Admiral Casino was the venue for Ercole Lessio’s victory in the special edition of La Notte degli Assi – Road to the Million, held from May 20 to 24, 2026.
A total of 596 participants took their seats at the tables for this highly anticipated edition, helping to generate a total prize pool of €56,520. Of these, 27 players made it into the money (ITM), sparking a race for the first-place prize of €14,000 and the coveted Million Pack.
The Final Day delivered thrills and constant twists and turns. Among the standout players, Luca Cristantielli certainly deserves a mention, entering the day as the chip leader with a stack exceeding 270 big blinds. Also in the spotlight were Mattia Bianchi, Antonio Tufano, and Dennis Magnani, the star of an extraordinary run that took him into the dinner break with a stack of approximately 4 million chips.
The high-level field on Final Day also included female players such as Daniela Barbieri, Ana Maria David, Daniela Parrotti, Paola Cibelli, and Huynh Nhu Tu Vu.
Antonio “Assonapoli” Failla was the one who painfully fell just short of the ITM zone, getting eliminated on the bubble. For him, however, there was still a significant consolation prize thanks to the Million Pack, a package that includes two nights at King’s Resort and the buy-in for the Main Event of La Notte degli Assi with a guaranteed prize pool of €1,000,000.
Among the players who cashed were names such as Alessio Benza (12th) and Maurizio Cricchio (22nd), who fell just short of the final table after a run of the highest caliber.
Once again, La Notte degli Assi has proven itself synonymous with quality and participation. The various buy-in options were well-received by players, making the tournament accessible, competitive, and capable of engaging enthusiasts of all levels, in an atmosphere of great poker and adrenaline right down to the last hand.
Here are the 27 ITM finishers of La Notte degli Assi Road to the Million:
1 – Ercole Lessio (ITA) – EUR 14’000 + Million Pack
2 – Dennis Magnani (ITA) – EUR 8’750
3 – Fabio Podesta (ITA) – EUR 5’900
4 – Mattia Bianchi (ITA) – EUR 4’350
5 – Davide (ITA) – EUR 3’150
6 – Lorenzo Gentile (ITA) – EUR 2’250
7 – Bombedica (ITA) – EUR 1’780
8 – Pecora91 (ITA) – EUR 1’390
9 – Ugo (ITA) – EUR 1’060
10 – Ciaobello (ITA) – EUR 790
11 – Fabio Tinazzo Anfuso (ITA) – EUR 790
12 – Alessio Benza (ITA) – EUR 790
13 – MaraTony (ITA) – EUR 790
14 – 00031178 (ITA) – EUR 580
15 – Claudio Bianchi (ITA) – EUR 580
16 – Michele Carletta (ITA) – EUR 580
17 – Stefano Ferrera (ITA) – EUR 580
18 – LC (ITA) – EUR 580
19 – Marco Gazzoni (ITA) – EUR 430
20 – Alessio Mason (ITA) – EUR 430
21 – Alessandro Comi (ITA) – EUR 430
22 – Maurizio Cricchio (ITA) – EUR 430
23 – Luca Battista (ITA) – EUR 430
24 – Diego Cerminara (ITA) – EUR 430
25 – Luca Imperiali (ITA) – EUR 430
26 – Giordano Tiraboschi (ITA) – EUR 430
27 – Raffaele Smiraglia (ITA) – EUR 430
