Race to the Money Begins on Day 2 of the Main Event
After four opening flights, the stage is nearly set for Day 2 of the $5,300 Main Event at the 2025 Mediterranean Poker Party, taking place inside the luxurious Merit Royal Diamond Hotel Casino & Spa.
With Day 1e still ongoing, the current entry total sits at 1,016, spread across Day 1a through Day 1d. So far, 268 players have made it through to Day 2, with more set to join once the final turbo flight wraps up.
Day 2 kicks off at 6:00 p.m. local time, and it marks the first time all survivors will be under one roof. Players will return to deep stacks and 50-minute levels as the real race toward the money begins. The $5,000,000 guaranteed prize pool has nearly been reached and is expected to be surpassed once the final numbers are in.
Top Ten Chip Counts From Day 1a-1d
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aren Bezhanyan | Armenia | 4,245,000 | 142 |
| 2 | Dmitry Kataev | Russian Federation | 3,400,000 | 113 |
| 3 | Ryhor Karapanau | Belarus | 3,395,000 | 113 |
| 4 | Viktor Mukhin | Russian Federation | 3,060,000 | 102 |
| 5 | Iurii Okolovich | Russian Federation | 2,945,000 | 98 |
| 6 | Damir Gabdullin | Russian Federation | 2,860,000 | 95 |
| 7 | Aleksandr Blokhin | Russian Federation | 2,825,000 | 94 |
| 8 | Halil Tasyurek | Turkey | 2,805,000 | 94 |
| 9 | Anatoly Zlotnikov | Russian Federation | 2,785,000 | 93 |
| 10 | Artsiom Lasouski | Belarus | 2,780,000 | 93 |
At the top of the leaderboard is Aren Bezhanyan, who bagged a commanding 4,245,000 and leads the field heading into Day 2. Hot on his heels are Dmitry Kataev (3,400,000) and Ryhor Karapanau (3,395,000), followed closely by a wave of big stacks all above the 2.7 million mark.
Remarkably, six of the top ten stacks belong to Russian players, with Kataev, Viktor Mukhin, Iurii Okolovich, Damir Gabdullin, Aleksandr Blokhin, and Anatoly Zlotnikov all returning with deep stacks and momentum. Halil Tasyurek and Artsiom Lasouski round out a stacked top ten.
Remaining Main Event Schedule
| Day | Date | Time | Blind Levels |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 2 | May 11 | 6:00 p.m. | 50 minutes |
| Day 3 | May 12 | 12:00 p.m. | 60 minutes |
| Final Day | May 13 | 12:00 p.m. | 60 minutes |
Day 2 is scheduled to play seven levels, each lasting 50 minutes, as the field begins its march toward the money. Day 3 will take place tomorrow (Monday, May 12), with the tournament set to crown a champion on the final day, Tuesday, May 13.
Stay tuned as PokerNews brings you full coverage throughout Day 2, including the official prize pool and payouts, which will be released shortly after cards go in the air.