button in SafariZhu Narrowly Leads Ahead of Al-Kubasi in Day 1a of MPP Main Event
Day 1a of the Mediterranean Poker Party Main Event, running at Merit Crystal Cove, is now in the bag. Of the 247 entries to the first starting flight, 37 players made it through. They will be in the money on Day 2 and competing for a share of the $5 million guaranteed prize pool.
Hao Zhu topped the counts with 3,650,000, continuing what has been an excellent run for the Chinese players who have made their way to Merit after Congya Zhang did the double today by winning the women's' event, as well as the Global Poker Championship earlier in the series.
It's tight at the top, though. Zhu is closely tailed by Ali Al-Kubasi with 3,445,000. Al-Kubasi is a regular in North Cyprus. He is often seen making final tables and racking up scores, his biggest of which came in the WSOPC Main Event in 2025. Sergej Babincev rounds out the top three with 3,315,000.
Day 1a Top Ten Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hao Zhu | China | 3,650,000 | 73 |
| 2 | Ali Al-Kubasi | Iraq | 3,455,000 | 69 |
| 3 | Sergej Babincev | Lithuania | 3,315,000 | 66 |
| 4 | Leonid Orman | Russian Federation | 3,300,000 | 66 |
| 5 | Kirill Solovev | Russian Federation | 2,900,000 | 58 |
| 6 | Panayiotis Panayi | Cyprus | 2,680,000 | 54 |
| 7 | Campbell Ashton | Australia | 2,605,000 | 52 |
| 8 | Robert Mcadam | United Kingdom | 2,515,000 | 50 |
| 9 | Jordan Woodall | Germany | 1,910,000 | 38 |
| 10 | Emad Zarghami | Australia | 1,665,000 | 33 |
Other players who are still in contention include; Jordan Woodall (1,910,000), who came third in the Onyx HRS Main Event earlier in 2026; Luiz Antonio Duarte Ferreira Filho, who has over $1.7 million in live tournament winnings to his name; Razvan Sabau (615,000), who came fourth in last year's MPP Main Event; and Adrian State (460,000).
The MPP Main Event continues with Day 1b, running on September 24 at 1 p.m. local time. This will be the second of four starting flights and follows the same structure as Day 1a, with 40-minute blind levels. Everyone who bags from the starting flights returns in the money on Day 2.
MPP Main Event Remaining Schedule
| Day | Date | Time | Blind Levels |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1b | Thursday 24 September | 1:00 p.m. | 40 minutes |
| Day 1c | Friday 25 September | 1:00 p.m. | 40 minutes |
| Day 1d | Friday 25 September | 8:30 p.m. | 20 minutes |
| Day 2 | Saturday 26 September | 1 p.m. | 60 minutes |
| Day 3 | Sunday 27 September | 1 p.m. | 60 minutes |
Stay tuned to PokerNews for live updates straight from the tournament floor as reporters follow the Main Event all the way down to a winner.