The World Sequence of Poker Event of Champions $1 million freeroll occurred 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 bought 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 prime.
In different phrases, Li turned his largest event rating of $19,235 he bought together with his Circuit ring into $200,000 — and he did it by waging an enormous comeback on the remaining desk the place he started because the quick stack. And the ultimate desk was as powerful as nails, with World Poker Tour World Champion Dan Sepiol, nine-time Circuit ring winner Maxwell Younger, 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 bought into the freeroll by both profitable a WSOP Circuit occasion or a bracelet eventually 12 months’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 remaining desk, pocketing $16,100.
Lemmer bought into the occasion by profitable an internet Circuit occasion in December whereas taking part in in New Jersey. Lemmer has solely that one WSOP ring, however has about 14 remaining desk appearances in on-line ring and bracelet occasions over the past a number of years. He completed eighth for $21,000.
Xu received his approach 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 approach 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 event winnings stack that’s approaching $4 million for ending sixth.
Galstyan punched his ticket by profitable a Circuit ring occasion on-line whereas residing and taking part in 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 event winnings seemingly was the person to beat on this occasion. He bought in by profitable a bracelet within the $1,500 Shootout occasion eventually 12 months’s WSOP, which was good for $305,000. He earned a further $70,000 for ending fourth.
Ciaglo received $9,336 and his approach 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 bought right here by profitable the $400 Monster Stack occasion in the course of the Choctaw Durant in January for $22,218. He added one other $140,000 to that for almost taking down the entire thing.
The highest 75 received not less than $3,200. All winners of this 12 months’s WSOP, which begins at present (Might 27), will obtain entry into subsequent 12 months’s Event of Champions.
