2025 Merit Poker Dolce Vita Series

$3,300 La Notte Degli Assi
Day: 2
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Event Info
2025 Merit Poker Dolce Vita Series
Final Results
Winner
Winning Hand
8♦3♦
Prize
$460,000
Event Info
Buy-in
$3,300
Prize Pool
$2,823,480
Total Entries
1,023
Level Info
Level
40
Blinds
600,000 / 1,200,000
Ante
1,200,000
Players Info - Day 2
Entries
679
Players Left
231
Players Left 1 / 1,023
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Smolka Hits Seven Figures

Kai Cocklin
Kai Cocklin
Level 12 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
Dawid Smolka
Dawid Smolka

Dawid Smolka just hit the seven-figure mark after taking down a pot against Dmitry Vitkind.

Smolka opened the button to 6,500 and Vitkind called from the small blind to see a flop of 2♠5♦8♣. Vitkind check-called a bet of 13,000 from Smolka to see the 9♥ hit the turn, then folded when Smolka fired 55,000.

Xiaosheng Zheng, who won the Warm Up just a few days ago, is seated at the same table with a stack of around 600,000.

Elsewhere, Jordan Westmorland is still going along nicely and has around 800,000 to work with.

In the latest hand he played, Westmorland opened from early position to 7,000 and picked up a caller in the cutoff.

On a flop of 9♠8♥6♥. Westmorland's continuation-bet did the trick as his opponent quickly folded.

Tags: Dawid SmolkaDmitry VitkindJordan WestmorlandXiaosheng Zheng

Peters Picks Off Dray's Buff

Tim Baker
Tim Baker
Level 12 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante

Tobias Peters raised to 6,000 from the cutoff and only Samuel Dray defended out of the big blind.

Dray knuckled the action to Peters on the 9♣K♥5♦ flop, and Peters put out a bet of 6,500. Dray made the call.

The 7♦ turn went check-check for the 8♠ to appear on the river. Dray led out for 18,000, causing Peters to tank-call.

Dray showed a bluff with Q♥J♠, and Peters took down the pot holding 9♥8♥ for two pair.

Tags: Samuel DrayTobias Peters

Duta's Stack Disappears

Kai Cocklin
Kai Cocklin
Level 12 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante

Florian Duta once had almost 700,000 on Day 2, but just had all of his chips in the middle on the turn!

The board read 7♠7♦7♣3♠ and with around 125,000 in the middle, Duta had shoved 83,000 in from under the gun. His opponent. Krasimir Yankov, was in the tank for some time, but eventually decided to let it go, and Duta's road to recovery was off to a good start.

Tags: Florian DutaKrasimir Yankov

Fadi Spikes the River to Eliminate Hammi

Tim Baker
Tim Baker
Level 12 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante
Fadi Nakhoul
Fadi Nakhoul

Fadi Nakhoul made it 6,000 from early position and Mohamed Hammi shoved for 32,000 from late position. Nakhoul happily made the call when it folded back to him.

Mohamed Hammi: A♣10♥ All in
Fadi Nakhoul: K♣Q♣

Hammi was slightly ahead and stayed ahead on the 4♦5♦5♠ flop. The 6♣ turn didn't change anything, but the K♥ river improved Nakhoul to a pair of kings, and Hammi was sent to the showers.

Tags: Mohamed HammiFadi Nakhoul

Selected Chip Counts

Kai Cocklin
Kai Cocklin
Level 12 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante

Ma Flops a Set to Send Zhaparov Out

Tim Baker
Tim Baker
Level 12 : Blinds 1,500/3,000, 3,000 ante

Dauren Zhaparov was all-in for his last 50,000 or so, with Ma trying to end his tournament.

Dauren Zhaparov: K♦J♥ All in
Ma; 10♦10♠

It was a flip until the dealer delivered a flop of 2♠5♣10♥, giving Ma top set. Zhaparov was drawing dead on the 2♥ turn, as an inconsequential 3♣ appeared on the river. The post was sent to Ma, and Zhaparov was out.

Tags: Dauren Zhaparov

Level: 12

Blinds: 1,500/3,000

Ante: 3,000

La Notte Degli Assi Becomes Biggest Merit Event of 2025

Kai Cocklin
Kai Cocklin
Level 11 : Blinds 1,500/2,500, 2,500 ante
Merit Poker Cardroom
Merit Poker Cardroom

With 888 entries already recorded, the 2025 Merit Poker Dolce Vita Series $3,300 La Notte Degli Assi has become the largest field of any tournament held at Merit Poker so far this year. It has already surpassed the 881-player turnout from the 2025 Carmen Series and continues to grow with late registration still open for three more levels.

This is now the second-largest $3,300 Main Event in Merit Poker history, trailing only the 2023 Retro Series, which drew a record-setting 1,223 entries. In terms of Merit Main Events across all buy-ins, La Notte Degli Assi 2025 currently ranks third all-time, behind only the Retro Series and the 2024 edition of Dolce Vita, which attracted 1,133 entries but featured a lower $2,200 buy-in.

Despite the steeper price point this year, the prize pool has already surpassed that of the 2024 Dolce Vita Main Event, which paid out $2,084,720. With the $2,000,000 guarantee long surpassed and more entries expected, the total prize pool is expected to climb even higher before registration closes.

Dolce Vita
Dolce Vita

Perhaps it’s the structure, the setting, or the spirit of la dolce vita (the sweet life) that keeps players coming back to North Cyprus year after year. Whatever the reason, this year’s Main Event has once again delivered on scale, atmosphere, and prestige.

Wherever the final number lands, the 2025 La Notte Degli Assi has already earned its place in the Merit Poker history books as one of the most successful and well-attended tournaments ever held at the Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino.

Salikaev Misses His Outs vs Pazma

Tim Baker
Tim Baker
Level 11 : Blinds 1,500/2,500, 2,500 ante
Yury Salikaev
Yury Salikaev

On the 7♦10♥2♥ flop and after some betting and raising between Lukas Pazma and Yury Salikaev, Pazma got his stack of 120,500 into the middle with Salikaev making the call to try and bust him.

Lukas Pazma: A♠J♠ All in
Yury Salikaev: A♥K♥

Pazma had top pair, while Salikaev had a flush draw. The remainder of the board came 3♣5♦, meaning Pazma doubled up, as Salikaev missed all of his outs.

Nohra Doubles Back to Starting Stack

Tim Baker
Tim Baker
Level 11 : Blinds 1,500/2,500, 2,500 ante

Omer Ulusoy made it 7,500 under the gun before Rami Nohra jammed for 54,000 from middle position. When it folded back to Ulusoy, he put in the call.

Rami Nohra: A♦10♥ All in
Omer Ulusoy: J♠10♠

Nohra had Ulusoy dominated heading to the 10♣4♦4♣ flop, where both players hit top pair. The 3♦ turn and 9♠ river didn't change anything, and Nohra earned the much-needed double-up.

Tags: Omer UlusoyRami Nohra

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