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$5,300 Main Event
Day 2 Completed
2025 Mediterranean Poker Party
$5,300 Main Event
Day: 2
Event Info
2025 Mediterranean Poker Party
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 2
Buy-in
$5,300
Prize Pool
$5,740,800
Total Entries
1,196
Level
34
Blinds
2,000,000 / 4,000,000
Ante
4,000,000
Entries
334
Players Left
96
Players Left 1 / 1,196
Filter
Level 18
: Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
Day 2 of the $5,300 Main Event at the 2025 Mediterranean Poker Party concluded with 96 players managing to bag up a stack for Day 3. The 1,196-strong field that turned up to play at the Merit Diamond Hotel Casino & Spa generated a total prize pool of $5,740,800, with the eventual champion taking home a staggering $1,000,000.
After six 50-minute levels of poker, Dmitry Kataev emerged at the top of the counts with a monstrous stack of 15,635,000. Kataev's closest rival is the start of Day 2 chip leader, Aren Bezhanyan with 10,665,000. Both Kataev and Bezhanyan finished at the top of their respective flights and began the day with the two largest stacks. However, a late surge from Kataev allowed him to overtake Bezhanyan, positioning him as the one to catch heading into the penultimate day of the Main Event.
End of Day 2 Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dmitry Kataev | Russia | 15,635,000 | 130 |
| 2 | Aren Bezhanyan | Armenia | 10,665,000 | 89 |
| 3 | Moshe Ory Refaelowitz | Israel | 9,200,000 | 77 |
| 4 | Damir Gabdullin | Russia | 8,780,000 | 73 |
| 5 | Milad Oghabian Langar | Iran | 8,550,000 | 71 |
| 6 | Alexandros Kolonias | Greece | 7,880,000 | 66 |
| 7 | Daniel Heredi | Hungary | 7,060,000 | 59 |
| 8 | Timothy Chung | Hong Kong | 6,880,000 | 57 |
| 9 | Jakub Sterba | Czechia | 6,795,000 | 57 |
| 10 | Vedat Yilmaz | Turkey | 6,730,000 | 56 |
Also making it through to Day 3 is the United Kingdom’s Sam Trickett, who bagged 6,440,000. With over $21 million in career earnings and a $10 million score to his name, Trickett has been mostly absent from the tournament scene recently, having not recorded a live cash in more than five years. Today, he was at risk on the bubble holding pocket kings against Viktor Mukhin’s ace-rag, but a king-high flop secured the double and helped start to push Trickett's stack in the right direction.
The primary goal for most players returning on Day 2 was to outlast the money bubble and secure a spot among the final 175, locking up a cash of at least $8,500. Unfortunately for Arsen Grigoryan, he claimed the unwanted title of bubble boy. Forced all-in from the big blind in a three-way pot, Grigoryan tabled pocket jacks. However, Patrick Kallas had rivered two pair with ace-eight, sending Grigoryan to the rail as the last player to leave empty-handed.
A few more notables returning to the baize tomorrow include Damir Gabdullin (8,780,000), bracelet winner Alexandros Kolonias (7,880,000), and the defending champion Azamat Lamkov (1,360,000). Joining them will be Ehsan Amiri, Aliaksandr Hirs, Kirill Shcherbakov, and the Mystery Bounty winner Alex Goulder.
The remaining players will return to continue playing at noon local time tomorrow, with the blinds levels being increased to 60 minutes in length. Blinds will start at 60,000/120,000 with a big blind ante of 120,000, and the plan for tomorrow will be announced shortly after cards get in the air.
Main Event Remaining Payouts
Be sure to tune back in to PokerNews tomorrow from noon as we bring you all the big pots, crazy bluffs, and drama from the penultimate day of the 2025 Mediterranean Poker Party Main Event.
Level 18
: Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
Level 18
: Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
That's a wrap for Day 2.
Stay tuned for a full recap of the day's action and the all-important chip counts.
Level 18
: Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
The floor have stopped the clock and announced that five more hands will be played before the survivors bag up for the evening.
Level 18
: Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
Samuel Ju and Seyed Safari just got involved in a 3,500,000 pot after the two got all of their chips in preflop.
Seyed Safari: A♦A♥ 
Samuel Ju: 10♦10♠
Ju would only be left with 35,000 if he couldn't crack Safari's aces. The board ran out clean for Safari as it came 6♣K♠3♣K♥5♥, meaning he doubled up, while Ju was left with less than a small blind.
Level 18
: Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
Level 18
: Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
With roughly 950,000 in the pot on a board of J♣10♦4♦10♠4♠, Dmitry Kukhtarev was first to act from the small blind and shoved all of his 650,000 into the middle.
Kukhtarev's opponent, who was seated in the cutoff, went deep into the tank after facing this bet. After burning through a few of his time bank cards, the cutoff folded and forfeited the pot to Kukhtarev.
Level 18
: Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
Halil Tasyurek opened from under the gun to 200,000 and Maciej Toma called on the button.
They went to a flop of Q♠4♠K♥ where Tasyurek continued with a bet of 150,000. Toma called.
A 9♥ fell on the turn and again Tasyurek counted out chips, this time it was 475,000 that went across the betting line. Toma called once again.
When the 7♣ dropped on the river, Tasyurek burned through a time bank before electing to shove his stack of around 600,000. Toma instantly laid it down, and Tasyurek pulled in the pot.
Level 18
: Blinds 50,000/100,000, 100,000 ante
Alexandr Uzun shoved for his last 570,000 from middle position and Mohamed Mokrani made the call from the cutoff to try and bust him.
Alexandr Uzun: A♠J♠
Mohamed Mokrani: K♦K♣
Mokrani's Cowboys were in the lead until the A♦2♣5♠ flop gave Uzun top pair. But the K♠ turn improved Mokrani to a set to take back the lead, though Uzun did pick up a flush draw. The 9♣ on the river didn't improve Uzon to a flush, and he was sent to the rail.
