Day 3 Had It All with a Straight Flush, Royal Flush, and Bubble Exit
Day 3 of the 2025 Merit Poker Dolce Vita Series has come to a close, and just 50 contenders remain in the $3,300 La Notte Degli Assi. Known as "The Night of the Aces," the event delivered drama worthy of its name, with straight flushes, royal flushes, and big stacks flying across the room. A life-changing $460,000 awaits the eventual winner inside the Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino.
Russia’s Aleksandr Chernikov topped the Day 3 chip counts after building an enormous stack of 6,560,000. He surged ahead of the competition late in the day and will return with a commanding lead when cards go back in the air on Day 4.
Day 3 Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aleksandr Chernikov | Russian Federation | 6,560,000 | 131 |
| 2 | Adrian State | Romania | 4,415,000 | 88 |
| 3 | Maksim Shornikau | Belarus | 4,045,000 | 81 |
| 4 | Dawid Smolka | Poland | 3,780,000 | 76 |
| 5 | Uri Reichenstein | Israel | 3,770,000 | 75 |
| 6 | Krasimir Yankov | Bulgaria | 3,445,000 | 69 |
| 7 | Milos Miskovic | Serbia | 3,355,000 | 67 |
| 8 | Haydar Issa | Lebanon | 3,295,000 | 66 |
| 9 | Tommy G | San Marino | 3,245,000 | 65 |
| 10 | Changyang Liu | China | 3,195,000 | 64 |
Right behind him is Adrian State with 4,415,000, followed by Uri Reichenstein (3,970,000), Dawid Smolka (3,780,000), and Krasimir Yankov (3,445,000). Smolka remains in contention for the elusive Merit Poker triple crown, having already captured titles in both a Warm-Up and a High Roller.
Nicolas Chouity (3,400,000), Milos Miskovic (3,355,000), Tommy G (3,245,000), and Changyang Liu (3,195,000) also bagged healthy stacks, along with Alessio Isaia (2,300,000) and IPO Master winner Xiaosheng Zheng (1,210,000).
The money bubble burst in Level 20 when Claudiu-Mihai Burlacu called off his short stack with pocket eights against Aleksandr Razinkov’s ace-king. An ace on the flop sealed Burlacu’s fate, making him the last player to leave without a payout.
As the bubble burst, fireworks followed.
Miskovic, already a dangerous force in the field, pulled off one of the most impressive hands of the day. Facing an early position raise from “Aceallin17,” Miskovic defended his big blind and then went to war on a jack-high, two-club flop. What unfolded was an all-in on the river, which Miskovic won after turning over seven-three of clubs for a straight flush. His opponent showed pocket jacks for top set and could only shake his head in disbelief as he hit the rail.
Incredibly, just moments later, another insane hand happened, but this time it was a Royal Flush.
Erdal Gulseven was all-in for his last chips against Vladimir Erceg, who held top set of aces on a flop of ace-queen-nine with two diamonds. Gulseven had king-jack of diamonds and needed a miracle. The turn paired the board and gave Erceg a full house, leaving Gulseven drawing to one out, the ten of diamonds. He was already standing to leave when the dealer peeled the magical card on the river, completing the rarest hand in poker and sending the entire table into chaos.
As the final levels of the night played out, more big names fell short of the finish line, while others locked up a seat for Day 4. In total, just 50 remain from the original 1,023, and the pressure will only increase with the final stretch now in sight.
Remaining Payouts
All remaining players have locked up at least $9,400 for their efforts. The payouts continue to climb steadily, with those reaching the final table guaranteed $46,280 and the top five each taking home six-figure scores. The eventual champion will walk away with $460,000, while the runner-up is set to earn $307,000. Other key prizes include $215,000 for third, $156,000 for fourth, and $115,000 for fifth.
Play resumes at 12 p.m. local time with blinds at 25,000/50,000 and a 50,000 big blind ante. The prize pool of $2,823,480 will continue to be shared out, and by the end of Day 4, the path to the final table will be far clearer.
Stay tuned to PokerNews as the road to the $460,000 top prize continues.