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The $3,500 Merit Poker Cup at the 2026 Mediterranean Poker Party has crowned its champion, with Lithuania’s Boris Smuskevicius capturing the title at Merit Crystal Cove Hotel Casino & Spa and walking away with a career-best $217,000 payday.
The victory represents a major milestone for Smuskevicius, whose previous largest recorded live score was $39,800. After years of competing at Merit Poker events, the Lithuanian finally secured one of his biggest career goals, supported throughout the closing stages by an enthusiastic rail of friends.
Smuskevicius brought an aggressive presence to the final table and was involved in several of the most important pots of the day. One confrontation in particular completely changed the direction of his tournament.
Holding pocket jacks, Smuskevicius found himself all in against Mehmet Dalkilic’s pocket queens in a pot worth roughly a quarter of all the chips in play. He was behind until a jack arrived on the turn, completing his set and delivering a crucial double-up that became the catalyst for his championship run.
An ICM agreement was eventually reached three-handed between Smuskevicius, Ekrem Sanioglu, and Joseph Mouawad, securing significant payouts for all three while leaving the trophy still to play for.
Smuskevicius then completed his victory in spectacular fashion, making quad queens against Sanioglu in the closing stages to seal the title and lift the Merit Poker Cup.
$3,500 Merit Poker Cup Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Country | Prize |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boris Smuskevicius | Lithuania | $217,000* |
| 2 | Ekrem Sanioglu | France | $118,000* |
| 3 | Joseph Mouawad | Lebanon | $124,000* |
| 4 | Vyacheslav Kardash | Russia | $74,000 |
| 5 | Darko Svesko | Serbia | $58,000 |
| 6 | Espen Sandvik | Norway | $46,000 |
| 7 | Mehmet Dalkilic | Turkey | $37,000 |
| 8 | Aleksanras Rusinovas | Lithuania | $29,000 |
| 9 | Viktor Iarilov | Russia | $22,520 |
*Three-handed ICM deal
A Long-Awaited Merit Poker Victory
After a demanding day at the tables, Smuskevicius reflected on both the result and his long relationship with Merit Poker.
“I think I will enjoy everything tomorrow! But I am very happy. It was a nice tournament, with a lot of hard work, a lot of happiness, and a lot of bluffing. The structure was perfect.”
Smuskevicius revealed that Merit has been a regular destination for him for around a decade, missing only a small number of festivals during that time.
“It is a good card room, great staff, great tournaments, great food and a peaceful, wonderful five-star hotel.”
His relationship with poker itself stretches back even further. Smuskevicius began playing around 20 years ago in Lithuania, developing his game through tournaments, cash games, and home games before eventually looking beyond his home country for bigger challenges.
The new champion was also quick to recognize the people who supported him along the way.
“I am very thankful to my family because they always believed in me, and also my friends who supported me. They believed I could hit a big one, and it has taken a lot of work.”
Fast-Paced Action on Day 2
A total of 63 players returned for Day 2, and the field began shrinking almost immediately. Twenty-four players were eliminated within the opening two hours, with many of the shorter stacks forced into early all-in situations.
Among the notable players eliminated during the earlier stages were Eugene Katchalov, Selahaddin Bedir, and Adrian State.
Chenxu Zhang, the only woman to advance to Day 2, put together an impressive run before narrowly missing the final table in tenth place. Her tournament ended against Dalkilic when her pocket tens faced king-queen, with a king on the flop giving Dalkilic the winning pair.
Svesko Leads the Charge Before the Final Table
For much of Day 2, Darko Svesko appeared to be the player to catch. The Serbian combined sustained aggression with several well-timed hands to build the largest stack entering the final table.
His momentum did not carry through to the finish, however. Svesko eventually departed in fifth place after Joseph Mouawad flopped a wheel against his pair of sixes.
Mouawad produced one of the other standout performances of the tournament. The former EPT London champion repeatedly navigated short-stack situations to remain in contention, eventually securing third place and $124,000 following the three-handed deal — his biggest live result in years.
But the final chapter belonged to Smuskevicius.
From a pivotal set of jacks to quad queens in the closing stages, Boris Smuskevicius completed a memorable run to secure his biggest-ever live score, the $217,000 first prize, and the Merit Poker Cup trophy at the Mediterranean Poker Party.
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