Nicolas Chouity Sweetens Life with Phenomenal Victory at La Notte Degli Assi Finale

A Record-Breaking Tournament with a Massive Prizepool

Merit Poker is synonymous with prestigious poker festivals held in luxurious resorts in Northern Cyprus. This year’s Merit Poker Dolce Vita Series made history as one of the most successful events ever. The series attracted poker enthusiasts from around the globe, who competed in various tournaments over thirteen days. The total prizepool surpassed $7.7 million, reaffirming its status as one of Europe’s most prestigious poker events.

The tournament entitled “La Notte Degli Assi” with a buy-in of $3,300 attracted a record 1,023 entries, making it the largest Merit Poker tournament of 2025, both in terms of player count and prizepool. The massive prizepool reached an astounding $2,823,480, significantly exceeding the guaranteed $2 million, underscoring the prestige and allure of the final event.

Chouity Dominated from Start to Finish

Nicolas Chouity entered the final table as the chipleader and skillfully maintained his position through experience and poise. The seasoned Lebanese player kept his cool even in the closing heads-up against the tenacious Hungarian Richard Broda, engaging in a fierce, tactical battle. This victory marks a strong return to prominence for Chouity.

The 2010 EPT Monte Carlo Main Event winner admitted he had been participating less in tournament poker in recent years, but this win reminded him of the unique thrill of triumph. Commenting on his performance, he said: “I’m really excited and happy to be back, beating a field of a thousand players. I’m genuinely satisfied.” He also acknowledged the challenging heads-up with Broda and praised the quality of the series and hotel: “Merit is now one of the top poker destinations. I think they are doing a fantastic job and hope they continue.”

The Journey to the Title

The final table started at a brisk pace, and the first four players were quickly eliminated. Chouity played a pivotal role, using his K c Q h to call Viacheslav Balaev’s all-in with J d J c. Chouity completed a full house on the board, ending Balaev’s run at 8th place. A much more dramatic hand came against Mehmet Deniz later. Chouity called Deniz’s all-in with J h J d against A s A h, and a decisive jack on the river turned the hand and sent Deniz home in 4th place.

In the final heads-up, Chouity held a 2:1 chip advantage, but Richard Broda fought back and even briefly took the lead. The final hand, however, was decisive for Chouity. Both players had a flush draw, yet Chouity’s hand 3 d edged out Broda’s 7 d 5 d, sealing Chouity’s victory and netting him the largest share of the prizepool.

Source: Merit Poker, PokerNews, The Hendon Mob