$3,300 La Notte Degli Assi Day 4 | 2025 Merit Poker Dolce Vita Series

08-07-2025 12:30 UTC+2

Erceg Triples; Amirfatahi Gives Some Back

Kai Cocklin

Level 27 : Blinds 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante

Vladimir Erceg found a triple-up not so long ago when his pocket fours turned a set in a three-way pot, cracking cowboys in the process. Though, in the last hand he was just a spectator and recalled the action.

Ali Amirfatahi, who had just doubled up, made it 225,000 from the small blind and Cheng Zhao called in the big blind.

Amirfatahi bet 180,000 on the flop and 480,000 on the turn, which took them to a river on a board of Q♣10♦4♠6♠3♠. With around 1,400,000 behind, Amirfatahi elected to check, and Zhao shoved. Amirfatahi went into the tank for some time, but eventually decided to fold, sending over a lot of his day's progress.

Player	Chips	Progress
Cheng Zhao	3,700,000
Vladimir Erceg	2,100,000 1,480,000	1,480,000
Ali Amirfatahi	1,400,000 800,000	800,000

Tags: Ali Amirfatahi Cheng Zhao Vladimir Erceg

08-07-2025 12:29 UTC+2

Broda Holds With Ace-High to Double

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Tim Baker

Level 27 : Blinds 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante

With 850,000 in his stack, Richard Broda jammed from middle position. The table folded all the way around to the start-of-day chip leader Aleksandr Chernikov in the big blind, who made the call to put Broda at risk.

Richard Broda: A♥J♣ All in
Aleksandr Chernikov: K♦10♦

Broda had found a good spot to get a double up, if he could avoid Chernikov connecting with the board.

The dealer delivered a runout of 7♠5♥Q♠2♥4♣, improving neither player, and Broda doubled up with just ace-high.

Player	Chips	Progress
Aleksandr Chernikov	3,600,000 1,100,000	1,100,000

Richard Broda	1,775,000 535,000	535,000

Tags: Aleksandr Chernikov Richard Broda

08-07-2025 12:22 UTC+2

Deniz Takes from Chernikov

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Tim Baker

Level 27 : Blinds 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante

Aleksandr Chernikov made it 125,000 from the hijack and only Mehmet Deniz called out of the big blind.

Denis check-called a bet of 125,000 from Chernikov on the 10♠5♥5♣ flop, and the 4♠ appeared on the turn. Both players checked to see the 4♣ river. Deniz led out for 275,000, which forced Chernikov to fold.

Player	Chips	Progress
Aleksandr Chernikov	4,700,000 1,860,000	1,860,000

Mehmet Deniz	1,700,000 1,205,000	1,205,000

Tags: Aleksandr Chernikov Mehmet Deniz

08-07-2025 12:21 UTC+2

Amirfatahi Wins a Flip

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Kai Cocklin

Level 27 : Blinds 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante

Viacheslav Balaev just doubled up when his ace-king took down the pocket queens of Tian Hao Zheng, but he had to give some of his newly-found chips back to the table.

Aleksandr Kirichenko opened to 120,000 from early position and Balaev called in the cutoff before Ali Amirfatahi shoved from the big blind for 1,020,000. Kirichenko let it go, but Balaev called.

Ali Amirfatahi: 7♠7♣ All in
Viacheslav Balaev: A♣Q♦

It was a fair fight, but one that Amirfatahi won as his pocket sevens held strong on the 4♠10♦9♦2♠2♣ runout, which earned him a double-up.

Player	Chips	Progress
Aleksandr Kirichenko	2,500,000 200,000	200,000
Viacheslav Balaev	2,300,000 400,000	400,000
Ali Amirfatahi	2,200,000 125,000	125,000
Tian Hao Zheng	400,000 1,355,000	1,355,000

Tags: Aleksandr Kirichenko Ali Amirfatahi Viacheslav Balaev Tian Hao Zheng

08-07-2025 12:13 UTC+2

Aristotelos Has Liu Drawing Dead on the Turn

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Tim Baker

Level 27 : Blinds 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante

Katherina Aristotelos raised under the gun to 125,000 and Changyang Liu three-bet to 275,000 from the next seat. Aristotelos made the call when it got back to her.

Aristotelos knuckled the action over to Liu on the J♦5♦5♥ flop, and he put out a bet of 150,000. Aristotelos quickly called.

Upon seeing a 9♣ appear on the turn, Aristotelos shoved for 645,000. Liu briefly paused, then made the call to put Aristotelos at risk.

Katherina Aristotelos: 9♥9♠ All in
Changyang Liu: Q♥10♣

Aristotelos turned a boat to have Liu drawing dead, as the K♥ river improved Liu to an irrelevant straight. Aristotelos doubled up, and Liu was down to 2,100,000.

Player	Chips	Progress
Changyang Liu	2,100,000 1,095,000	1,095,000
Katherina Aristotelos	1,800,000 600,000	600,000

Tags: Changyang Liu Katherina Aristotelos

08-07-2025 12:10 UTC+2

Aslan Turns a King

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Kai Cocklin

Level 27 : Blinds 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante

Fatih Aydin opened the cutoff to 120,000 and Kemal Aslan called in the small blind.

They went to a flop of 7♠J♣3♠, where Aslan check-called a bet of 75,000 from Aydin. Both then checked it to showdown on the K♦10♠ runout, and Aslan's K♠Q♥ was good as he turned a pair of kings.

Player	Chips	Progress
Kemal Aslan	2,900,000 1,100,000	1,100,000
Fatih Aydin	2,300,000 45,000	45,000

Tags: Fatih Aydin Kemal Aslan

08-07-2025 12:03 UTC+2

Selected Chip Counts

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Kai Cocklin

Level 27 : Blinds 30,000/60,000, 60,000 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Gabriel Akiki	6,000,000 1,200,000	1,200,000
Nicolas Chouity	4,300,000 2,100,000	2,100,000

Krasimir Yankov	3,500,000 55,000	55,000
Ma	2,800,000 1,950,000	1,950,000
Aleksandr Kirichenko	2,300,000 860,000	860,000
Alessio Isaia	2,300,000

Viacheslav Balaev	1,900,000 100,000	100,000
Alisa Sibgatova	900,000 80,000	80,000

Level: 27

Blinds: 30,000/60,000

Ante: 60,000

08-07-2025 11:58 UTC+2

Miskovic Makes the Maximum With Aces; Eliminates Esau

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Tim Baker

Level 26 : Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante

As recalled by a player at the table. Milos Miskovic made it 100,000 from the cutoff, with only Paul Esau defending out of the big blind.

Esau check-called a bet of 80,000 from Miskovic on the monotone flop of J♦Q♦4♦.

The 4♠ turn prompted a second check from Esau, followed by a second bet from Miskovic, who sized up to 400,000. Once again, Esau called.

A 9♠ rolled off on the river, which got a final check from Esau. Miskovic unloaded the clip by putting Esau all in for his last 1,000,000. Esau went into the tank for a while, mulling over whether to call or fold. Ultimately, he chose to call.

Miskovic flipped over A♦A♣ for an overpair to the board. Esau looked back at his cards and then was forced to reveal Q♥10♥ for just a pair of queens. Esau was out, and Miskovic moved up to around 5,600,000.

Player	Chips	Progress
Milos Miskovic	5,600,000 2,100,000	2,100,000

Paul Esau	Busted

Tags: Milos Miskovic Paul Esau

08-07-2025 11:57 UTC+2

Smolka's Stack Swells as Litvinov Hits the Rail

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Kai Cocklin

Level 26 : Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante

Dawid Smolka has had a great start to Day 4, and has grown his stack to around 6,600,000 after just eliminating Andrey Litvinov.

Smolka opened the cutoff to 100,000 and Litvinov defended his big blind to the 8♥9♠9♥ flop. Litvinov checked, Smolka bet 50,000, Litvinov shoved 400,000, and Smolka called.

Andrey Litvinov: 8♦6♣ All in
Dawid Smolka: A♦A♣

Litvinov had flopped a pair of eights, but was way behind the bullets of Smolka. A 6♠ on the turn did give Litvinov a few more outs, but the 3♥ river bricked out, and he was eliminated.

Player	Chips	Progress
Dawid Smolka	6,600,000 2,820,000	2,820,000
Andrey Litvinov	Busted

Tags: Andrey Litvinov Dawid Smolka