The ongoing WPT Cyprus festival at the Chamada Prestige Hotel & Casino has produced a string of notable winners across its packed 13-day schedule, highlighted by a standout victory for Scotland’s Ludovic Geilich in the $2,200 Mystery Bounty. With more than €5 million guaranteed across the series, the side events have drawn strong international fields and several memorable performances.
Aykutalp Yilmaz Opens with the Take Off
The festival began with the $1,650 NLH Take Off, which ran August 6–9. The event drew 260 players with 92 re-entries, creating a €400,000 prize pool. Aykutalp Yilmaz emerged victorious, claiming the top prize of €86,700.
Geilich Captures the Mystery Bounty
From August 8–10, the $2,200 NLH Mystery Bounty attracted 372 players and 188 re-entries, generating €721,680 in prize money. Ludovic Geilich outlasted the competitive field to secure the official title and €56,380, in addition to the bounty rewards collected along the way.
Kitsbabahvili’s Double Victory
Ilia Kitsbabahvili was another player who left his mark on the series by capturing two titles in the span of a few days.
- On August 10, he topped a 139-entry field in the $1,100 NLH Freezeout, banking €34,430.
- Four days later, on August 14, he returned to the winner’s circle in the $1,100 PLO Bounty. That event drew 137 players with 45 re-entries for a €132,890 prize pool, and Kitsbabahvili walked away with €15,250.
Chamada High Roller
The $5,300 Chamada High Roller, held August 11–13, was one of the festival’s most anticipated events. It attracted 230 entries plus 67 rebuys for a total of 297 entries and a €1,115,500 prize pool. The final table included several strong contenders, with Aleksey Tsessarsky officially crowned champion for €173,000. The top finish went to Akgul Huseyin, who collected €242,000.
Final Table Results
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aleksey Tsessarsky* | €173,000 |
| 2 | Akgul Huseyin | €242,000 |
| 3 | John Perry | €124,500 |
| 4 | Ahmad Abdelhadi | €92,000 |
| 5 | Baris Topuz | €65,000 |
| 6 | Patrick Tardif | €49,000 |
| 7 | Stevanato Luca | €37,000 |
| 8 | Alt Dinesh | €27,000 |
| 9 | Ercan Olgun | €21,000 |
\* Tsessarsky was declared the official champion.
Additional Side Event Highlights
Several other side events crowned winners across the schedule:
- August 6: Daniel Charlton won the $1,280 NLH Bounty KO (€7,456)
- August 7: Alt Dinesh prevailed in the $770 NLH Win the Button (€17,000)
- August 11: Michael Angelos topped the $880 NLH Monster Stack Speed (€20,728)
- August 12: Kara Murat captured the $825 NLH Speed Up (€13,750)
- August 15: Nugzar Glonti claimed the $1,100 NLH Bounty ITM (€24,310)
Remaining Schedule
The WPT Cyprus festival is set to conclude with several major events still to come, including:
- $7,500 + 500 Chamada Super High Roller (€300,000 GTD)
- $2,200 NLH Last Chance (€150,000 GTD)
- The $3,500 WPT Cyprus Championship, featuring a $2 million guaranteed prize pool and wrapping up with its final table on August 18.
The series has already showcased a wide range of champions, and with several marquee events still to play, more names are expected to add to the list of winners before the festival closes.
