WPT Cyprus 2026 Is Live: $2M GTD, Day 1B, Full Schedule and Final Table Dates

The World Poker Tour is back in Cyprus, and the first cards are already in the air.

WPT Cyprus 2026 is currently underway at Chamada Prestige Hotel & Casino, with the $3,500 WPT Cyprus Championship offering a $2 million guaranteed prize pool and a place in the WPT Champions Club for the eventual winner.

Day 1A finished with 147 entries and 65 players advancing. Farbod Nazari built the largest stack of the opening flight, finishing with 342,000 chips.

Day 1B is underway today, August 20.

And the field is nowhere near closed.

There is still another full starting flight on August 21, followed by late registration and unlimited re-entry through the first break of Day 2 on August 22.

That is important because the same Championship attracted 775 entries in 2025 and generated a $2,402,500 prize pool, comfortably beating the same $2 million guarantee.

Could WPT Cyprus break the guarantee again?

That is one of the biggest questions surrounding the event over the next few days.

This guide covers the current WPT Cyprus 2026 results, remaining Championship schedule, registration rules, final table date, previous-year numbers, live tournament strategy and why Cyprus is competing for poker attention during one of the busiest weeks of the European calendar.

For a wider look at the biggest tournaments happening around the world, use our Global Poker Tournament Calendar.

WPT Cyprus 2026 Quick Facts

What Happened on Day 1A?

The Championship began on Wednesday, August 19 with the first of three starting flights.

Day 1A attracted 147 entries.

After eight one-hour levels, 65 players remained.

The early leader is Farbod Nazari, who finished the day with 342,000 chips.

At the end-of-day blind level, that represented 228 big blinds, giving Nazari an extremely deep stack heading toward Day 2.

But being the Day 1A leader does not mean he will necessarily begin Day 2 as the overall leader.

Day 1B and Day 1C can both produce larger stacks, and late entrants can still join during Day 2.

That creates one of the interesting features of the WPT structure: the final field size and prize pool will remain unknown for several more days.

WPT Cyprus Day 1B Is Live Today

Day 1B started at 12:00 local time on August 20.

Players begin with 50,000 chips at blinds of 100/200 with a 200 big blind ante.

The flight is scheduled for eight 60-minute levels.

That is a relatively deep starting structure.

A 50,000 starting stack at 100/200 equals 250 big blinds, giving players plenty of room before stack pressure becomes serious.

Deep structures reward patience, postflop decision-making and the ability to avoid creating oversized pots with marginal hands.

If you are unfamiliar with how stack depth and blind levels change tournament strategy, our poker tournament structure guide explains why two events with identical buy-ins can play completely differently.

WPT Cyprus 2026 Remaining Championship Schedule

The schedule gives players another chance to enter on Friday before the surviving field combines for Day 2.

Late Registration Makes the $2 Million Guarantee Hard to Read Early

Looking only at the 147 Day 1A entries would be misleading.

Registration remains open beyond the three starting flights.

According to the WPT’s current structure, players can continue registering and re-entering until the end of the first scheduled break on Day 2, around the beginning of Level 11.

That means a significant portion of the final field can still arrive after Day 1C is complete.

This happened in a major way last year.

In 2025, WPT Cyprus had 641 entries before Day 2 late registration was complete.

More than 100 additional entries arrived during the remaining registration period.

The final number reached:

775 entries.

That generated:

$2,402,500 in prize money.

So anyone trying to judge whether the 2026 guarantee will be reached from the first flight alone is looking at the wrong number.

Can WPT Cyprus Break $2 Million Again?

It absolutely can, but it is too early to claim that it will.

Last year’s 775 entries prove that the venue can support a field large enough to beat the guarantee.

The 2026 Championship uses the same headline $3,500 buy-in and $2 million guarantee.

But live tournament fields are affected by several things:

• Travel schedules
• Competing poker festivals
• Satellite qualification
• Regional conditions
• High-stakes player schedules
• Late registration behavior
• Re-entry volume

One especially interesting factor this year is the European poker calendar.

WPT Cyprus and EPT Barcelona Are Fighting for Attention at the Same Time

This week is unusually crowded.

While WPT Cyprus is running its $3,500 Championship, EPT Barcelona 2026 is also underway in Spain.

The €100,000 EPT Super High Roller begins August 21, and the €5,300 EPT Main Event begins August 22.

That means professional players who regularly travel between European festivals have to make a real schedule decision.

Stay in Cyprus for the WPT?

Travel to Barcelona for the EPT Main Event?

Try to play both?

The overlap could affect late registration and high-stakes attendance, but it also makes this one of the biggest poker weeks of the month.

You can follow the competing festival in our EPT Barcelona 2026 guide.

What Happened at WPT Cyprus in 2025?

The previous Championship provides the best benchmark for this year’s event.

The 2025 WPT Cyprus Championship produced:

• 775 entries
• $2,402,500 prize pool
• 97 paid positions
• $401,100 first-place prize

Georgia’s Ilia Kitsbabahvili won the Championship and completed one of the strongest festival performances of the year.

He had already won two side events before taking down the Main Event.

His Championship prize included a $10,400 entry into the season-ending WPT World Championship.

The final table payouts were:

Those numbers show why late stages of a WPT Main Event become financially intense very quickly.

The WPT Champions Club Is Part of the Prize

A WPT title is not simply a large cash.

Winning a Main Tour Championship also puts the player’s name into the WPT Champions Club and onto the Mike Sexton WPT Champions Cup.

For professional tournament players, that historical recognition can matter alongside the money.

WPT has been running major televised poker events since 2002, and becoming a Main Tour champion remains one of live poker’s recognizable achievements.

How Much Bankroll Do You Need for a $3,500 Live Event?

A $3,500 tournament is expensive even before travel is considered.

The true cost of playing WPT Cyprus can include:

• $3,500 entry
• Possible re-entry
• Flights
• Hotel
• Food
• Transportation
• Side events
• Time away from work

If a player fires three bullets, the tournament entries alone become $10,500.

That is why unlimited re-entry should not be interpreted as permission to keep buying in until something works.

Before entering a major live festival, read our poker bankroll management guide.

Late Registration Is Not Automatically Better

Some players love entering tournaments late because they can skip the early levels.

That saves time.

It can also reduce the number of big blinds you receive for the same buy-in.

A player starting Day 1 with 250 big blinds has enormous flexibility.

A late entrant arriving much deeper into the structure may start with a dramatically smaller effective stack.

That changes:

• Opening ranges
• Three-bet strategy
• Postflop maneuverability
• Value of speculative hands
• Variance

Late registration can be correct for an experienced player, but it should not be treated as automatically superior.

Satellite Winners Have a Completely Different Cost Basis

Not every player in the $3,500 Championship paid $3,500 directly.

WPT Global ran qualification routes for Cyprus before the event, including paths that started from very small buy-ins.

This is one of the reasons satellites matter so much around expensive live events.

A recreational player who cannot justify a $3,500 direct buy-in can still potentially reach the same field for a fraction of the cost.

But satellite poker requires different strategy, particularly around the qualification bubble.

Read our Poker Satellites 2026 guide before treating a satellite like a normal MTT.

Live WPT Poker Requires Different Adjustments From Online Play

Online tournament players entering a major WPT field need to adjust to a slower environment.

Live poker produces fewer hands per hour.

That can make aggressive online grinders impatient.

They may begin forcing action simply because they have been card dead for forty minutes.

That is a mistake.

A live structure with long levels rewards discipline. There is no requirement to manufacture a huge pot simply because nothing interesting has happened recently.

Our Online vs Live Poker guide explains how to transfer online skills into a live tournament environment.

Deep Stacks Make Position Even More Important

With hundreds of big blinds available early, position becomes extremely valuable.

A weak decision out of position can create difficult turn and river spots worth dozens of big blinds.

Meanwhile, playing in position gives you more control over:

• Pot size
• Value betting
• Bluff frequency
• River decisions

The early WPT Cyprus structure provides plenty of room to play poker rather than simply wait for all-in situations.

ICM Will Matter Far More Later in the Tournament

Early in the Championship, chip accumulation dominates decision-making.

Late in the event, payout pressure changes everything.

The 2025 tournament paid $49,000 for eighth and $401,100 for first.

That is a difference of more than $350,000 across only a few elimination positions.

When the final table reaches that stage, a chip is no longer worth the same amount of prize equity in every stack.

Our ICM in Poker guide explains why medium stacks can face enormous pressure while big stacks attack.

Do Not Judge a WPT Trip From One Result

Live tournament variance is brutal.

You can travel internationally, pay thousands in expenses, get your chips in as a large favorite and still be eliminated.

That does not mean the trip was automatically a strategic mistake.

Likewise, winning a bad all-in does not make the original decision good.

Our Poker Variance guide explains why short-term tournament results are a poor measure of decision quality.

WPT Cyprus Is Also a Poker Travel Event

Major live poker festivals increasingly combine tournament competition with travel.

Cyprus attracts international players who may remain at the resort for most of the festival rather than travel only for one tournament.

That can make the experience more enjoyable, but it can also increase costs and create security considerations.

Players carrying cash, expensive electronics or account information internationally should plan accordingly.

Our guide to avoiding poker scams while traveling abroad covers some of the risks that appear around major poker destinations.

The WPT Is Coming Back to Cyprus Again in 2026

The August Championship is not the final WPT event scheduled for Cyprus this year.

WPT has also announced a WPT Prime Cyprus Championship for October.

The WPT Prime festival is scheduled for October 7 through October 19, with the $1,100 Prime Championship running October 15 through October 19.

That event carries a $1 million guarantee.

So Cyprus will host two major WPT Championship events in the second half of 2026.

That reinforces how important the location has become to the tour’s international schedule.

How to Follow WPT Cyprus 2026

WPT is publishing official live updates throughout the Championship.

The coverage includes:

• Chip counts
• Key hands
• Eliminations
• Field updates
• Registration numbers
• Final payouts once confirmed

The WPT has also stated that the Championship will culminate with a livestreamed final table.

The final table is scheduled for August 24.

What to Watch Over the Next 48 Hours

Three numbers matter most.

1. Day 1B Entries

We will get a better idea of the pace of the field after today’s flight is complete.

2. Day 1C Entries

Friday’s final starting flight could produce the largest Day 1 turnout as weekend players arrive.

3. Day 2 Late Registration

This is the number that can decide whether the event crosses the $2 million guarantee comfortably.

Last year proved that Day 2 registration can add a meaningful chunk of the final field.

WPT Cyprus 2026 FAQs

When is WPT Cyprus 2026?

The festival runs August 12 to August 24. The $3,500 WPT Cyprus Championship runs August 19 to August 24.

Where is WPT Cyprus being played?

The festival is taking place at Chamada Prestige Hotel & Casino in Cyprus.

How much is the WPT Cyprus Championship buy-in?

The Championship costs $3,500.

What is the WPT Cyprus guarantee?

The Championship guarantees a minimum $2 million prize pool.

How many entries did WPT Cyprus Day 1A get?

Day 1A attracted 147 entries.

Who led WPT Cyprus Day 1A?

Farbod Nazari finished Day 1A with the chip lead at 342,000.

How many players survived Day 1A?

Sixty-five players advanced from the first flight.

When is WPT Cyprus Day 1C?

Day 1C is scheduled for Friday, August 21 at 12:00 local time.

When does WPT Cyprus Day 2 start?

Day 2 begins Saturday, August 22.

Can players still register on Day 2?

Yes. The current WPT structure allows registration and unlimited re-entry through the first break of Day 2.

When is the WPT Cyprus final table?

The final table is scheduled for Monday, August 24.

Will the WPT Cyprus final table be streamed?

WPT has stated that the Championship will conclude with a livestreamed final table.

How many entries did WPT Cyprus get in 2025?

The 2025 Championship attracted 775 entries and generated a $2,402,500 prize pool.

Who won WPT Cyprus in 2025?

Ilia Kitsbabahvili won the Championship for $401,100 after also winning two side events during the same festival.

Is there another WPT Cyprus event later this year?

Yes. WPT Prime Cyprus is scheduled for October, with a $1,100 Championship and $1 million guarantee.

Final Verdict

WPT Cyprus 2026 is one of the poker events to watch this week.

The $3,500 Championship is live.

Day 1A produced 147 entries.

Farbod Nazari leads the first group of survivors with 342,000.

Day 1B is underway today.

Day 1C arrives tomorrow.

And registration remains open into Day 2, which means the most important number of all, the final field size, is still far from settled.

Last year, the same Championship grew to 775 entries and a $2.402 million prize pool.

If the late-registration pattern repeats, the $2 million guarantee could once again become only the starting point.

At the same time, EPT Barcelona is pulling many of Europe’s biggest tournament players toward Spain, creating an unusually competitive week for live poker.

That makes the next few days especially interesting.

Will WPT Cyprus beat last year’s field?

Will the guarantee fall comfortably?

And who will leave Cyprus on August 24 as the newest member of the WPT Champions Club?

We are about to find out.