Premiere of WSOP Circuit in Cyprus
One of the most prestigious stops on the poker calendar has made its debut in Cyprus. The WSOP Super Circuit Cyprus 2025 has successfully kicked off, drawing hundreds of players from around the globe right from day one.
The series, running from October 9 to 21 at the Merit Royal Diamond Resort in Kyrenia, features 15 tournaments with buy-ins ranging from $1,100 to $26,000. Highlights include the $5,300 Main Event, $2,200 Mini Main Event, $3,300 Mystery Bounty, and two $26,000 Super High Rollers.
Each winner secures a prestigious WSOPC gold ring and a package to WSOP Paradise 2025. This package includes entry to the $2,750 Championship Mystery Bounty with a guaranteed $5 million prizepool and a hotel stay at Atlantis Paradise Resort in the Bahamas.
Samuel Stranak Triumphs in PLO Event to Clinch Second WSOPC Ring
Slovak professional Samuel Stranak achieved another remarkable success, winning the $3,300 Pot Limit Omaha - Turbo (Event #4) at the WSOP Super Circuit Cyprus. Stranak prevailed in a challenging field of 80 entries, taking home $66,119 from a $228,000 prizepool, his second WSOPC ring, and a $5,000 WSOP Paradise package.
Stranak outplayed Aleksei Petrov from Russia in heads-up and continues his streak of success in WSOP events at biennial intervals. In 2021, he won his first WSOP bracelet at the $2K PLO event, and in 2023, he claimed his first ring at WSOPC in Rozvadov by winning the $440 PLO 6-Max. This marks another victory in Pot Limit Omaha, confirming his status as one of the top PLO players in the region.
|
Rank |
Player |
Country |
Winnings |
|
1 |
Samuel Stranak |
Slovakia |
$66,119 |
|
2 |
Aleksei Petrov |
Russia |
$42,465 |
|
3 |
Elio Farah |
Lebanon |
$28,469 |
|
4 |
Nikita Iakovlev |
Russia |
$19,958 |
|
5 |
Milos Skrbic |
Serbia |
$14,662 |
|
6 |
Oliver Weis |
Germany |
$11,313 |
|
7 |
Oshri Lahmani |
Israel |
$9,192 |
Russian Double Start: Iakobishvili and Lykov Conquer First Events
The first two rings at the WSOP Super Circuit Cyprus went to Russian players, marking a triumphant start to the festival.
In the opening event #1: $1,650 NLH Opener, Giia Iakobishvili conquered a field of 444 entries to win his first WSOPC ring, a $118,000 prize, and a $5,000 WSOP Paradise 2025 package.
Iakobishvili, mainly known as a top cash game player, showed he can be equally formidable in live tournaments.
|
Place |
Player |
Country |
Winnings |
|
1. |
Giia Iakobishvili |
Russia |
$118,000 |
|
2. |
Ekrem Sanioglu |
Turkey |
$80,000 |
|
3. |
Aren Bezhanyan |
Russia |
$55,000 |
|
4. |
Anton Danilov |
Russia |
$38,000 |
|
5. |
Cengizhan Isikkaya |
Turkey |
$28,500 |
|
6. |
Tahsin Alper Cankurtaranli |
Turkey |
$22,000 |
|
7. |
Matte Bjarni Peltoavi Karjalainen |
Finland |
$17,000 |
Just a day later, Russia scored a second victory. Maxim Lykov, winner of the EPT Main Event in Kiev 2009 and WSOP bracelet holder, leveraged his experience to triumph in event #2: $1,100 NLH 8-Max, which attracted 666 entries. For his performance, he earned $126,000 and a WSOP Paradise package.
Lykov added a second WSOPC ring to his achievements this year, further cementing his reputation as one of the most consistent professionals on the European scene.
|
Place |
Player |
Country |
Winnings |
|
1. |
Maxim Lykov |
Russia |
$126,000 |
|
2. |
Daniel Kristof Dragoi |
Hungary |
$80,000 |
|
3. |
Xiaosheng Zheng |
China |
$57,000 |
|
4. |
Quan Zhou |
China |
$41,000 |
|
5. |
Hao Tian |
China |
$29,000 |
|
6. |
Alexey Losev |
Russia |
$21,000 |
|
7. |
Milen Bakardjiev |
Bulgaria |
$16,000 |
Source: WSOP, The Hendon Mob, Flickr, X
