Day 3 of the €880 Merit Poker Cup gets underway today at 1:00 p.m. local time inside the Merit Royal Splendid Casino in Budva, as part of the Merit Poker Montenegro Championship, with the tournament set to play down to a winner.
From an initial field of 415 entries, just nine players return for the final day of competition, all of whom have already secured a payout. With 60-minute blind levels remaining in place, the final table offers ample room for maneuvering as the last contenders battle for the title.
Italy’s Fausto Tantillo leads the field after bagging 2,810,000 chips at the close of Day 2, holding a narrow advantage over Mikhail Zavoloka, who returns with 2,625,000. Montenegro’s Bojan Berberovic sits third in the counts, while the remaining finalists return with shorter stacks and significant ground to make up as play resumes.
Final Table Seat Draw
| Seat | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nikolay Fal | Russia | 580,000 | 29 |
| 2 | Mikhail Zavoloka | Russia | 2,625,000 | 131 |
| 3 | Oleksii Shchukin | Ukraine | 565,000 | 28 |
| 4 | Ali Moein | Iran | 1,080,000 | 54 |
| 5 | Vladimir Lappo | Belarus | 975,000 | 49 |
| 6 | Rashad Iskandarov | Azerbaijan | 1,255,000 | 63 |
| 7 | Bojan Berberovic | Serbia | 1,995,000 | 100 |
| 8 | Fausto Tantillo | Italy | 2,810,000 | 141 |
| 9 | Genrik Alekian | Ukraine | 575,000 | 29 |
With the final table now set, attention turns to the remaining payout jumps. All nine finalists are guaranteed €5,790, while the spotlight is firmly on the €61,000 top prize awaiting the eventual champion. Second place will earn €42,500, with €29,000 awarded for third, ensuring that every elimination from this point forward carries increasing significance.
Final Table Payouts
| Place | Prize (EUR) |
|---|---|
| 1 | €61,000 |
| 2 | €42,500 |
| 3 | €29,000 |
| 4 | €20,000 |
| 5 | €15,000 |
| 6 | €12,000 |
| 7 | €9,500 |
| 8 | €7,400 |
| 9 | €5,790 |
Cards will be in the air at 1:00 p.m., with play resuming partway through Level 21 (10,000 / 20,000 / 20,000).
As the tournament reaches its conclusion, Day 3 promises a high-stakes finale as the €880 Merit Poker Cup crowns its champion in Budva.
