Razinkov soared like an eagle to victory in the MPP $3,300 Paradise Mystery Bounty Tournament.

Aleksandr Razinkov won the 2026 Mediterranean Poker Party $3,300 Paradise Mystery Bounty, taking home $85,000. He defeated Aleksei Istomin, who surpassed his career prize money of $1 million.

The 2026 Mediterranean Poker Party concluded with a high-octane action at Merit Crystal Cove Hotel & Casino, featuring the $3,300 Paradise Mystery Bounty Tournament.

Ultimately, the title was won by the methodical Russian athlete Aleksandr Razinkov, who successfully navigated the chaos and fierce competition of the earlier weight classes that day.

Businessman Razinkov told PokerNews that his passion for paragliding is the source of his success.

"As a paraglider pilot, I wait for perfect weather conditions before I fly. The same goes for poker. Sometimes you just have to observe and wait."

The moment of victory came when his opponent, Aleksei Istomin, had only nine big blinds left and went all-in with K-3. Razinkov called with 10-5 and hit a 10 on the flop, securing the trophy and the $85,000 first-place prize ($). Istomin's second-place finish was enough to push him past the $1 million career earnings mark.

$3,300 Paradise Mystery Bounty Tournament Final Table Results

Champion's reaction

"Quite high, probably third or fourth," Razinkov said of the victory's ranking in his career.

Razinkov proudly wears the World Series of Poker Tour ring he won last year at the Merit Royal Diamond, with a prize of $150,000.

Razinkov maintains a perfect poker face throughout the day, showing almost no emotion regardless of winning or losing any pot.

When asked how he would celebrate, it seemed to be his natural instinct.

"I don't need to go out drinking to celebrate. I know I'll wake up in a good mood tomorrow morning. When I was a kid, people would ask me what was wrong, but I was happy, just that my happiness was inside."

"This victory gives me more options for the future. Triton will be coming to Merit in November, and I'm interested in playing in higher-stakes events, so I'm open to sponsorship offers!"

Day 2 Match Results

The survivors on the second day are guaranteed at least a $3,000 bonus, but the main reason people return is to eliminate as many people as possible in order to have a chance to win the highest mystery bounty of $100,000.

The action was loose, reckless, and ruthless! After four levels, the returning player 60% was eliminated, causing players to line up and reach into the lottery drum to grab envelopes.

One of the masters of chaos was Hu Chengxu, who eliminated five players in those two hours. One of the bounty tokens allowed him to draw the highest mystery bounty prize. His other bounties were $25,000, $10,000, $5,000, and $3,500.

Hu Chengxu could have easily won a much bigger prize—the entire tournament. He sometimes held a chip lead at the final table, but ultimately lost in a three-way all-in against the eventual champion, finishing in fourth place.

This proved to be the turning point of the game. Leonid Orman went all-in with Q-10 suited from the cutoff, and Hu Chengxu called from the button with AQ, but Razinkov held Big Slick. Orman hit a 10 on the flop, but Razinkov hit an A on the river, taking a commanding lead.

Hu Chengxu's compatriot Zhang Congya concluded a thrilling week with a fifth-place finish ($20,200). Zhang Congya previously won the Global Poker Championship at this event, earning a prize of $300,000.

But this day belonged to Razinkov, whose friend Boris Smuskevicius, the Merit Poker Cup champion, congratulated him after the match.

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