After two weeks of big fields and exciting action at the Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino, it's time to crown a champion in the $2,200 La Notte Degli Assi. The final nine players are led by Italy's Fausto Tantillo, who carries a big lead into the final day of the Merit Poker Dolce Vita Series.
The Italian pro sits as the only player above 20,000,000 chips, returning on Day 5 with 65 big blinds. His closest competitor is Dashinka, who led the way to start Saturday's action and maintained a big stack as players bagged up for the final table.
Cards are scheduled to be in the air on the final day at 1 p.m. local time, with full coverage starting on delay to match the Merit Poker YouTube stream one hour later.
Final Nine Chip Counts
| Place | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fausto Tantillo | Italy | 25,875,000 | 65 |
| 2 | Dashinka | Israel | 17,000,000 | 43 |
| 3 | Raffaele Castro | Italy | 16,100,000 | 40 |
| 4 | Simone Andrian | Italy | 13,875,000 | 35 |
| 5 | Fouad Toujani | France | 11,200,000 | 28 |
| 6 | Ermanno Pacini | Italy | 10,425,000 | 26 |
| 7 | Kirill Burtin | Russian Federation | 7,150,000 | 18 |
| 8 | Mohamad El-Sayed | Lebanon | 5,850,000 | 15 |
| 9 | Denis Stoma | Belarus | 5,700,000 | 14 |
The massive field of 1,133 entries created a prize pool of $2,084,720, and each of the returning players are guaranteed at least $34,450 after reaching the final table.
Significant pay jumps await, including $10,550 after the next elimination. All eyes will be focused on the Merit Poker trophy and the $355,000 first-place prize.
Tantillo will be adding to his impressive live tournament earnings of over $1,000,000 and he's made a habit of posting high finishes here in Northern Cyprus, with two wins and seven final tables at Merit in the last 20 months.
Fellow Italians Raffaele Castro, Simone Andrian and Ermanno Pacini are all returning with plenty of chips, while France's Fouad Toujani sits inside the top five.
Three players will sit down with less than 20 big blinds, as Kirill Burtin, Mohamad El-Sayed and Denis Stoma will look to make a move on the final day.
$2,200 La Notte Degli Assi Remaining Payouts
| Place | Prize (USD) |
| 1 | $355,000 |
| 2 | $240,000 |
| 3 | $160,000 |
| 4 | $115,000 |
| 5 | $90,000 |
| 6 | $72,000 |
| 7 | $57,700 |
| 8 | $45,000 |
| 9 | $34,450 |
Day 5 begins at 1 p.m. local time, as the clock will start with 29:42 left in Level 35. Blinds will begin at 200,000/400,000 with a 400,000 big blind ante, and players will continue playing 60-minute levels. The stream will begin at 2 p.m. local time, along with PokerNews live reporting.
Stay tuned as we bring you full coverage until the final hand is dealt and the trophy is lifted at the Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino.