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$5,400 Main Event
Day 1a Completed
2026 Mediterranean Poker Party
$5,400 Main Event
Day: 1a
Players Left 98 / 514
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Chip Counts
Chip Counts
6
2,680,000
Level 17
: Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante
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.
Level 17
: Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante
Level 17
: Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante
Day 1a of the MPP Main Event has now reached its conclusion, with 37 players finding the bag for Day 2. Standby for the full chip counts and recap on PokerNews.
Level 17
: 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante
Murad Cakir was all in from the button and the small blind pushed over the top. Cakir was at risk as the hands were revealed.
Murad Cakir: A♠7♠ 
Small Blind: J♦J♠
The small blind was ahead, and it was all but over on the 9♥3♥J♥ flop when his opponent made a set of jacks. The 5♥ turn gave a little sweat for the split, but the 2♠ river ended it for Cakir, who was eliminated in 38th place on the stone bubble.
Level 17
: Blinds 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante
A middle position player moved all in for around 400,000 and Joseph Molitor called in the big blind with the covering stack.
Middle Position: 9♥9♠
Joseph Molitor: Q♠Q♣
Molitor had the best hand and it looked like the bubble would soon be over, until the board ran out J♥4♠K♠9♦7♠ to give middle position a set of nines on the turn. Molitor lost most of his stack.
Molitor reclaimed his stack a couple of hands later in a three-way all in, picking up pocket kings and making a full house by the river. Nobody busted in that hand, so the bubble continued.
Level 17
: 25,000/50,000, 50,000 ante
Action was on the flop on a board of 9♦8♥9♥ and Sergej Babincev checked. Yen Han Chen bet 41,000 from the button and Babincev called. Both players checked it through on the J♣ turn.
On the 2♦ river, Babincev bet 100,000, then Chen moved all in. Babincev made the call for a touch over 1,000,000. Chen showed K♠K♥ for two pair, kings and nines. Babincev had him beat, however, flipping over J♠J♥ for a full house to win the pot and double his stack.
Level: 17
Blinds: 25,000/50,000
Ante: 50,000
Level 16
: Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante
Day 1a of the MPP Main Event has gone hand for hand with 38 players remaining and 37 set to bag for Day 2.
Level 16
: Blinds 20,000/40,000, 40,000 ante
Armand Matti raised from under the gun and Emad Zarghami called in the big blind. The flop came K♦6♦5♦ and Zarghami checked. Matti bet and Zarghami called. Both players then checked on the 7♥ turn.
The river came the K♣ and Zarghami shoved all in. Matti made the call and flipped over A♦J♦ for the nut flush. Zarghami, however, had 5♥5♠ for a full house, fives full of kings. He won the pot, sending Matti to the rail in 39th place.
With that, the bubble was on.
