Three players saw the flop of Q♦J♣10♠, with 9,000 in the middle. Alisa Sibgatova in middle position bet 1,000 and was called by Anton Melnikau in the small blind, Mehmet Dalkilic in the big blind folded.
Sigbatova bet 10,000 on the A♥ turn bringing a four-liner on board. Melnikau maded the call. The 7♠ completed the board and Sigbatova moved all in for 25,200. Melnikau thought about it briefly before relinquishing his hand.
Level: 3
Blinds: 400/800
Ante: 800
Fady Kamar bet 1,200 from the hijack and was called by the cutoff. Mehmet Dalkilic on the button raised to 5,000 and was cold -called by Safi Haidar in the small blind. Kamar and the cutoff also came along for the ride.
The flop was A♠9♦7♠ and Dalkilic bet 7,000. Haidar and Kamar called, whilst the cutoff folded.
The 5♦ appeared on the turn to create a second flush draw. Dalkilic ramped up and bet 26,000. But it was not enough to scare away his two opponents who called.
With over a starting stack now in the middle, Dalkilic moved all in for 72,000. Haidar casually threw in the call, and only just covered Dalkilic. Kamar folded his hand and revealed he missed his club draw.
Dalkilic stood up knowing his 10♣9♠ for second pair was not good enough. Haidar tabled A♣Q♣ for top pair and now stands on top of the chip standings.
Level: 2
Blinds: 300/600
Ante: 600
For those unsuccessful in their poker endeavors today, there will be a chance of solace at the MPP Players' Party, which will be held at the neighboring Merit Diamond's The Roof Garden.
The action starts at 9 p.m. with special guest DJ Demah, but the cool kids will be going a little bit later...
On arriving at the table, 23,000 chips were already in the middle preflop. The flop came down 10♥9♠2♣ and Mustafa Biz in middle position bet 11,500. His opponent in the cutoff called.
The K♠ landed on the turn and Biz checked to his opponent who bet 16,000. Biz immediately moved all in for 70,000 which stopped his opponent in his tracks. The cutoff eventually folded and Biz takes a chunky pot at the start of the day.
The tournament director has announced shuffle up and deal, which means we are underway at Day 1b of the Merit Poker Cup.
So far 35 players have jumped into the final flight. Late registration is available until the end of level nine.
Level: 1
Blinds: 200/500
Ante: 500
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.
| 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.
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