Smuskevicius Wins Merit Poker Cup for

Lithuanian Veteran Lands Career-Defining Score

The $3,500 Merit Poker Cup at the Merit Crystal Cove Hotel & Casino in Northern Cyprus reached its conclusion with a career-defining result for Lithuanian poker veteran Boris Smuskevicius, who has spent roughly two decades in the game. The event ran as part of the Mediterranean Poker Party 2026.

The tournament drew 418 entries and generated a prize pool of $1,270,720. Sixty-three players returned for Day 2, meaning the money bubble and the long grind toward the final table were still ahead of the field.

For Smuskevicius, the result carried extra weight. He has treated the Merit Resort as a regular poker destination for about a decade, and the win arrived at a venue he knows well rather than at a one-off stop on the schedule.

A Pivotal Pot Against Dalkilic

The most important hand of the tournament came in a confrontation with Turkish player Mehmet Dalkilic. Smuskevicius called Dalkilic's all-in holding Jd Jc, and found himself behind Dalkilic's Qh Qc. A jack on the turn gave Smuskevicius a set, and with it a large chip lead that he did not surrender for the remainder of the event.

That hand illustrates a familiar tournament dynamic: when two players get their stacks in preflop with a pair-versus-pair matchup, the outcome is close to a coin flip in terms of equity, and the winner often carries the momentum and the stack depth needed to pressure the rest of the table. Smuskevicius leaned on that leverage with notably aggressive play at the final table.

Three-Way ICM Deal and the Play-Off

Down to the final three, Smuskevicius, Ekrem Sanioglu and Lebanese player Joseph Mouawad, the EPT London 2007 champion, agreed to an ICM deal. Such deals divide the remaining prize money according to chip stacks and payouts rather than playing every spot to the end, and they are common at final tables where the pay jumps are steep.

With the deal in place, the three players still competed for the trophy and an additional $46,000 bonus. Smuskevicius controlled that phase of play.

In the final hand of the tournament, Sanioglu moved all-in with Kd 6h. Smuskevicius called with Ah Qs. The board ran out Qc Qd Td Qh 6s, giving Smuskevicius quads and closing out the event.

Final Table Results

• 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-way ICM deal.

What the Result Means

For a player with two decades of experience, a score of this size at a $3,500 buy-in event represents a significant result, and the ICM deal structure means the listed payouts reflect the negotiated split rather than a straight ladder. The trophy and the $46,000 bonus were settled on the felt, and Smuskevicius took both.

The Merit Crystal Cove stop has become a recurring fixture on the live tournament calendar in Northern Cyprus, attracting a mix of regional regulars and traveling professionals. A field of 418 entries at the $3,500 level reflects that draw.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who won the $3,500 Merit Poker Cup?

Boris Smuskevicius of Lithuania won the event, taking $217,000 after a three-way ICM deal and a play-off for the trophy and a $46,000 bonus.

What was the prize pool and field size?

The tournament drew 418 entries and produced a prize pool of $1,270,720. Sixty-three players advanced to Day 2.

What was the key hand of the final table?

Smuskevicius called Mehmet Dalkilic's all-in with Jd Jc against Qh Qc and hit a set when a jack fell on the turn, giving him a lead he held to the end.