Photo credit: Merit Poker.
Nicolas Chouity seems to play his best tournament poker around The Mediterranean. The Lebanon native’s six largest scores have all come relatively near his home country, including his breakthrough triumph in the 2010 European Poker Tour Grand Final in MonteCarlo for nearly $2.3 million.
The latest triumph for Chouity saw him best a field of 1,023 entries in the 2025 Merit Poker Cyprus Dolce Vita Summer Series $3,300 La Notte Degli Assi event. He earned $460,000 as the champion from the prize pool of more than $2.8 million in this championship event, as well as 1,440 Card Player Player of the Year points. This was just his second cash of the year, but it was enough to move him within reach of the top 250 in the 2025 POY standings presented by CoinPoker.
“Back in the day, I was 23 — now I’m 39. So naturally, I’m more mature now,” Chouity told Merit Poker staff when asked to compare this win to his EPT triumph. “Before, I was more … more excited. I’m not saying I’m not happy now — but back then it was a different experience. Still, I’m happy, don’t get me wrong.”
This was the fourth-largest payday yet for Chouity. He is now just a bit shy of $6 million in career tournament scores.
Action Of The Last Day
The field of over a thousand entries that turned out to Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino was narrowed to just nine contenders by the end of day 4. Chouity held the chip lead going into the last day.
Chouity’s first knockout of the day saw his K♣Q♥ outrace the J♦J♣ of Viacheslav Balaev (8th – $61,500). He then survived to the final four, keeping near or at the top of the chip counts without scoring another knockout until his J♥J♦ cracked the A♠A♥ of Mehmet Deniz. The chips went in preflop and Deniz held through the turn, but a jack on the river gave Chouity a set and the elimination. Deniz earned $156,000 as the fourth-place finisher.
Chouity had more than 70 percent of the total chips in play heading into three-handed action. A French player referred to only as ‘Ma’ was the next to fall, with his Q♦8♦ failing to come from behind against the 9♥9♦ of Richard Broda, who flopped a set and held from there.
Heads-up play began with Chouity still well out in front. Broda battled all the way back into the lead at one point, but relinquished the advantage ahead of the final hand of the tournament. He limped in from the button with 7♦5♦ and Chouity checked his option with 8♦3♦. The flop came down K♥Q♦6♦ and Chouity checked. Broda took a stab with his flush draw and Chouity came along to see the 2♦ turn. Chouity fired 4,700,000 with his flush and Broda raised to 13,000,000 with his lower flush. Chouity flat called and the 8♠ completed the board. Broda moved all-in for 29,700,000 after it was checked to him, and Chouity made the call to bring the event to a close. Broda earned $307,000 as the runner-up.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Payout | POY Points |
| 1 | Nicolas Chouity | $460,000 | 1440 |
| 2 | Richard Broda | $307,000 | 1200 |
| 4 | Mehmet Deniz | $156,000 | 720 |
| 5 | Aleksandr Razinkov | $115,000 | 600 |
| 7 | Nebi Baysal | $77,500 | 360 |
| 8 | Viacheslav Balaev | $61,500 | 240 |
| 9 | Adil Tlimisov | $46,280 | 120 |
