Vladimir Lappo Calls Himself “A Lucky Boy” After €880 Merit Poker Cup Win
The €880 Merit Poker Cup has crowned a new champion at the Merit Poker Montenegro Championship, with Vladimir Lappo claiming the title and the €61,000 top prize inside the Merit Royal Splendid Casino in Budva. The Belarusian navigated a 415-entry field and closed out the tournament on the final day to secure one of the biggest wins of his career.
Lappo entered the final table with a middling stack but stayed alive through several all-in situations before building momentum at the right time. He eventually defeated Nikolay Fal heads-up to seal the victory, while Italy’s Fausto Tantillo finished third for €29,000.
Speaking after the win, Lappo summed up the day simply, saying, “It’s quite complicated to win this tournament without luck, and today I was a lucky boy.”
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize (EUR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vladimir Lappo | Belarus | €61,000 |
| 2 | Nikolay Fal | Russia | €42,500 |
| 3 | Fausto Tantillo | Italy | €29,000 |
| 4 | Bojan Berberovic | Serbia | €20,000 |
| 5 | Mikhail Zavoloka | Russia | €15,000 |
| 6 | Genrik Alekian | Ukraine | €12,000 |
| 7 | Ali Moein | Iran | €9,500 |
| 8 | Rashad Iskandarov | Azerbaijan | €7,400 |
| 9 | Oleksii Shchukin | Ukraine | €5,790 |
Winner’s Reaction
“It was an incredible experience for me to win this tournament,” Lappo said. “There were tonnes of interesting hands and such strong opponents around me.”
He went on to thank those closest to him, adding, “Thanks to my friends, to my family, and to the wonderful country of Slovenia where I’ve lived the last couple of years.”
Lappo also revealed a personal detail from the final day, explaining, “It was my origami talisman which my daughter made me for Christmas. I think that’s why I won.”
Reflecting on the location, he spoke warmly about Montenegro. “I lived in Montenegro for a couple of years. It’s a great country with mountains, sea, great people, and a lot of sun. I like the food and the people.”
When asked where the trophy would go, Lappo was clear. “The last couple of years I lived in Slovenia. The trophy goes to this wonderful country.”
Lappo Builds at the Right Time
After grinding a short stack early at the final table, Lappo found an important double through Tantillo. The chips went in preflop with ace-king against pocket sixes, and Lappo paired his ace on the flop before improving to two pair by the turn to move back into contention.
He then eliminated Rashad Iskandarov in eighth place, getting his chips in with king-queen against pocket jacks and pairing his queen on the flop to score the knockout. That pot pushed Lappo into a stronger position as the table continued to shrink.
Lappo later sent Mikhail Zavoloka to the rail in fifth place. Zavoloka was all in holding pocket eights, but Lappo connected with ace-ten and improved to two pair by the river, continuing his run of winning key all-in confrontations.
Ace-Five Ends Tantillo’s Run
Four-handed, one of the largest pots of the tournament saw Lappo eliminate Tantillo in third place. Lappo limped from the small blind and Tantillo raised from the big blind, with Lappo calling.
On a jack-ten-four flop, Lappo check-called a continuation bet. An ace on the turn brought another check-call, and when a nine fell on the river, Lappo checked for a third time.
Tantillo shoved, and after taking time to consider the decision, Lappo called with ace-five, which was good against Tantillo’s ten-six. The hand sent Tantillo to the rail and gave Lappo the chip lead heading into heads-up play.
Short Heads-Up Battle
Heads-up play lasted just seven hands before the title was decided. In the final hand, Fal raised the button with ace-eight and Lappo three-bet holding ace-four. Fal responded with a four-bet, after which Lappo five-bet shoved.
Fal called, but the board delivered a four on the flop, which improved to trips by the river, ending the tournament and crowning Lappo the €880 Merit Poker Cup champion.
Stay with PokerNews for more winner recaps and full coverage from the Merit Poker Montenegro Championship in Budva.