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Last Chance Saloon with Day 1b of the $3500 Merit Poker Cup!
Things are heating up at the2026 Mediterranean Poker Party as the second day of action of the $3,500 Merit Poker Cup with Day 1b at the luxurious Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino in Cyprus.
Yesterday, 26 players advanced to Day 2, with Serbian Alexander Sokolovsky leading the charge. Today is the last chance to reach the final day, which begins tomorrow at midday.
Day 1a Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alexander Sokolovsky | Serbia | 2,165,000 | 108 |
| 2 | Timur Mukhamedaminov | Uzbekistan | 1,595,000 | 80 |
| 3 | Da Zhou | China | 1,320,000 | 66 |
| 4 | Mekan Yusupov | Turkey | 1,245,000 | 62 |
| 5 | Yuliyan Kolev | Bulgaria | 1,200,000 | 60 |
| 6 | Boris Smuskevicius | Lithuania | 1,075,000 | 54 |
| 7 | Mihail Ketlerov | Russian Federation | 915,000 | 46 |
| 8 | George Tomescu | Romania | 825,000 | 41 |
| 9 | Bora Kurtulus | Turkey | 750,000 | 38 |
| 10 | Maximilian Wieser | Austria | 700,000 | 35 |
Day 1b gets underway at midday local time, with a 40-minute clock and 15-minute breaks scheduled after every three levels.
Late registration is available until the end of level nine, which will be around 7.50 p.m. local time. Play will continue until 15% of the field is left, where they will be in the money.
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Stay tuned to PokerNews for live updates on the $3,500 Merit Poker Cup as reporters follow this event and others from the 2026 MPP.