Ilia Kitsbabashvili Wins WPT Cyprus Championship 2025

By Mrinal Gujare

4 hours ago

Mrinal Gujare 4 hours ago

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Ilia Kitsbabashvili wins WPT Championship Cyprus Main Event.
Defeated 775-entry field, earning $401,100 and a WPT World Championship seat.
Tournament exceeded its $2 million prize pool guarantee, showcasing WPT's global appeal.

Image Credit: World Poker Tour

Ilia Kitsbabashvili won the WPT Championship Cyprus Main Event, defeating a 775-entry field at Chamada Prestige Hotel & Casino. He earned $401,100, a $10,400 WPT World Championship seat, and a place on the Mike Sexton WPT Champions Cup.

The World Poker Tour (WPT) Championship Cyprus concluded at the Chamada Prestige Hotel & Casino, where Ilia Kitsbabashvili won the Main Event after outlasting a 775-entry field.

The tournament carried a $3,500 buy-in and generated a $2,402,500 prize pool, surpassing its original $2 million guarantee.

Kitsbabashvili secured the $401,100 top prize and a $10,400 entry into the WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas, while also earning his place on the Mike Sexton WPT Champions Cup.

Tournament Details

The event featured several starting flights and multiple days of play before narrowing down to the final table. The 775 total entries reflected WPT’s growing global reach, with international participation boosting the prize pool beyond the guarantee.

Day 3 Highlights

Day 3 began with 70 players remaining, led by Uladzimir Zhyharau with 9,450,000 chips. At the bottom of the standings, Elena Litviniuk carried the shortest stack, aiming to become only the third woman in history to have her name engraved on the Champions Cup.

Notable eliminations included:

Mustafa Simsek – 53rd place ($9,900)
Timothy Thorp – 50th place ($9,900)
Ray Qartomy – 47th place ($11,800)
Emil Wydra – 37th place ($14,000)
Romulo Dorea (Club WPT Gold Ambassador) – 32nd place ($14,000)

Aleksandr Pak, chip leader from Day 1a, reached 10th place but was eliminated during Level 28 (75,000/125,000/125,000), missing out on the final table.

Final Table Action

The final table featured nine players and was broadcast live. Koray Korkmaz was the first to exit in 9th place, with ace-king losing to Nikolai Zhadanov’s pocket nines.

Tobias Garp followed in 8th place for $49,000, eliminated by Rafal Chmura. Play continued with steady eliminations until Kitsbabashvili eventually captured the title.

Final Table Payouts

Ilia Kitsbabashvili - $401,100
James Mahone - $255,000
Rafal Chmura - $190,000
Elena Litviniuk - $142,000
Nikolai Zhadanov - $107,000
Uladzimir Zhyharau - $82,000

WPT Cyprus Championship 2025

Ilia Kitsbabashvili’s victory at WPT Cyprus not only brought him $401,100 but also confirmed his entry to the WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas later in the season.

His name now joins other champions on the Mike Sexton WPT Champions Cup, marking a career milestone.

For the World Poker Tour, the Cyprus stop further highlighted the tour’s international appeal, producing an impressive prize pool and showcasing the continued global growth of live poker.