Congya Zhang Wins Mediterranean Poker Party Event in Northern Cyprus

The 2026 Mediterranean Poker Party festival’s $2,200 flagship event, the Global Poker Championship came with a $300,000 top prize and concluded this week at the Merit Crystal Cove Casino. The final day started with 16 players, at which point the Chinese player Congya Zhang sat 12^th in chips. By the end, her domination was such that she took out each of her final five rivals.

Congya’s Early Comeback

With 16 players starting the third and final day of the event, Congya Zhang was embedded in the bottom half when play began. Slowly but surely, she hung in there, until, with nine players left, she had reached the final table. When that final began, Zhang was just seventh of the nine players and had only a quarter of the stack held by leader Mengdian Peng from her home country.

It was the Turkish player Selahaddin Bedir who busted first of the nine, cashing for $29,000. All-in with ace-queen, he was dominated by Adrian State’s ace-king and could find no help across the board. Soon, eight players became seven as the regular at European poker tables Fahredin Mustafov        made his bow. Losing his last chips with queen-ten to Paul Esau’s jack-six when a six landed on the river, the Bulgarian made $40,000 for his deep run.

Next to go was the Turkish player Oguzhan Kasar. All-in with ace-queen, even a queen on the flop couldn’t save him, as he walked into the brick wall of Paul Esau’s pocket aces, claiming $52,000 on his way out. Esau’s run had been impressive but as the saying goes, you’re only two hands from the door in No Limit Hold’em and the German found that to his cost.

All-in soon after with ace-jack, Esau couldn’t hold against Zhang’s pocket tens as the eventual winner rode out a queen-high board. Soon, Zhang had the lead, so when the Chinese called Esau’s next shove, it was for his tournament life. This time, he could only dream of being a coinflip chance of doubling. His ace-ten was dominated by Zhang’s ace-queen and he left with $65,000 in sixth place.

All-In State of Mind

“Every Chinese player who comes so far to be here, they are all very good players.”

With five players left, Zhang had the chip lead and all of the momentum. Adrian State shoved with ace-five but was snapped off by Zhang, her ace-king easily reducing the field to four as the Romanian left with $80,000 in fifth. Soon, only three remained, as an all-Chinese clash ended with Mengdian Peng on the outside looking in. Short-stacked and all-in with ace-seven, Peng went home with $100,000 in fourth when Zhang’s pocket jacks held to send play three-handed.

While she then lost a big pot to the Russian Sergei Petrushevskii, Zhang immediately took out Yilu Yuan in third place for $140,000. Ace-king was no good for the at-risk Chinese player, as Zhang’s pocket tens held through the T-7-4-7-5 board, even making sure by turning a full house to leave Yuan drawing dead to the river.

Heads-up, Zhang’s 3:1 chip lead told, as the Russian Petrushevskii eventually fell even further behind. With just 15% of the chips in play, he shoved with pocket fives for 10 million chips and Zhang called it off with pocket jacks. No danger on the board gave an emotional Zhang victory and $300,000, while Petrushevskii claimed $200,000 as runner-up.

“I’m very satisfied with myself,” said Zhang after her win. “I was a little bit nervous because I’m so short, but I believe in myself, so I always hang on. I have a lot of patience. I got a lot of good hands and won all the flips when I had a short stack, so it’s gone very smoothly.”

Asked about the power her win might have on the nation of China in future events, a clearly proud Zhang was positive.

“I’m so proud of us, it’s a big moment for China,” she said. “Every Chinese player who comes so far to be here, they are all very good players. I love it here, I love Cyprus, I love Merit. This is Paradise, I think.”