What Will We Remember from WSOP 2025?
The biggest poker series of the year is now behind us. The 56th edition of the World Series of Poker ran for over a month, from late May to mid-July. Exactly 100 bracelets were awarded across a diverse schedule that included nearly every poker variant - from fan-favourite No-Limit Hold’em to the lesser-known TORSE.
Each year, the WSOP draws global attention, turning Las Vegas into the centre of the poker world.
Every edition brings its own stories - deep runs, unexpected victories, and moments of high tension. So, what stood out this year? What will the poker community remember from WSOP 2025?
There was a lot of talk, not necessarily friendly
At its core, poker is a social game - played not against a computer, but against other people. While modern technology allows us to compete online 24/7 without ever seeing another player, for many, live poker remains the purest expression of the game. The face-to-face nature of live events introduces a layer of psychological depth and interpersonal dynamics that online environments can’t replicate.
Over the past decade, the dominant trend among both recreational and professional live players has been to stay calm, quiet, and unreadable - minimizing any physical or verbal tells. While this strategy is effective from a competitive standpoint, it often reduces the entertainment value of live poker, particularly for spectators following major events like the WSOP.
That’s why, when a player defies this norm - intentionally or not - they tend to draw immediate attention. This year, two such figures stood out, both earning the unofficial title of WSOP 2025’s “villains.”
The first was Martin Kabrhel. A highly accomplished Czech player, Kabrhel’s poker resume includes four WSOP bracelets and five Circuit rings. However, his success at the tables has long been shadowed by a reputation for controversial behavior. Accusations have ranged from trash talk and angle shooting to more serious allegations like card marking - creating an environment many players find difficult to tolerate. While widely criticized, Kabrhel still has his supporters - some appreciate the unpredictability and chaotic energy he brings, arguing that it adds a unique form of entertainment to the game.
Here’s an illustration of the chaos mentioned above.
The second controversial figure to make a mark during the WSOP 2025 Main Event was an English lawyer, Will Kassouf. Known for his polarizing presence at the tables, Kassouf gained notoriety years ago with his now-iconic phrase, “nine high like a boss.”
This year, however, his antics reached new levels. Constant verbal play and confrontational table talk drew the attention of tournament officials, leading to multiple penalties, a shortened shot clock, and at one point - a dead hand. Kassouf’s 2025 run ended with a verbal outburst that exceeded even his usual standards. As a result, he received a formal ban from the remainder of the WSOP 2025 schedule.
Doug Polk provided a full recap of the Kassouf incident.
There might have been some "dealing" involving
One of the long-standing principles of the World Series of Poker is its strict policy against deal-making. According to official WSOP rules, prize splits and financial agreements between players are prohibited - a regulation that reinforces the prestige of winning a bracelet outright.
This year, however, one of the newer poker operators in the U.S. market - ClubWPT Gold - added an extra layer of intrigue to the WSOP by launching a high-profile promotion, offering a select group of players a $1,000,000 bonus, payable if they managed to win a WSOP bracelet during the series.
Qualifying for the bonus already required beating a large online field, but turning that into an actual WSOP bracelet win seemed close to impossible. And yet, it happened - twice.
The first bonus was claimed during the $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em Shootout (Event #20), where Michael Lavin secured a $267,000 prize - and the additional million, boosting his total winnings nearly fivefold.
That remarkable story was quickly eclipsed by the controversy that followed in the $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em Millionaire Maker (Event #53). When the event reached heads-up play, one of the finalists - Jesse Yaginuma - was in contention for the same $1 million bonus. His opponent, James Carroll, held a nearly 9-to-1 chip lead, making Yaginuma’s chances extremely slim.
What followed was an unusual heads-up dynamic. Despite starting with just 13 big blinds, Yaginuma began climbing back into the match. His bold play was met with surprisingly frequent folds from Carroll, and within roughly 90 minutes, Yaginuma had secured the victory.
Observers quickly noted a pattern in the heads-up play: Carroll’s betting behavior appeared overly passive, and some commentators speculated on a signaling system - where odd bets indicated bluffs and even bets signaled value hands. These suspicions gained traction, and the full final table replay, available online, became a subject of intense scrutiny.
The tournament organizers launched an official investigation following the unusual conclusion. The outcome was unprecedented: the WSOP declared that no bracelet would be awarded. Instead, the combined prize money for first and second place was split between the two finalists - marking the first time in WSOP live event history that a bracelet was withheld due to suspected collusion.
Both players have since been banned from participating in future WSOP events for an indefinite period.
The WSOP’s response was swift and decisive, but it sparked widespread debate within the poker community. Many players and commentators criticized the organization’s refusal to allow deal-making in the first place, arguing that strict enforcement of anti-deal rules may indirectly incentivize off-the-books arrangements with questionable integrity.
One Player Did What No One Had Done Before
While the 2025 WSOP Player of the Year title went to Shaun Deeb - marking his second time earning the distinction - the player who truly captured the spotlight this year was Michael Mizrachi.
Mizrachi began his historic run by winning one of the most prestigious events on the WSOP calendar: the $50,000 Poker Players Championship (Event #66). He defeated Bryn Kenney heads-up, securing his fourth title in this event, his seventh career bracelet, and a $1.3 million prize.
The Poker Players Championship is widely regarded as a test of all-around poker mastery. It features a rotation of nine different games and demands not only deep technical knowledge but also a bankroll substantial enough to enter a $50,000 event. Winning it once is a major accomplishment - winning it four times is unprecedented.
But Mizrachi’s 2025 run didn’t end there.
Just days after claiming the PPC title, Mizrachi made an improbable deep run in the $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em Main Event - the most-watched and most-coveted tournament in the series. Outlasting over 9,000 players, he reached the final table and entered with a solid chip stack.
While some good fortune undoubtedly played a role, Mizrachi dominated from that point forward. His performance at the final table was relentless, culminating in one of the fastest Main Event final table finishes in recent memory. He secured the $10 million first-place prize and, with it, cemented his legacy - instantly earning a place in the Poker Hall of Fame.