Federico Fellini’s classic 1960 film La Dolce Vita is a commentary on the “good life” of Italian cafe society and the flamboyant excess of Italy’s postwar elite.

Today at the final table of the Merit Poker Dolce Vita Series $2,200 La Notte Degli Assi Main Event, it seemed like an Italian party in that same mould as four made it to the final five players. Then came an Israeli known only as “Dashinka” who spoiled all the fun and walked away with the trophy and $355,000 top prize.

Dashinka defeated Ermanno Pacini on the first hand of heads-up play, capping off a dominant run through the 1,133-player field that saw him inside the top three of the leaderboard since Day 2. Dashinka seized the chip lead early at the final table and dispatched the Italians one by one until he was the last one standing.

“It was a very difficult game. Very good players against me.” Dashinka said following his victory. “I just choose my spots and choose the opponents to play with at the final table. I think I played at the final table, the people and not the cards.”

$2,200 La Notte Degli Assi Final Table Results

Dashinka describes himself as primarily an online player who had just one recorded live cash before this tournament.

“I play a lot of years. Before here, I played in Las Vegas for two months. Did not score anything. I play a lot of time online poker, so my experience is from online poker. This is really the first time experiencing live events,” he said.

Final Table Action

The final nine returned to play inside the Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino poker room at 1 p.m. local time. Fausto Tantillo, a Merit Poker regular who’s enjoyed spectacular success here in North Cyprus, seemed on the verge of doing it again as he led with nearly 26,000,000.

Tantillo wasted little time climbing up near 30,000,000 as he rivered a straight against countryman Simone Andrian on the second hand of the day. Mohamad El-Sayed then moved all in for 4,650,000 with top pair on a ten-high flop, but Dashinka had a pair of aces to bust El-Sayed in ninth place.

Kirill Burtin was down to 2,750,000 when he jammed with two sixes, but Tantillo called with a pair of eights, and Burtin hit the rail in eighth place.

Dashinka won a big pot off Raffaele Castro when he turned a straight and jammed after Castro had bet 3,200,000. Denis Stoma then doubled up off Tantillo, but his newfound wealth proved short-lived as he turned a straight, only for Castro to river a higher straight and get paid with a bet of 5,000,000. Left with less than 3,000,000, Stoma got in his last chips the next hand but couldn’t complete a flush draw against Pacini’s flopped pair of sevens to finish in seventh place.

Dashinka seized the chip lead from Tantillo when he five-bet shoved for 25,750,000 with ace-jack, and Tantillo folded ace-queen. Andrian was then all in for 9,800,000 but was dominated, holding ace-six against Fouad Toujani’s ace-jack. The flop was no help, but Andrian caught a running straight to miraculously double up and leave Toujani on fumes.

Forced all in from the small blind the next hand, Toujani was a mere spectator as Tantillo and Castro tangled in a big side pot. Tantillo ended up with a queen-high flush and bet 3,800,000 on the river. Castro had a king-high flush and just called to win the pot and bust Toujani in sixth, leaving Dashinka and the four Italians to battle for the title.

Tantillo had fallen to the bottom of the counts when he three-bet to 10,000,000 on the button. Dashinka jammed, and Tantillo called for 2,200,000 more with ace-jack. He had Dashinka’s ace-nine dominated, but Dashinka spiked a nine on the flop and another on the river to make trips and bust the start-of-day chip leader in fifth. It proved to be the turning point of the final table and a decision Dashinka was comfortable with looking back.

“My experience was very good. I liked the tournament. Running good. I lose some flips, but not too much. And all the time when I push my money I don’t risk all my stack, maybe 20 percent or 25 percent of my stack,” he said. “I had a lucky hand at the final table with ace-nine against ace-jack, and I hit the nine. It was 33 percent preflop, but I think it’s the right decision to do.”

Pacini doubled up off Andrian right before a break as Dashinka led with 51,900,000, followed by Castro at 32,200,000. Andrian then moved all in for 9,000,000 with king-queen, but Dashinka woke up with kings and Andrian, the Merit Poker Western Series Warmup champion, had to settle for fourth place this time.

Dashinka continued to increase his chip lead during three-handed play, making a running flush to win a pot off Pacini and then flopping the nut straight as he crossed 70,000,000. Dashinka then raised to 3,000,000 on the button and Castro three-bet. Dashinka instantly moved all in, and Castro called for 27,100,000 just as quickly, showing king-jack. Dashinka had ace-ten and Castro couldn’t find any help on the board as Dashinka took the pot with ace-high, sending Castro to the rail in third place.

At the start of heads-up, Dashinka led Pacini 99,100,000 to 14,100,000. On the first hand, Pacini jammed with an ace-seven, and Dashinka called with a pair of sevens. Dashinka held on to win the title and crashed the Italian Mediterranean poker party.

The experience over the past few days has endeared Dashinka to this seaside paradise in North Cyprus. He says he’s already planning to return for the next series and try his luck again. For one week amidst this resort’s sun and sandy beaches, Dashinka was certainly living the good life.

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