Ivan Ilichev Triumphs in Record-Breaking Main Event at Merit Carmen Series

The luxurious Merit Royal Diamond resort hosted the largest Main Event in the history of the Merit Carmen series. The tournament, with a $3,500 buy-in, attracted a massive 1,094 entries. After four thrilling days of competition, Russian player Ivan Ilichev emerged victorious, taking home a fairy-tale prize of $525,000.

Record Participation as a Successful Substitute for the WSOP

The uniqueness of the event is highlighted by the fact that the entire Carmen Series festival served as a direct replacement for the canceled WSOP Super Circuit, which was supposed to take place from April 25 to May 11. The official reason for the cancellation of the world series was overall instability in the region.

However, organizers from Merit Poker decided to rename the event to Carmen Series, a strategic move that paid off handsomely, as the originally set record guarantees were not only reached but completely smashed.

Journey to a Life-Changing Victory

Ivan Ilichev's story is an inspiration for many recreational and aspiring professional players. Ilichev started playing poker just five years ago during the "poker boom" sparked by the pandemic.

He regularly returned to the May series at Merit Poker over the past three years, but it wasn't until this year that he achieved his long-awaited breakthrough. His previous maximum in live tournaments was surpassed sevenfold by his win in the Main Event, and the prize itself exceeds all his previous live earnings combined.

On the final day, Ilichev faced strong international competition, including experienced French professional Maxime Chilaud and representatives from host country Turkey. However, the Russian player delivered a dominant performance, securing a permanent place in history.

IVAN ILICHEV WINS THE CARMEN MAIN EVENT 🏆

Five years ago, Ivan Ilichev 🇷🇺 was just entering the game during the strange poker boom of the pandemic years. Tonight, he leaves Merit Royal Diamond as the champion of the biggest Carmen Main Event ever held.

Outlasting a field of… pic.twitter.com/6lsj8pPYJn
— Merit Poker (@meritpokerlive) May 7, 2026

Final Table Results of the $3,500 Main Event Merit Carmen Series:

Position	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

Sources: Merit Poker, Flickr, X