Three-Time WSOP Bracelet Winner Gets Another Poker Title
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After five demanding days on the Adriatic coast, the €1,650 Main Event at the Merit Poker Montenegro Championship has reached its conclusion inside the Merit Royal Splendid Casino in Budva. When the final card fell, Israel’s Timur Margolin had survived the swings of the last day to claim the trophy and the €110,000 top prize.
The Main Event drew a total of 414 entries, creating a €571,320 prize pool and setting up a final table that offered little margin for error. Margolin began the final day third in chips and quickly found himself on the wrong side of a major pot, a setback that briefly left his tournament hanging in the balance.
Rather than unravel, Margolin regrouped and stayed in the moment, allowing the three-time WSOP bracelet winner to reset after a day that tested his resolve. From there, he rebuilt steadily through a volatile final table and carried that momentum into a heads-up battle with Nikolay Fal, where he finally closed out a long-awaited Main Event victory.
€1,650 Main Event Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize (EUR) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Timur Margolin | Israel | €110,000 |
| 2 | Nikolay Fal | Russian Federation | €75,000 |
| 3 | Paul Esau | Germany | €51,500 |
| 4 | Jon Kyte | Norway | €36,800 |
| 5 | Eric Sands | San Marino | €28,000 |
| 6 | Yaser Sakarya | Turkey | €22,500 |
| 7 | Ufuk Erkmen | Turkey | €18,600 |
| 8 | Andrei Daniliuk | Russian Federation | €14,800 |
| 9 | Oleksii Shchukin | Ukraine | €11,020 |
Winner’s Reaction
Margolin admitted the win took a moment to sink in, especially given how long it had been since his last Main Event title. “I feel great,” he said, smiling. “I was joking earlier because someone introduced me as a veteran, and I was thinking, am I really that old now? I won a Main Event and got married twelve years ago, so it’s been a while. To win a Main Event again like this feels amazing.”
He also spoke warmly about his long history with the Merit brand and how special this stop turned out to be. “I have very good memories from Merit over the years. This is my first time here in Montenegro, and to top it off like this with a win, it feels amazing.”
Looking back on the final day, Margolin described a true emotional swing, particularly after a costly hand earlier in the session. “It was an up-and-down day,” he said. “I had one big hand against Nikolay earlier where I lost most of my chips, and I wasn’t too happy about it. I even thought about giving up for a moment.”
Rather than letting that derail him, Margolin reset and focused on staying present. “I managed to stay focused and just try to play the next hand as best as I could. We all make mistakes sometimes, but I was happy that I stayed present and kept executing.”
Away from the table, Margolin said his support system was following every step from afar. “My family, my wife, my kids, my mom, they were all following,” he said. “My wife actually flew to Dubai, but we were texting during the breaks. They were really excited.”
As for what comes next, the plan is deliberately low-key. “I just want to rest. I missed my flight, so I have a pretty tough trip home now with a connection. I’ll eat something, maybe have a drink, and just relax. The adrenaline drops after a win like this.”
He closed by praising the Merit Poker organisation and venue, which he has come to see as familiar ground. “Merit has been like a second home to me over the years,” he said. “The staff takes care of everything, and you can just focus on playing. This place didn’t disappoint at all.”
From Final Table to the Finish Line
The final table opened with heavy action, including an early double knockout that reshaped the leaderboard when Jon Kyte eliminated both Oleksii Shchukin and Andrei Daniliuk in a three-way all-in. Margolin gained momentum soon after, winning a crucial flip with pocket eights against Kyte to stay alive, a pot that proved pivotal as the stacks began to shift.
Fal’s run was defined by well-timed aggression and a willingness to stand his ground in major pots. He briefly took control of the table after snap-calling a shove with a flopped full house against Margolin, swinging the chip lead and setting the tone for a volatile middle phase. Margolin absorbed the setback and continued to apply pressure without forcing the issue.
Kyte, who began the day as chip leader, saw his run come to an end in fourth place after calling off with pocket fours and running straight into Fal’s pocket jacks, further consolidating Fal’s position near the top of the counts.
With three players remaining, Paul Esau continued to battle but ultimately fell in third place when Fal connected in a blind-on-blind confrontation, setting up a heads-up duel between the two bracelet winners.
The heads-up contest featured multiple momentum swings. Fal found an early double to keep the match alive, but Margolin responded with composure, reclaiming control with relentless pressure.
In the final hand, Fal moved all in with king-queen and Margolin made the call with jack-ten. The turn completed Broadway for Margolin, and the river sealed the result, bringing a hard-fought final table to a close.
