After a strong opening flight that exceeded expectations, Day 1b of the $3,300 La Notte Degli Assi gets underway today at 12 p.m. local time inside the Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino.
Day 1a attracted 262 entries across eight levels of play, surpassing last year’s Day 1a total of 237 despite the increased buy-in. By the end of the night, 119 players had secured a seat for Day 2, and several managed to build towering stacks in the process.
Leading the field is Andrei Spataru, who bagged 1,041,500 and was the only player to crack the seven-figure mark. He’ll be joined on Day 2 by other big stacks such as Aleksandr Chernikov (721,000), Maxime Chilaud (677,500), Ivan Zabiiakin (587,500), and Denis Vladimirov (533,000), all of whom are well positioned for a deep run.
Day 1a Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|
| 1 | Andrei Spataru | Romania | 1,041,500 | 521 |
| 2 | Aleksandr Chernikov | Russia | 721,000 | 361 |
| 3 | Maxime Chilaud | France | 677,500 | 339 |
| 4 | Ivan Zabiiakin | Russia | 587,500 | 294 |
| 5 | Denis Vladimirov | Russia | 533,000 | 267 |
| 6 | Xiaosheng Zheng | China | 494,000 | 247 |
| 7 | Grzegorz Kozieja | Poland | 469,000 | 235 |
| 8 | Yilu Yuan | China | 464,000 | 232 |
| 9 | Nina Krasilnikova | Russia | 435,000 | 218 |
| 10 | Darius Neagoe | Romania | 429,500 | 215 |
Day 1b will follow the same structure as the opening flight. Players receive 100,000 chips and will play eight 60-minute levels, with 15-minute breaks after every two levels. Unlimited reentries are available, and late registration will remain open until the end of Level 14 on Day 2.
Remaining Schedule
| Date | Day | Time | Blind Levels |
|---|
| August 3 | Day 1b | 12 p.m. | 60 minutes |
| 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 |
The $2,000,000 guaranteed prize pool remains the target, and with three starting flights still to go, the tournament is shaping up to be one of the biggest of the summer.
Stay with PokerNews throughout the day for chip counts, key hands, and exclusive updates from the tournament floor.
Tags:
Aleksandr ChernikovAndrei SpataruDarius NeagoeDenis VladimirovGrzegorz KoziejaIvan ZabiiakinMaxime ChilaudNina KrasilnikovaXiaosheng ZhengYilu Yuan
