Level: 22
Blinds: 15,000/30,000
Ante: 30,000
2026 Merit Poker Montenegro Championship
€880 Merit Poker Cup
Day: 3
Event Info
2026 Merit Poker Montenegro Championship
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 3
Buy-in
€880
Prize Pool
€305,440
Entries
415
Level
28
Blinds
60,000 / 120,000
Ante
120,000
Entries
9
Players Left
1
Players Left 1 / 415
Filter
Level 21
: Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante
Bojan Berberovic opened under the gun to 40,000 and Oleksii Shchukin called in the cutoff. Ali Moein also called from the button before Rashad Iskandarov squeezed to 220,000 from the big blind.
Berberovic wasted no time and immediately counted out raising chips before four-betting to 480,000, which was followed by three quick folds from his opponents.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
2,400,000
405,000
|
405,000 |
|
1,200,000
55,000
|
55,000 |
|
950,000
130,000
|
130,000 |
|
500,000
150,000
|
150,000 |
Level 21
: Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante
Oleksii Shchukin opened to 40,000 from early position and chip leader Fausto Tantillo called on the button.
On the A♣8♦A♥ flop, Shchukin bet 30,000 and Tantillo called to the 5♦ turn. Another bet came in from Shchukin, this time for 80,000, and that was enough to earn him the pot.
| Player | Chips | Progress |
|---|---|---|
|
2,750,000
60,000
|
60,000 |
|
||
|
|
650,000
85,000
|
85,000 |
Level 21
: Blinds 10,000/20,000, 20,000 ante
Players are in their seats and cards are in the air with 23 minutes left in Level 21.
Level: 21
Blinds: 10,000/20,000
Ante: 20,000
The nine finalists will soon be introduced to the final table and take their seats.
Day 3 of the €880 Merit Poker Cup gets underway at 1:00 p.m. local time inside the Merit Royal Splendid Casino in Budva as part of the Merit Poker Montenegro Championship, with the tournament set to play down to a winner.
From a field of 415 entries, just nine players return for the final day, all of whom have already locked up a payday. Blind levels remain at 60 minutes, giving the remaining players room to maneuver as the final table plays out.
Italy’s Fausto Tantillo leads the way after bagging 2,810,000 at the end of Day 2, holding a slim advantage over Mikhail Zavoloka with 2,625,000. Montenegro’s Bojan Berberovic sits third in chips, while the remaining six players return with shorter stacks and plenty of work to do.
Final Table Seat Draw
| Seat | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nikolay Fal | Russia | 580,000 | 29 |
| 2 | Mikhail Zavoloka | Russia | 2,625,000 | 131 |
| 3 | Oleksii Shchukin | Ukraine | 565,000 | 28 |
| 4 | Ali Moein | Iran | 1,080,000 | 54 |
| 5 | Vladimir Lappo | Belarus | 975,000 | 49 |
| 6 | Rashad Iskandarov | Azerbaijan | 1,255,000 | 63 |
| 7 | Bojan Berberovic | Serbia | 1,995,000 | 100 |
| 8 | Fausto Tantillo | Italy | 2,810,000 | 141 |
| 9 | Genrik Alekian | Ukraine | 575,000 | 29 |
With the final table now set, attention turns firmly to the remaining payout jumps. All nine finalists are guaranteed €5,790, but the focus will be on the €61,000 top prize awaiting the eventual champion.
Second place is worth €42,500, with €29,000 reserved for third, ensuring every elimination from this point onward is worth increasingly more.
Final Table Payouts
| Place | Prize (EUR) |
|---|---|
| 1 | €61,000 |
| 2 | €42,500 |
| 3 | €29,000 |
| 4 | €20,000 |
| 5 | €15,000 |
| 6 | €12,000 |
| 7 | €9,500 |
| 8 | €7,400 |
| 9 | €5,790 |
Cards get in the air at 1 p.m. with some time left on the clock in Level 21 (10,000/20,000/20,000).
PokerNews will be on the floor throughout the final day, bringing you live updates, chip counts, and all the key hands as the €880 Merit Poker Cup reaches its conclusion in Budva.
€880 Merit Poker Cup
Day 3 Started
