Ivan Ilichev Crowned Champion of the Record-Breaking Merit Poker Carmen Series Main Event

The curtains have officially closed on the biggest Merit Poker Carmen Series Main Event ever held, as Ivan Ilichev emerged victorious after four intense days of action inside the iconic Merit Royal Diamond Hotel Casino & Spa in North Cyprus.

The $3,500 Main Event attracted a massive field of 1,094 entries, generating one of the largest prize pools in Merit Poker history and once again confirming the growing prestige of the Carmen Series on the international poker calendar.

This year’s edition introduced a new structure format, with every starting flight played down to the money, creating high-pressure poker from the very beginning. The changes were met with overwhelming enthusiasm, as every guarantee on the schedule was comfortably surpassed throughout the festival.

In total, 163 players finished in the money, while only 32 survivors advanced to Day 3. By the time cards went in the air for the fourth and final day, just nine players remained in contention for the title, the trophy, and the massive first-place prize.

After battling through one of the toughest fields ever assembled at a Merit Poker festival, it was Ivan Ilichev who stood alone at the end.

The Russian regular captured the championship trophy and a career-best $525,000 first-place prize, a result that improves his previous top live score by nearly seven times.

For the third consecutive year, Ilichev returned to the Merit Poker May festival, and this time the long-awaited breakthrough finally arrived. Calm, composed, and consistent throughout the final stages, he successfully navigated a stacked final table to secure the biggest title of his poker career.

The 2026 Carmen Series once again delivered unforgettable moments, dramatic hands, and elite-level competition, all followed closely through Merit Poker’s live updates and social media coverage throughout the week.

Merit Poker congratulates Ivan Ilichev on an outstanding performance and looks forward to welcoming him back to North Cyprus for future editions of the Carmen Series.

Merit Poker Carmen Series Main Event – Official Final Table Results

Place	Player	Country	Prize
1	Ivan Ilichev	Russia	$525,000
2	John Doe K	Turkey	$320,000
3	Erdem Akmert	Turkey	$200,000
4	Davit Mikhanashvili	Georgia	$139,000
5	Guy Dvash	Israel	$100,500
6	Maxime Chilaud	France	$82,500
7	Nikolay Gadzhalov	Bulgaria	$67,000
8	Dimitrios Kilintaris	Greece	$54,000
9	Wael Sarkis	Lebanon	$43,536