Aleksandr Kirichenko Bags Big as 65 Advance from Day 1b
Another flight is in the books at the 2025 Mediterranean Poker Party, as Day 1b of the $2,200 Luxon Pay Grand Final wrapped up with 65 players advancing from a flight that saw 383 entries. That brings the total field to 728 across the first two starting flights, with two more still to come at the Merit Royal Diamond Hotel Casino & Spa.
Bagging the biggest stack of the day was Lukas Pazma, who finished with a commanding 3,315,000 chips, putting him second in the overall counts. He was trailed by Nadar Kakhmazov (2,565,000), who spent much of the day near the top of the counts, and Aleksandr Kirichenko (2,395,000), who quietly built his stack into one of the biggest in the room.
Day 1b Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lukas Pazma | Slovakia | 3,315,000 | 83 |
| 2 | Nadar Kakhmazov | Russian Federation | 2,565,000 | 64 |
| 3 | Aleksandr Kirichenko | Russian Federation | 2,395,000 | 60 |
| 4 | Caner Gunes | Turkey | 2,350,000 | 59 |
| 5 | Raul Martinez Gallego | Spain | 2,295,000 | 57 |
| 6 | Viktor Ustimov | Russian Federation | 2,140,000 | 54 |
| 7 | Chris Dowling | Ireland | 2,135,000 | 53 |
| 8 | Damir Zhugralin | Kazakhstan | 1,940,000 | 49 |
| 9 | Milen Bakardjiev | Bulgaria | 1,895,000 | 47 |
| 10 | Mikhail Katykhin | Russian Federation | 1,895,000 | 47 |
Also making the top ten were Caner Gunes, Raul Martinez Gallego, and Chris Dowling, all of whom crossed the 2-million mark, setting themselves up nicely for Day 2. With 65 more names added to the list of survivors, the pressure will mount tomorrow as Day 1c gets underway and the $2,000,000 guaranteed prize pool continues to grow.
Some of the players that didn't survive the day include Espen Jorstad, Dmitry Gromov, Maxime Chilaud, Tobias Peters, and Alessio Isaia.
Day 1c kicks off at 12:00 p.m. local time, followed by the turbo-format Day 1d at 8:00 p.m., which features 20-minute levels. Both flights will follow the same 15-level structure, and players are allowed one re-entry per flight, giving them additional chances to qualify for Day 2.
Survivors from all starting flights will return on May 8 to continue the chase for the title, as the blinds go up, the shot clock remains in play, and the prize pool looms ever larger.
Remaining Schedule
| Day | Date | Time | Blind Levels |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1c | May 7 | 12:00 p.m. | 30 minutes (10 levels) + 40 minutes (5 levels) |
| Day 1d | May 7 | 8:00 p.m. | 20 minutes |
| Day 2 | May 8 | 12:00 p.m. | 40 minutes (5 levels) + 50 minutes (5 levels) |
| Day 3 | May 9 | 12:00 p.m. | 50/45/40/35/30/30/25 minutes¹ |
¹Final table levels decrease as players are eliminated: 8 players = 50 min, 7 = 45 min, 6 = 40 min, 5 = 35 min, 4 = 30 min, 3 = 30 min, 2 = 25 min.
Stay tuned to PokerNews for live updates, chip counts, photos, and all the key action from the tournament floor as the Luxon Pay Grand Final continues in Northern Cyprus.