Day 1C of the €880 Merit Poker Cup takes center stage today inside the Merit Royal Splendid Casino in Budva, as the Merit Poker Montenegro Championship continues to build momentum. With the first two starting flights now in the books, the field is set to grow once again as players look to secure their place in Day 2.
Across Day 1A and Day 1B, the tournament has attracted a combined 217 entries, with 32 players already advancing to the next stage. Those figures are expected to rise further today, as Day 1C gets underway at 12:00 p.m. local time, ahead of the final turbo-structured flight, Day 1D, scheduled for later this evening.
Montenegro’s own Stefan Cupic remains the player to catch after topping the opening flight with 718,000 chips. He is closely followed by Bobby James, who advanced from Day 1A with 691,000, while Charbel Daou leads the Day 1B qualifiers and currently sits third overall with 465,000 chips heading into Day 2.
Current Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stefan Cupic | Montenegro | 718,000 |
| 2 | Bobby James | United Kingdom | 691,000 |
| 3 | Charbel Daou | Lebanon | 465,000 |
| 4 | Mikhail Zavoloka | Russia | 374,000 |
| 5 | Christoforos Chrysochoidis | Greece | 359,000 |
| 6 | Alexander Sokolovsky | Serbia | 304,000 |
| 7 | Pablo Redrado | Spain | 255,000 |
| 8 | Oleg Bystrenin | Russia | 241,000 |
| 9 | Ravil Rafikov | Russia | 232,000 |
| 10 | Fausto Tantillo | Italy | 224,000 |
Day 1C features the same 30,000 starting stack, paired with 30-minute blind levels, offering a slightly faster structure than the opening flights while still providing plenty of room for strategic play. As with previous starting days, only players who survive the flight will lock up a cash finish and advance to the combined Day 2 field.
Action begins at 12:00 p.m., with late registration open until the end of Level 10. Players who do not advance will have one final opportunity later today, as Day 1D gets underway at 6:00 p.m., played with 20-minute blind levels.
€880 Merit Poker Cup Schedule
| Date | Day | Time | Blind Levels |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 16 | Day 1C | 12:00 p.m. | 30 minutes |
| Jan 16 | Day 1D | 6:00 p.m. | 20 minutes |
| Jan 17 | Day 2 | 12:00 p.m. | 60 minutes |
| Jan 18 | Day 3 | 1:00 p.m. | 60 minutes |
With multiple flights still in play and Day 2 approaching, Day 1C represents another key step on the road toward the latter stages of the €880 Merit Poker Cup in Budva.
