Fahredin Mustafov has a new high score with his $1,300,000 win in the Onyx Super High Roller Main Event in Cyprus.
The event drew 277 entries to the Merit resort complex in Cyprus, where the final nine returned on Friday to play for the biggest chunks of the $5.5 million prize pool. Mustafov beat 'Kenar' in heads-up play, after getting rid of a charging Matthew Wantman — the lone American at the final table.
It's another big score for Bulgaria's Mustafov in 2025, who has put together one of the best years of his poker career. He is fresh off of a summer where he picked up two final tables at the WSOP — a $108K fifth-place finish in the $3,000 PLO Six Max and a sixth-place run for $470K in the $50K High Roller 8-Max.
Four other WSOP cashes and a final table at the Wynn Summer Classic stack on top of numerous final tables in Cyprus to add up a blistering 2025. He now sits at #3 on Bulgaria's all-time money list, according to The Hendon Mob.
Mustafov holds off Wantman
Short-stacked Roman Stoika saw the door first, followed by Vincent Huang and Artur Martirosian. It was almost over before it even started or Mustafov, who avoided the worst of it in a hand against Wantman and 'Kenar'.
'Kenar' had raised with 
and Mustafov flat-called with pocket kings. Wantman straggled along with 
and the flop was 
. Wantman checked and 'Kenar' tossed out a bet, which Mustafov called before Wantman put in a big raise. 'Kenar' came along but Mustafov got away from it, preserving his stack while Wantman charged up the leaderboard with a big pot.
Rahul Byrraju and Viacheslav Buldygin were next to go, followed by Aren Bezhanyan in fourth place, setting up a three-handed fight between the big pushers of the day, Mustafov, 'Kenar', and Wantman.
Mustafov entered three-handed play with the lead, only to expand it after he turned a flush against Wantman, who was forced to fold a set to hang on to his last few big blinds. A quick double offered a hope spot, but Wantman hit the rail shortly after when his pocket nines couldn't hold up against an aggressive Mustafov.
Heads-up play lasted exactly one hand, with 'Kenar' shoving his small stack with — right into Mustafov's 
. There was no help on the board for 'Kenar' and Mustafov closed the deal for $1,300,000.
2025 Onyx SHRS Main Event final table results
| Place | Player | Prize |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fahredin Mustafov | $1,300,000 |
| 2 | 'Kenar' | $820,000 |
| 3 | Matthew Wantman | $530,000 |
| 4 | Aren Bezhanyan | $420,000 |
| 5 | Viacheslav Buldygin | $315,000 |
| 6 | Rahul Byrraju | $250,000 |
| 7 | Artur Martirosian | $200,000 |
| 8 | Vincent Huang | $155,000 |
| 9 | Roman Stoika | $121,750 |
Images courtesy of DTDLive and Merit Poker.
