The Deep End Awaits as Akin Tuna Chases $401,000 in Main Event Final Table
The $3,300 Main Event at the 2025 Merit Poker Carmen Series is down to its final day, and the stage is set inside the stunning Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino for one player to walk away with the $401,000 top prize and one of the most coveted titles in North Cyprus poker.
A record-breaking 881 players entered this year's Main Event, generating a $2,431,560 prize pool—the largest ever recorded at a Carmen Series stop and the second-largest in Merit Poker history. After four days of play, just nine contenders remain, each guaranteed at least $39,600 as they return to battle for the trophy and the lion’s share of the prize pool.
Serbia’s Nenad Dukic leads the way with 17,700,000 chips, good for 89 big blinds. He’s followed closely by Mikhail Zavoloka (15,275,000) and Akin Tuna (11,925,000), with a deep and diverse final table lineup that includes representatives from seven different countries.
Final Table Seat Draw
| Seat | Player | Country | Chip Count | Big Blinds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chady Ojeil | Lebanon | 10,075,000 | 50 |
| 2 | Han Han | San Marino | 5,700,000 | 29 |
| 3 | Mikhail Zavoloka | Russia | 15,275,000 | 76 |
| 4 | Maher Achour | Tunisia | 11,000,000 | 55 |
| 5 | Nenad Dukic | Serbia | 17,700,000 | 89 |
| 6 | Soraya Estrada | Spain | 7,925,000 | 40 |
| 7 | Leonid Orman | Russia | 5,375,000 | 27 |
| 8 | Daniil Kiselev | Russia | 3,025,000 | 15 |
| 9 | Akin Tuna | Turkey | 11,925,000 | 60 |
The rest of the final table lineup features a strong international mix, including Maher Achour, Chady Ojeil, and Soraya Estrada, each bringing healthy stacks into the final day. Rounding out the table are Han Han, Leonid Orman, and Daniil Kiselev, all looking to spin it up and climb the payout ladder.
Cards go in the air at 2:00 p.m. local time, with 36 minutes left in Level 32, where blinds will be 100,000/200,000 with a 200,000 big blind ante. The final nine players have all locked up at least $39,600, but all eyes will be on the trophy and top prize of $401,000.
Final Table Payouts
| Place | Prize |
|---|---|
| 1 | $401,000 |
| 2 | $265,000 |
| 3 | $185,250 |
| 4 | $132,100 |
| 5 | $99,050 |
| 6 | $80,500 |
| 7 | $65,700 |
| 8 | $52,200 |
| 9 | $39,600 |
Stay with PokerNews throughout the day for live updates, chip counts, and all the key hands as we crown the 2025 Carmen Series Main Event champion in this record-breaking event.