Claudiu-Mihai Burlacu Tops Day 1b as Field Hits 500
Day 1b of the $3,300 La Notte Degli Assi has officially wrapped up at the Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino, bringing another full day of action to a close in North Cyprus. A total of 238 entries were recorded across the eight one-hour levels, adding to the 262 from Day 1a to bring the combined field to 500. With two more flights still to come on Sunday, the $2,000,000 guaranteed prize pool remains very much within reach.
The field was filled with familiar faces, international regulars, and first-timers alike, all taking their shot at Merit Poker’s crown jewel of the summer. As chips were bagged for the night, Claudiu-Mihai Burlacu emerged as the Day 1b chip leader with an impressive 763,500. Hot on his heels were Fahredin Mustafov (747,000), Paris Dedes (731,000), and Bakhos Alalam (709,500), all of whom secured top spots on the overnight leaderboard.
Day 1b Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Claudiu-Mihai Burlacu | United Kingdom | 763,500 | 382 |
| 2 | Fahredin Mustafov | Bulgaria | 747,000 | 374 |
| 3 | Paris Dedes | Greece | 731,000 | 366 |
| 4 | Bakhos Alalam | Lebanon | 709,500 | 355 |
| 5 | Jordan Westmorland | United States | 600,000 | 300 |
| 6 | Iurii Okolovich | Russian Federation | 586,500 | 293 |
| 7 | Kassem HMD | Cyprus | 563,000 | 282 |
| 8 | Hassan Nashar | Guinea-Bissau | 535,000 | 268 |
| 9 | Ravi Sheth | United Kingdom | 516,000 | 258 |
| 10 | Baltazar Five | Lebanon | 440,500 | 220 |
Also finishing strong were Jordan Westmorland (600,000) and Hassan Nashar (535,000), who will return for Day 2 in great shape to contend. As with Day 1a, a full chip count list will be released once verified, but those names are expected to be among the biggest stacks of the flight.
Monday promises to be the busiest day yet, with two final starting flights on the schedule. Day 1c begins at 12 p.m. and will feature 40-minute levels, followed by the turbo-format Day 1d at 7 p.m. with 25-minute levels. Players will once again start with 100,000 chips, and unlimited reentries remain available until the end of Level 14 on Day 2.
Remaining Schedule
| Date | Day | Time | Blind Levels |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 4 | Day 1c | 12 p.m. | 40 minutes |
| August 4 | Day 1d | 7 p.m. | 25 minutes |
| August 5 | Day 2 | 12 p.m. | 60 minutes |
| August 6 | Day 3 | 12 p.m. | 60 minutes |
| August 7 | Day 4 | 12 p.m. | 60 minutes |
| August 8 | Day 5 | 1 p.m. | 60 minutes |
With momentum building and the prize pool growing, the stage is set for an exciting finish to the opening phase of the La Notte Degli Assi Main Event. Stay with PokerNews for continued coverage as the $2,000,000 guaranteed Main Event continues.