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Darko Svesko Leads Merit Poker Cup With 14 Players Remaining
- Congya Zhang wins $2,200 Global Poker Championship for $300,000.
- Darko Svesko leads final 14 of the $3,500 Merit Poker Cup.
- $5.4K Main Event with $5M guarantee starts September 23.
Image by Merit Poker
Congya Zhang captured the 2026 Mediterranean Poker Party Global Poker Championship for $300,000, while Darko Svesko leads the final 14 players in the Merit Poker Cup. The $5,400 Main Event starts September 23 with a $5 million guarantee.
The 2026 Mediterranean Poker Party is in progress at Merit Crystal Cove in Cyprus, with the September 17 to 27 festival offering more than $10 million in guaranteed prize pools across the schedule.
One of the festival's first major titles has already been decided, with China's Congya Zhang winning the $2,200 Global Poker Championship.
The focus has since moved to the $3,500 Merit Poker Cup, where only 14 players remain from a 418-entry field and Serbia's Darko Svesko sits at the top of the chip counts.
The series will next build toward its headline tournament, the $5,400 Mediterranean Poker Party Main Event, which starts on September 23 and carries a $5 million guaranteed prize pool.
Congya Zhang Captures $2,200 Global Poker Championship
Congya Zhang emerged as the winner of the $2,200 Global Poker Championship after navigating a field of 830 entries.
The event created a $2 million prize pool, with Zhang earning the $300,000 top prize after defeating Sergei Petrushevskii in the heads-up stage.
Petrushevskii received $200,000 as runner-up, while fellow Chinese player Yilu Yuan collected $140,000 for finishing third.
Zhang entered the final day ranked 12th among the 16 remaining players and reached the final table with one of the smaller stacks. Her position strengthened as play continued, with multiple double-ups and key eliminations moving her into contention for the title.
Her path to heads-up play included eliminating Adrian State in fifth place, Mengdian Peng in fourth, and Yuan in third.
Zhang entered the final duel against Petrushevskii holding roughly a four-to-one advantage in chips.
The decisive hand came when Petrushevskii moved all-in with pocket fives and ran into Zhang's pocket jacks.
The jacks held through the board, giving Zhang the championship and the $300,000 first-place payout.
Darko Svesko Tops Final 14 in $3,500 Merit Poker Cup
The $3,500 Merit Poker Cup has advanced into the closing stages of Day 2, with the original field of 418 entries reduced to 14 players. Darko Svesko of Serbia currently holds the chip lead among those still in contention.
The Merit Poker Cup features a $1 million guarantee and forms part of the group of major tournaments taking place ahead of the Mediterranean Poker Party Main Event.
With only 14 players left, the remaining field is now competing for spots at the final table and an opportunity to claim the Merit Poker Cup title.
$5 Million Guaranteed Main Event Starts September 23
The $5,400 Mediterranean Poker Party Main Event is set to get underway on September 23. A $5 million guaranteed prize pool is attached to the tournament, which will feature four opening flights before all surviving players return together for Day 2.
The Main Event is scheduled to run until September 27, when the eventual champion is expected to be determined.
Across the complete Mediterranean Poker Party schedule, more than $10 million in guaranteed prize money is available.
The key tournaments include the $2 million guaranteed Global Poker Championship, the $1 million guaranteed Merit Poker Cup, and a pair of $500,000 guaranteed events in the Mini Main Event and Paradise Mystery Bounty.
Mediterranean Poker Party - Main Event
The opening portion of the 2026 Mediterranean Poker Party has already produced a notable result, with Congya Zhang winning the Global Poker Championship and collecting $300,000 after defeating a field of 830 entries.
Attention has now shifted to the final stages of the Merit Poker Cup, where Darko Svesko leads the remaining 14 players from the original 418-entry field.
The next major focus will be the $5,400 Mediterranean Poker Party Main Event, which begins on September 23 and offers a $5 million guaranteed prize pool.
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