Florida is approximately 6,400 miles / 10,300 km from the Chamada Prestige Hotel & Casino on the island nation of Cyprus. That is why it was a bit of a surprise to see Sunshine State grinder Ray Qartomy in the field of the World Poker Tour (WPT) $3,500 Cyprus Championship.
“I heard about it and I was in Jordan, so I just flew back with the wife here to Cyprus,” Qartomy told PokerNews on a break late on Day 2. “I came once before, and I do like it. I love the casino. Just everything is comfortable. It’s free, very friendly, very clean. I would be back for sure.”
While seeing Qartomy in Cyprus was a bit of a surprise, seeing him play the WPT wasn’t. In fact, one could call him a regular on tour, and maybe even one of the “best without a WPT title” with 21 cashes totaling $1,559,720 and six final table appearances, including a pair of top-three finishes.
In 2022, he finished third in the WPT Choctaw for $235,000 and second to Joshua Pollock in the WPT Legends of Poker for $380,000.
“It’s my dream actually,” Qartomy said when asked about the idea of winning a WPT title. “It’s my dream to just finish it up. I tried many times. I wish I could do this one. I have a belief. I’m playing really well right now, so I have a belief that I will do something here.”
Ray Qartomy competing in the 2025 WPT Cyprus.
Qartomy did go on to bag and be one of 70 players to return on Day 3. Unfortunately for him, a seventh final table appearance would have to wait as Qartomy exited in Level 19 (10,000/15,000/15,000). According to the WPT Live Updates, Qartomy got his last 370,000 all in from the button holding the A♣8♣ and was at-risk against the K♠J♠ of Hulya Secking.
The A♠6♠4♠ flop was a dagger through Qartomy’s heart as his opponent flopped the nut flush. The 7♣ turn left Qartomy drawing dead, and he exited in 47th place for $11,800.
Prior to that cash, Qartomy had $5,867,976 in lifetime earnings according to The Hendon Mob, of which $597,330 has come in 2025. That after two lackluster years in 2024 and 2023, when he won just $30,600 and $31,947, respectively.
“I changed a little bit because I took a little vacation,” Qartomy admitted. “I was in Prussia and then the US when I went to Jordan. I got married there a few years ago, so I am in Jordan now more, so I’m more relaxed.”
Being a more relaxed married man seems to be paying off as Qartomy has once again found poker success. Over three days back in April, he won two titles at the PokerGO Tour Texas Poker Open, good for $40,500 and $41,700. In between, he also finished third in another event for $19,200.
Then, over another three days in July, he won a pair of $15,000 ARIA High Rollers for $270,000 and $210,200. So, to say Qartomy had some momentum heading into Cyprus would be an understatement, and while his run ultimately came up short of another six-figure payday, he’s already looking to the future.
Ray Qartomy proudly sporting the bestbet patch.
“I’ll be back on the tour with WPT for sure by next year, I will play them all,” said Qartomy, singling one out in particular. “I love bestbet Jacksonville, it’s one of my favorites, and they took care of me.”
Indeed, Qartomy sported a bestbet patch while playing in Cyprus, and he’ll no doubt be a featured bounty at the next $5,000 buy-in WPT bestbet Bounty Scramble Championship coming up Nov. 14-18. But how does he feel about potentially being a bounty and having a target painted on his back?
“Actually, I love it because I don’t have to be really aggressive, you know, just wait, but they always attack the bounty, so I like it. It’s nice.”
*Images courtesy of the Tomas Stacha & World Poker Tour (WPT).
