Championship For $140,288

Minnesota’s Bee Yang delivered a career-defining performance on home turf, clinching the 2025 MSPT Minnesota Poker State Championship title at Running Aces Casino & Racetrack. The popular stop drew a massive crowd of 1,004 entries at $1,110 each, building a hefty prize pool of $972,380. After battling through three starting flights and a marathon final day, Yang closed out the event in style, pocketing a personal-best payday of $140,288 and his first-ever live tournament victory.

For Yang, the win had an extra layer of meaning. His previous best came at this very venue, where he finished second in a $360 buy-in event last spring for $34,221. This time, he finished the job.

“I think it’s something special,” Yang shared with MSPT reporters after the win. “I always believed I would be an MSPT champion.”

A total of 112 players made it into the money. Some of the standout names who reached the final day included two-time MSPT Player of the Year Umut Ozturk, who took 79th for $2,411, five-time champ Blake Bohn, who finished 71st for $2,507, Rajaee Wazwaz, who exited in 55th place for $2,700, and Aaron Massey, who claimed 50th for $2,989.

The final table was set once Michael Wells bowed out in 10th place for $13,500.

From there, the action picked up quickly. Paul Carney was the first to fall, exiting in ninth place. Garrett Dwire followed in eighth. Ben Marsh, a two-time MSPT winner, made a deep run but settled for seventh, while former runner-up Rory Linton hit the rail in sixth. John Rachie finished fifth, followed by Michael Crawford in fourth.

With three players left standing, a deal was made to close out the event. Yang, holding the chip advantage at the time, claimed the title and the biggest payout. Jay Chaudhary locked up $120,000 as the runner-up, while Carl Carodenuto collected $110,000 for his third-place finish.

Final Table Results (USD)

1. Bee Yang – $140,288*
2. Jay Chaudhary – $120,000*
3. Carl Carodenuto – $110,000*
4. Michael Crawford – $60,750
5. John Rachie – $46,285
6. Rory Linton – $35,678
7. Benjamin Marsh – $27,964
8. Garrett Dwire – $21,214
9. Paul Carney – $17,357

*denotes a three-way deal