Steve Buell secured the most important victory of his poker profession on Monday, April 14. The longtime match grinder has stay outcomes courting again to 2009, however none as massive as his win within the 2025 World Series of Poker Circuit Grand Victoria Casino $1,700 no-limit hold’em main event. The Wisconsin native outlasted 637 entries that turned as much as the Elgin, Illinois venue to earn a brand new prime rating of $175,684 and his third WSOPC gold ring.
Buell’s earlier rings got here in a $400 thriller bounty occasion on the Horseshoe Council Bluffs cease final 12 months and a $400 double-stack occasion on the 2018 cease at Potawatomi On line casino.
“It’s been so shut with lots of WSOP Circuit mains, MSPT, and different massive tournaments. I’ve been getting lots of sevenths, lots of fourths, and it simply feels nice to shut one out. An enormous one no much less,” he informed WSOP reporters after popping out on prime.
Earlier than this victory, Buell’s prime rating was the $104,261 he earned for a sixth-place displaying in a $10,000 tremendous turbo bounty occasion ultimately 12 months’s WSOP. This newest win grew his lifetime haul to greater than $1.7 million.
The robust turnout resulted in a prize pool of $965,055, which meant the assure was cleared by greater than $215,000. The highest 92 finishers cashed, with notables like World Poker Tour champion Ravi Raghavan (twenty third), reigning WSOPC Horseshoe Hammond primary occasion winner Evan Bethyo (twenty first), bracelet winner Scott Bohlman (14th), and 2024 WSOPC Horseshoe Hammond primary occasion winner Michael Estes (thirteenth) all making it right down to the ultimate few tables.
The ultimate day of this occasion started with six gamers remaining and Steve Wangler within the lead. Buell gained a giant pot of Wangler early to ship him tumbling down the leaderboard. Buell then completed off Wangler (sixth – $29,674) with a queen-high straight.
Ian Greendale quickly adopted (fifth – $40,637) when his A-5 suited misplaced a preflop showdown towards the pocket tens of Matthew Lubawski. Buell then gained one other all-in after the deal, along with his A-8 besting the Q-J suited of Jason Flock (4th – $56,753).
Buell then discovered himself in a basic race scenario, with pocket jacks up towards the Ok-Q of Derek Hanauer. The pocket pair remained greatest by the river and Hanauer was despatched packing in third place ($80,803).
With that, Buell took roughly a 4:1 chip lead into heads-up play with Lubawski. The ultimate hand noticed all of the chips get in after an 8
4
3
flop. Lubawski was forward with QQ
for an overpair, whereas Buell held A8. The 4 on the flip modified nothing, however the 8 on the top gave Buell eights full for the win.
Lubawski was awarded $117,241 because the runner-up, by far his largest rating on the circuit. Buell’s victory got here with 840 Card Participant Participant of the Yr factors. He now sits inside the highest 250 within the 2025 standings because of this win.
Remaining Desk Outcomes
| Place | Participant | Earnings | POY Factors |
| 1 | Steve Buell | $175,684 | 840 |
| 2 | Matthew Lubawski | $117,241 | 700 |
| 3 | Derek Hanauer | $80,803 | 560 |
| 4 | Jason Flock | $56,753 | 420 |
| 5 | Ian Greendale | $40,637 | 350 |
| 6 | Steve Wangler | $29,674 | 280 |
| 7 | Sung Pil Kim | $22,108 | 210 |
| 8 | George Dietz | $16,811 | 140 |
| 9 | Andres German | $13,053 | 70 |
Picture supplied by WSOP.
Trending Merchandise
