Russian businessman Alexey Rybin dominated the six-day 2013 Bwin WPT Merit Cyprus Classic at the Merit Crystal Cove Hotel and Casino this week, missing a business meeting in Monte Carlo to continue playing, but taking home the first prize of $258,000 and a $25,000 seat at the upcoming WPT Championship.
The event attracted a field of 262 players to the Mediterranean island, which distilled to a final table led by Rybin and comprising Lebanese players Albert Daher and Pierre Sayegh; Andrei Nikonov and Sergey Rybachenko (Russia); Kayhan Tugrul (Turkey).
Final table action took around 7 hours and ended in a brief but intense heads up between Rybin and Daher which sent the Lebanese ace away with a second placing check for $160,000, and gave the Russian victor one of his biggest poker pay-days yet.