€880 Merit Poker Cup Day 2 | 2026 Merit Poker Montenegro Championship

01-17-2026 17:27 UTC+2

Zavoloka Keeps Building

Kai Cocklin

Level 19 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

Christoforos Chrysochoidis opened under the gun to 24,000 and got called by Rashad Iskandarov on the button and Mikhail Zavoloka in the big blind.

All three checked the 9♦8♣3♣ flop to the 3♥ turn, where when it got to Zavoloka, he led for 45,000. Iskandarov was the only one to call and when the 6♦ hit the river, he was faced with a bet of 100,000 from Zavoloka.

After some deliberation, Iskandarov folded, allowing Zavoloka to add more chips to his stack.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mikhail Zavoloka	2,400,000 150,000	150,000
Rashad Iskandarov	370,000 80,000	80,000
Christoforos Chrysochoidis	260,000 40,000	40,000

Tags: Christoforos Chrysochoidis Mikhail Zavoloka Rashad Iskandarov

01-17-2026 17:21 UTC+2

Updated Chip Counts

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Tim Baker

Level 19 : Blinds 6,000/12,000, 12,000 ante

Player	Chips	Progress
Mikhail Zavoloka	2,250,000 150,000	150,000
Bojan Berberovic	2,050,000 175,000	175,000
Stefan Cupic	1,350,000 150,000	150,000

Fausto Tantillo	940,000 340,000	340,000

Nikolay Fal	850,000 180,000	180,000

Bobby James	735,000 140,000	140,000
Genrik Alekian	620,000 140,000	140,000
Vladimir Lappo	550,000 105,000	105,000
Charbel Daou	500,000 140,000	140,000

Rashad Iskandarov	450,000 180,000	180,000
Ali Moein	360,000 140,000	140,000
Christoforos Chrysochoidis	300,000 80,000	80,000
Erdal Gulseven	300,000 260,000	260,000
Oleksii Shchukin	290,000 10,000	10,000
Pablo Redrado	275,000 100,000	100,000
Batraz Tigiev	235,000 250,000	250,000
Benjamin Nicault	235,000 75,000	75,000

Elie Farah	175,000 75,000	75,000

Level: 19

Blinds: 6,000/12,000

Ante: 12,000

01-17-2026 17:06 UTC+2

Break TIme

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Tim Baker

Level 18 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

The remaining 18 players have been sent on a 15-minute break.

01-17-2026 17:06 UTC+2

Zavoloka Takes From Shchukin

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Tim Baker

Level 18 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

Mikhail Zavoloka raised it up to from the cutoff and only Oleksii Shchukin called out of the big blind.

Shchukin started with a check on the 2♠8♠4♥ flop, and Zavoloka placed out a bet of 40,000. Shchukin quickly called.

A K♠ hit the turn, prompting a second check by Shchukin. Zavoloka fired a second barrel, this time for 55,000, and once again, Shchukin called.

After Shchukin checked the 9♦ to complete the board, Zavoloka bet for the last time, choosing the amount of 160,000. Shchukin slid his cards into the muck, and Zavoloka was awarded the pot.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mikhail Zavoloka	2,100,000 100,000	100,000
Oleksii Shchukin	280,000 60,000	60,000

Tags: Mikhail Zavoloka Oleksii Shchukin

01-17-2026 16:49 UTC+2

Antoine Farhat Eliminated in 19th Place (€2,550)

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Kai Cocklin

Level 18 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

There was already around 150,000 in the pot on a 4♦6♠J♦ flop when Antoine Farhat open-shoved around 200,000 from middle position and was quicky called by Mikhail Zavoloka.

Antoine Farhat: 2♠2♦ All in
Mikhail Zavoloka: A♥A♦

It was bad timing for Farhat, who needed to spike a deuce to stay alive. Unfortunately for him, no ducks were around as the 9♠10♦ runout meant he was out in 19th.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mikhail Zavoloka	2,000,000 300,000	300,000
Antoine Farhat	Busted

Tags: Antoine Farhat Mikhail Zavoloka

01-17-2026 16:43 UTC+2

Cupic Folds to Fal's Pressure

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Tim Baker

Level 18 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

Stefan Cupic raised to 20,000 under the gun and Nikolay Fal three-bet to roughly 60,000 on the button. Cupic called when the action folded back to him.

Cupic check-called a bet of 38,000 from Fal on the 2♠6♠A♥ flop.

The 10♥ on the turn checked through for the A♦ to roll off on the river. Cupic checked for a last time, and then folded when Fal fired a bet of 170,000.

Player	Chips	Progress
Stefan Cupic	1,200,000 40,000	40,000

Nikolay Fal	670,000 180,000	180,000

Tags: Stefan Cupic Nikolay Fal

01-17-2026 16:38 UTC+2

Iskandarov Makes a Flush

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Kai Cocklin

Level 18 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

Oleksii Shchukin opened the hijack to 20,000 and got a called from Rashad Iskandarov on the button and Mikhail Zavoloka in the big blind.

All three checked the K♦J♣Q♦ flop to the 2♦ turn, where Shchukin bet 27,000 when it got to him. Iskandarov called, and Zavoloka folded.

Both checked the 9♦ river and Shchukin showed K♠8♠ for a pair of kings, but that was no good as Iskandarov showed 3♠3♦ for a flush.

Player	Chips	Progress
Mikhail Zavoloka	1,700,000 60,000	60,000
Rashad Iskandarov	270,000 30,000	30,000
Oleksii Shchukin	220,000 80,000	80,000

Tags: Mikhail Zavoloka Oleksii Shchukin Rashad Iskandarov

01-17-2026 16:28 UTC+2

Giulio Gallo Eliminated in 20th Place (€2,550)

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Kai Cocklin

Level 18 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

Giulio Gallo had 36,000 remaining in his stack and was all in against Benjamin Nicault.

Giulio Gallo: J♥7♥ All in
Benjamin Nicault: A♥A♦

Gallo was in trouble, but did see a way out on the 2♥3♥10♣ flop with a flush draw. The 4♥ turn did complete his flush, but the job wasn't done as Nicault held the ace of hearts.

Brutally, the 5♥ on the river gave Nicault a straight flush, ending the run of Gallo in 20th.

Player	Chips	Progress
Benjamin Nicault	160,000 40,000	40,000

Giulio Gallo	Busted

Tags: Benjamin Nicault Giulio Gallo

01-17-2026 16:22 UTC+2

Alekian Wins a Crucial Flip

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook

Tim Baker

Level 18 : Blinds 5,000/10,000, 10,000 ante

From the cutoff, Benjamin Nicault raised to 20,000 and Genrik Alekian three-bet to 78,000 from the small blind. Nicault four-bet jammed, covering Alekian, and after a bit of thought, Alekian called or his stack of 375,000.

Genrik Alekian: A♣K♥ All in
Benjamin Nicault: 10♠10♦

It was a flip where Alekian needed to connect with his big slick to remain in the tournament.

The flop came down K♠9♦7♣ to propel Alekian into the lead with top pair. The rest of the board ran out 4♦7♥, and Alekian doubled through Nicault.