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$5,400 Main Event
Day 2 Completed
2026 Mediterranean Poker Party
$5,400 Main Event
Day: 2
Event Info
2026 Mediterranean Poker Party
Final Results
Event Info
Level Info
Players Info - Day 2
Buy-in
$5,400
Prize Pool
$5,000,000
Total Entries
972
Level
33
Blinds
1,000,000 / 2,000,000
Ante
2,000,000
Entries
146
Players Left
15
Players Left 1 / 972
Filter
Level 25
: Blinds 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante
It was an exhilarating Day 2 of the 2026 Mediterranean Poker Party Main Event, with the returning field of 146 narrowed down to just 15 players who are still left in contention for their slice of the $5,000,000 prize pool. They will return to play the final two tables until a champion is crowned here at the Merit Crystal Cove Casino.
Heading the counts is Danesh Zargaran with 24,950,000, looking for his biggest ever score following on from a first place finish in the 2024 Dolce Vita Series worth six figures. Can he make the next one seven figures by locking up the $1,000,000 top prize?
Zargaran faces stiff competition from some talented players who are still in the field, and the counts are close at the top.
Second place Ivan Bryksin, winner of the 2025 MPP Luxon Pay Grand Final, bagged for 22,450,000, while Mehmet Biskin rounds out the top three with 20,525,000.
End of Day 2 Chip Counts
| Rank | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Danesh Zargaran | Iran (Islamic Republic of) | 24,950,000 | 83 |
| 2 | Ivan Bryksin | Russian Federation | 22,450,000 | 75 |
| 3 | Mehmet Biskin | Turkey | 20,525,000 | 68 |
| 4 | Raphael Schreiner | Austria | 20,325,000 | 68 |
| 5 | Daniil Kiselev | Russian Federation | 16,400,000 | 55 |
| 6 | Kirill Solovev | Russian Federation | 13,825,000 | 46 |
| 7 | Manig Loeser | Germany | 12,025,000 | 40 |
| 8 | Timo Vogt | Germany | 11,500,000 | 38 |
| 9 | Nikolay Baryshnikov | Russian Federation | 10,700,000 | 36 |
| 10 | Jordan Woodall | Germany | 9,875,000 | 33 |
| 11 | Farbod Nazari | Iran (Islamic Republic of) | 9,700,000 | 32 |
| 12 | John Doe K | Lebanon | 8,375,000 | 28 |
| 13 | Daniel Thaller | Austria | 7,050,000 | 24 |
| 14 | Naji Tannoury | Lebanon | 5,400,000 | 18 |
| 15 | Vadzim Godzdanker | Belarus | 3,725,000 | 12 |
Reigning champion, Daniel Thaller, who won last year's MPP Main Event for $786,670 following a three-way deal, is still in the mix. Thaller bagged for 7,050,000 and sits towards the bottom of the pack heading into the final day, so he needs a spin up or two when action resumes. Still, there's potential for Thaller to defend his title and go back-to-back.
Two-time bracelet winner Manig Loeser, who has over $12 million in live tournament winnings, comes back as one of the most experienced players on the final table. He sits in the middle of the counts with 12,025,000. Ultimately though, it's still anyone's game.
Players who return for Day 3 have already locked up $31,000, but pay jumps are steep and the six-figure sums are reserved for seventh place and beyond. Second place is set to take $621,000, while first place will take home the trophy and $1,000,000.
| Place | Prize | Prize | Payouts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1,000,000 | 7 | $110,000 |
| 2 | $621,000 | 8 | $80,000 |
| 3 | $420,000 | 9 | $60,000 |
| 4 | $290,000 | 10 -11 | $47,000 |
| 5 | $210,000 | 12 -13 | $47,000 |
| 6 | $150,000 | 14 -15 | $31,000 |
Action resumes on Level 25 with blinds on 150,000/300,000 with a 300,000 big blind ante. Day 3 commences at 1 p.m. local time and will play down to a winner.
Stay tuned to PokerNews for live updates straight from the tournament floor until a champion, old or new, is crowned.
Level 25
: Blinds 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante
Level 25
: Blinds 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante
Day 2 of the MPP Main Event has concluded. Of the 146 players who returned, there are now just 15 players left in contention for the $1,000,000 top prize. Standby for the full chip counts and recap on PokerNews.
Level 25
: Blinds 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante
The floor had just called out to stop dealing as the final 16 players were reached, but one last hand was still going on at Table 1. Pedram Dadkhah moved all in from the cutoff with a short stack of 2,025,000 and John Doe K called in the small blind.
Pedram Dadkhah: 5♦5♥ 
John Doe K: 7♥7♣
Dadkhah shouted out for a five as the board ran out 2♦9♣10♣J♥7♦, but Doe K held and made an unnecessary set of sevens on the river to win the pot.
Dadkhah was eliminated in 16th place for $26,000.
Level 25
: Blinds 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante
With around 1,000,000 in the middle, with a flop of J♠10♠4♦, Tom Talboom bet 575,000 from under the gun. Raphael Schreiner in the small blind check-raised to 1,900,000. Talboom shoved for 6,000,000, and Schreiner didn't hesitate to call.
Tom Talboom: J♥10♣
Raphael Schreiner: 9♠8♠
Talboom flopped two pair, but Schreiner had the open-ended straight flush draw. The 5♣ turn was a brick, but the 7♥ gave Schreiner the nut straight.
A dejected Talboom exited in 17th place after an epic spin-up. He arrived on Day 2 with the shortest stack having only one big blind and managed to out over 120 opponents for a payday of $26,000.
Level 25
: Blinds 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante
Pedram Dadkhah moved all in from under the gun and Hao Tian called all in from the big blind with the shorter stack of 1,375,000.
Hao Tian: A♦K♦
Pedram Dadkhah: A♠J♥
The board ran out 5♣Q♣2♥4♥2♠, and Tian held with his ace-king high and the deuces on board. He won the pot and doubled his stack.
A few hands later, Tian shoved from the hijack for around 2,800,000 and John Doe K shoved over the top from the small blind. Tian was again at risk as players revealed their hands.
Hao Tian: 4♣4♥
John Doe K: A♥Q♠
Tian held up all the way to the river on the J♥8♣7♦J♠A♦ board, when Doe K paired his ace to make a higher two pair. He won the pot and Tian was eliminated from the tournament in 18th place for $22,000.
Level 25
: Blinds 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante
Action folded around to Aren Bezhanyan, who pushed all in from the small blind for 2,150,000. Manig Loeser called in the big blind with the covering stack and players flipped their cards, with Bezhanyan at risk.
Aren Bezhanyan: A♠10♦
Manig Loeser: 8♣7♣
Bezhanyan stayed ahead on the 4♦J♦K♠ flop, but the 7♠ turn gave Loeser a pair. The 8♥ river gave Loeser two pair and he won the pot, adding a chunk to his stack.
Bezhanyan was eliminated from the tournament in 19th place for $22,000.
Level 25
: Blinds 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante
Daniil Kiselev bet 650,000 from the cutoff. Ivan Bryksin raised to 1,775,000 from the button. Kiselev responded with a four-bet to 4,000,000. Bryksin used a time bank card and made the call.
The flop came 10♣7♠6♦ which was checked by both players. The 2♦ came on the turn and Kiselev made a delayed continuation bet for 3,100,000. Kiselev made the call.
The K♦ completed the board and Kiselev shoved for 6,200,000. Bryksin looked a little shell-shocked after the exchange. He looked at his cards once more before making the fold. Bryksin moved into the middle of the pack, while Kiselev moved towards the top of the chip rankings.
Level 25
: Blinds 150,000/300,000, 300,000 ante
With around 3,000,000 in the middle on a flop J♣9♥6♥, Farbod Nazari found himself all in for 7,700,000 and was called by Hao Tian.
Farbod Nazari: J♥9♣
Hao Tian: Q♦Q♠
Nazari made two pairs on the flop, and Tian couldn't find his two-outer as the board ran out 3♥K♦, to see Nazari soar up the chip rankings and leave Tian with six big blinds.
