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$2,200 La Notte Degli Assi
Day 4 Completed
2024 Merit Poker Dolce Vita Series
$2,200 La Notte Degli Assi
Day: 4
Event Info
2024 Merit Poker Dolce Vita Series
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 4
Buy-in
$2,200
Prize Pool
$2,084,720
Total Entries
1,133
Level
40
Blinds
600,000 / 1,200,000
Ante
1,200,000
Entries
41
Players Left
9
Players Left 1 / 1,133
Filter
Level 35
: Blinds 200,000/400,000, 400,000 ante
With one more day to go in the Merit Poker Dolce Vita Series, there is still plenty to play for at the Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino. Perhaps appropriately, four Italians have reached the final table of the $2,200 La Notte Degli Assi, with Fausto Tantillo leading the way.
The final day begins at 1 p.m. local time, where the final nine contenders will return to battle for the trophy and the top prize of $355,000.
Tantillo bagged 65 big blinds on Day 4, finishing with a total of 25,875,000 chips for a healthy advantage over start-of-day chip leader Dashinka (17,000,000).
The Italian pro boasts more than $1,000,000 in live tournament earnings, with many of those results coming right here in Northern Cyprus. That includes a win this spring in the 2024 Mediterranean Poker Party $15,000 Super High Roller for $231,800, along with six other final table finishes at Merit since the start of 2023.
However, this run to the Day 5 chip lead would not have happened without some luck along the way. Tantillo caught an ace to crack kings, but even that would not have been good if Denis Stoma didn’t let go of his pocket sevens that would have sent Tantillo to the rail.
He’s joined by fellow Italians Raffaele Castro (16,100,000), WSOP bracelet winner Simone Andrian (13,875,000) and Day 2 leader Ermanno Pacini (10,425,000), who all sit in the top six on the leaderboard.
Day 4 Chip Counts
| Place | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fausto Tantillo | Italy | 25,875,000 | 65 |
| 2 | Dashinka | Israel | 17,000,000 | 43 |
| 3 | Raffaele Castro | Italy | 16,100,000 | 40 |
| 4 | Simone Andrian | Italy | 13,875,000 | 35 |
| 5 | Fouad Toujani | France | 11,200,000 | 28 |
| 6 | Ermanno Pacini | Italy | 10,425,000 | 26 |
| 7 | Kirill Burtin | Russian Federation | 7,150,000 | 18 |
| 8 | Mohamad El-Sayed | Lebanon | 5,850,000 | 15 |
| 9 | Denis Stoma | Belarus | 5,700,000 | 14 |
Day 4 began with 41 players returning to action, with ten knocked out in the first two hours of play. From there, a steady stream to the payout desk continued as the dramatic action saw Tantillo take control in the final two tables.
While Dashinka held the lead at the feature table after scoring a knockout with aces, Castro brought an end to the night by sending Anthony Khouzami to the rail in 10th place.
That saw all nine lock up at least $34,450, with a $10,550 pay jump looming with the next elimination and the largest pieces of the $2,084,720 prize pool still to be decided.
Others still in contention include Fouad Toujani (11,200,000), Kirill Burtin (7,150,000), Mohamad El-Sayed (5,850, 000) while Stoma (5,700,000) returns as the short stack with 14 big blinds.
$2,200 La Notte Degli Assi Remaining Payouts
| Place | Prize (USD) |
|---|---|
| 1 | $355,000 |
| 2 | $240,000 |
| 3 | $160,000 |
| 4 | $115,000 |
| 5 | $90,000 |
| 6 | $72,000 |
| 7 | $57,700 |
| 8 | $45,000 |
| 9 | $34,450 |
Action will resume at 1 p.m. local time with 29:42 remaining on the clock in Level 35, and blinds of 200,000/400,000 along with a 400,000 big blind ante. You can catch the final table on the Merit Poker YouTube channel at 2 p.m. local time.
Catch all of the final day action, as the PokerNews live reporting team provides full coverage as the newest Merit Poker champion will be crowned.
Level 35
: Blinds 200,000/400,000, 400,000 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
25,875,000
75,000
|
75,000 |
|
||
|
17,000,000
2,000,000
|
2,000,000 |
|
||
|
16,100,000
100,000
|
100,000 |
|
13,875,000
1,375,000
|
1,375,000 |
|
||
|
11,200,000
2,900,000
|
2,900,000 |
|
10,425,000
425,000
|
425,000 |
|
||
|
7,150,000
200,000
|
200,000 |
|
5,850,000
850,000
|
850,000 |
|
5,700,000
775,000
|
775,000 |
Level 35
: Blinds 200,000/400,000, 400,000 ante
Anthony Khouzami raised to 800,000 under the gun before Raffaele Castro moved all in from the big blind. Khouzami snap-called for 6,000,000.
Anthony Khouzami: A♠J♣ 
Raffaele Castro: A♦K♥
Khouzami found himself dominated with his tournament life on the line as the flop came 10♣8♣2♣, giving him some hope with a flush draw. The A♥ turn gave both players top pair, but the K♠ river improved Castro to two pair and sent Khouzami to the rail on the final table bubble.
The remaining nine players are bagging up their chips before they return for the final table tomorrow at 1 p.m.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
16,000,000
7,000,000
|
7,000,000 |
|
Busted |
Level 35
: Blinds 200,000/400,000, 400,000 ante
Ermanno Pacini limped in from the cutoff, Fouad Toujani came along in the small blind, and Dashinka checked his option.
All three players checked the 7♦7♣4♣ flop. The turn was the Q♦ and Dashinka bet 450,000. Both Pacini and Toujani called.
The 4♠ river was again checked through as Toujani turned over Q♥5♥ for two pair. Dashinka mucked, while Pacini mucked 9♠9♥ as Toujani took down the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
19,000,000
1,000,000
|
1,000,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
10,000,000
1,000,000
|
1,000,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
8,300,000
450,000
|
450,000 |
Level 35
: 200,000/400,000, 400,000 ante
Fausto Tantillo raised to 800,000 in the cutoff before Raffaele Castro three-bet to 1,500,000 on the button. Tantillo folded and Castro showed 8♠8♣ as he took the pot.
The next hand, Anthony Khouzami moved all in for 4,600,000 in the small blind as action went on Mohamad El-Sayed in the big blind. He gave it some thought before mucking as Khouzami showed K♥K♠.
"All of a sudden everybody wants to fold. Nobody wants to make it 800, nobody wants to do anything," Khouzami said.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
25,800,000
10,800,000
|
10,800,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
9,000,000
4,700,000
|
4,700,000 |
|
|
6,700,000
3,300,000
|
3,300,000 |
|
|
5,400,000
900,000
|
900,000 |
Level 35
: Blinds 200,000/400,000, 400,000 ante
Denis Stoma raised to 800,000 under the gun as action folded to Dashinka, who looked down at K♥K♦ on the button and moved all in. The blinds quickly folded back to Stoma who got rid of A♦4♦ as Dashinka showed his kings and took the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
20,000,000
2,000,000
|
2,000,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
4,925,000
1,000,000
|
1,000,000 |
Level 35
: Blinds 200,000/400,000, 400,000 ante
Simone Andrian moved all in from the small blind and Anthony Khouzami used a time bank before calling for 2,600,000 in the big blind.
Anthony Khouzami: K♣4♦
Simone Andrian: 8♦3♦
Both players hit a pair on the K♠5♥3♠ flop, but Khouzami was ahead with his kings. The rest of the board ran out 7♥5♦ and Khouzami doubled up.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
12,500,000 | |
|
|
||
|
|
5,600,000
1,100,000
|
1,100,000 |
Level: 35
Blinds: 200,000/400,000
Ante: 400,000
Level 34
: Blinds 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante
In a limped pot between the blinds, Ermanno Pacini led out for 300,000 on the 8♣4♥4♦ flop and Denis Stoma called.
The turn was the 3♠ and Pacini bet another 450,000. Stoma again called and the 10♠ fell on the river. Pacini slowed down and checked, and Stoma bet 550,000.
Pacini quickly folded 7♣6♦ and Stoma took the pot holding J♠8♥.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
11,000,000
1,000,000
|
1,000,000 |
|
|
||
|
|
5,925,000
1,050,000
|
1,050,000 |
