Ilia Kitsbabashvili Ships WPT Cyprus Championship 2025

mrinal-gujare
By Mrinal Gujare
16 Dec 2025
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Mrinal Gujare 16 Dec 2025
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  • Ilia Kitsbabashvili wins WPT Championship Cyprus Main Event.
  • He outlasted a field of 775 players for a $401,100 prize.
  • Secured a $10,400 WPT World Championship seat and a place on the Mike Sexton WPT Champions Cup.
WPT Cyprus Championship
Image Credit: World Poker Tour
Ilia Kitsbabashvili won the WPT Championship Cyprus Main Event, outlasting 775 players at Chamada Prestige Hotel & Casino. He earned $401,100, a $10,400 WPT World Championship seat, and a spot on the Mike Sexton WPT Champions Cup.

The World Poker Tour (WPT) Championship Cyprus concluded at the Chamada Prestige Hotel & Casino, with Ilia Kitsbabashvili winning the $3,500 buy-in Main Event. 

The tournament attracted 775 entries, creating a prize pool of $2,402,500, surpassing the original $2 million guarantee.

Kitsbabashvili secured the title, earning $401,100 and a $10,400 entry to the WPT World Championship at Wynn Las Vegas. His name will also be engraved on the Mike Sexton WPT Champions Cup.

Tournament Field

The event featured multiple starting flights and progressed through several days of play. From the original 775 entries, the field narrowed down to 70 players entering Day 3, with Uladzimir Zhyharau holding the chip lead at 9,450,000. 

At the same time, Elena Litviniuk carried the shortest stack, aiming to become just the third woman to etch her name on the Champions Cup.

Day 3 Eliminations

Day 3 saw the elimination of several notable names:
  • 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, who led Day 1a, made a deep run but was eliminated in 10th place during Level 28, missing the official final table.

Final Table Payouts - WPT Cyprus Championship

  1. Ilia Kitsbabashvili  -  $401,100
  2. James Mahone  -  $255,000
  3. Rafal Chmura  -  $190,000
  4. Elena Litviniuk  -  $142,000
  5. Nikolai Zhadanov  -  $107,000
  6. Uladzimir Zhyharau  -  $82,000

Final Table Highlights

The final table featured nine players, with play broadcast via a live stream. Action was swift:
Koray Korkmaz exited first in 9th place after his ace-king lost to Nikolai Zhadanov’s pocket nines.
Tobias Garp was eliminated in 8th place for $49,000, with Rafal Chmura responsible for the knockout.

From there, eliminations continued quickly until the field narrowed to the heads-up stage. Kitsbabashvili eventually closed out the tournament, taking the top prize and the WPT title.
For the World Poker Tour, the Cyprus event once again showcased its global presence, drawing a competitive field and generating a solid final prize pool.

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