The World Collection of Poker Event of Champions $1 million freeroll befell at Commerce On line casino in Los Angeles, and 485 qualifiers showed-up to attempt to add one other piece of {hardware} — and a pile pf money — to their collections.
And it was Kevin Li, who acquired into the occasion by profitable a WSOP Circuit ring in a $600 Combined No-Restrict Maintain’em/Pot-Restrict Omaha occasion on the WSOP Circuit at Deerfoot Inn and On line casino in Calgary in August, who wound up with all of the chips and the $200,000 prize up high.
In different phrases, Li turned his largest match rating of $19,235 he acquired together with his Circuit ring into $200,000 — and he did it by waging an enormous comeback on the ultimate desk the place he started because the quick stack. And the ultimate desk was as robust as nails, with World Poker Tour World Champion Dan Sepiol, nine-time Circuit ring winner Maxwell Young, and Scott Stewart with two of his personal WPT titles becoming a member of Shawn Rice, Don Ciaglo, Karapet Galstyan, Yang Xu, and Kevin Lemmer.
Every of those gamers acquired into the freeroll by both profitable a WSOP Circuit occasion or a bracelet ultimately yr’s WSOP. Some, like Stewart, had been winners in a number of WSOP occasions. However he couldn’t do it right here, and was the primary participant out on the ultimate desk, pocketing $16,100.
Lemmer acquired into the occasion by profitable an internet Circuit occasion in December whereas enjoying in New Jersey. Lemmer has solely that one WSOP ring, however has about 14 ultimate desk appearances in on-line ring and bracelet occasions over the last several years. He completed eighth for $21,000.
Xu received his manner into the 2025 WSOP TOC by taking down a $250 Circuit occasion at Horseshoe Council Bluffs in Iowa. His deep run right here netted him $28,000 for seventh.
Younger added three wins in 2024 to the a number of dozen he already had within the books since 2011. He received his manner into the WSOP TOC by profitable the $2,200 high-roller occasion at Harrah’s Cherokee in North Carolina. He added $37,000 to his lifetime match winnings stack that is approaching $4 million for ending sixth.
Galstyan punched his ticket by profitable a Circuit ring occasion on-line whereas dwelling and enjoying in Nevada, and he has many deep runs on-line on his resume. He received a cool $50,000 for fourth on this one.
Sepiol and his $9 million in tournament winnings seemingly was the person to beat on this occasion. He acquired in by profitable a bracelet within the $1,500 Shootout occasion ultimately yr’s WSOP, which was good for $305,000. He earned a further $70,000 for ending fourth.
Ciaglo received $9,336 and his manner into the WSOP TOC in a $400 Circuit occasion in Lake Tahoe, and he multiplied that quantity by 10 by ending third.
Runner-up Rice acquired right here by profitable the $400 Monster Stack occasion throughout the Choctaw Durant in January for $22,218. He added one other $140,000 to that for practically taking down the entire thing.
The highest 75 received a minimum of $3,200. All winners of this yr’s WSOP, which begins right now (Could 27), will obtain entry into subsequent yr’s Event of Champions.
| Place | Participant | Prize |
| 1 | Kevin Li | $200,000 |
| 2 | Shawn Rice | $140,000 |
| 3 | Don Ciaglo | $100,000 |
| 4 | Dan Sepiol | $70,000 |
| 5 | Karapet Galstyan | $50,000 |
| 6 | Maxwell Younger | $37,000 |
| 7 | Yang Xu | $28,000 |
| 8 | Kevin Lemmer | $21,000 |
| 9 | Scott Stewart | $16,100 |
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