The Mediterranean Poker Party is returning to Cyprus this September with more than $10 million in guaranteed prize pools and a $5 million Main Event at the heart of an 11-day festival.
Running from September 17-27 at Merit Crystal Cove Hotel Casino & Spa in North Cyprus, the Merit Poker festival brings together several seven-figure tournaments, mystery bounties and a $10,400 High Roller.
The headline attraction is the $5,400 Mediterranean Poker Party Main Event, which carries a $5 million guarantee and begins on September 23.
More Than $10 Million Guaranteed in Cyprus
The Main Event may carry half of the festival’s headline guarantee by itself, but there is plenty happening before cards are in the air for the biggest tournament.
The $2,200 Global Poker Championship opens the festival on September 17 with a $2 million guarantee. Four starting flights lead into Day 2 on September 19, with the champion scheduled to be decided the following day.
A $3,500 Merit Poker Cup adds another $1 million guarantee, while both the $2,200 Luxon Pay Mystery Bounty and $3,300 Paradise Mystery Bounty guarantee $500,000.
The $1,650 Mini Main Event also guarantees $500,000.
That gives players several substantial targets before considering the smaller side events, satellites and alternative formats spread across the festival.
Other tournaments include a $550 Women’s event, $1,100 Seniors event and a $1,100 PLO 5 Double Board Bomb Pot.
The series closes with a $10,400 High Roller carrying another $500,000 guarantee.
$5 Million Main Event Takes Center Stage
The Mediterranean Poker Party Main Event begins with Day 1A on September 23.
Three regular starting flights run from September 23-25, followed by a turbo Day 1D on the evening of September 25. Surviving players combine for Day 2 on September 26 before the tournament plays to a winner on September 27.
The $5 million guarantee is not simply an ambitious number based on what Merit hopes to attract.
Last year’s Mediterranean Poker Party Main Event drew 1,196 entries and generated a $5,740,800 prize pool.
Austria’s Daniel Thaller eventually emerged with the trophy following a three-way deal, collecting $786,670. Timothy Chung of the United Kingdom took $637,250 for second, while Cyprus’ Andreas Mavromoustakis received $651,080 in third.
That turnout gives the 2026 edition a substantial benchmark to beat.
Cyprus Has a New Poker Star to Watch
There will also be considerably more attention on the home contingent this time around.
Cypriot player Evagoras Evagorou produced the greatest WSOP Main Event run in his country’s history this summer, reaching the final table in Las Vegas.
Poker Type profiled Evagorou among the nine players who reached the 2026 WSOP Main Event final table, where he entered ninth in chips after surviving a field of more than 9,200 players.
His run eventually ended in ninth place after pocket jacks lost a race against Jamie Shaevel’s ace-queen, but the result earned Evagorou $1 million and established a new benchmark for Cypriot poker.
As we reported from the opening night of the WSOP Main Event final table, Evagorou’s finish was the deepest ever recorded by a player representing Cyprus.
Whether he appears at the Mediterranean Poker Party remains to be seen, but a home appearance would inevitably attract attention following the biggest result of his career.
Mediterranean Poker Party Key Events
| Event | Buy-in | Guarantee |
|---|---|---|
| Global Poker Championship | $2,200 | $2 million |
| Luxon Pay Mystery Bounty | $2,200 | $500,000 |
| Merit Poker Cup | $3,500 | $1 million |
| Mini Main Event | $1,650 | $500,000 |
| Mediterranean Poker Party Main Event | $5,400 | $5 million |
| Paradise Mystery Bounty | $3,300 | $500,000 |
| High Roller | $10,400 | $500,000 |
The full Mediterranean Poker Party runs from September 17-27, with the $5 million Main Event beginning September 23.
Merit Poker’s official Mediterranean Poker Party page has the latest festival and schedule information.
With more than $10 million guaranteed across the series, a Main Event that already surpassed its current guarantee last year and Cyprus enjoying fresh attention after Evagorou’s historic WSOP run, the Mediterranean Poker Party has the ingredients to become one of Europe’s biggest live poker festivals of September.
