Sultan Meirbekov open shoved from the button for 125,000 and was looked up by Justin Steinbrenner in the big blind.
Sultan Meirbekov: 10♠10♥ 
Justin Steinbrenner: 9♦8♦
Meirbekov dominated, and despite Steinbrenner picking up a gut shot draw on the turn, Meirbekov held as the board ran out Q♣6♥2♥5♦6♦ to secure a double up.
Level: 16
Blinds: 10,000/25,000
Ante: 25,000
The prize pool has been confirmed and the 418 entrants have generated a pot of $1,270,720. The winner of the tournament will receive $220,000 as well as the Merit Poker Cup.
Each player has locked up $7,500 as a minimum cash.
| Place | Prize | Place | Prize |
| 1 | $220,000 | 12-13 | $17,000 |
| 2 | $142,000 | 14-15 | $15,200 |
| 3 | $97,000 | 16-17 | $13,600 |
| 4 | $74,000 | 18-20 | $12,200 |
| 5 | $58,000 | 21-23 | $11,000 |
| 6 | $46,000 | 24-31 | $10,000 |
| 7 | $37,000 | 32-39 | $9,200 |
| 8 | $29,000 | 40-47 | $8,500 |
| 9 | $22,520 | 48-55 | $8,000 |
| 10-11 | $19,200 | 56-63 | $7,500 |
Cards are in the air for Day 2 of the Merit Poker Cup. The players have learnt they have all locked up $7,500.
A full breakdown of the prize pool will be posted shortly.
There are 19 minutes remaining on level 15; after that, the clock will revert to 40 minutes per level.
Level: 15
Blinds: 10,000/20,000
Ante: 20,000
$3,500 Merit Poker Cup
Day 2 Started
Someone is going to win a shiny new trophy and a lot of money, as we have reached Day 2 of the $3,500 Merit Poker Cup at the Mediterranean Poker Party at the majestic Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino.
From the 418 players who entered the tournament, only 63 remain and they have all locked up a minimum cash.
Among the favorites to get their hands on the silverware are overall chip leader Anton Melnikau, who smashed everyone in his way on Day 1b, including bubble boy Nicolae Toma. Hot on his heels are Serbian Alexander Sokolovsky and seasoned veteran Manig Loeser.
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anton Melnikau | Belarus | 3,070,000 |
| 2 | Alexander Sokolovsky | Serbia | 2,165,000 |
| 3 | Timur Mukhamedaminov | Uzbekistan | 1,595,000 |
| 4 | Manig Loeser | Germany | 1,500,000 |
| 5 | Oguzhan Kasar | Turkey | 1,485,000 |
| 6 | Quan Qiu | China | 1,480,000 |
| 7 | Sondre Stormyr | Norway | 1,445,000 |
| 8 | Da Zhou | China | 1,320,000 |
| 9 | Miguel Prospero | Russian Federation | 1,315,000 |
| 10 | Mekan Yusupov | Turkey | 1,245,000 |
Play will resume at Level 15 for 19 minutes with the blinds at 10,000/20,000 and the big blind ante of 20,000. From then on the blinds will increase every 40 minutes. Play will continue until a winner is crowned. Cards will be in the air at midday local time.
Stick with PokerNews for all of the action from the tournament floor at the 2026 MPP!
Stay closer than ever to the action with MyPlayers. This brand new, free feature on PokerNews puts your favorite poker players front and center. Whether you're keeping tabs on poker's biggest stars or following a friend grinding their way through a Day 2, MyPlayers delivers real-time updates tailored just for you.
No subscriptions, no paywalls, just the hands, chip counts, and bustouts that matter most. It’s simple: log in, search for any player in our live coverage, hit the star, and they’ll be added to your personalized MyPlayers list. You’ll see their progress across all live-reported events, with chip counts and updates pinned right where you need them at the top.
From railbirds to backers, MyPlayers is the smarter way to stay connected to the game.
button in Safari
