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€1,650 Main Event
Day 1cd Completed
2026 Merit Poker Montenegro Championship
€1,650 Main Event
Day: 1cd
Event Info
2026 Merit Poker Montenegro Championship
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 1cd
Buy-in
€1,650
Prize Pool
€571,320
Total Entries
414
Level
37
Blinds
400,000 / 800,000
Ante
800,000
Entries
108
Players Left
60
Players Left 1 / 414
Filter
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Day 1c of the €1,650 Main Event at the Merit Poker Montenegro Championship wrapped up after another busy day inside the Merit Royal Splendid Casino, as familiar faces and fresh newcomers looked to lock up a seat for tomorrow's Day 2.
The third starting flight brought in 91 more entries, taking the overall turnout to 327 entries across three flights. After nine 40-minute levels, the field was trimmed down to 50 survivors, each bagging chips and moving one step closer to the title
Turkey’s Atilla Saracoglu came out as the Day 1c chip leader, bagging 569,500 by the end of the night and was the only player to breach the half a million chip barrier. Second in the counts is Rio Nimni Ben with 438,000, some of which came near the end of the night when he backed into a wheel in a multi-way pot. Ben's value bet got paid, and this helped him surge up the counts and finish in the top three.
Day 1c Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atilla Saracoglu | Turkey | 569,500 | 228 |
| 2 | Rio Nimni Ben | Israel | 438,000 | 175 |
| 3 | Bogdan Jontulovic | Serbia | 419,500 | 168 |
| 4 | Milos Miskovic | Serbia | 382,500 | 153 |
| 5 | Edmond Jahjaga | Kosovo | 335,000 | 134 |
| 6 | Adam Graeser | Hungary | 324,000 | 130 |
| 7 | Senadin Cosic | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 292,000 | 117 |
| 8 | Predrag Premovic | Serbia | 284,500 | 114 |
| 9 | Aleksandar Tomovic | Serbia | 270,000 | 108 |
| 10 | Dalibor Bua | Canada | 262,000 | 105 |
Coming in third on the leaderboard and well worth a mention is Bogdan Jontulovic of Serbia with 438,000. Jontulovic came close to capturing a Main Event title back in 2024 during the Gatsby Series in Northern Cyprus, where he finished runner-up for a career-best score of $211,400.
He added to his stack late in the day after picking up pocket aces to eliminate Amir Saeid in the penultimate level of the night, a significant pot that helped him bag a healthy amount heading into Day 2.
The day got off to an action-packed start after Nemanja Tatar got his fresh starting stack into the middle with a royal flush draw against Bulent Sahin’s top pair. Tatar bricked the rest of the runout and was the first player to head to the rail, prompting Sahin to confess his love to the dealer, stand up, and give the poker room a brief celebratory dance.
Tatar would get his revenge a few hours later, however, when he picked up pocket aces and sent Sahin packing after Sahin woke up with queens. Milos Miskovic also enjoyed a successful session, making it through the day with a top-four stack of 382,500. Miskovic correctly called Vedat Yilmaz down over two streets with just third pair in a huge pot, leaving Yilmaz shaking his head in disbelief.
Some other notables who bagged chips for Day 2 include bracelet winner Edmond Jahjaga (335,000), Tatar (235,500), Giulio Gallo (224,000), and Jean-Baptiste Pano (163,500). Also advancing were Merit Poker Cup fifth-place finisher Mikhail Zavoloka (117,000), Merit serial casher Chady Ojeil (96,500), and Zhicheng Miao (38,000), who, despite doubling up in the final level of the day, returns near the bottom of the chip counts.
With Day 1c complete, the focus now shifts to Day 1d, which is already underway and is the final opportunity for players to build a stack before Day 2 begins. Late registration remains open until the end of Level 14 on Day 2, giving latecomers a chance to take their shot before the field size and prize pool are finalized.
The remaining players from all four opening flights will converge for the first time on Thursday, January 22, at noon local time. Play will resume at Level 10, with blinds expected to be 1,000/2,500 and a 2,500 big blind ante. The plan for the day will be announced shortly after cards are in the air.
Remaining Main Event Schedule
| Date | Day | Time | Blind Levels |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 21 | Day 1d | 7 p.m. | 25 minutes |
| Jan 22 | Day 2 | 12 p.m. | 60 minutes |
| Jan 23 | Day 3 | 12 p.m. | 60 minutes |
| Jan 24 | Day 4 | 12 p.m. | 60 minutes |
| Jan 25 | Day 5 | 1 p.m. | 60 minutes |
Keep up with all the latest chip counts and drama on PokerNews as the €1,650 Main Event continues in Budva.
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
307,000
307,000
|
307,000 |
|
||
|
238,500
238,500
|
238,500 |
|
209,500
209,500
|
209,500 |
|
193,000
193,000
|
193,000 |
|
184,500
184,500
|
184,500 |
|
166,000
166,000
|
166,000 |
|
|
135,500
135,500
|
135,500 |
|
127,000
127,000
|
127,000 |
|
117,500
117,500
|
117,500 |
|
|
26,500
26,500
|
26,500 |
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
569,500
129,500
|
129,500 |
|
||
|
438,000
108,000
|
108,000 |
|
419,500
29,500
|
29,500 |
|
382,500
92,500
|
92,500 |
|
335,000
95,000
|
95,000 |
|
||
|
324,000
184,000
|
184,000 |
|
292,000
292,000
|
292,000 |
|
284,500
90,500
|
90,500 |
|
270,000
270,000
|
270,000 |
|
262,000
262,000
|
262,000 |
|
253,500
18,500
|
18,500 |
|
240,000
90,000
|
90,000 |
|
235,000
235,000
|
235,000 |
|
224,000
129,000
|
129,000 |
|
222,000
37,000
|
37,000 |
|
207,000
207,000
|
207,000 |
|
203,000
203,000
|
203,000 |
|
201,000
201,000
|
201,000 |
|
198,500
198,500
|
198,500 |
|
192,500
92,500
|
92,500 |
|
190,000
25,000
|
25,000 |
|
|
181,500
181,500
|
181,500 |
|
|
178,500
178,500
|
178,500 |
|
173,500
173,500
|
173,500 |
|
163,500
53,500
|
53,500 |
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
Play has concluded for Day 1c with 50 players making it through.
Stay tuned for chip counts and a full recap of the day's action.
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
When it folded to Zhicheng Miao on the button, he open-jammed for 35,000 and was looked up by Huma Feizi out of the small blind.
Zhicheng Miao: A♦J♥ 
Huma Feizi: K♥J♦
Miao was in great shape to double up near to the end of the flight and lock up a stack for Day 2.
The flop fell 5♦4♦A♥ to propel Miao further into the lead with top pair. Feizi was drawing dead after the 6♥ turn as the 4♥ river was inconsequential.
Miao dragged in the pot and Feizi was left with around the average stack of 180,000.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
180,000
70,000
|
70,000 |
|
76,000
39,000
|
39,000 |
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
The floor staff have announced that there willbe three more hands before the players bag up their chips and return for Day 2.
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
The player in the cutoff made it 6,000 to go and Adam Graeser called on the button.
The cutoff fired a continuation-bet of 7,500 on the 7♦5♥8♦ flop and Graeser called.
A 9♠ fell on the turn, and the action to Graeser, who bet 6,500. Graeser's opponent called.
The 10♥ arrived on the river and the cutoff led out fo 20,000. Graeser quickly folded and surrendered the pot to his opponent.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
140,000
85,000
|
85,000 |
Level 9
: Blinds 1,000/2,500, 2,500 ante
With around 50,000 in the pot, the dealer spread out the 3♠J♣4♦ flop, and Milos Miskovic, who was sitting in the big blind, checked. Vedat Yilmaz made a bet of 32,000, which got Huma Feizi to fold the button, but Miskovic stuck around with a call.
Heads-up to the 7♥ turn, where Miskovic checked again. Yilmaz quickly placed 35,000 into the middle, and after a long pause, Miskovic called.
Check, check came after the 2♥ river and Miskovic confidently revealed 5♥4♥ for third pair. Yilmaz shook his head in disbelief and returned his cards face down to the dealer.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
|
290,000
80,000
|
80,000 |
|
|
110,000
25,000
|
25,000 |
|
|
75,000
19,000
|
19,000 |
Level: 9
Blinds: 1,000/2,500
Ante: 2,500
