Kassouf & WPT Global Qualifiers Headline Start of the WPT Cyprus Championship
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One week ago, the World Poker Tour (WPT) $5 Million GTD Festival kicked off at the Chamada Prestige Hotel & Casino, and earlier today the stop his a fever pitch with the start of the $3,500 buy-in, $2 million GTD WPT Cyprus Championship.
That tournament, which runs August 13-18, offers three starting flights with players starting with a 50,000 stack, playing 60-minute levels, and late registration being offered for 10 levels. PokerNews is on-site to offer content, social media, and interviews.
Through the first four levels of the opening flight – you can follow live updates from Day 1a here – nearly 250 entrants have packed the Chamada ballroom. Tournament staff headlined by Matt Savage and Justin Hammer oversaw the action, which included players such as Stephen Barnes, Ray Qartomy, Matt Davenport, WPT commentator Tony Dunst, and the controversial Will Kassouf.
One of the most polarizing figures in the poker world, Kassouf became infamous for his speech play while making a deep run in the 2016 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event, ultimately finishing in 17th place for $338,288. This past summer, Kassouf was back at it as he made another deep run in the same tournament.
In the 2025 WSOP Main Event, Kassouf made it to Day 7 before busting in 33rd place, after which he was told he would not be welcomed back for the final week of the series. Kassouf’s speech play, stalling, and other shenanigans had resulted in numerous penalties and seemingly rubbed tournament officials the wrong way.
If you want a little taste of what Kassouf was all about, here are eight minutes of highlights compiled by PokerNews:
Love him or hate him, Kassouf has been welcomed to the WPT Cyprus, where, thus far, he has kept a relatively low and quiet profile.
Also in the field were five WPT Global qualifiers in Maksym Danylov, Linda Nguyen, Emil Wydra, Sakandar Nayab, and Kristoffer Skolem; as well as WPT Global Ambassador Romulo Dorea.
In Level 2, WPT live reporter BJ Nemeth captured a hand involving Nguyen that showed off some of her poker prowess. It began when she raised to 700 from the cutoff and Camerion Williamson defended his big blind to see a flop of 5♠5♣2♦.
Williamson checked, Nguyen bet 600, and Williamson check-raised to 2,000. Nguyen called and then called a bet of 2,900 on the 10♣ turn, which brought about the A♠ on the river. Williamson bet big to the tune of 16,000 and Nguyen hit the tank before calling with the A♦J♣. It was good as Williamson had been bluffing with the K♦8♠.
Those qualifiers will look to follow in the footsteps of Alexander Lakhov, who was the last player to win a WPT Main Tour title in Cyprus back in 2014, that victory good for $325,400. Given that year’s prize pool was $1.48 million and this year’s boasts a $2 million guarantee, there’s a good chance this year’s winner will take home even more!
2025 WPT Cyprus Remaining Schedule
| Date | Time | Event | GTD | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wed 13 - Mon 18 Aug | 12:00 pm | WPT $ 3,200 + 300 No Limit Hold'em - WPT Championship Day 1A | $2,000,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool | 50k stack, 60 min clock, 10 LVLS late reg |
| Wed 13 Aug | 8:00 pm | $600 + 60 Satellite to WPT Championship Day 1B | 8 seats GTD | 10k stack, 15 min clock, 6 LVLS late reg |
| Wed 13 Aug | 11:00 pm | $5,000 + 300 Chamada High Roller Final Table | $500,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool | 100k stack, 40 min clock, 10 LVLS late reg |
| Thu 14 Aug | 12:00 pm | $3,200 + 300 No Limit Hold'em - WPT Championship Day 1B | $2,000,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool | 50k stack, 60 min clock, 10 LVLS late reg |
| Thu 14 Aug | 3:00 pm | $1,000 + 100 Pot Limit Omaha - Bounty Event | $60,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool | 20k stack, 20 min clock, 8 LVLS late reg |
| Thu 14 Aug | 11:00 pm | $600 + 60 Satellite to WPT Championship Day 1C | 8 seats GTD | 10k stack, 15 min clock, 6 LVLS late reg |
| Fri 15 Aug | 12:00 pm | $3,200 + 300 No Limit Hold'em - WPT Championship Day 1C | $2,000,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool | 50k stack, 60 min clock, 10 LVLS late reg |
| Fri 15 Aug | 4:00 pm | $1,000 + 100 No Limit Hold'em - Bounty ITM | $100,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool | 20k stack, 20 min clock, 8 LVLS late reg |
| Fri 15 Aug | 11.59 pm | $750 + 75 No Limit Hold'em - Speed Up | $50,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool | 20k stack, 10 min clock, 8 LVLS late reg |
| Sat 16 Aug | 12:00 pm | $3,200 + 300 WPT Championship Day 2 | $2,000,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool | 60 min clock |
| Sat 16 - Mon 18 Aug | 5:00 pm | $1,000 + 100 No Limit Hold'em - Mystery Bounty Event | $100,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool | 20k stack, 20 min clock, 8 LVLS late reg |
| Sat 16 Aug | 11:00 pm | $1,000 + 100 Satellite to Chamada Super High Roller | 5 seats GTD | 15k stack, 15 min clock, 6 LVLS late reg |
| Sun 17 Aug | 12:00 pm | WPT Championship Day 3 | $2,000,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool | 60 min clock |
| Sun 17 - Mon 18 Aug | 3:00 pm | $7,500 + 500 No Limit Hold'em - Chamada Super High Roller | $300,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool | 100k stack, 30 min clock, 10 LVLS late reg |
| Sun 17 Aug | 8.00 pm | $2,000 + 200 No Limit Hold'em - Last Chance | $150,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool | 30k stack, 30 min clock, 8 LVLS late reg |
| Mon 18 Aug | 12:00 pm | WPT Championship Final Table | $2,000,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool | 60 min clock |
| Mon 18 Aug | 3.00 pm | $7,500 + 500 Chamada Super High Roller Final Day | $300,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool | 30 min clock |
| Mon 18 Aug | 5:00 pm | $1,000 + 100 Mystery Final Table Only | $75,000 Guaranteed Prize Pool | 20k stack, 20 min clock, 8 LVLS late reg |
Cyprus’ Rich Poker History
Cyprus has played host to some legendary WPT moments over the years. Just take a look at these past champions who have conquered the felt:
- 2009 – Thomas Bichon (France): Won the first-ever WPT Merit Cyprus Classic for $579,165.
- 2012 – Marvin Rettenmaier (Germany): Pulled off the rare back-to-back WPT title win, taking home $287,784 in Cyprus just after winning the WPT World Championship.
- 2013 – Alexey Rybin (Russia): Went wire-to-wire, never surrendering his chip lead on the way to a $258,000 payday.
- 2014 – Alexander Lakhov (Russia): Secured a WPT Main Event title to go along with his WPT National victory, banking $310,000.
Images courtesy of the World Poker Tour
In this Series
- 1 Kassouf & WPT Global Qualifiers Headline Start of the WPT Cyprus Championship
- 2 2025 WPT Cyprus Coming to Chamada Prestige Hotel & Casino August 6-18
- 3 Alexsandr Pak Leads WPT Cyprus Day 1a, Tony Dunst & Romulo Dorea Find a Bag
- 4 Miracle River Gives Brazilian Vlogging Superstar Rare Triple KO at WPT Cyprus
- 5 WPT Prime Cyprus Bubble Boy Gets Revenge By Bagging Championship Chip Lead
- 6 Exclusive Interview w/ Will Kassouf, Self-Proclaimed ‘Donald Trump of Poker’ | PokerNews Podcast #912
- 7 Germany’s Metin Yalciner Bags Biggest Stack on Day 1c of WPT Cyprus Championship
- 8 Will Kassouf Discusses WSOP Controversy: “I Was Only Reacting to How I Was Being Treated”
- 9 Ludovic Geilich Wins WPT Cyprus Mystery Bounty; Ilia Kitsbabahvili Claims Two Side Event Titles
- 10 Bubble Bursts: Big Prize Awaits Winner 11 Years After Last WPT Main Event in Cyprus
- 11 After Six Final Tables Ray Qartomy’s Quest for a "Dream" Title Continues at WPT Cyprus
- 12 WPT Cyprus Final Table Set, Elena Litviniuk Seeks to Become 3rd Women to Win WPT Open Main Event
- 13 It’s a Hattrick! Ilia Kitsbabahvili Wins Two Side Events Plus WPT Cyprus Championship ($401,100)
- 14 Hands of the Week: Crushed Dreams at WPT Cyprus; Kassouf Left Saying “Not Good”
