It is exhausting to imagine it has been virtually 15 years for the reason that World Poker Tour first visited Cyprus, however the WPT returns later this month to the Mediterranean island for a $1,000,000 GTD WPT Prime occasion as a part of its Season XXII schedule.
This brand-new competition will run from Aug. 15-26 on the Chamada Status Lodge & Spa, which options 50 poker tables. Right here we check out the lengthy historical past of the WPT and Cyprus.
2009: Cyprus’ First Main Worldwide Poker Match
There have been some large names in motion because the first-ever WPT Advantage Cyprus Traditional came about again in 2009, however finally it was France’s Thomas Bichon who was triumphant over a discipline of 181 gamers.
Bichon took house $579,165 for the biggest money of his poker profession, in what was the primary main worldwide poker match held on Cypriot soil. Uri Keidar misplaced out heads-up, with Rep Porter making it to the ultimate desk, ending fourth for $121,115.
Poker Corridor of Famers Huck Seed and Layne Flack each cashed within the occasion, ending in seventh and tenth place respectively.
2012: Rettenmaier Goes Again-to-Again
Season X of the World Poker Tour had completed with Marvin Rettenmaier securing his first WPT title and $1,196,858 within the 2012 WPT World Championship .
Simply three months later, Season XI kicked off in Cyprus, with Rettenmaier reaching the ultimate desk of the Fundamental Occasion third in chips. Nonetheless, he eradicated the 5 remaining opponents to win $287,784, turning into the primary participant ever to win back-to-back titles on the WPT.
2013: Wire-to-Wire Victory for Rybin
There was extra historical past the next yr as Alexey Rybin received the 2013 WPT Cyprus Advantage Traditional. The Russian businessman went wire-to-wire, ending Day 1 as chip chief and holding on all the best way to victory.
He even needed to miss a enterprise assembly to make the ultimate desk, however it paid off as he defeated Albert Daher heads-up to win $257,000.
Different notables who cashed on this occasion embrace Rainer Kemper, Erwann Pecheux, Tobias PEters and Manig Loeser.
2014: Lakhov on the Double
The final time the WPT visited Cyprus was in 2014, with Alexander Lakhov ending a double of his personal, including the WPT Fundamental Occasion title to the WPT Nationwide occasion he received the yr beforehand.
Lakhov defeated compatriot Dmitry Gromov heads-up to win $310,000
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*Photographs courtesy World Poker Tour (WPT)
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