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Day 3 of the €1,650 Main Event at the Merit Poker Montenegro Championship gets underway today inside the Merit Royal Splendid Casino in Budva, with the field significantly thinned and the money bubble now firmly in sight.
A total of 90 players will return to the tables from a final field of 414 entries, all chasing a share of the €571,320 prize pool. With 63 players set to make the money and a €110,000 top prize awaiting the eventual champion, today is expected to be explosive as players edge towards the payout places.
Germany’s Paul Esau returns to the baize as the Day 3 chip leader after bagging 1,723,000 at the end of Day 2. Ruslan Kulibaba sits close behind with a stack of 1,625,000, while there is a notable drop to Anton Markachev in third, returning with 1,016,000 as the rest of the field begins to chase from further back.
Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paul Esau | Germany | 1,723,000 | 215 |
| 2 | Ruslan Kulibaba | Russian Federation | 1,625,000 | 203 |
| 3 | Anton Markachev | Russian Federation | 1,016,000 | 127 |
| 4 | Nikolai Isaev | Russian Federation | 1,000,000 | 125 |
| 5 | Mazalahedwa Bako | United Kingdom | 908,000 | 114 |
| 6 | Bogdan Jontulovic | Serbia | 864,000 | 108 |
| 7 | Milos Miskovic | Serbia | 841,000 | 105 |
| 8 | Nazar Buhaiov | Ukraine | 818,000 | 102 |
| 9 | Giorgiy Skhulukhiya | Georgia | 803,000 | 100 |
| 10 | Jean-Baptiste Pano | France | 789,000 | 99 |
Also returning inside the top ten is Nazar Buhaiov with 818,000. Montenegro has proven to be a happy hunting ground for Buhaiov, who claimed his maiden Merit title here in 2022 and has reached five of his six Merit final tables in the country. Fresh off a win in the €2,750 High Roller earlier this week, Buhaiov will carry plenty of confidence into Day 3.
Among the other players returning with healthy stacks are Mazalahedwa Bako (908,000), Milos Miskovic (841,000), and Giorgiy Skhulukhiya (803,000), who also reached the High Roller final table earlier in the series. At the other end of the counts, Paul Grummitt (106,000) and Bobby James will be among those needing an early double to give themselves a chance of surviving the bubble.
The main objective for everyone returning today is clear, reach the money. With 63 players set to be paid and a min-cash worth €2,400, almost a third of the field will unfortunately end Day 3 empty-handed.
Play resumes at 12 p.m. local time at Level 18, with blinds of 4,000/8,000 and an 8,000 big blind ante. As always, the plan for the day will be announced shortly after cards get in the air.
Payouts
Follow all developments from Day 3 on PokerNews as the Main Event plays toward the money in Budva
