Day 1A of the €880 Merit Poker Cup unfolded inside the Merit Royal Splendid Casino in Budva as part of the Merit Poker Montenegro Championship, attracting 115 entries for the opening flight. After a full day of competitive play, the field was reduced to 17 players, all securing a cash finish and a seat in Day 2.
Stefan Cupic closed the day as the chip leader following an action-packed session, bagging 718,000 chips. He was closely followed by Bobby James, who finished strong with 691,000, leaving the pair well clear of the rest of the field and firmly establishing themselves as the stacks to watch moving forward.
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stefan Cupic | Montenegro | 718,000 | 144 |
| 2 | Bobby James | United Kingdom | 691,000 | 138 |
| 3 | Oleg Bystrenin | Russia | 241,000 | 48 |
| 4 | Ravil Rafikov | Russia | 232,000 | 46 |
| 5 | Fausto Tantillo | Italy | 224,000 | 45 |
| 6 | Vladimir Lappo | Belarus | 220,000 | 44 |
| 7 | Jean-Baptiste Pano | France | 162,000 | 32 |
| 8 | Fabrizio Lo Carbo | Italy | 153,000 | 31 |
| 9 | Mazalahedwa Bako | United Kingdom | 138,000 | 28 |
| 10 | Xiaozhe Liu | China | 118,000 | 24 |
Much of the late-day spotlight centered on the shared table of Cupic and James, with both players involved in several of the most memorable pots as blinds increased and pressure mounted. Neither showed any intention of slowing down, setting an aggressive tone as the field tightened.
James remained active throughout the closing levels, including a blind-versus-blind moment between himself and Cupic where both players agreed to move all in without looking at their cards. The high-stakes gamble favored James, who paired his queen on the river to secure a timely double-up.
A pivotal hand for Cupic saw him double through Oleg Bystrenin, rivering trips with king-seven to crack pocket aces and swing momentum decisively in his favor — a key moment on his path to the chip lead.
As the bubble approached, play slowed across the room. Petr Rudnev eliminated Katherina Aristotelos, Jean-Baptiste Pano sent Paul Grummitt to the rail, and Fabrizio Lo Carbo picked up an important pot when his pocket queens held strong.
The bubble finally burst when Bobby James called Adam Grueser’s shove with the nut flush draw. Grueser failed to improve, confirming the final 17 Day 1A survivors advancing to Day 2.
All remaining players will return on January 17 for Day 2, where they will be joined by qualifiers from the remaining starting flights. Day 1B gets underway tomorrow at 12:00 p.m. local time inside the Merit Royal Splendid Casino.
