Last Updated on October 8, 2026 by Bala Kumar
On Day 1D of the 2026 Mediterranean Poker Party Main Event, Daniil Kiselev had 23,000 chips with blinds at 4,000/8,000, less than three big blinds. Two days later he was holding a $1,000,000 first prize.
Comebacks like that are why the Mediterranean Poker Party is worth following. In 2026 it was a $5,400 Main Event on the north coast of Cyprus with a $5 million guarantee, a seven-figure first prize and deep payouts. After four editions it is one of the best-value Main Events in Europe. This guide covers the MPP schedule, the latest results and final table, every Main Event winner, the records, buy-ins and how to qualify.
What Is the Mediterranean Poker Party?
The Mediterranean Poker Party (MPP) is a live poker festival run by Merit Poker at its resorts near Kyrenia (Girne) in North Cyprus. It debuted in 2022 and has become Merit’s flagship series. Don’t confuse it with the older Mediterranean Poker Cup, a separate event from the 2010s.
Merit has run tournaments in North Cyprus since 2009, so MPP had a solid base from the start. What made it stand out was the offer: a $5 million guaranteed Main Event at about the same buy-in as an EPT Main Event, held at a beach resort, with a $1 million first prize when the field is big enough.
Players follow it for three reasons:
- The guarantee is real. All four Main Events (2022, 2024, 2025, 2026) carried $5 million guarantees.
- The fields are a mix. Satellite qualifiers and recreational players sit alongside travelling pros.
- It’s a full festival. The 2025 and 2026 editions each had more than $10 million in guarantees across the schedule.
Mediterranean Poker Party at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
| Full name | Mediterranean Poker Party |
| Short name | MPP |
| First edition | 2022 (no edition in 2023) |
| Organizer | Merit Poker |
| Venue (2026) | Merit Crystal Cove, Kyrenia, North Cyprus |
| Main Event buy-in (2026) | 5,400(5,000 + $400) |
| Main Event guarantee | $5,000,000 |
| Festival guarantees (2026) | $10M+ |
| Latest champion | Daniil Kiselev (2026, $1,000,000) |
Mediterranean Poker Party Schedule 2026
The 2026 MPP ran September 16–27 (satellites and freerolls on the 16th, trophy events from the 17th) at the newly renovated Merit Crystal Cove. It was the first autumn MPP since 2022; the 2024 and 2025 editions ran in May.
| Dates (2026) | Event | Buy-in | Guarantee | Status |
| Sep 17–20 | Global Poker Championship | $2,200 | $2,000,000 | Completed |
| Sep 19–20 | Luxon Pay Mystery Bounty | $2,200 | $500,000 | Completed |
| Sep 20–22 | Merit Poker Cup | $3,500 | $1,000,000 | Completed |
| Sep 22–23 | Mini Main Event | $1,650 | $500,000 | Completed |
| Sep 23–27 | MPP Main Event | $5,400 | $5,000,000 | Completed |
| Sep 26–27 | Paradise Mystery Bounty | $3,300 | $500,000 | Completed |
| Sep 27 | High Roller | $10,400 | $500,000 | Completed |
The schedule also had a $1,100 Seniors event, a $550 Women’s event and two PLO 5 tournaments.
Next MPP: Merit hasn’t announced 2027 dates. The festival has moved between May and September across its editions, so wait for official dates before planning travel.
MPP Main Event: Format & Structure
- Buy-in: $5,400, made up of $5,000 to the prize pool and a $400 fee. It was $5,300 from 2022 to 2025.
- Guarantee: $5,000,000
- Starting flights: four flights over three days, Day 1A (Sep 23), 1B, 1C, and a turbo 1D (Sep 25)
- Day 2: September 26
- Final day: September 27
- Paid places: 145 of 972, about 15% of the field
The turbo Day 1D is aimed at late arrivals and players who busted an earlier flight, and much of the re-entry volume comes through it. Kiselev’s comeback started there. Starting stacks and re-entry limits are published in Merit’s structure sheet for each edition.
Mediterranean Poker Party Results 2026
Daniil Kiselev (Russia) won the 2026 MPP Main Event on September 27 for $1,000,000. He beat Turkey’s Mehmet Biskin heads-up without a deal, from 972 entries and a $5,000,000 prize pool.
Kiselev started the final day 13th of 15 players. At the final table he eliminated three opponents, including defending champion Daniel Thaller, who finished fourth.
MPP 2026 Main Event Final Table & Payouts
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
| 1 | Daniil Kiselev | Russia | $1,000,000 |
| 2 | Mehmet Biskin | Turkey | $621,000 |
| 3 | Jordan Woodall | Germany | $420,000 |
| 4 | Daniel Thaller | Austria | $290,000 |
| 5 | Timo Vogt | Austria | $210,000 |
| 6 | Naji Tannoury | Lebanon | $150,000 |
| 7 | Kirill Solovev | Russia | $110,000 |
| 8 | Ivan Bryksin | Russia | $80,000 |
| 9 | Raphael Schreine | — | $60,000 |
The 2026 field didn’t cover the guarantee. $5,000 of each buy-in goes to the prize pool, so 972 entries generated 4.86million.Meritaddedtheremaining~140,000 to reach the $5 million guarantee. That shortfall is called an overlay, and it’s free value for every player in the field.
Other 2026 MPP Champions
| Event | Buy-in | Winner | Country | Prize |
| Global Poker Championship | $2,200 | Congya Zhang | China | $300,000 |
| Merit Poker Cup | $3,500 | Boris Smuskevicius | Lithuania | $217,000 |
| Paradise Mystery Bounty | $3,300 | Aleksandr Razinkov | — | $85,000 |
Congya Zhang’s win came a few weeks after she finished as the last woman standing in the 2026 WSOP Main Event (61st, $150,000). The Global Poker Championship drew 830 entries. At $2,200 each, that is at most $1.83 million in buy-ins, so its $2 million guarantee also produced an overlay.
Mediterranean Poker Party Winners List
| Year | Winner | Country | Entries | Prize Pool | Winner’s Prize | Venue |
| 2026 | Daniil Kiselev | Russia | 972 | $5,000,000 | $1,000,000 | Merit Crystal Cove |
| 2025 | Daniel Thaller | Austria | 1,196 | $5,740,800 | $786,670 (deal) | Merit Royal Diamond |
| 2024 | Azamat Lamkov | Russia | 1,260 | $6,048,000 | $1,000,000 | Merit Royal Diamond |
| 2023 | No edition held | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2022 | Hannes Jeschka | Germany | 1,032 | $5M GTD | $542,000 (deal) | Merit Crystal Cove |
MPP Main Event History
2022: the debut
The first MPP ran August 19 to September 4, 2022, at Merit Crystal Cove. Big names, including Phil Ivey and Espen Jorstad, helped bring the field to 1,032. It finished with a three-way deal: Steven Warburton took $534,000, Arsenii Karmatckii $471,000 and Hannes Jeschka $442,000, with $100,000 left to play for. Jeschka won it and the title, finishing with $542,000. Warburton, eliminated third, earned almost as much as the champion.
2023: the missing year
MPP was not on the 2023 calendar. Merit ran other series that year, and the MPP brand returned in 2024.
2024: the record year
The 2024 MPP moved to May and to the Merit Royal Diamond, and produced the festival’s biggest Main Event: 1,260 entries and a $6,048,000 prize pool, more than $1 million over the guarantee. Azamat Lamkov qualified through an online satellite, busted, then won a live satellite at the Merit Diamond and turned that second seat into $1,000,000.
2025: the deal edition
The 2025 edition stayed in May at the Royal Diamond and drew 1,196 entries for $5,740,800. The final three, Daniel Thaller, Timothy Chung and Andreas Mavromoustakis, made a deal that guaranteed each of them more than $500,000, with about $200,000 and the trophy still to play for. Thaller won. He had finished 20th in the same event in 2022.
2026: back to the Cove
Merit’s renovated Crystal Cove reopened on July 27, 2026, with 345 rooms, and MPP moved there in September. The buy-in rose to $5,400. The field fell to 972, the smallest so far, as MPP now competed with a busy autumn calendar: EPT Barcelona had just ended and WCOOP’s Main Events ran the same week. The $1 million first prize held up regardless.
MPP Buy-ins & Prize Pools
| Event (2026) | Buy-in | Guarantee |
| High Roller | $10,400 | $500,000 |
| Main Event | $5,400 | $5,000,000 |
| Merit Poker Cup | $3,500 | $1,000,000 |
| Paradise Mystery Bounty | $3,300 | $500,000 |
| Global Poker Championship | $2,200 | $2,000,000 |
| Luxon Pay Mystery Bounty | $2,200 | $500,000 |
| Mini Main Event | $1,650 | $500,000 |
How much of your buy-in is prize money? In 2026, $5,000 of the $5,400 (92.6%). In 2024–2025 it was $4,800 of $5,300 (90.6%). Both are in line with major European Main Events.
MPP vs EPT, WPT & Triton (2026)
| Event | Buy-in | Entries | Prize Pool | First Prize |
| MPP Main Event (Sep) | $5,400 | 972 | $5,000,000 | $1,000,000 |
| EPT Barcelona Main Event (Aug) | €5,300 | 1,823 | €8,841,550 | €1,002,488 (deal) |
| WPT Australia Championship (Sep) | AUD 5,000 | 527 | AUD 2,424,200 | AUD 450,900 |
| Triton Jeju II Main Event (Sep) | $100,000 | 196 | $19,600,000 | $3,854,888 (deal) |
| WSOP Paradise Super Main (Dec) | $25,000 | TBD | $50M GTD | TBD |
Where MPP fits: it sits at the same buy-in level as an EPT Main Event but with about half the field. That means a similar seven-figure first prize with half as many players to beat. Compared with a WPT Championship at a similar buy-in, it pays more than twice as much to the winner. It isn’t a high-roller event like Triton. Its niche is a $5,000 tournament that pays $1 million.
How to Qualify for the Mediterranean Poker Party
Direct entry
- Register at the venue cage or through Merit’s pre-registration.
- Bring your passport. It’s needed for casino registration.
- Check minimum age and entry requirements with Merit before you travel.
- Choose your flight: a regular flight for a deeper structure, or turbo Day 1D if you arrive late.
MPP satellites & qualifiers
- Live satellites: in 2026, Main Event satellites cost 850(772 + $78), with guarantees of 16,200–54,000. They ran daily before Day 1A.
- Online satellites: Merit has run online qualifiers through partner sites. The 2024 champion, Lamkov, started with an online seat. Partner sites change each year, so check Merit’s announcements.
- Second chances: if your first seat busts, a live satellite can get you back in. That’s exactly how the 2024 title was won.
Mediterranean Poker Party Location & Venue
Merit Crystal Cove is a beachfront resort in Girne (Kyrenia) on the north coast of Cyprus. It reopened on July 27, 2026, after a full renovation of rooms, restaurants, lobby and common areas, and now has 345 rooms. It hosted the 2022 and 2026 Main Events. The 2024 and 2025 editions were at the Merit Royal Diamond, another Merit resort in the same area.
Getting there: North Cyprus’s airport is Ercan, and flights to it go through Turkey. Many international players fly to Larnaca in the Republic of Cyprus and cross by road. Check visa and border rules for your passport before booking.
MPP Records & Statistics
| Record | Holder / Edition | Detail |
| Biggest Main Event field | 2024 | 1,260 entries |
| Biggest prize pool | 2024 | $6,048,000 |
| Biggest winner’s payout | Lamkov (2024), Kiselev (2026) | $1,000,000 each |
| Smallest field | 2026 | 972 entries |
| Only Main Event with an overlay | 2026 | ~$140,000 added by Merit |
| Main Event guarantee | All four editions | $5,000,000 |
| Highest Main Event buy-in | 2026 | $5,400 |
| Highest festival buy-in (2026) | High Roller | $10,400 |
| Best Main Event record* | Daniel Thaller (Austria) | 1st 2025, 4th 2026, 20th 2022 |
| Most Main Event titles by country* | Russia | 2 (Lamkov, Kiselev) |
Based on verified Main Event results only.
Field trend: 1,032 (2022) → 1,260 (2024) → 1,196 (2025) → 972 (2026). The two May editions drew the biggest fields. The September editions competed with a busier calendar. If Merit moves back to May, expect numbers to recover.
Winner’s share: in 2024 the champion took about 16.5% of the prize pool. In 2026 the same $1 million was 20% of a smaller pool, so the payout structure became more top-heavy.
Biggest Mediterranean Poker Party Moments
- 2022: the first MPP ends in a three-way deal that pays the third-place finisher almost as much as the champion.
- 2024: Azamat Lamkov busts his online satellite seat, wins a live satellite and turns it into $1,000,000.
- 2025: Daniel Thaller, 20th in 2022, comes back to win the title.
- 2026: Kiselev recovers from under three big blinds on Day 1D and wins $1,000,000 with no deal.
- 2026: Congya Zhang, the last woman in the WSOP Main Event, wins $300,000 at the Global Poker Championship.
Upcoming Mediterranean Poker Party Events
| Date | Venue | Event | Status |
| 2027 | TBA | MPP 2027 | Not yet announced |
We’ll update this table when Merit confirms the next edition.
FAQs
What is the Mediterranean Poker Party?
A live poker festival run by Merit Poker in North Cyprus, first held in 2022. Its headline event is a Main Event with a $5 million guarantee.
Who won the 2026 Mediterranean Poker Party Main Event?
Daniil Kiselev of Russia, on September 27, 2026, for $1,000,000. He beat Mehmet Biskin heads-up in a field of 972 entries.
How much is the MPP Main Event buy-in?
5,400in2026(5,000 to the prize pool plus a $400 fee). It was $5,300 from 2022 to 2025.
What is the biggest MPP Main Event?
2024: 1,260 entries and a $6,048,000 prize pool.
Was there a Mediterranean Poker Party in 2023?
No. The festival skipped 2023 and returned in May 2024.
Where is the Mediterranean Poker Party held?
At Merit resorts in Kyrenia (Girne), North Cyprus. The 2026 edition was at Merit Crystal Cove.
How can I qualify for the Mediterranean Poker Party?
Through live satellites ($850 in 2026), online qualifiers on Merit’s partner sites, or by buying in directly.
