The five-star, all-inclusive Merit Crystal Cove Hotel & Casino in Kyrenia, Cyprus, is gearing up to host another action-packed poker festival, the Merit Poker Carmen Series. Running from March 18-31, the Merit Poker Carmen Series schedule features over 60 tournaments and satellites, with each boasting a guarantee.
PokerNews' live reporting team is heading to sunny Cyprus to bring you live and exclusive coverage from three of the Merit Poker Carmen Series' biggest events.
The $3,300 Main Event is first on our agenda. It runs from March 21-26, boasting a $1,000,000 guarantee on its prize pool. Frenchman Maxime Chilaud is the reigning champion, having outlasted 764 opponents in 2023, and collecting a then-career-best $376,800.
From March 25-27, we will have coverage of the $5,300 buy-in, $200,000 guaranteed High Roller for you. Aliaksandr Hirs defeated Fahredin Mustafov heads-up last year; Hirs got his hands on $204,700, the second-largest live score of his career.
Last, but certainly not least, is the $2,200 Merit Poker Cup, which comes with a $500,000 guarantee, and runs March 27-31. A new event on this series' schedule, the only comparative event from 2023 was the $2,200 Warm-Up that saw Arie Kliper walk away with the title of champion and $202,750 in prize money.
2024 Merit Poker Carmen Series Schedule
Once you expand the table below, you'll be able to feast your eyes on the incredible Merit Poker Carmen Series schedule and plan your action if you're heading to Cyprus.
March 25 at 10:00 p.m. local time sees a tournament shuffle up and deal that is sure t capture the poker community's attention. The $1,100 Pot-Limit Omaha Double Board Bomb Pot carries a $50,000 guarantee on its prize pool, but the fact such an event is on the 2024 World Series of Poker (WSOP) schedule means it will receive plenty of attention from poker aficionados.
There are two main ways to fly into Northern Cyprus where the Merit Poker Carmen Series is held. The first is to fly directly into Ercan Airport in North Cyprus, which requires a brief touchdown at a Turkish airport on the way. Flying into Larnaca Airport in the southern part of Cyprus is another option.
Although the official currency is Turkish lira, US dollars are widely accepted. Indeed, all of the Merit Poker Carmen Series events have buy-ins and guarantees in US dollars.
Ensure you pack for sunny weather, as the temperature is usually around the low-to-mid 20s at this time of year.
Matthew Pitt hails from Leeds, West Yorkshire, in the United Kingdom, and has worked in the poker industry since 2008, and worked for PokerNews since 2010. In September 2010, he became the editor of PokerNews. Matthew stepped away from live reporting duties in 2015, and now concentrates on his role of Senior Editor for the PokerNews.
