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The 2026 Mediterranean Poker Party at the Merit Crystal Cove Resort has crowned a new Main Event champion. Daniil Kiselev outlasted a field of 972 entries in the $5,400 buy-in event to secure the trophy and a $1,000,000 top prize.
Kiselev entered Day 3 as one of the shorter stacks among the final 16 players but steadily climbed the counts, arriving at the final table as chip leader. He described his run as an emotional rollercoaster, recalling a moment on Day 1d when he was down to just 23,000 in chips before rebuilding his stack over the following days.
A key moment came when Kiselev eliminated 2025 champion Daniel Thaller, who had made a strong push toward a repeat title. Thaller’s ace-king could not beat Kiselev’s king-queen after Thaller shoved from the small blind, and the defending champion exited in fourth place for $290,000.
Jordan Woodall, who had knocked out several notable players on Day 3, finished in third after losing a limp-shove confrontation against Mehmet Biskin. That set up a heads-up battle between Kiselev and Biskin, with Kiselev holding a near 2-1 chip advantage.
Kiselev extended his lead by calling down a few of Biskin’s river bluffs before making a bold limp-shove bluff with nine-three suited. Biskin called with king-queen, but Kiselev paired his three on the board to seal the victory.
Reflecting on the win, Kiselev credited both luck and support from friends and family, calling the title his best career score to date.
