Italian Triumphs In Merit Poker Western Series Main Event In Cyprus

Cyprus has established itself as a sizzling spot for event poker in Europe lately, with loads of massive sequence going down all through the calendar. The newest was the 2025 Advantage Poker Western Sequence that ran from Jan. 14-26 on the Advantage Crystal Cove Resort.

The competition featured 21 tournaments, with the centerpiece being the $1.5 million guaranteed $3,300 no-limit hold’em main event. With a brand new occasion report of 791 entries made throughout 4 beginning flights, the prize pool swelled to almost $2.2 million. Ultimately, the biggest share of that was awarded to Umberto Ruggeri. The Italian earned $377,500 for the win, the second-largest rating of his profession.

“Extremely joyful. It was an incredible week and an excellent closing. It was tough, however I made it by means of,” Ruggeri informed Advantage Poker after popping out on high. “The feelings are overwhelming me proper now and I don’t know what else to say. I’ve had a number of assist from my mates right here, I’m going to relaxation at times resolve how you can have a good time. Because of Advantage for organizing such an excellent event.”

Ruggeri’s high payday stays the $495,979 he was awarded for a third-place exhibiting within the 2023 European Poker Tour Prague major occasion. He now has almost $1.2 million in recorded cashes.

This newest triumph additionally got here with a bevy of Card Player Player of the Year factors. This was Ruggeri’s first money of the brand new yr, however the 1,368 factors he secured because the champion had been sufficient to shoot him up the leaderboard and into fifth place within the 2025 POY standings introduced by Global Poker.

The highest 103 finishers made the cash on this occasion, with notables Johan ‘YoH ViraL’ Guilbert (twenty fifth), bracelet winner Georgios Skarparis (fifteenth), and World Poker Tour champion Dmitry Gromov (tenth) all working deep.

Renars Skanis bagged up the chip lead heading into the ultimate day, with Ruggeri sitting in a tie with fellow Italian Mario Colavita for third-place within the chip counts among the many closing 9.

Have a look at these faces.
9 guys, from all around the world, by means of an enormous area of 791 opponents, made it to the finals.

Sure, poker is an exquisite and considerably artistic sport. However that is event poker. And it is a brutal exercise. In any case, just one will stroll out of right here with a… pic.twitter.com/DXd6wmjP2B

— Advantage Poker (@meritpokerlive) January 26, 2025

Skanis had a giant bluff picked off early to see him fall out of the lead. The Latvian ended up ending eighth for $50,500.

2024 EPT Cyprus $10,000 excessive curler champion Ryan Mandara bought the final of his brief stack all-in with pocket deuces main the A-J excessive of Muhtar Taysi after a paired six-high flop. The board double-paired on the tip, although, and Mandara was despatched packing in seventh place ($63,200).

Ruggeri scored his first knockout of the day when his pocket sevens outran the A-J suited of Alexander Sokolovsky (sixth – $75,900). Mihai Niste then busted Xiaosheng Zheng (fifth – $94,600) to slim the sphere to 4, making certain that each one remaining contenders locked up six-figure paydays.

Ruggeri and Niste quickly clashed in an enormous pot. The entire chips went in after a OkayQ5 flop with Ruggeri holding 87 for a flush draw whereas Niste had 54 for a pair of fives and a decrease flush draw. The Q flip saved Niste forward, however the 8 river gave Ruggeri larger two pair and the pot. With that, he moved into the highest spot within the chip counts.

Colavita was left brief when his pocket eights had been bested by Ruggeri’s A-7. he then bought all-in with pocket tens main Ruggeri’s Q-10, solely to have Ruggeri river a king-high straight. Colavita headed residence with $130,200 for his efforts.

The ultimate three gamers ended up hashing out a deal that introduced the occasion to a detailed, with Ruggeri incomes the title consequently. Niste was formally listed because the runner-up ($251,000), whereas Muhtar Taysi positioned third ($180,300).

Here’s a take a look at the payouts and POY factors awarded on the closing desk:

Picture credit: Merit Poker Fb web page.