Congya Zhang Rallies From 12th to Win $300,000 Global Poker Championship
Zhang topped an 830-entry Mediterranean Poker Party opener in Cyprus, beating Sergei Petrushevskii heads-up after a late final-table surge.
Congya Zhang won the $2,200 Global Poker Championship at the 2026 Mediterranean Poker Party, banking $300,000 after a final-day comeback at Merit Crystal Cove Casino in Cyprus. Zhang topped an 830-entry field in the festival’s kickoff no-limit hold’em event, which carried a $2 million guaranteed prize pool paid across 124 places.
The victory was Zhang’s largest live tournament cash, surpassing the $150,000 she earned for finishing 61st in the 2026 World Series of Poker Main Event. That July run, from a field of 9,208 entries, also made her the last woman standing in the championship.
Zhang began the final day 12th of 16 remaining players, while Sergei Petrushevskii led the counts with 13.245 million chips and Yilu Yuan was second with 11.045 million. PokerNews reported that Zhang scored an early elimination but reached the final table among the shorter stacks.
Adrian State controlled much of the early final-table action, eliminating several players and building a chip lead. The momentum began to turn after State lost substantial pots to Petrushevskii and Mengdian Peng.
Zhang’s climb accelerated with six players left. She doubled through Paul Esau, then moved into second after Petrushevskii paid off her rivered straight. Zhang then eliminated State in fifth when her ace-king held against State’s ace-five, taking a huge lead in the process.
She went on to knock out Peng in fourth for $100,000 and Yuan in third for $140,000. Zhang held pocket tens against Yuan’s ace-king in the latter hand, leaving her with roughly a 4-to-1 advantage over Petrushevskii at the start of heads-up play.
The final duel lasted less than 20 minutes. Petrushevskii, who earned $200,000 as runner-up, moved all-in with pocket fives; Zhang called with pocket jacks, which held on a 7-3-3-10-9 board to secure the title.
“I have a lot of feelings, but the main one, I feel peaceful. I feel calm,” Zhang said after the win. She described it as “a fantastic year” and said she had grown more confident.
The late stages also featured three Chinese players at the final table. Zhang said she was proud of the group, calling it “a big moment for China,” and said, “Every Chinese player who comes so far to be here, they are all very good players.” The win earned her 912 Card Player Player of the Year points.
