Marvin Rettenmaier Wins WPT Merit Cyprus Classic! ($287,784)

Ladies and gentlemen we have our winner here in Cyprus. Marvin Rettenmaier has made poker history by becoming the first-ever player to win back-to-back World Poker Tour titles after taking down the WPT Merit Cyprus Classic Main Event.

Rettenmaier went into the final table third in chips but still well within reach of the overall chip leader Ran Azor. The young German was full of confidence before the final table got underway as he had reached back-to-back WPT final tables, having won the WPT World Championship in May for a cool $1,196,858.

There was not a person in the Merit casino who did not believe Rettenmaier would not emerge victorious and he proved us all correct when he went on a one-man wrecking spree and eliminated each of his five opponents one after another.

First to go was Kiryl Radzivonau who ran {j-Diamonds} {10-Spades} into the pocket queens of Rettenmaier and he was followed the rail some time later by Joseph El Khoury when El Khoury made a move with {A-Clubs} {2-Spades} and was snapped off by {A-Hearts} {Q-Clubs} .

From that point on Rettenmaier never looked back, the blinds were high and he had the most room to maneuver; something that is crucial in big blind play. Victor Paraschiv three-bet all-in over the top of a Rettenmaier raise with what turned out to be just {k-Clubs} {5-Clubs} . Rettenmaier held a monster in {k-Spades} {k-Diamonds} , which held, and left Rettenmaier with almost six times as many chips as the other two stacks!

These two stacks were soon his as Rettenmaier shoved with {Q-Spades} {9-Clubs} and Azor made the call with pocket sevens. Rettenmaier flopped an open-ended straight draw but needed a queen on the river to bust out Azor.

This left Rettenmaier with a 4:1 chip advantage over Artur Voskanyan. Such a lead heads-up is huge and it only took two hands to press this advantage home. Rettenmaier held the button and put his opponent all-in. Voskanyan made the call with {A-Clubs} {10-Hearts} and was up against {J-Diamonds} {9-Diamonds} . Rettenmaier paired his nine on the flop and after the rest of the board ran out without drama Rettenmaier had done the impossible and won back-to-back WPT titles!