Merit Poker Launches New NOIR Series; Full Schedule Released

Ever wished you could see what would’ve happened after you folded? That’s exactly what players will be able to do at the inaugural Merit Poker NOIR Series, where a new Rabbit Hunting Card feature will make its debut.

Running from July 27 to August 6 at the Merit Royal Diamond Hotel Casino & Spa in North Cyprus, the new festival features more than $6 million in guaranteed prize pools and arrives just before the Onyx High Roller Series, giving players nearly three weeks of back-to-back tournament action at the same venue.

Merit Poker Classic NOIR Series Full Schedule

Rabbit Hunting Comes to Merit Poker

Every player who enters the $5,500 Main Event or $7,500 High Roller will receive one Rabbit Hunting Card for that tournament. After a hand is complete, players who were involved can use their card to reveal the remaining community cards and find out what would’ve happened had the board run to completion.

The card can only be used once during the tournament, making players choose carefully when to satisfy their curiosity.

Merit Poker is also giving players another incentive to register early. Anyone in their seat before the start of a tournament will receive a 10% starting stack boost, available in every event except satellites. For multi-flight tournaments, the promotion applies only to Day 1A.

$3 Million Main Event Headlines Schedule

The festival opens with the $3,500 Merit Poker Cup, which carries a $1 million guarantee and runs from July 28-31.

That is followed by the $7,500 High Roller, another $1 million guaranteed tournament, before attention turns to the centerpiece of the series, the $5,500 Main Event, which boasts a $3 million guaranteed prize pool.

The Main Event features four starting flights beginning on August 2, with a champion crowned on August 6.

The schedule also includes a $3,300 Mystery Bounty with a $300,000 guarantee, a $3,300 Big Bounty, a $3,300 Pot-Limit Omaha 5-Card Knockout, a $330 Women’s Championship, plus a full slate of satellites and side events throughout the festival.

Packages Available for Dedicated Grinders

Players planning to spend the entire series in North Cyprus can also take advantage of two tournament packages.

The $40,000 package includes 11 nights’ accommodation at the five-star Merit Royal Diamond Hotel Casino & Spa, airport transfers from either Larnaca or Ercan, entry into the $3,500 Merit Poker Cup, and free accommodation provided the full $40,000 tournament allocation is used during the festival.

There’s also a $25,000 package, which includes the same tournament flexibility and transfers, while offering the hotel stay at 50% off, reducing the cost of the 11-night stay from $3,850 to $1,925.

In both cases, the remaining package balance can be used across any tournament or re-entry during the series.

Straight Into the Onyx High Roller Series

For players who aren’t ready to head home after NOIR wraps up, they won’t have to.

The Onyx High Roller Series begins immediately afterwards at the same venue, with the Merit Royal Diamond Hotel Casino & Spa once again hosting some of poker’s biggest names for another festival packed with seven-figure guarantees and high-stakes action.

Calum has been a part of the PokerNews team since September 2021 after working in the UK energy sector. He played his first hand of poker in 2017 and immediately fell in love with the game.

Calum has written for various poker outlets but found his home at PokerNews, where he has contributed to various articles and live updates, providing insights and reporting on major poker events, including the World Series of Poker (WSOP).