Hands of the Week: Crushed Dreams at WPT Cyprus; Kassouf Left Saying “Not Good”

Chad Holloway PR & Media Manager

Aug 20, 2025 4 min read

Two-Time Champ on Wrong End of Cooler
Big Call Doesn’t Pay Off for Williamson
Triple Up Snatched Away from Song on the River
“Not Good” is All Kassouf Had to Say
The Thunderous Tale of Sole vs. Pak

The World Poker Tour (WPT) $3,500 buy-in, $2 million GTD WPT Cyprus Championship at the Chamada Prestige Hotel & Casino drew 775 entries and offered up a $2,402,500 prize pool.

Ilia Kitsbabahvili, who had won two WPT Cyprus side events – the $1,100 NLH Freezeout for €34,430 and $1,100 PLO Bounty for €15,250 – ended up winning the tournament for $401,100 and etched his name on the Mike Sexton Champions Cup.

For four days, the WPT Live Reporting Team, comprised of BJ Nemeth and Richard Hayes, captured some of the biggest and game-changing hands from the tournament. Here’s a look at five we thought readers would find interesting.

Will Kassouf Discusses WSOP Controversy: “I Was Only Reacting to How I Was Being Treated”

Two-Time Champ on Wrong End of Cooler

On Day 1a, it was Level 8 (600/1,200/1,200) when preflop action exploded, resulting in three players getting it all in with both Guo Liang Wei and two-time WPT champion Tommy Vedes at risk against Furkan Yavuz.

Tommy Vedes: K♠K♥
Guo Liang Wei: A♣A♦
Furkan Yavuz: 5♠5♥

Wei had the best of it and improved to top set on the A♠J♦7♦. Vedes needed to go runner-runner to stay alive, and the K♦ on the turn kept him drawing live to the case king. The improbable didn’t happen, though, as the 6♦ appeared on the river to improve Wei to a flush.

Big Call Doesn’t Pay Off for Williamson

On Day 1b, it was Level 6 (400/800/800) when Baris Topuz raised to 1,800 under the gun and received a call from Gheorghe Fedorca in middle position. Cameron Williamson then made it 6,500 to go from the cutoff, Will Kassouf called from the big blind, and the other two players called to make it four-way action to a flop of Q♦J♥5♥.

Action checked to Williamson, and he bet 9,000, which prompted folds from both Kassouf and Topuz. However, Fedorca woke up with an all-in check-raise to 91,00,0 and Williamson hit the tank.

After a while, Williamson asked, "You've got a flush draw, yeah? Maybe ace-ten of hearts?"

After Fedorca silently shrugged, Williamson revealed that all he had was ace-high. Eventually, he did call off his remaining 41,500 with the A♠K♠ and it was ahead as Fedorca showed the K♣10♠ for an open-ended straight draw.

Unfortunately for Williamson, his great call didn’t pay off as the 9♦ appeared on the turn to give Fedorca the straight. The 4♣ river was no help to Williamson, and he exited the tournament.

Triple Up Snatched Away from Song on the River

Early on Day 1c in Level 2 (200/300/300), Yaser Sakarya raised to 800 from the hijack and Chadi Rizk called from the cutoff. WPT Prime champ Stephen Song then moved all in for just 3,100 from the button.

Matte Karjalainen then raised to 5,400 from the big blind, Sakarya folded, and Rizk called to see a flop of K♥J♥J♣. Karjalainen proceeded to check-fold to a bet of 9,000 from Rizk, who claimed the side pot.

Song then tabled his A♥7♣ for ace-high, and it was good as Rizk just had the Q♦8♦ for queen-high.

“My man,” Song said as a way of thanking Rizk for betting out the Karjalainen. Song was primed for a triple after the 7♥ turn, which improved him to a pair, but he was denied as the Q♣ spiked on the river to give Rizk a better two pair for the win.

Fun Fact: The WPT’s Matt Savage recently shared with PokerNews that Stephen Song will be a bounty at October’s WPT Bay 101 Shooting Star event. PokerNews Podcast host Chad Holloway caught up with Song to talk about it.

https://twitter.com/PokerNews/status/1957441144326893642

“Not Good” is All Kassouf Had to Say

On Day 2, the controversial Will Kassouf met his end in Level 10 (1,000/2,000/2,000). It happened when he found himself all in for approximately 40,000 and at risk against Maksym Danylov.

Will Kassouf: A♠Q♠
Maksym Danylov: 10♦10♥

It was a flip but Kassouf fell behind when the J♦7♦3♦ flop took away two of his outs as either the ace or queen of diamonds would give his opponent a flush.

“Not good,” Kassouf muttered. He then watched helplessly as the J♥ paired the board on the turn and the useless K♠ peeled off on the river.

It was a fairly standard hand, but it gave us a good excuse to plus Kassouf’s recent appearance on the PokerNews Podcast in which he discussed his polarizing run in the 2025 WSOP Main Event.

The Thunderous Tale of Sole vs. Pak

Deep in the tournament on Day 3, just 12 players remained in Level 27 (50,000/100,000/100,000) when Ignacio Sole raised to 225,000 from the button and Day 1a chip leader Aleksandr Pak defended the big blind to see a flop of K♥Q♣8♦.

Pak check-called a bet of 175,000 and then bet 325,000 when the 8♠ paired the board on the river. Sole used a Time Chip before calling and the J♠ completed the board on the river. Pal bet 900,000 and Sole quickly called and tabled the 10♦9♦ for a rivered gutshot straight, which bested the 8♣5♥ trips of his opponent.

With that, Sole won a 3.4 million pot while Pak was left with 1.9 million (19 bb). Not long after, the duo clashed again when Sole jammed the button with the 10♥8♥ and Pak called off from the big blind with the K♦Q♦. The board ran out 10♣7♥2♦2♥8♣ and Sole eliminated Pak in 10th place for $38,500.