Poker Writer
The World Series of Poker postponed the upcoming Super Circuit in Cyprus, citing “ongoing uncertainties in the region.” WSOP’s X account announced the decision on Sunday with a brief statement.
The event was set to be held April 25-May 11 at the Merit Royal Gardens Hotel & Casino on the Turkish side of the island in North Cyprus. The region has become a regular host of big poker events in recent years, from European Poker Tour, Merit Poker events, and the last WSOP Super Circuit in October 2025.
In place of the WSOP Super Circuit series, the Merit Royal will host the Merit Poker Classic series. It also says that they aim to bring the WSOP event back at a later date when things are hopefully settled down.
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The wording in the announcement suggests that the reason was the ongoing fighting between Israel, Iran, the U.S.A., and other Middle Eastern nations.
While Cyprus is not in the Middle East, it is close enough to the region to cause concern. A flight from Cyprus to Israel is only about an hour.
Early in March, an Iranian drone targeted a British military base in Cyprus. That led to the World Poker Tour canceling its own event on the island.
There is concern that any escalation in the region could spill over and affect travel to and from Cyprus. Flights going over Cyprus are prone to cancellation. That could leave players stranded without a plan. So, the WSOP decided it was in everyone’s best interest to not hold an event that would require widespread international travel.
WSOP staff did not expand on the reasoning when PokerScout reached out, sticking with the official statement.
Poker and Politics Can Make a Volatile Mix on Cyprus
The location of the Merit Royal Hotel and Casino has led to contentious situations before.
I have been to the location twice for poker tournaments. The first time was in August 2022, only a few months after the start of the Russia-Ukraine war.
At the time, Russians were freshly barred from Europe and blacklisted in much of the world for the actions of the Russian government. But that was not the case at Merit. Russians were at the resort in large numbers, both as vacationers and as staff at Merit Poker.
The location attracts players from the nearby Middle East, including those who play poker despite it being taboo. On one occasion, the second time I went to North Cyprus, a player asked that his name be stricken from all updates and records, even though he was doing well in the tournament. We learned that the player was a member of the Lebanese army. He did not want to advertise that he was out playing poker.
International Chess Event in Cyprus Still Going Ahead
Several members of the chess community called on the International Chess Federation (FIDE) to follow the WSOP’s lead and cancel an upcoming chess event in Cyprus. The FIDE Candidates, which determines the next challenger to the world champ, is scheduled for March 28-April 16. It pits 16 elite contenders against each other.
Cap St. Georges Hotel & Resort, on the far western Greek side of the island, will host FIDE Candidates.
FIDE proclaimed the event safe, posting a safety and logistics FAQ on X. In contrast to the WSOP, FIDE states:
Yes. Cyprus is a safe country to travel. There is no emergency situation, and the country continues to operate normally.
FIDE assures that loss of power will not be an issue. Whether the difference between Greek Cyprus and the Turkish North Cyprus is the key to the decision or not, clearly, FIDE is making a starkly different choice than the WSOP.
