€880 Merit Poker Cup Day 1b Begins in Budva at Noon
Day 1b of the €880 Merit Poker Cup gets underway today inside the Merit Royal Splendid Casino in Budva as the Merit Poker Montenegro Championship rolls on. Another busy field is expected as players look to join the growing list of qualifiers heading toward Day 2.
The opening flight set a high bar, with 115 entries taking to the felt on Day 1a and just 17 players surviving the cut. It was Stefan Cupic who finished on top of the counts after a lively session, narrowly ahead of Bobby James, with both players separating themselves from the rest of the field late in the day.
Day 1a Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stefan Cupic | Montenegro | 718,000 | 144 |
| 2 | Bobby James | United Kingdom | 691,000 | 138 |
| 3 | Oleg Bystrenin | Russia | 241,000 | 48 |
| 4 | Ravil Rafikov | Russia | 232,000 | 46 |
| 5 | Fausto Tantillo | Italy | 224,000 | 45 |
| 6 | Vladimir Lappo | Belarus | 220,000 | 44 |
| 7 | Jean-Baptiste Pano | France | 162,000 | 32 |
| 8 | Fabrizio Lo Carbo | Italy | 153,000 | 31 |
| 9 | Mazalahedwa Bako | United Kingdom | 138,000 | 28 |
| 10 | Xiaozhe Liu | China | 118,000 | 24 |
With three more starting flights still to come, Day 1b offers another opportunity for players to secure both a cash and a seat in Day 2. The flight follows the same format as Day 1a, with a 30,000 starting stack and 40-minute blind levels, giving plenty of room for play as the field settles in.
Action gets underway at 12:00 p.m. local time inside the Merit Royal Splendid Casino, with late registration remaining open until the end of Level 10. As with the opening flight, only a limited number of players will advance, ensuring another competitive battle as the day progresses toward the bubble.
€880 Merit Poker Cup Schedule
| Date | Day | Time | Blind Levels |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 15 | Day 1b | 12 p.m. | 40 minutes |
| Jan 16 | Day 1c | 12 p.m. | 30 minutes |
| Jan 16 | Day 1d | 6 p.m. | 20 minutes |
| Jan 17 | Day 2 | 12 p.m. | 60 minutes |
| Jan 18 | Day 3 | 1 p.m. | 60 minutes |
PokerNews will be on the floor throughout Day 1b to bring you live updates, chip counts, and all the key moments as players continue their push toward Day 2 of the €880 Merit Poker Cup.