A total of 355 entries were recorded on Day 1b of the $5,300 Main Event of the 2025 Mediterranean Poker Party, all looking for a spot in Day 2 at the Merit Diamond Hotel Casino & Spa. After twelve levels of poker, 86 players survived the day’s grind, securing their place in the next stage of the tournament.
Ending as one of the chip leaders for the flight and the only player to bag a stack over the three-million mark was Russia’s Viktor Mukhin, with 3,060,000. Following behind is Artsiom Lasouski of Belarus, who finished with 2,780,000. A significant portion of Lasouski’s stack was gained in the final level of the day, where his pocket jacks held up against Naji Tannoury’s top pair top kicker.
Day 1b Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dmitry Kataev | Russian Federation | 3,400,000 | 113 |
| 2 | Viktor Mukhin | Russian Federation | 3,060,000 | 102 |
| 3 | Iurii Okolovich | Russian Federation | 2,945,000 | 98 |
| 4 | Aleksandr Blokhin | Russian Federation | 2,825,000 | 94 |
| 5 | Anatoly Zlotnikov | Russian Federation | 2,785,000 | 93 |
| 6 | Artsiom Lasouski | Belarus | 2,780,000 | 93 |
| 7 | Roman Timergazin | Russian Federation | 2,360,000 | 79 |
| 8 | Amir Hassan | Tunisia | 2,240,000 | 75 |
| 9 | Cristian Ciurea | Romania | 2,200,000 | 73 |
| 10 | Viacheslav Larin | Russian Federation | 2,135,000 | 71 |
Also near the top is Anatoliy Zlotnikov with a stack of approximately 2,700,000. Iran’s Hadi Khordbin also made it into the top ten. Khordbin found himself at risk in the first level of the day, holding a set of sevens against Anton Vinkurov’s pocket kings. However, clean turn and river cards allowed Khordbin to double up almost immediately after sitting down to play the Main Event.
Some of the other notables to have survived today include Chris Da Silva with around 1,800,000 chips, Tommy G, and the Merit Poker Carmen Series Main Event champion Nenad Dukic. A few others also returning to the baize on Sunday are Dmitrii Kopyl, Roman Stoika, Mihai Niste, and bracelet winner Daniel Smiljkovic.
Tomorrow at noon, Day 1c, the third of the five opening flights, will see arrivals look to make their mark in the Main Event. Day 1c will follow the same structure as the previous two flights, while Days 1d and 1e will feature a turbo format with 20-minute blind levels. Survivors from all opening flights will return on Sunday, May 11, for Day 2.
Remaining Main Event Schedule
| Day | Date | Time | Blind Levels |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1c | May 10 | 12:00 p.m. | 40 minutes (10 levels) + 50 minutes (2 levels) |
| Day 1d | May 10 | 9:00 p.m. | 20 minutes |
| Day 1e | May 11 | 12:00 p.m. | 20 minutes |
| 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 |
Stay tuned to PokerNews tomorrow, as we bring you all the action, drama, excitement, and huge hands from the third day of the $5,300 Main Event here inside the Merit Diamond Hotel Casino & Spa.
