Mikhail Zavoloka Returns to the Merit Final Table in €880 Merit Poker Cup
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.